BATTLE OF MILL SPRING, AT LOGAN'S CROSS-ROADS, KY.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 1862.

This battle was the first of the series of splendid triumphs that occurred early in the year 1862, which resulted in severe losses to the rebel armies of the West, both in men and material. It was the first breach in their well-planned line of defence, by which the right wing of the Confederate army of the West was broken, and their great stronghold at Bowling Green, the centre of their operations, laid open to the advancing army of the Union.

After the discomfiture of Zollicoffer in his attack on the camp of General Schoepf, at Camp Wildcat, on the 21st of October, he left two regiments to defend the post at Cumberland Gap, and occupied a position on the Cumberland river, opposite Mill Spring, at the mouth of White Oak Creek. Here he was engaged in fortifying this most advantageous natural position, and in recruiting and organizing an army, which was now formidable in numbers, and whose frequent forays had rendered his name a terror to the loyal inhabitants of that region.

The rebel stronghold was familiarly known among the inhabitants as "Zollicoffer's Den." It was situated on the north bank of the Cumberland, where it is intersected by White Oak Creek. The country for two miles from the river is entirely clear, and broken into hills of imposing altitude. Six of these hills, forming a picturesque range, commanded each other and the entire approach to the camp for miles around. On these hills Zollicoffer had raised breastworks and redoubts. The south side of the river, commanding the entire camp, was also well fortified.

On the 6th of January the rebel Major-General George B. Crittenden, commanding the division to which Zollicoffer's brigade was attached, arrived at Mill Spring, and established his headquarters. He brought to his position three Tennessee and one Mississippi regiment, and was afterwards reinforced by three regiments from Bowling Green, and still more recently by some fifteen hundred Virginia troops from Knoxville. This gave him, all told, over ten thousand men. A very effective portion of his force was a body of cavalry, from two thousand to three thousand strong, in which he was superior to General Thomas, but which was of no service to him in the engagement.

General Buell, the Federal commander in Kentucky, having now at his disposal a competent army to commence offensive operations, ordered General Thomas to advance with his division against General Crittenden's position at Mill Spring. With two brigades under his command General Thomas broke up camp near Lebanon and marched, by

way of Columbia, toward the rebel stronghold. On Thursday, the 16th of January, the Ninth Ohio (German), Colonel McCook, brother of the General in command at Mumfordsville, the Second Minnesota, Colonel Van Clear; Tenth Indiana, Colonel Manson; Fourth Kentucky, Colonel (formerly Judge) Fry of Danville, and Colonel Wolford's Kentucky Cavalry, and one battery, with General Thomas and staff, arrived after a most fatiguing march of many days. They came in incessant rain, over horrid roads, via Jamestown, at a point about eight miles south-west of Somerset, on the road leading to Hart's Ford, and the rebel intrenchments, and pitched their tents near a fork of country roads, upon what is known all through that section as "Logan's place," a very extensive plantation of several thousand acres. On Friday, the Fourteenth Ohio, Colonel Stedman, and the Tenth Kentucky, Colonel Harlan, three detached companies of the First regiment of Michigan Engineers and Mechanics, and an Ohio battery, reached within eight miles north-west of the posi tion of General Thomas. After undergoing indescribable hardships in making their way on a direct line, through the wild, rugged, heavilytimbered, and almost untravelled country intervening between that point and Columbia-(they had to construct a road as they went)-they encamped there.

General Schoepf's command was stationed at the time the above seven and a half regiments arrived at a short distance south-west of Somerset. It comprised the Seventeenth, Thirty-first, Thirty-fifth and Thirtyeighth Ohio, the Twelfth Kentucky, Colonel Haskins, the First and Second Tennessee regiments, some companies of cavalry, and two batteries. On Saturday morning, in accordance with orders received the previous evening, that part of General Schoepf's command constituting General Carter's brigade, consisting of the Twelfth Kentucky, the First and Second Tennessee, and Captain W. E. Standart's battery, left their camps, with twenty-four hours' rations, and proceeded five miles on the Columbia road to Fishing Creek, where they halted, awaiting further orders. At five o'clock they were ordered to join General Thomas' main body at Logan's Place. In crossing the swollen creek the water reached to the waists of the men. Owing to the wretched condition of the road, they did not reach their point of destination until midnight. Simultaneously with the above, three regiments and a battery, he balance of General Schoepf's command, with the exception of the Thirtyeighth Ohio, advanced over another road leading out from Somerset in a south-easterly direction to Fishing Creek, which they found risen so high as to render it almost impossible to cross. After much exertion, a rope was finally stretched across, holding on to which the men slowly managed to get over. At nightfall only one regiment, however, had landed on the other side, and while the remainder were crossing on the

morning of the battle, orders came from General Thomas that their assistance was no longer needed, and the brigade retraced their steps to Somerset.

During this time a heavy storm came on, and torrents of rain continued to pour upon the devoted troops. General Thomas' immediate command was tolerably well protected; but General Carter's brigade had started without tents, and hence were completely exposed to the drenching rain and chilling wind. Every man in the brigade was soaked to the skin before Logan's Place was reached, and during the remainder of Saturday night the poor fellows lay on the wet ground sheltered only by the dripping woods.

On the morning of the fight the regiments posted on Logan's farm were distributed as follows: on the right of the road to Hart's Ford, facing toward the river, were the Ninth Ohio and Second Minnesota; directly opposite them, on the left, lay General Carter's brigade; threequarters of a mile south-east of it were the Fourth Kentucky, Tenth Indiana, and two batteries-the Tenth Indiana occupying the most advanced position. In front of the last mentioned regiment were encamped about one hundred and twenty of Wolford's Cavalry, the balance of the regiment being off on escort duty; about two and a half miles further south was the outmost Union picket-twenty of Wolford's cavalry, the Fourteenth Ohio and Tenth Kentucky being still encamped eight miles to the north-east. It is thus seen that the Federal force advanced upon by the rebels included no more than seven infantry regiments, the detached Michigan companies, one hundred and forty cavalry, and two batteries.

