USA > Ohio > Four years in the saddle. History of the First Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865 > Part 7
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The following dispatch from Buell to Halleck will give the situation during the last days of July:
Headquarters, Huntsville, July 23, 1862.
General Halleck or General Thomas, Washington, D. C .:
I cannot err in repeating to you the urgent importance of
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a larger cavalry force in this district. The enemy is throwing an immense cavalry force on the four hundred miles of railroad communication upon which this army is dependent for its sup- plies. I am building stockades to hold from thirty to one hun- dred men at all bridges, but such guards, at least, only give security to certain points and against a small force. There can be no safety without cavalry enough to pursue the enemy in large bodies. Twice already our roads have been broken up by these formidable raids, causing great delays and embarrass- ment, so that we were scarcely able to subsist from day to day. I am concentrating all the cavalry I can spare, to operate actively in force. I do not pretend to know whether you have cavalry that you can spare elsewhere, but if so, it can find abundant and very important service here.
D. C. BUELL.
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Headquarters, First Division, Army of Ohio, McMinnville, Tenn., August 24, 1862.
Major-General Buell, Decherd:
A reconnoitering party under Major Laughlin, First Ohio Cavalry, sent by me toward Pikeville day before yesterday, has just returned. Major Laughlin reports that he reconnoitered (?) the enemy's advance scouts at Spencer, and gained reliable intelligence from one or two citizens that a force of two or three thousand infantry and some artillery was then at Pikeville, and that the enemy intended advancing on this place by two or three routes.
G. H. THOMAS.
Headquarters, First Division, Army of Ohio, McMinnville, August 28, 1862.
Major-General Buell, Dechard:
Saturday, three regiments of cavalry were at Pikeville, but fell back to Robinson Cross Roads, hearing that I was advancing on that road. *
* I have sent a brigade of infantry on the Murfreesboro road after Forrest, who is at Woodbury with something over one thousand men. * * * Please send the First Ohio Cavalry here. It is very much needed.
G. H. THOMAS.
September 13, 1862, 8 P. M.
Major-General Thomas:
You must reach Bowling Green in three days and a half at most and will march directly on from there. * * Leave the siege artillery and most of the cavalry with Negley.
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Post Negley at the defensible works and position and at the capitol and at the bridge, and direct him to leave twenty days' - rations at each point for its garrison. He must defend his posi- tion to the last extremity. * * Explain the urgency of the matter to Governor Johnson. If Bragg's army is defeated, Nash- ville is safe; if not, it is lost. FRY.
From the dispatches copied above, it will be seen that the regiment was in great demand.
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Perryville Campaign.
From October 1 to November 15, 1862.
On arriving at Louisville, General Buell found a large force of recruits in the works around the city, and he lost no time in commencing reorganization and getting his army fully equipped for a campaign against the Confederates, now boldly confronting him in Kentucky. His army was organized into three corps, and Major-Generals A. Mc. D. McCook, T. L. Crit- tenden and C. C. Gilbert were assigned to command the three corps.
An order, bearing date September 29, designated Major- General Thomas as the commander of the Army of the Ohio, but Thomas entered an earnest protest against this order, and through his influence General Buell was again assigned to the command, and October 1 his army began their advance against General Bragg's army.
The hard service of the past two months, with scarcity of water and forage, had played sad havoc with the horses of the First Ohio and new mounts were very much needed. Horses were in great demand, and the short time allowed for mounting and equipping the men was improved to the best advantage, but by no means to the satisfaction of Colonel Millikin, as he was very anxious to have his regiment the best mounted and equipped in the department.
During the campaign through Tennessee and Kentucky in August and September the regiment had been divided up into battalions, one commanded by Colonel Millikin, one by Major Laughlin, and the other by Captain Pattin, and the duties, as before stated, were very arduous, as the different battalions were distributed so that at times they covered the whole front of Buell's army and did not have a moment's rest.
The, battalion of six companies commanded by Colonel Mil- likin marched from Louisville October 2, in advance of General Shoepf's division, and on the third had a sharp fight with the
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enemy at Shepherdstown, repulsing them and capturing about thirty prisoners. This battalion had the advance on the Perry- ville road and had some sharp skirmishing, driving the enemy at every point, and were continuously at the front during all of the maneuvering up to the battle of Perryville, October S, and Colonel Millikin was highly complimented for his vigorous and aggressive dashes against the lines of the enemy.
