Chapter 4 - Scouting and Skirmishing |
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9 On December 26th, 1862, the 11th Kentucky Cavalry received orders to proceed to Glasgow, Kentucky to protect the Louisville and Nashville Railroad from Rebel raiders. General Morgan, having been made a General after his victory at Hartsville, had left Tennessee for another raid into Kentucky and it was believed he would attempt to destroy the railroad between Louisville and Nashville. Early next morning, December 25th, 1862, they moved out toward the Kentucky border. The weather had turned fairly warm and it was more like a spring day. They were leaving several men of the regiment in the hospital at Gallatin, most of them having Typhoid Fever. Some of the men left were from Company E, recovering from wounds received at Hartsville. Company E had rejoined the regiment by this time. That afternoon they came upon several men who told them General Morgan had captured their wagon train while they were going to Glasgow. The wagons were loaded with store merchandise and Morgan picked out a dress from the merchandise to give to his new wife. This happened on the 24th, so Morgan had a big head start on them and was probably in Kentucky by now. In the evening they camped at Lafayette, Tennessee, and left for Glasgow the next morning. That night they encamped at Skaggs. They marched 10 more miles the next day and camped near Glasgow, arriving there the next day. At Glasgow they went into camp. General Morgan had ridden to Elizabethtown, about 40 miles south of Louisville, and captured the Garrison there. The Regiment moved on Dec. 31st in pursuit of Morgan. They marched to Bear Wallow and encamped. The next day on the 1st of January, 1863, they marched to Greensburg, camping on the outskirts of town. They Left Greensburg at daylight the next day and on double quick moved to Columbia. Intelligence had been received that Morgan may be there, but again they came up empty. By the time they arrived at Columbia, Morgan and his men had scattered and were heading east and south with several Union Cavalry Troops in pursuit. The Union troops, including the 11th Kentucky Cavalry, were never able to catch up with them to do battle. Passing through Columbia the 11th Kentucky Cavalry marched 5 miles beyond. Here they turned and marched back to protect their wagon train from possible attack, and went into camp. On the 3rd of January the regiment marched to Campbellsville and then on to Lebanon. They remained in Lebanon until the 19th of January, to rest the horses and teams and procure supplies. On the 19th they left Lebanon and moved to Springfield where they remained in camp until the 22nd. On that day they moved toward Gallatin, Tennessee, the line of march being New Haven, Glasgow, Scottsville and finally Gallatin, arriving there on February 2nd, 1863. pg 10 In Bowling Green, Private Dan Gayheart was discharged on disability, having suffered from the effects of the winter weather while on the march. During their pursuit of Morgan, one man from Company B deserted at Greensburg, Kentucky, on the 2nd of January. On their way back, while passing through Springfield, Kentucky, Private Cal Taylor, of Company A, deserted the Company. This was on January 20th. Pvt. Eli Hurt celebrated his 20th birthday on the 28th of January while on the march to Gallatin. During their absence the regiment had received word that Private Henry Yates of Company A, had died at home while on furlough on January 25th, and Private Larkin Wilder also died at home on January 8th. Private Bill Hughes had been discharged on disability at Gallatin, being one of the men left behind in the Gallatin Post Hospital. Company A was now down to 57 men from the 68 they had started with at Louisville. In addition they learned one man from Company B had deserted in Grant County, Kentucky on January 20th while that Company was on scouting duty in the Northern Kentucky Counties. Company B also had word that one of their men had died in Gallatin on the 19th of chronic diarrhea. Company D had one man who died at home while on furlough on the 25th. One man from Company E was discharged at Gallatin due to disability and one of that Company's men had deserted on the 10th at Frankfort. One man from Company F deserted on the 1st at Gallatin, and one deserted at Armstrong's Ferry, Tennessee on the 22nd, the latter being from Company G. One man from Company C had gotten