THE DECISIVE BATTLE OF MILL SPRINGS.
THE FIRST BATTLE DURING THE CIVIL WAR IN WHICH THE UNION FORCES SCORED A DECISIVE VICTORY—THE SECOND MINNESOTA THE HEROES OF THE DAY—THE REBEL GENERAL ZOLLICOFFER KILLED.
Every Minnesotian's heart swells with pride whenever mention is made of the grand record of the volunteers from the North Star State in the great struggle for the suppression of the rebellion. At the outbreak of the war Minnesota was required to furnish one regiment, but so intensely patriotic were its citizens that nearly two regiments volunteered at the first call of the president. As only ten companies could go in the first regiment the surplus was held in readiness for a second call, which it was thought would be soon forthcoming. On the 16th of June, 1861, Gov. Ramsey received notice that a second regiment would be acceptable, and accordingly the companies already organized with two or three additions made up the famous Second Minnesota. H.P. Van Cleve was appointed colonel, with headquarters at Fort Snelling. Several of the companies were sent to the frontier to relieve detachments of regulars stationed at various posts, but on the 16th of October, 1861, the full regiment started for Washington. On reaching Pittsburgh, however, their destination was changed to Louisville, at which place they were ordered to report to Gen. W.T. Sherman, then in command of the Department of the Cumberland, and they at once received orders to proceed to Lebanon Junction, about thirty miles south of Louisville. The regiment remained at this camp about six weeks before anything occurred to relieve the monotony of camp life, although there were numerous rumors of night attacks by large bodies of Confederates. On the 15th of November, 1861, Gen. Buell assumed command of all the volunteers in the vicinity of Louisville, and he at once organized them into divisions and brigades. Early in December the Second regiment moved to Lebanon, Ky., and, en route, the train was fired at. At Lebanon the Second Minnesota, Eighteenth United States infantry, Ninth and Thirty-fifth Ohio regiments were organized into a brigade, and formed part of Gen. George H. Thomas' First division. On Jan. 1, 1862, Gen. Thomas started his troops on the Mill Springs campaign and from the 1st to the 17th day of January, spent most of its time marching under rain, sleet and through mud, and on the latter date went into camp near Logan's Cross Roads, eight miles north of Zollicoffer's intrenched rebel camp at Beech Grove. On the night of Jan. 18, Company A was on picket duty. It had been raining incessantly and was so dark that it was with difficulty that pickets could be relieved. Just at daybreak the rebel advance struck the pickets of the Union lines, and several musket shots rang out with great distinctness, and in quick succession, it being the first rebel shot that the boys had ever heard. Then all was quiet for a time. The firing soon commenced again, nearer and more distinct than at first, and thicker and faster as the rebel advance encountered the Union pickets. The Second Minnesota had entered the woods and passing through the Tenth Indiana, then out of ammunition and retiring and no longer firing. The enemy, emboldened by the cessation and mistaking its cause, assumed they had the Yanks on the run, advanced to the rail fence separating the woods from the field just as the Second Minnesota was doing the same, and while the rebels got there first, they were also first to get away and make a run to their rear. But before they ran their firing was resumed and Minnesotians got busy and the Fifteenth Mississippi and the Sixteenth Alabama regiments were made to feel that they had run up against something. To the right of the Second were two of Kinney's cannon and to their right was the Ninth Ohio. The mist and smoke which hung closely was too thick to see through, but by lying down it was possible to look under the smoke and to see the first rebel line, and that it was in bad shape, and back of it and down on the low ground a second line, with their third line on the high ground on the further side of the field. That the Second Minnesota was in close contact with the enemy was evident all along its line, blasts of fire and belching smoke coming across the fence from Mississippi muskets. The contest was at times hand to hand—the Second Minnesota and the rebels running their guns through the fence, firing and using the bayonet when opportunity offered. The firing was very brisk for some time when it was suddenly discovered that the enemy had disappeared. The battle was over, the Johnnies had "skedaddled," leaving their dead and dying on the bloody field. Many of the enemy were killed and wounded, and some few surrendered. After the firing had ceased one rebel lieutenant