Major Laughlin's battalion of the regiment left Louisville October 2 and moved out on the Bardstown pike, marching rapidly, and about ten miles from Bardstown struck the enemy's cavalry, drove them back gradually until within about a mile of Bardstown. Here a regiment of Confederate cavalry drew the battalion into an ambuscade at the fair grounds, by form- ing their main line behind a high, close board fence surrounding the grounds. Their skirmishers fell back slowly and when they reached the grounds the rebels charged out through the gates and openings, yelling like demons, almost creating a stampede, but Major Laughlin soon rallied his men, making a furious charge which sent the rebel cavalry whirling back through the town with a loss of about twenty-five of his men. He captured a number of prisoners, with a large amount of army supplies. A flag of truce was sent into our line near Bardstown, and the escort was under command of a Major Prentice, and at the time it was understood that he was the son of Geo. D. Prentice, editor of the Louisville Courier Journal and a strong Union man. The escort was halted at the outpost and the communication was sent in to the commanding officer, while the escort and the reserve picket mingled together in a very friendly manner, and finally some of the boys became engaged in the "vet's" old reliable game of "draw poker." Soon the game became intensely interesting and earnest, and George Pearl, of Company K, and one of the escort got into a quarrel, hot words were exchanged, both men jumped to their feet, and had it not been for the inter- ference of the officers on both sides, there might have been a regular melee. The troopers on both sides were ordered to their horses and there was no more poker playing that day. When the messenger returned and the escort mounted, a long haired Texan Ranger dropped his hat to the ground, whether accidentally or purposely, is not known, but as if to show the "Yanks" the superior horsemanship of the Texan, he turned his horse quickly about and attempted to pick up his hat with- out dismounting, but his foot slipped and off he fell, much to the amusement of our boys and chagrin of the Ranger. Ned Garner, a wild, reckless trooper, of Compary K, as if in contempt of the exhibition made by the Texan, threw his hat on the ground and, galloping along, picked it up easily, and the escort joined our boys in a loud laugh at the expense of the discomfited rebel trooper.
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Poor George and Ned both sleep in the sunny south land. Pearl was killed at Lovejoy, Ga., August 20, 1864, after his time was out, and Garner was taken prisoner at Washington, Tenn., September 30, 1863, and died in Andersonville prison. They were both good soldiers and had a most intense hatred and con- tempt for all rebels, and when an opportunity offered expressed themselves in language more emphatic than elegant. When in a fight, Pearl was always in a towering rage, and with a contemptuous smile he would swear every time he fired a shot, never failing to take deliberate aim and was perfectly cool, never throwing away a shot.
In this dash among the Confederate prisoners captured was a Major Moore, of the 12th Alabama Mounted Infantry. His horse fell and Charley Welch, the regimental saddler, captured him and delivered him over to Major Pattin, and he remained in the tent with Pattin and Welch over night. The next morn- ing he stated, that if he was paroled, he would go home to Mobile and would not enter the Confederate service again, as he was sick of it. He was paroled and the incident was almost for- gotten. During the Wilson raid, in the spring of 1865, Welch was taken prisoner by Forrest's Confederate cavalry at Ebenezer Church, Ala., and was sent to Mobile. There, much to his sur- prise, he met this same Major Moore and found that he was a citizen of high standing, and he entertained Welch royally in . return for the kindness shown by Pattin and Welch when he was a prisoner with the First Ohio. True to his promise, Moore had not entered the Confederate service again after he was paroled.
The battalion under Major Laughlin was on the flanks and had some skirmishing during the battle of Perryville, October S, and at one time they supported a battery dismounted. Sergeant John Lucas, now gone to his reward, told a very amusing inci- dent in connection with the support of that battery. It seems that the battery was in position with a cornfield in front, and on the opposite side of the cornfield the infantry skirmishers were having a hot time with the enemy and the minnie balls were zipping through the corn, passing most uncomfortably near the heads of the cavalry boys, and consequently they were hug- ging the ground very close. A regiment of recruits from Illi- nois came marching along in column of fours, tall, fine looking, sturdy farmer boys, who had just arrived and had never been under fire. They seemed anxious to get into a fight. As they passed to the right of the cavalrymen, lying very low on the ground, some tall young "sucker" yelled out, as if in contempt, "Just show us where the Johnnies are and we will give them hades," to which some of the cavalry boys replied, "You will : find them over there." On they marched into the cornfield in column of fours towards the rebel line at an angle, so that the
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enemy could get a good infilading fire. There was one volley from the rebel line in the woods, and in about twenty minutes back came the regiment of recruits through the cornfield pell mell, almost tramping the artillery support into the ground, and as they hurried to the rear the boys shouted after them: "Did you find the Johnnies over there?" The recruits were not at fault, for no veteran regiment could have withstood that withering infilading fire. It was the fault of the officers, who, unsuspectingly, led them in, and not the rank and file who carried the muskets.