into a fight with a civilian while home on furlough in Mercer County, and was killed. On the morning of February 4th, 90 men from the 11th Kentucky Cavalry left camp on scouting duty and marched 35 miles, where they captured a Rebel Captain, a 1st Lieutenant and 5 privates. The Regiment returned to camp on the 5th. The Regiment left Gallatin on the 7th of February and moved north into Kentucky, going to Danville and on to Stanford where they went into camp. They remained here until the 21st of March, scouting the countryside as far out as Somerset with all available forces. During the month of February, one man from Company D died at home on the 1st, one man from Company C died in Mercer County on the 14th, and this man was that Company's First Sergeant. A man from Company B died at Centre Point, Kentucky on the 20th, the cause being diarrhea. Desertions continued. Company E had two men desert at Lebanon, Kentucky on the 4th of February. pg 11 During the month of March, the regiment was put on alert to move at anytime, as Confederate raiders were in Central Kentucky with about 3,000 men. On the 15th of March, General Burnside was assigned to the Department of the Ohio and his first order was that all the small detachments of Federal Troops scattered over Central Kentucky were to be concentrated at Lebanon, Kentucky and at Hickman's Bridge, Kentucky, under Generals Q. A. Gillmore and Jeremiah T. Boyle. The 11th Kentucky Cavalry was in the Command of General Boyle. An advance was ordered against the Confederates on the 28th of March, and the enemy was driven southward. General Gillmore was in the advance by about a day, and at Somerset, Kentucky, on the 30th, Gillmore, with his cavalry, met some of the Confederate forces and after heavy fighting, drove the enemy across the Cumberland River Company G had been on duty at Gallatin, Tennessee and had arrived late in Lebanon in answer to General Burnside's order. On their march from Gallatin to Lebanon, 3 men deserted. Two were Corporals and the other was a Farrier. One man from that Company deserted at Gallatin prior to their march to Lebanon. Nine men were discharged at Gallatin for disability. Also on the 6th of March, 1863, Lieutenant Blincoe of Company F resigned. The ranks of the poor Regiment were becoming rather thin from desertions, sickness and deaths. Early in April, two Divisions of the Ninth Corps, commanded by General John Parke, arrived at Louisville to become a part of the Army of the Ohio. Most of these men were from New England and were made fun of by the Kentuckian troops because of their speech and manners. While here in Lebanon, Privates Chris Tuder and Sam Tatum, of Company A, were discharged for disability due to illness. Three more from Companies B, C, and D, were also discharged due to disability. Two men from Company B, two men from Company C, one man from Company F, and one man from Company G deserted at this place. On the 16th of April, 1863, 28 men were mustered into the Regiment. These men had originally enrolled in Louisville and had deferments for one reason or another, and also because some were behind enemy lines and could not report at that time. Nine of these men were in Company A, and William Hurt, the brother of Eli and Joshua Hurt, at last joined his Regiment. Company B received two men; and Company C received a like amount. Company E received two men, and Company H eleven men Early the next morning, April 17th, the Regiment proceeded to Columbia, Kentucky, a distance of about 40 miles Again, early the next morning, the Regiment, at that time consisting of 150 men, being as many which were equipped with arms, rode toward Burkesville, Kentucky, encamping that night 12 miles from Lebanon, on the Campbellsville Pike, near Mrs. Saunders' residence. The next day, at dawn, they once again rode south along the Cumberland River towards Burkesville. They reached Columbia at 4 PM. Here they received orders from Colonel Jacob, of the Ninth Ky Cavalry, communicating orders of Major General Wright for Lt. Colonel Riley to move his 11th Kentucky Cavalry to Creelsboro and ascertain the force of the enemy at that place. Lt. Colonel Riley found a squad of 55 men of the 12th Ky Cavalry here at Columbia who were ordered to report to him. pg 12 ACTION AT CREELSBORO Lt. Colonel Riley left 50 men at Columbia to guard the wagon trains of the Ninth, Eleventh and Twelfth Ky Cavalry, and proceeded at daylight on the march to Creelsboro