bravely stood in front of the Second and calmly faced his fate. After being called on to surrender he made no reply, but deliberately raised his hand and shot Lieut. Stout through the body. He was instantly shot. His name proved to be Bailie Peyton, son of one of the most prominent Union men in Tennessee. Gen. Zollicoffer, commander of the Confederate forces, was also killed in this battle. This battle, although a mere skirmish when compared to many other engagements in which the Second participated before the close of the war, was watched with great interest by the people of St. Paul. Two full companies had been recruited in the city and there was quite a number of St. Paulites in other companies of this regiment. When it became known that a battle had been fought in which the Second had been active participants, the relatives and friends of the men engaged in the struggle thronged the newspaper offices in quest of information regarding their safety. The casualties in the Second Minnesota, amounted to twelve killed and thirty-five wounded. Two or three days after the battle letters were received from different members of the Second, claiming that they had shot Bailie Payton and Zollicoffer. It afterward was learned that no one ever knew who shot Peyton, and that Col. Fry of the Fourth Kentucky shot Zollicoffer. Lieut. Tuttle captured Peyton's sword and still has it in his possession. This sword has a historic record. It was presented to Bailie Peyton by the citizens of New Orleans at the outbreak of the Mexican war, and was carried by Col. Peyton during the entire war. Col. Peyton was on Gen. Scott's staff at the close of the war, and when Santa Anna surrendered the City of Mexico to Gen. Scott, Col. Peyton was the staff officer designated by Scott to receive the surrender of the city, carrying this sword by his side. It bears this inscription: "Presented to Col. Bailie Peyton, Fifth Regiment Louisiana Volunteer National Guards, by his friends of New Orleans. His country required his services. His deeds will add glory to her arms." There has been considerable correspondence between the government and state, officials and the descendants of Col. Peyton relative to returning this trophy to Col. Peyton's relatives, but so far no arrangements to that effect have been concluded.
It was reported by Tennesseeans at the time of the battle that young Peyton was what was known as a "hoop-skirt" convert to the Confederate cause. Southern ladies were decidedly more pronounced secessionists than were the sterner sex, and whenever they discovered that one of their chivalric brethren was a little lukewarm toward the cause of the South they sent him a hoop skirt, which indicated that the recipient was lacking in bravery. For telling of his loyalty to the Union he was insulted and hissed at on the streets of Nashville, and when he received a hoop skirt from his lady friends he reluctantly concluded to take up arms against the country he loved so well. He paid the penalty of foolhardy recklessness in the first battle in which he participated.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial, who was an eye-witness of the battle, gave a glowing description of the heroic conduct of the Second Minnesota during the engagement. He said: "The success of the battle was when the Second Minnesota and the Ninth Ohio appeared in good order sweeping through the field. The Second Minnesota, from its position in the column, was almost in the center of the fight, and in the heaviest of the enemy's fire. They were the first troops that used the bayonet, and the style with which they went into the fight is the theme of enthusiastic comment throughout the army."
It was the boast of Confederate leaders at the outbreak of the rebellion that one regiment of Johnnies was equal to two or more regiments of Yankees. After the battle of Mill Springs they had occasion to revise their ideas regarding the fighting qualities of the detested Yankees. From official reports of both sides, gathered after the engagement was over, it was shown that the Confederate forces outnumbered their Northern adversaries nearly three to one.
The victory proved a dominant factor in breaking up the Confederate right flank, and opened a way into East Tennessee, and by transferring the Union troops to a point from which to menace Nashville made the withdrawal of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston's troops from Bowling Green, Ky., to Nashville necessary.
Confederate loss, 600 in killed, wounded and prisoners. Union loss, 248 in killed and wounded. Twelve rebel cannon and caissons complete were captured. Two hundred wagons with horses in harness were captured, as were large quantities of ammunition, store and camp equipments—in fact, the Union troops took all there was.
