The Army of the Cumberland | Page 7

duty.
The next largest portion of his command was stationed at Paris,
Kentucky, under Colonel Cranor, with his regiment, the Fortieth Ohio,
800 strong. Cranor was ordered to join the main body as expeditiously
as possible, and to bring with him that portion of Colonel Wolford's
Kentucky cavalry stationed at Stanford, consisting of three small
battalions under Lieutenant-Colonel Letcher, and to report at
Prestonburg. The twenty-second Kentucky was ordered from Maysville,
and some three hundred men of that command reported before Garfield
reached Paintville. He was also joined by a battalion of west Virginia
cavalry under Colonel Bolles. After a toilsome march in mid-winter,
Garfield's command, on the 7th of January, drove Marshall's forces
from the mouth of Jenny's Creek, and occupied Paintville. On the
morning of the 9th, Cranor reported with his command, footsore and
exhausted, after a march of over one hundred miles through the
mountains of Eastern Kentucky. At noon of the 9th Garfield advanced
his command to attack Marshall with his cavalry, pressing the rebels as
they fell back. Reaching Prestonburg some fifteen miles from Paintville,
he learned that Marshall was encamped and fortified on Abbott's Creek.
Pushing on to the mouth of the creek, some three miles below
Prestonburg, he there encamped for the night, a sleety rain adding to
the discomfort of the men. Intending to force the enemy to battle, he
ordered up his reserves under Colonel Sheldon from Paintville, with
every available man. As soon as the morning light enabled the
command to move, Garfield advanced, and soon engaged the rebel

cavalry, which was driven in after a slight skirmish, falling back on the
main body some two miles in the rear, strongly posted on high ground,
between Abbott's Creek and Middle Creek, at the mouth of the latter
stream. It was impossible to tell what disposition Marshall had made
for his defence, owing to the formation of the ground at this point
concealing his troops until our forces drew his fire. Throwing several
detachments forward, the entire command was soon actively engaged.
The engagement lasted for some four hours, commending at about
twelve o'clock. At 4 P.M., the reserves under Sheldon reached the field
of battle, and the enemy was driven from his position. Night coming on
prevented pursuit.
Marshall's command fled down the valley, set fire to their stores, and
pressed forward in rapid retreat to Abington, Va. Garfield with his
command returned to Paintville, where it could receive supplies. In
February he received orders from Buell, directing him to advance to
Piketon, and drive the rebels from that place, which he did, and later
from Pound Gap. This freed Eastern Kentucky of rebel troops, and
relieved the Union men of that section of the depredations that had
been committed on them by the roving bands of the enemy. The
services of Garfield's command were recognized by Buell, and the
thanks of the Commanding General extended to Garfield and his troops.
Shortly after this Garfield received his commission as
Brigadier-General of Volunteers, to date from the "Battle of Middle
Creek."
In the latter part of March General Garfield was ordered to leave a
small force in the Big Sandy Valley, and to report with the rest of his
brigade to General Buell at Louisville.

Chapter II.

Mill Springs.

On September 10, 1861, General Albert Sidney Johnston, who had
resigned the Colonelcy of the Second United States Cavalry to engage
in the service of the Confederacy, was assigned to the command of the
Department of the West, embracing, with a large number of the
Western States, the States of Kentucky and Tennessee. On the 18th
Johnston directed Buckner to occupy Bowling Green, and ordered
Zollicoffer to advance from Knoxville to Cumberland Gap. The rebels,
under General Polk, occupied Columbus, Ky., September 7th, and the
line of operations of the Confederates, under General Johnston, as then
formed, had the Mississippi river at its extreme left, Cumberland Gap
at its extreme right, with Bowling Green as the centre. With the force at
his command, no point in advance of Bowling Green could have been
safely taken by the Confederate general, owing to the disposition of the
Union troops in Kentucky at that time.
As we have seen, Zollicoffer with his command was driven from Rock
Castle Hills and Wildcat, and taking a new position nearer Bowling
Green, encamped at Beech Grove, where he fortified his position.
General Zollicoffer was a civilian appointment, without military
training of any kind. He had been editor of a Nashville paper, had held
a number of minor State offices, and served two terms in Congress
prior to the war. Johnston, in ordering Zollicoffer to the Cumberland
River at Mill Springs, intended that he should occupy a position of
observation merely until he should be re-enforced, or his troops