The other battalions of the regiment were on the flanks and were engaged in several skirmishes, and there were several men wounded; among others was Captain Kirkendall, wounded severly in the arm.
Maj. Gen. Kennar Garrard.
Maj. Gen. Emery Upton.
CO. D.
Guidon, Co. H.
Capt. Samuel Hamilton.
Battle of Perryville.
The battle of Perryville was fought almost exclusively by General A. McD. McCook's corps, although the corps of both Gilbert and Crittenden were in easy supporting distance. Mc- Cook called on General Buell repeatedly for reinforcements, but for some unaccountable reason none were sent until after 4 P. M., although the battle opened at half past 12 P. M. While Buell had given orders to advance and was momentarily expect- ing the battle to open, yet it seems that he did not know that McCook's corps was seriously engaged until 4 P. M.
It appears from official reports that neither Buell nor Bragg understood the number nor disposition of the troops in their fronts. Buell had in position eight divisions and Bragg had but three divisions when he attacked Buell's left, still he out- numbered McCook's two divisions, on which the brunt of the battle fell, very largely. Bragg evidently did not wish to fight a battle at Perryville, but was forced into it by the pressure on his rear divisions, and then thought he was only fighting the advance of Buell's army. The fighting was very severe and losses heavy for the number of troops engaged and were prin- cipally from McCook's two divisions and Gooding's brigade from Mitchell's division. This brigade lost nearly 500 men out of 2000. The total loss in Buell's army was 916 killed, 2943 wounded, and 489 missing - a total loss of 4348. The loss in Bragg's army is not known, but Buell claims that he captured about 4500 prisoners.
The enemy withdrew during the night and Buell did not advance until the morning of the eleventh, when he found the enemy in force near Harrodsburg, and Bragg's army fell back after a sharp skirmish with our cavalry under Colonel Minor Millikin, which is mentioned in a dispatch from General Thomas.) General Buell went back to Louisville in a few days, where he got into a controversy with the authorities at Washington regarding the conduct of the campaign, which caused his re- moval from the command of, the Army of Ohio, October 30,
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1862, and General Rosecrans was put in command of the "De- partment of the Cumberland," designated as the "14th Army Corps," but soon after as the "Army of the Cumberland."
When General Rosecrans assumed command, the army was concentrated around Bowling Green, and the army commenced the advance on Nashville November 4.
On the day of the battle of Perryville the regiment was again united, after having been cut up in detachments for more than two months, in the campaign through Tennessee and Ken- tucky, and here Captain B. B. Eggleston, Captain James Cutler and Lieutenant A. Alkire, who had been taken prisoners at Courtland, Ala., joined the regiment. The day after the battle of Perryville, October 9, Colonel Millikin was assigned to the command of the 3rd brigade of cavalry, composed of the First Ohio Cavalry, First Kentucky Cavalry and Fourth Michigan Cavalry, in all about 1200 men. General John Morgan was marauding with his freebooters through Kentucky and was giving General Buell's army no end of trouble by cutting rail- roads and destroying supplies. With this small force of cavalry, and without any artillery, Colonel Millikin was ordered to drive Morgan out of the country. On the eleventh Millikin moved out toward Harrodsburg and Crab Orchard and on the same day he struck the enemy and had a brisk fight, and as shown by the following dispatches he was making a vigorous campaign against Bragg's retreating army.
(Series I, Volume 16, Part 2, Page 604.)
Headquarters,
Harlan House, October 11, 1862, 9:30 A. M.
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General Buell:
Colonel Millikin is now skirniishing with about 1200 of the enemy's cavalry about two or three miles this side of Har- rodsburg, on the left of the Perryville pike. He reports they have two pieces of artillery. I have directed him to attract their attention to enable the reconnoitering party to flank them on the Harrodsburg and Danville pike, by which move I may succeed in capturing some, if not all.