Col. Fry's version of the killing of Zollicoffer is as follows: While on the border of "old fields" a stranger in citizen clothes rode up by his side, so near that he could have put his hand upon his shoulder, and said: "Don't let us be firing on our own men. Those are our men," pointing at the same time toward our forces. Col. Fry looked upon him inquiringly a moment, supposing him to be one of his own men, after which he rode forward not more than fifteen paces, when an officer came dashing up, first recognizing the stranger and almost the same instant firing upon Col. Fry. At the same moment the stranger wheeled his horse, facing Col. Fry, when the colonel shot him in the breast.
Gen. Zollicoffer was a prominent and influential citizen of Nashville previous to the war, and stumped the state with Col. Peyton in opposition to the ordinance of secession, but when Tennessee seceded he determined to follow the fortunes of his state. The day before the battle Gen. Zollicoffer made a speech to his troops in which he said he would take them to Indiana or go to hell himself. He didn't go to Indiana.
The poet of the Fourth Kentucky perpetrated the following shortly after the battle:
"Old Zollicoffer is dead
And the last word he said:
I see a wild cat coming.
Up steps Col. Fry.
And he hit him in the eye
And he sent him to the happy land of Canaan.
Ho! boys, ho!
For the Union go!
Hip hurrah for the happy land of freedom."
The loyal Kentuckians were in great glee and rejoiced over the victory. It was their battle against rebel invaders from Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama, who were first met by their own troops of Wolford's First cavalry and the Fourth Kentucky infantry, whose blood was the first to be shed in defense of the Stars and Stripes; and their gratitude went out to their neighbors from Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio who came to their support and drove the invaders out of their state. On Feb. 24, 1862, the Second Minnesota was again in Louisville, where the regiment had admirers and warm friends in the loyal ladies, who as evidence of their high appreciation, though the mayor of the city, Hon. J.M. Dolph, presented to the Second regiment a silk flag. The mayor said. "Each regiment is equally entitled to like honor, but the gallant conduct of those who came from a distant state to unite in subduing our rebel invaders excites the warmest emotions of our hearts."
On Jan. 25 President Lincoln's congratulations were read to the regiment, and on Feb. 9, at Waitsboro, Ky., the following joint resolution of the Minnesota legislature was read before the regiment:
Whereas, the noble part borne by the First regiment, Minnesota infantry, in the battles of Bull Run and Ball's Bluff, Va., is yet fresh in our minds; and, whereas, we have heard with equal satisfaction the intelligence of the heroism displayed by the Second Minnesota infantry in the late brilliant action at Mill Springs, Ky.:
Therefore be it resolved by the legislature of Minnesota, That while it was the fortune of the veteran First regiment to shed luster upon defeat, it was reserved for the glorious Second regiment to add victory to glory.
Resolved, that the bravery of our noble sons, heroes whether in defeat or victory, is a source of pride to the state that sent them forth, and will never fail to secure to them the honor and the homage of the government and the people.
Resolved, That we sympathize with the friends of our slain soldiers, claiming as well to share their grief as to participate in the renown which the virtues and valor of the dead have conferred on our arms.
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions, having the signature of the executive and the great seal of the state, be immediately forwarded by the governor to the colonels severally in command of the regiments, to be by them communicated to their soldiers at dress parade.
The battle at Mill Springs was the first important victory achieved by the Union army in the Southwest after the outbreak of the rebellion, and the result of that engagement occasioned great rejoicing throughout the loyal North. Although the battle was fought forty-five years ago, quite a number of men engaged in that historic event are still living in St. Paul, a number of them actively engaged in business. Among the number are J.W. Bishop, J.C. Donahower, M.C. Tuttle, R.A. Lanpher, M.J. Clum, William Bircher, Robert G. Rhodes, John H. Gibbons, William Wagner, Joseph Burger, Jacob J. Miller, Christian Dehn, William Kemper, Jacob Bernard, Charles F. Myer, Phillip Potts and Fred Dohm.