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188

VICTORIES AND FLIGHT OF INSURGENTS.

and the spirit shown by a large portion of Canby's troops satisfied him that, notwithstanding his loss of transportation by the capture of his mules and wagons, he need not fear a pursuit. So, passing on and leaving his wounded. at Socorro, thirty miles above Fort Craig, Sibley pressed forward to Albuquerque, fifty miles farther, which was at once surrendered. His destination was Santa Fé, and he was marching with perfect confidence of success there, when his vanguard, under W. R. Scurry, was met near Fort Union, in the Cañon Glorietta, or Apache Pass, fifteen miles from the capital of New Mexico, by about thirteen hundred National troops, under Colonel John P. Slough. These were mostly Colorado Volunteers, with a few regulars. A greater part of these had just traversed the mountain wilderness from Denver, and during the latter part of their journey, after hearing of Sibley's approach to Santa Fé, they had marched at the rate of forty miles a day. In that narrow defile, where flanking was out of the question, a very severe fight

1862.

between the infantry and artillery of both parties occurred," in March 24, which the Texans were victorious, after a loss of thirty-six killed and sixty wounded. The National loss was twenty-three killed and fifty wounded.'

b 1962.

Sibley entered Santa Fé without further resistance. His army was greatly crippled, and the people were either indifferent or actively opposed to him. He seized whatever property might be useful to him, and hoped to hold his position; but a month had not elapsed before he was compelled to fly back to Albuquerque, which he had made his depot of supplies, for these were threatened by the forces of Colonel Canby, approaching from below. He accomplished that purpose, but was so satisfied that he could not hold New Mexico, that he evacuated Albuquerque on the 12th of April, leaving his sick and wounded in hospitals there and at Santa Fé. After skirmishing with his opponents along the river, each party moving on opposite sides of the stream, and perceiving imminent danger to his whole command, Sibley fled under cover of the night to the mountains, with his scanty provisions on pack mules, dragging his cannon over rugged spurs and along fearful precipices, for ten days. Then he again struck the Rio Grande at a point where he had ordered supplies to meet him. He then made his way to Fort Bliss, in Texas, a wiser if not a happier man. Canby did not follow him over the mountains, but returned to Santa Fé, and reported to the Secretary of War that Sibley, who had been compelled to evacuate New Mexico, had left behind him, "in dead and wounded, and in sick and prisoners, one-half of his original force."

• May 4.

Let us now observe events eastward of the Mississippi River, within the Departments of Generals Halleck3 and Buell, having a connection with the

1 On the previous morning, in a skirmish with Pyron's Cavalry, Colonel Slough took fifty-seven prisoners, but losing fifteen of his own men. In the fight just recorded, Major Chivington, with four Colorado companies, gained the rear of the Texans, and was inflicting serious injury upon them, when he heard of Slough's defeat, and was compelled to withdraw.

2 At Albuquerque, according to Sibley's report, the brothers Raphael and Manuel Armijo were so warmly interested in the Confederate cause that they placed at his disposal stores valued at $200,000. They fled over the mountains with Sibley. Their generosity and sacrifices so touched his heart, that he expressed a hope that they might not be forgotten by the "Confederate Government" in the final settlement,

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PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT IN KENTUCKY.

189

grand plan for expelling the Confederates from Kentucky, and liberating Tennessee from their grasp.

We have seen how the loyalists in the Kentucky Legislature foiled the efforts of the Governor and his political friends to link the fortunes of that State with those of the "Southern Confederacy." These efforts were met, as we have observed, by the occupation of the whole southern portion of the commonwealth by Confederate troops, all of which were within the Depart ment commanded by General Albert Sidney Johnston. That officer had been an able veteran in the army of the Republic, and was then about sixty years of age. He was a Kentuckian by birth, and his sympathies were with the conspirators. He was on duty in California when the war was kindling, and was making preparations, with other conspirators there, to array that State on the side of the Confederacy,' when he was superseded in command by Lieutenant-Colonel E. V. Sumner, of Massachusetts. Johnston then abandoned his flag, joined the conspirators in active rebellion, and was appointed

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ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON.

by Jefferson Davis to the command of the "Western Department," with his head-quarters at Nashville.