Has General Gilbert's party marched yet?
Respectfully, GEO. H. THOMAS, Major-General, U. S. Volunteers.
October 11, 1862.
General Thomas: . ,
My men have had no rest or food since yesterday morning. They came in last night at nine and went out this morning at
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twelve, and have been in the advance, skirmishing (on foot) all the way from Danville.
Can we not have a few hours' relief after coming back from this reconnoissance? They are unfit to fight. Colonel McCook's brigade is in advance of me, having relieved my line this morning.
Very respectfully, MINOR MILLIKIN, Colonel Commanding.
October 12, 1862.
Colonel Zahn, commanding Cavalry, Danville:
Has Millikin's cavalry reached Danville? If so, did he get my instruction before leaving Crab Orchard? His command must go to Bardstown and watch and try to intercept Morgan from that point and prevent his making a descent on the Lebanon Railroad.
. JAMES B. FRY, Colonel and Chief of Staff.
After driving the enemy's cavalry through Harrodsburg, Sanford and Crab Orchard with some sharp skirmishing every day, Millikin was ordered with his brigade to Bardstown and Lebanon, where Morgan was threatening the railroad, and on the twentieth he was at Springfield, on the twenty-first at Leb- anon, on the twenty-second at Mumfordsville, on the twenty- fourth at Brownsville, on the twenty-fifth at Woodsonville, and then back to Mumfordsville, having been on the move almost continuously day and night from October 9 chasing Morgan and intercepting him at every point.
Colonel Millikin's report of this campaign is herewith ap- pended and speaks for itself in plain language, so characteristic of that brave, conscientious officer. Among the losses mentioned was Albert Nicely, Company F, died of wound at Nashville, Tenn., October 16, 1862.
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Headquarters Third Brigade Cavalry, Camp near Mumfordville, Ky, October 27, 1862. Colonel J. B. Fry, Chief of Staff:
Colonel: Because of the somewhat unintelligible and ap- parently unreasonable movements made by the forces under my command in the recent pursuit of Morgan and the fruitless result of the whole affair, I suppose it proper, both in justice to myself and because some wholesome inferences may be drawn from them, to state a few disconnected facts: I was on my way to Bardstown (agreeably to your first order) and had reached a point five miles west of Springfield at 2 A. M. Monday morning (October 20); I had marched 48 miles since Sunday morning, and had only 23 miles to march in eight hours in order to reach
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Bardstown at 10 A. M. This I had fully intended to do, having given the men three hours' sleep at Perryville. But at this point I run into General Gay's column. Sending forward to know what caused the delay I received an order to remain where I was until morning. Supposing him to have met the enemy or to have received (as the General's staff officer) other informa- tion, and greatly desiring to co-operate, I obeyed. When morn- ing came I was ordered on by General Gay, and we reached Springfield at 10 A. M. Monday, twentieth. From the time I reached him (Gay) until the morning I left Lebanon (Tuesday, twenty-first) the same anxiety to co-operate and the same infer- ence as to his better acquaintance with the General's intentions led me to obey his orders.
On the morning of twenty-first, having expected orders all night, I was incidentally informed that my command was an independent one, and that I was expected to "catch Morgan" in my own way. Failing to get any information or suggestions from General Gay or any one else, I started as soon as possible to Mumfordville, Gay promising to go to Glasgow via Camp- bellsville. Of this I advised you, but the telegraph not work- ing, you did not receive it promptly.
Reaching Mumfordville on Wednesday night (October 22), having marched 18 miles Tuesday afternoon and 33 miles on Wednesday, I left on Thursday morning, as soon as I had opened communication with Colonel Bruce at Bowling Green, for Brownsville.
I had proceeded five miles when the order disbanding my brigade and ordering the regiments to remain at Mumfordville turned me back. I left again pursuant to subsequent orders received from you, for the same place at 2 A. M. of Friday, and was within four miles of Brownsville at 3 P. M. same day. I there learned definitely where Morgan had gone, and returned next day (via Dipping Springs) to within three miles of Wood- sonville, where I stopped for forage and sent on to Mumfordville for rations. I would have gone on to Woodbury without rations or rest if any result had suggested itself. Morgan having, by all the testimony of soldiers, seouts, and citizens, left my track, I returned.
