THE ATTACK ON RICHMOND, KENTUCKY. regiments came from north of the Ohio and as Wallace was about to move forward to oppose Smith he was succeeded by General William Nelson who had been ordered by General Buell to take charge of affairs in Kentucky. On taking command Nelson organized the troops at Lexington into a division of three brigades under Generals M. D. Manson, Charles Cruft and J. S. Jackson. Learning that the Confederates were approaching, some cavalry was sent forward and several sharp engagements occurred. Kirby Smith then determined to make an immediate advance on Richmond, Kentucky, although his troops were jaded by long and laborious marches and General Heth's division of 4,000 men was still far in the rear. For the attack Smith had P. R. Cleburne's and T. J. Churchill's divisions of 6,000 men and Scott's cavalry brigade of about 850 men. The advance was ordered for August 30. About half a mile south of Rogersville, Scott's cavalry encountered Manson's brigade which in turn was attacked by Cleburne with two brigades. Manson was then reinforced by a regiment of Cruft's brigade and a battery and endeavored to turn Cleburne's right but was repulsed. Meanwhile Churchill's division came up to support Cleburne, and Manson's right was then flanked and driven back in disorder. Another of Cruft's regiments endeavored to turn the tide but was repulsed with heavy loss. Another position 243 was taken farther to the rear where the troops were under partial cover with artillery on the flanks but this was soon assailed by the Confederates. Cruft's brigade on the right was attacked by Churchill's division and driven back in confusion and as Cleburne now advanced in the front, Manson's entire line fell back with the Confederates in close pursuit. Manson formed another line in front of Richmond but General Nelson came on the field and selected a new line near the town and cemetery. Scarcely had the troops taken their position when they were attacked by the Confederates and compelled to give way, the demoralization being increased by the knowledge that Scott's cavalry had gained the road in the rear of Richmond. Nelson was wounded and narrowly escaped to Lexington and thence to Louisville. Manson was wounded and taken prisoner with over 4,000 of his men, while 9 guns, more than 6,000 muskets, and the entire wagon train were lost. The Union loss was 206 killed, 844 wounded and 4,303 captured or missing, while the Confederate loss was 78 killed, 372 wounded and 1 missing.* General Heth with his division of 4,000 men joined Smith after the battle and marched to Lexington where he arrived on September 2. * Van Horne, History of the Army of the Cumberland, vol. i.; Official Records, vol. xvi.; Battles and Leaders, vol. iii., pp. 4-5; Shaler, Kentucky, pp. 290-293; Cist, The Army of the Cumberland, p. 51 et seq.; A. H. Noll, General Kirby Smith (1907). 244 MARTIAL LAW DECLARED; MORGAN'S MOVEMENTS. Naturally, there was considerable excitement in Louisville and Cincinnati. Martial law was declared in Cincinnati, the liquor shops were closed, all business was suspended, the street cars ceased to run, and all men who could fight or work were ordered to assemble at their voting places for the purpose of drill or labor. Governor Todd hastened to Cincinnati and called out for military service all the loyal men of the river counties.* For a while it was doubtful what move the Confederates would make next Having occupied Lexington, Paris, Frankfort and Cynthiana, Smith sent Heth to threaten Covington and Cincinnati. On September 10 it was thought that a battle was imminent, but finding Cincinnati too well defended to attack, and being in turn threatened with counter attack, Heth gave up the attempt and withdrew to join Smith who waited at Lexington to coöperate with General Bragg, then operating against Buell.† September 18 Smith was in motion to join Bragg at Shelbyville but his march was suspended by the news that General George W. Morgan had evacuated Cumberland Gap. On This place had been fortified and magazines and an arsenal had been established there. When Kirby Smith defeated Nelson at Richmond, communication with the North was cut off and, moreover, General C. L. Stevenson with a division of 9,000 men was * Rhodes, United States, vol. iv., pp. 175-176. Shaler, Kentucky, pp. 298-300. preparing to attack the Gap in front. Hence, being short of forage and unprepared for a siege, Mòrgan blew up the arsenal and magazines, set fire to his store houses and on the night of September 17 started on a march of 200 miles through an almost unbroken wilderness to Greenup on the Ohio River. Accordingly, on learning of Morgan's movement, Smith marched his entire army eastward toward Mount Sterling to intercept him. In this, however, he was unsuccessful for Morgan reached his destination on October 3. Smith next marched back to the vicinity of Frankfort where he was joined in person by Bragg who informed him that Buell was moving out of Louisville. Meanwhile Bragg had divided his army into two wings, the right commanded by General Leonidas Polk, the left by General W. J. Hardee. He crossed the Tennessee at and above Chattanooga on August 24 and his THE SURRENDER OF MUNFORDSVILLE. and entered Kentucky on September 5 about 45 miles above Nashville, and by the 13th had reached Glasgow. It now became a race between the two for Louisville, and Bragg, having the shorter line of march, reached the city first, placing himself between Buell and the city. It was thought that he could capture Louisville and Kirby Smith suggested a combined assault, but Bragg lingered, and instead of attacking Louisville marched from Glasgow across the country and attacked the Union garrison at Munfordsville on Green River where the Louisville and Nashville Railroad crosses. The Confederates demanded the surrender of the place but Colonel J. T. Wilder in command of the Union troops refused. Accordingly at daylight on September 15 the attack was made by the Confederates but was repulsed with considerable slaughter. The fight was renewed two days later and continued until the close of the day, when hearing that Bragg with his main force was near at hand, Colonel C. L. Dunham then in command surrendered the place with 4,000 men and 10 guns. Bragg took a strong position on the south side of Green River intending to give Buell battle, but owing to want of supplies changed his mind. Reduced to three days' rations, Bragg turned aside from the direct road north and advanced to Bardstown. On leaving Nashville, Buell had followed Bragg's invading force closely * Official Records, vol. xvi., pt. ii., p. 830. 245 on its route into Kentucky and soon occupied Munfordsville. While Bragg was marching toward Frankfort Buell advanced by the main road into Louisville where he arrived on September 25, insuring the safety of the city. On reaching Louisville Buell was reinforced by over 30,000 men, chiefly raw troops, hastily gathered from Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, thus increasing the Army of the Ohio to nearly 100,000 men. The army was divided into three corps commanded by Generals A. McD. McCook, T. L. Crittenden, and C. C. Gilbert, General Thomas being second in command of the whole army. On October 1 Buell left Louisville with 58,000 men, moving in three columns against Bragg at Bardstown. General Joshua W. Sill with his own division and that of Ebenezer Dumont marched direct to Frankfort to threaten E. Kirby Smith. Believing that Sill was but the advance of Buell's main body marching for that place, Bragg ordered General Polk to move the entire army from Bardstown toward Frankfort and to strike Sill and Buell in flank, while E. Kirby Smith advancing from Frankfort met the Union column in front. But Polk disregarded Bragg's order and retired slowly by way of Perryville toward Harrodsburg where he thought that the entire Confederate army in Kentucky would be concentrated. When Bragg heard of this he, Smith and others were formally inaugurating a secession governor of Kentucky. This person was Richard |