Under the shadow of Johnston's protection, and behind the cordon of Confederate troops stretched across the State, the disloyal politicians of Kentucky proceeded to organize an independent government for the commonwealth. They met at Russellville, the capital of Logan County, in the southern part of the State, on the 29th of October. They drew up a manifesto, in which the grievances of Kentucky were recounted, and the action of its Legislature denounced. They then called upon the people of the State to choose, "in any manner" they might see fit, "delegates to attend a "Sovereignty convention," " at Russellville, on the 18th of November. At the appointed time, about two hundred men from fifty-one counties, not elected by the people, assembled, and with difficult gravity adopted a "Declaration of Independence," and an "Ordinance of Secession," and then proceeded to organize a "Provisional Government," by choosing a governor, a legislative council of ten, a treasurer, and an auditor. Bowling Green was selected as the new capital of the State. Commissioners were appointed to treat with the "Confederate Government," for the admission of Kentucky into the league; and before the close of December the arrangement was made, and so-called

1 Annual Cyclopædia for 1862. Article-A. S. Johnston.

a Nov. 20,

1861.

2 George W. Johnson, of Scott County, was chosen Governor. The ministers of the Legislative Council were: William B. Machin, John W. Crockett, James P. Bates, James S. Critman, Philander R. Thompson, J. P. Burnside, H. W. Bruce, J. W. Moore, E. M. Bruce, and George B. Hodge.

The Commissioners were: Henry C. Burnett, W. E. Simons, and William Preston.

190

a Dec. 16,

1861.

THE WAR IN SOUTHERN KENTUCKY.

representatives of that great commonwealth were chosen by the "Legisla tive Council" to seats in the "Congress" at Richmond.' The people had nothing to do with the matter, and the ridiculous farce did not end here. All through the war, disloyal Kentuckians pretended to represent their noble old State in the supreme council of the conspirators, where they were chosen only, a great portion of that time, by the few Kentuckians in the military service of Jefferson Davis.

While these political events in Kentucky were in progress, military movements in that quarter were assuming very important features. General Johnston concentrated troops at Bowling Green, and General Hardee was called from Southeastern Missouri, to supersede General Buckner in command there. The forces under General Polk at Columbus were strengthened, and Zollicoffer, having secured the important position of Cumberland Gap, proceeded to occupy the rich mineral and agricultural districts around the upper waters of the Cumberland River. He issued a proclamation' to the people of Southeastern Kentucky, declaring, in the set phrases used by all the instruments of the conspirators, when about to plant the heel of military despotism upon a community, that he came as their "liberator from the Lincoln despotism" and the ravages of "Northern hordes," who were "attempting the subjugation of a sister Southern State."

& Dec. 16.

In the mean time, General Buell had organized a large force at Louisville, with which he was enabled to strengthen various advanced posts, and throw

forward, along the line of the railway toward Bowling Green, about forty thousand men, under General Alexander McD. McCook. As this strong body advanced, the vanguard of the Confederates, under General Hindman (late member of Congress from Arkansas), fell back to the southern bank of the Green River, at Mumfordsville, where that stream was spanned by one of the most costly iron bridges in the country. This was partially destroyed, in order to impede the march of their pursuers. The latter soon constructed a temporary one. For this purpose, a greater portion of Colonel Auguste Willich's German regiment (the Thirtysecond Indiana), forming McCook's vanguard, were thrown across the river, where they were attacked, at Rowlett Station, by a regiment of mounted Texas Rangers, under Colonel Terry, supported by two

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BUELL'S HEAD-QUARTERS AT LOUISVILLE.2

Dec. 17.

i These were: Henry C. Burnett, John Thomas, Thomas L. Burnett, S. H. Ford, Thomas B. Johnson, George W. Ewing. Dr. D. V. White, John M. Elliott, Thomas B. Monroe, and George B. Hodge. On the day when these men were chosen by the "Council," two of them-Henry C. Burnett and Thomas Monroe-were sworn in at Richmond as members of the Confederate Senate. Of such usurpers of the political rights of the people, the "Confederate Congress," so called, was composed.

2 This is a view of General Buell's head-quarters on Fourth Street, between Green and Walnut Streets, in the most aristocratic portion of the city of St. Louis.

See page $51, volume I.

BATTLE OF PRESTONBURG.

191

regiments of infantry and a battery of six guns. The Nationals, though greatly outnumbered, and attacked chiefly by cavalry and artillery, repulsed the assailants with ball and bayonet, killing Terry and thirty-two others, wounding about fifty, and

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losing eight killed and ten wounded themselves. In this work they were aided by a battery on the north side of the river. Seeing re-enforcements crossing, the Confederates withdrew toward Bowling Green, slowly followed by the Nationals.

THOMAS C. HINDMAN IN 1858.