with 129 men of the 11th Kentucky Cavalry and 30 of the Twelfth Kentucky Cavalry. On arriving on a trail leading into Grider's Creek, back of Mr. Grider's house, about 1 mile from Creelsboro, Colonel Riley called a halt. He detailed Lieutenants Debaun and Norton, of Company C, with 17 men, Lieutenants Purdy and Willemin, of Company G, with 16 men, and Lieutenant Taylor and Niemeyer of Company H, with 10 men, totaling 43 men in all and all from the 11th Kentucky Cavalry, under the command of Captain Jacob Cozatt, of Company C, and dispatched them on the double quick on the road over the hill to Creelsboro. The balance of the command, consisted of a detachment of Company A, 25 men under Captain J. G. Pond; also a detachment of Company B, 16 men under Lieutenant Burgess; also a detachment of Company F, 13 men, under Lieutenants Robinson and Burton; a detachment of Company I, 6 men, under Lieutenant String, and a detachment of Company H of the 12th Kentucky Cavalry under Lieutenant Lippincott, numbering 30 men, making in all 106 men. Riley moved with this detachment down Grider's Creek to the crossing of the road from Creelsboro, up to the ferry and then down this road to Creelsboro. As they descended the hill into Creelsboro, on double quick, the Confederate pickets fired on Captain Cozatt's detachment. This firing was the first notice that the rebels, who were looting a store, had of the Union Cavalry approach. There were from 60 to 70 Confederates in and around the town. At the top of the hill the Union troops were met by about 25 Confederate soldiers, mounted and armed, who rode up within 50 feet of the Union troops before they had seen each other. Firing commenced instantly and was kept up for several minutes, when the Confederates turned and fled down the road toward Creelsboro. The Union troops pursued and riding through the town were fired upon from nearly every house and place of concealment. The Union Cavalry pressed on through the town pursuing the enemy. Splitting his command, Riley moved his left wing back into town, leaving the right wing to pursue the enemy. He ordered every house and shed in town to be searched, which was soon done. The enemy had scattered in every direction. Some fled to the hills and bushes, others hid under houses and in the lofts, etc. Leaving one of the enemy on the street in Creelsboro to die, but under care of the Union surgeon. They took 12 prisoners, one of whom was wounded and one being a Captain in the Confederate Army. The Union troops escaped without a scratch. Leaving Creelsboro about 1 PM for Burkesville, they arrived at 6 PM and reported to Colonel Jacob for further duty. Riley's cavalry had only 53 guns during the trip to Creelsboro and Colonel Riley wrote in his report that "the Savage pistol, of which they were armed, is worthless". At Burkesville, they hoped to get a rest from the arduous trip. Since leaving Gallatin, before Christmas, the Regiment had marched more than 800 miles through 15 Kentucky Counties. The Regiment stayed at Burkesville until the 26th of April, when it was ordered to proceed on an expedition to Monticello, Kentucky. The following regiments took part in this expedition: 1st, 9th, 11th and 12th Kentucky Cavalry; 2nd and 7th Ohio Cavalry; 112th Illinois Infantry; 24th Independent Indiana Battery; 21st and 32nd Kentucky Infantry; 20th Michigan Infantry; 44th, 45th, 100th, 103rd Ohio Infantry; and the 2nd Tennessee Infantry. They were hoping to completely drive the rebels from this part of Kentucky and maintain Federal control. pg 13 ACTION AT GREASY CREEK The 11th Kentucky rode out with parts of the 9th and 12th Kentucky Cavalry, all under the command of Colonel Richard Jacob, and went by way of Jamestown and the mouth of Greasy Creek to the Cumberland River, to create a diversion in favor of General Carter, who was to have crossed the Cumberland at Waitsborough and Mill Springs to Monticello at daylight on April 27th. The advance guard caught 2 of the enemy's pickets at the River. The next day, on the 28th, they took possession of the Narrows of Horseshoe Bottom, driving out the enemy's pickets. The whole force had nearly crossed the river when word was received that the enemy was crossing at Rowena to try to flank Jacob's force. He recrossed a battalion to prevent such a movement and sent scouts to ascertain the truth of the report. Some of Jacob's pickets were attacked on this day also. Jacob, not hearing