The main characteristics of the battle-ground are steep, bluff-like hills, and abrupt narrow ravines. The only comparative levels are formed by the undulating ridges of the former. Logan's Place extends over one of the most extensive of these, and, with its large cleared fields, afforded the best field for a battle that could have been found in many miles around. The whole country is covered with a thick growth of timber, except where the husbandman had cleared it away. The roads were but a succession of rugged little hills, tiring to the footman and taxing the wagoner's skill to the utmost in the best weather.

According to the statements of persons subsequently captured, Zollicoffer's original force did not exceed six thousand in number, which had been increased to ten thousand, comprising ten regiments of infantry, about three thousand cavalry, and fifteen pieces of artillery. On Saturday morning information was brought to General Crittenden by secession sympathizers, living near Somerset, of the proposed movement of General Carter's brigade. The rebel commander had learned that General Thomas' division was on the march to Somerset, but was not

ware that it had already arrived; and supposing that General Carter's mmand was merely setting out for scouting purposes, conceived a plan of falling upon it with his whole force. The plan being communicated to Zollicoffer, he strenuously objected to any demonstration outside of their intrenchments. His superior, however, insisted upon the project-bold and creditable enough, if not based upon wrong premisesand hence the whole rebel army moved out of the fortifications shortly after dark. Owing to the difficulty of working their artillery ahead, it took them until 3 A. M. to come within one mile of the Union pickets. Here they halted and rested, in a deluge of rain. At six o'clock they renewed their march, and their cavalry advance guard came up with Wolford's men. Supposing them to be only a foraging party, the Union dragoons attacked and drove them back. Perceiving, however, masses of infantry down the road, they sent word to General Thomas, and then retreated to their camp. The squadron was quickly mounted and rode towards the enemy; but, discovering his overwhelming strength, fell back, dismounted, and joined the Tenth Indiana, ard afterwards actively participated in the fight.

Companies K and I, of the Tenth Indiana, Captains Shorter and Perkins, were detailed as pickets in advance of their regiment, and were first attacked by the advancing rebels at half past six o'clock, and with the assistance of Company A, Captain Hamilton, all under Major Miller, gallantly held the enemy in check, until supported by the remainder of the regiment.

In twenty minutes after General Thomas was apprised of the approach of the enemy, his whole force was under arms, and eagerly awaiting the onset. The Tenth Indiana, Second Minnesota and the dismounted cavalry pushed forward a short distance from their encampment in an open field to a piece of timber, and the Fourth Kentucky took a position in the woods on the left. The Tenth Indiana having the lead, was within musket range of the rebels just before eight o'clock, and now the battle fairly commenced.

At least six regiments formed the rebel right, and pressed first on the Tenth Indiana; but this brave regiment had learned the fighting metal of the enemy at Rich Mountain, in Western Virginia, and could not be made to yield an inch even to such fearful odds. Fortunately protected somewhat by the trees from the hostile fire, they stood steadily, pouring volley after volley into the rebels; responding to their yells with defiant cheers; fighting four times their number for nearly an hour and a half, and never yielding an inch, in spite of a constant and fearful hail of lead, until their ammunition became exhausted; when they were ordered to give way to the Second Minnesota. This they did with composed and unbroken ranks, bringing off their dead and wounded,

whose number was a mournful proof of the fearful trial they had undergone.

Some thirty minutes after the Tenth Indiana had opened the contest, the Fourth Kentucky engaged the rebels on the left of the former, and displayed coolness and firmness most remarkable, in view of the fact that it had never before been under fire. It also had to contend against superior numbers, but maintained its formation, and did not allow the rebels to gain a foot of ground. The men cheered each other, and in their ardor came within short range of the enemy, to whose irregular fire they replied with great vigor and effect. Colonel Fry inspired all under him by his courageous conduct. Up and down the line of his command he moved, urging his Kentuckians on under a shower of bullets.

Meantime, the Second Minnesota fulfilled the trust left to it by the Tenth Indiana. The stalwart farmers and lumbermen that composed it performed the duty allotted to them deliberately and with perfect success. They loaded and fired with ease and calmness, and seemed to think no more of the work they were doing than of handling a plow or plying an axe.

The widely-renowned Ninth Ohio did not join in the bloody strife in its earliest stages. At about half-past eight, however, its impatience for the fray was at last gratified, and it appeared upon the stage in solid line of battle, moving measuredly, and with the confident and determined air of veterans, through a broad, open field on the right of the road, to within two hundred yards, and began a fire upon some rebel regiments that were firing from behind a fence, with regularity and precision. It held the right alone while the action continued.

The rebels succeeded in bringing a battery of their artillery in position about nine o'clock, and opened upon the Federal troops shortly afterward with solid and hollow shot. Their balls and shells all went high over the Union soldiers, not one of whom owed his death or wound to the rebel artillery.

Captains Kinney's, Standart's, and Whetmore's Ohio batteries were brought into position, and rendered effective service whenever an opportunity offered. In the heat of the engagement Captain Kinney ordered one section of his battery within sixty yards of the enemy's line, and opened a deadly fire upon them, which added greatly to the success of the day.

The battle was now at its height, and the effect of the artillery, roaring through the conflict, with the crash of shells and sharp whistle of bullets, was increased by a storm that had broken out in the morning, and now poured a deluge of rain on the combatants. For a time, the lightning of heaven vied in sharpness with the flash of artillery, and roll