In the mean time, stirring scenes were in progress in the extreme eastern part of Kentucky, and move. ments there caused a brief diversion of a part of Buell's army from the business of pushing on in the direction of Tennessee. Humphry Marshall was again in the field, at the head of about twenty-five hundred insurgents, and at the beginning of January was intrenched in the neighborhood of Paintsville, in Johnston County, on the main branch of the Big Sandy River, that forms the boundary between Kentucky and Virginia. Colonel James A. Garfield, one of the most energetic young men of Ohio, was sent with the Forty-second Ohio and Fourteenth Kentucky regiments, and three hundred of the Second Virginia cavalry, to dislodge him. Garfield followed the course of the river in a march of greatest difficulty and danger, at an inclement season. When Marshall heard of his approach, he fled in alarm up the river toward Prestonburg. Garfield's cavalry pursued, and, in an encounter with those of Marshall, at the mouth of Jennis's Creek, they killed some, and drove the others several miles. On the following day, Garfield also set out with about eleven hundred of his force in pursuit, and overtaking Marshall in the forks of Middle Creek, three miles above Prestonburg, where he was strongly posted with three cannon on a hill, he gave battle, fought him from one o'clock in the afternoon until dark, and drove him from all his positions. Garfield, having been re-enforced by seven hundred men from Paintsville, was enabled to make the victory for the Unionists at the BATTLE OF PRESTONBURG, as it is called, complete. The National loss was two killed and twenty-five wounded. That of the insurgents was estimated at sixty killed, and about one hundred wounded or made prisoners.' The ponderous Marshall was not heard of afterward as a military leader. Because of his services on this occasion, Garfield was commissioned' a brigadier-general of volunteers.

Jan. 7,

1862.

Jan. 11.

1 Report of General Buell to General McClellan, December 18, 1861. General Hindman, in his report on the 19th, said General Terry and three of his regiment were killed, three others slightly wounded, and only six missing. As they left a much larger number dead on the field, Hindman's report must have been incorrect.

2 Garfield, in his report, says that twenty-seven dead insurgents were found on the field the next morning. The Richmond papers reported the battle as a success for the insurgents, in which they lost only nine killed and the same number wounded; while the loss of the Nationals was "from 400 to 500 killed, and about the same number wounded!" Such was the usual character of the reports in the Confederate newspapers, under the

192

a 1861.

FORCES OF ZOLLICOFFER AND BUELL.

This victory on the Big Sandy was soon followed by another of the greatest importance, on the borders of the Cumberland River, farther westward. Zollicoffer, as we have observed, had established himself in the region of the upper waters of the Cumberland. At the close of the year he was strongly intrenched at Beech Grove, on the north side of that river, opposite Mill Spring, in Pulaski County, at the bend of the stream where it receives the White Oak Creek. On a range of hills that rise several hundred feet above the river, and with water on three sides of him, he had constructed a series of fortifications; and on the opposite, or south side of the Cumberland he had also erected supporting works. There he had gathered a large part of his force, composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery; and there, early in January,' he was joined by MajorGeneral George B. Crittenden, already mentioned,' who had been discharged from the National army because of his intemperance, and had espoused the cause of the conspirators, while a brother was in the military service of the Government, in the same State. He ranked Zollicoffer, and assumed the chief command. On the same day he inflicted a

1862.

⚫ Jan. 6. long and bombastic proclamation on the "people of Kentucky," closing with the appeal, "Will you join in the moving columns of the South, or is the spirit of Kentucky dead ?"

At this time General Buell had under his command about one hundred and fourteen thousand men, composed chiefly of citizens of Ohio, Indiana,

Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and loyalists of Kentucky and Tennessee, with about one hundred and twenty-six pieces of artillery. This large army was divided into four grand divisions, commanded respectively by Brigadier Generals Alexander McDowell McCook, Ormsby M. Mitchel, George H. Thomas, and Thomas L. Crittenden, acting as major-generals, aided by twenty brigade commanders. These divisions occupied a line across the State, nearly parallel to that held by the Confederates. McCook's, as we have observed, was in the vicinity of Mumfordsville. Brigadier-General William Nelson was

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DON CARLOS BUELL.

eye of the conspirators at Richmond. With the most absurd mendacity, they made the deceived people believe that in every fight the Confederates won a victory over vastly superior numbers, killing, wounding, and capturing the Nationals by hundreds and thousands. These false reports were made on purpose to deceive the people, so as to draw men into the army, and money from the pockets of the dupes of the conspirators.

1 See page 185.

2 The contributions of these States to Buell's army were as follows: Ohio, thirty regiments of infantry, two and a half of cavalry, and eight batteries of artillery; Indiana, twenty-seven regiments of infantry, one and a half regiment of cavalry, and five batteries of artillery; Illinois, three regiments of infantry; Kentucky, twenty-four regiments of infantry, four of cavalry, and two batteries of artillery; Pennsylvania, three regiments of infantry, two of cavalry, and one battery of artillery; Michigan, three regiments of infantry, and one battery of artillery: Wisconsin, three regiments of infantry; Minnesota, two regiments of infantry and one battery ⚫! artillery; Tennessee, two regiments of infantry.

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