anything of General Carter, dispatched a courier to Somerset to determine whether Carter had crossed the Cumberland. Carter had not crossed per a return courier. Retaining possession of the Narrows, Jacob retained one battalion of the 9th Kentucky Cavalry on the North side of the River, telling them not to advance, knowing that the enemy to have nearly 4 to 1, with artillery. On April 30th, Jacob received information from General Carter that he would cross the River and march to Monticello. On the same day Jacob was reinforced by the 20th Michigan Infantry and two pieces of the 24th Indiana Battery. He requested from Headquarters whether he should march to General Carter's assistance and received an answer to immediately do so. On May 1st, at 1 AM, with his whole command, Colonel Jacob gave orders to cross. The Cumberland had now become unfordable, and they had to swim the horses that were on the north side, including the crossing of artillery and infantry. By 12 PM the whole force had crossed and by 2 PM arrived in Monticello. On May 4th, all the cavalry units at Monticello under command of Colonel Wolford pursued the enemy. Finding that the enemy had crossed the mountains, they returned. The next day, Jacob was ordered to return to Burksville by way of Jamestown. Crossing the Cumberland was a tedious process since they had only one small, half rotten boat that could transport only five horses at a time. They spent 2 days swimming horses, crossing wagons, etc. pg 14 Early on May 10th, Confederate General Morgan attacked Colonel Jacob's command with his whole force, consisting of about 5,000 men, and after a severe engagement lasting some hours, Colonel Jacob was compelled to recross the Cumberland River, which he did in a most skillful way. The Confederates did not follow. On May 22nd, having read Colonel Riley's report about the worthless Savage Pistol, General Ambrose Burnside asked, in a message to General Boyle: "What arms do you need for the Eleventh Kentucky Cavalry? I will have them sent at once, if possible." For the remainder of May, 1863, they remained in this area of Kentucky scouting and watching the movements of General Morgan. There were skirmishes at Mill Springs and Jamestown but the 11th Ky Cavalry was not involved. In June, 1863, the 11th Ky Cavalry moved over to Scottsville and Glasgow, Kentucky. The end of the Month found the regiment numbers down by at least 6 men. Private John Hammonds, of Company A, died in the hospital at Louisville. A soldier from Company H was killed in a personal encounter at Green River, Kentucky on May 25th. Company E lost a man from Typhoid Fever at Lebanon on the 3rd of May and a man from Company B and Company C were discharged at Lebanon for disability. A Sergeant from Company F was discharged to accept an appointment as a 1st Lieutenant in the 7th Kentucky Cavalry on May 8th. During the first part of June, 1863, the Regiment was assigned to the 23rd Corps, Army of the Ohio, with General G. L. Hartsuff commanding the Corps. The 11th Ky Cavalry was in the 2nd Brigade, General E. H. Hobson commanding. The 2nd Brigade was part of the 3rd Division, with General H. M. Judah commanding the Division. The Brigade was composed of the 9th, 11th and 12th Kentucky Cavalry, the 80th Indiana Infantry, the 13th, 16th and 24th Kentucky Infantry, the 65th Illinois Infantry, the 103rd Ohio Infantry, the 8th Tennessee Infantry and the 24th Indiana and Wilder's Indiana Batteries. On June 11th, while the Regiment was in Scottsville, Kentucky, confederate guerillas raided a few outlying farms belonging to loyal Union families. The 11th Ky Cavalry pursued them for several miles but lost them in the dark of night. General Burnside had moved his headquarters from Cincinnati to Lexington on June 2nd, and the Regiments were being provisioned and equipped for a long campaign. Burnside was planning a move on Knoxville, Tennessee. However, about this time the 9th Corps was withdrawn from the Army of the Ohio and sent to reinforce General Grant at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Any plans General Burnside might have had for an East Tennessee Campaign was postponed. The Regiment continued scouting around Scottsville and Glasgow, Kentucky until the latter part of the Month, when reports of Morgan's Cavalry being sighted along the Cumberland River near Burkesville were received. The Regiment was ordered to report to General Judah at Columbia, Kentucky. |