Morgan was at Bardstown Sunday morning (nineteenth) at daylight. By unexampled marching I could only have reached there at 10 o'clock A. M., and then in such an exhausted condi- tion as would have made me no match for his greatly superior force and would have entirely unfitted me for pursuit. I should have reached him in that time and in that condition too if I had not been ordered differently.
Morgan was at Elizabethtown on Sunday night and at Litchfield Monday night (twentieth), He did not finally leave Litchfield until the morning of the twenty-third and did not
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reach Morgantown until the twenty-fourth, or leave it until the day of Colonel Bruce's skirmish with him, the twenty-fifth. He was in no sort of haste. When at Springfield I urged General Gay to divide the forces, a part keeping higher up through New Haven, Hodgensville, Millerstown and Litchfield, pressing Mor- gan rapidly down, and another part sent to Brownsville or Glas- gow. This, with the disposition of, Colonel Bruce's force at Bowl- ing Green and Russellville, Colonel Craddock remaining at this point, would have made an excelent trap to catch Morgan. If executed, this would certainly have hastened and perhaps de- stroyed him.
There were 300 of Morgan's men at Brownsville on Thurs- day, and remained during the day. At 8 o'clock of that day I was five miles toward B., and would certainly have struck him there had I not been ordered to return. Arriving at B., I might have pushed on to Litchfield or Woodbury, cutting off Morgan's stragglers, or with Bruce's forces attacked his main body. Start- ing when I did I knew every step was useless.
At no time has my force been sufficient to cope successfully with Morgan. He is known to have had Duke's and Gano's regi- ments and Breckenridge's battalion, aggregating, by all ac- counts, 2,000 men, and two pieces of artillery. Against this I had 575 seasoned troops (375 First Ohio and 200 First Kentucky), and 600 green troops, never under fire (Fourth Michigan), aggre- gating but 1175 men, and not a single piece of artillery. In whatever way I might have met Morgan, had he had his back against the wall and shown fight, the result would have been doubtful and could not have been else than partial and unsatis- . factory.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
MINOR MILLIKIN, Colonel, Commanding.
General Thomas held Colonel Millikin in high esteem; it was for this reason that he was given command of this pro- visional brigade and assigned to this hard campaign, as it re- quired an officer of energy and dash. His brigade was disbanded at Mumfordsville, and about the first of November a brigade was organized at Bowling Green, Ky., composed of the First Ohio Cavalry, Third Ohio Cavalry, Second Kentucky Cavalry, Fifth Kentucky Cavalry, and Colonel Lewis Zahm, of the Third O. V. C., being the ranking officer, was assigned to command.
Early in November the brigade left Bowling Green for Nash- ville, and at Gallatin, Tennessee, they again encountered John Morgan with a force of 2500 men. The brigade attacked him, with great' impetuosity, driving Morgan's men out of Gallatin and capturing nearly 100 prisoners.
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Bowling Green, November 7, 1862.
Colonel Zahm (via Mitchellsville and courier lines):
The General commanding has received your dispatch, and approves your course. General Crittenden was in Scottsville last night; moves on Gallatin this morning. Inform him of all you know, and keep up communications with him. Act on the principle that the cavalry are the eyes of the army. Take orders for co-operation from General Crittenden. Always keep up your communication with headquarters.
ARTHUR C. DUCAT, Lieutenant-Colonel and Acting Chief of Staff.
The brigade marched via Hartsville to Nashville and went into camp about the fifteenth of November near that city.
By the following order Brigadier-General D. S. Stanley was announced as Chief of Cavalry, Army of the Cumberland.
General Orders No. 22.
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Headquarters of the Fourteenth Army Corps, Department of the Cumberland. Nashville, Tenn., November 24, 1862.
I. Brigadier-General D. S. Stanley having reported for duty, in accordance with the orders of the Secretary of War, is announced as Chief of Cavalry, and assigned to command of all the cavalry 'in this department.
J. P. GARESCHE,
Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff.
After three and a half months' continuous hard service, beginning with the crossing of the Tennessee River about the last days of July, and ending with their arrival at Nashville about the middle of November, a brief rest of a few days was welcomed by both officers, soldiers and horses. The losses in the regiment during the campaign, killed, wounded and pris- oners, were about seventy-five, and a large number of men had been placed hors de combat, as many horses had given out on the hard marches and scouts, and those that were still in service required rest, care and shoeing to prepare them for the winter campaign, soon to be inaugurated by General Rosecrans, the newly-appointed commander of the Army of the Cumberland.
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