Morgan’s force was subsequently overtaken near Paris, by General Green C. Smith, and defeated. About the same time Henderson was occupied by citizens from Kentucky and other States, acting the part of guerrillas, and the hospital and other stores carried off. Farther to the north, Newburg, in Indiana, on the Ohio river, was occupied by a band from Kentucky. They soon, however, left. The activity of the bands under Colonel Morgan produced a great excitement in the interior of the State. Many towns were visited and much plunder obtained. It had been his conviction that large numbers of the citizens would flock to his standard. In this he was greatly mistaken, and the indifference and hostility of the people, together with the preparations to resist him, checked his movements. Active operations continued in Tennessee, whither Colonel Morgan retired. Clarksville was captured with large military stores, and about the 22nd of August a considerable body of Confederate cavalry attacked the Federal force at Gallatin, and after a severe contest repulsed the latter.
At the same time, Governor James F. Robinson, who had succeeded Magoffin, appealed to the people in a stirring proclamation, dated August 31st, to rally in defence of the State, against the rebel invaders. His language is that of a whole-souled patriot.
“I appeal to you as Kentuckians, as worthy sons of those who rescued the dark and bloody ground from savage barbarity, by the memories of the past of your history, and by the future of your fame, if you are but true to yourselves, to rise in the majesty of your strength and drive the insolent invaders of your soil from your midst. Now is the time for Kentuckians to defend themselves. Each man must constitute himself a soldier, arm himself as best he can, and meet the foe at every step of his advance. The day and the hour, the safety of your homes and firesides, patriotism and duty, alike demand that you rush to the rescue. I call upon the people, then, to rise up as one man, and strike a blow for the defence of their native land, their property, and their homes. Rally to the standard, wherever it may be nearest, place yourselves under the commanders, obey orders, trust to your own right arm and the God of battle, and the foe will be driven back, discomfited and annihilated. To arms! to arms!! and never lay them down till the stars and stripes float in triumph throughout Kentucky. I but perform my duty in thus summoning you to the defence of your State, and I am assured that it will be promptly responded to. I promise that I will share with you the glory of the triumph which surely awaits you.”
Cumberland Gap, Tenn., was at this time in possession of the national troops, under command of General G. W. Morgan; and an attack of the rebels was made to drive General Morgan from his position; but, being fiercely repulsed by his advance at Tazewell, they turned toward the west, and proceeded over a difficult mountain road to a point known as Big Creek Gap. On the 9th of August, Governor Johnson, of Tennessee, received intelligence of this rebel invasion. Preparations were at once made, to withstand these combined armies. The United States government had no troops to spare for the defence of Kentucky, save undisciplined recruits, raised under the President’s call for three hundred thousand men, made on the first of July. Pope’s campaign was at this moment in progress. Altogether, the time was full of danger, and trouble, and doubt. Happily Governor Tod of Ohio, and Morton, of Indiana, were loyal and energetic men, and to their efforts at this juncture the State of Kentucky was mainly indebted for protection against her foes and the foes of the nation. Troops were immediately despatched into Kentucky from those States. General Boyle was in command at Louisville. General Wallace, volunteering to serve in the capacity of a Colonel, was put in command at Lexington, which point was directly fortified. J. J. Crittenden, Leslie Coombs, and Garrett Davis, assuming positions on General Wallace’s staff, rendered valuable aid, through their large popularity and influence, in bringing in recruits. General Wallace also organized a regiment of negroes, and employed them on the fortifications. All the while the rebels were steadily advancing. Before the armies met, however, General Wallace had been relieved of his command.
Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and eastern Kentucky were organized into a military district, entitled the Department of the Ohio, General U. S. Wright being appointed to its chief command, and Major-General Nelson transferred to the command of the Army of Kentucky. The latter officer adopted tactics very different from those of his predecessor, and, as events presently demonstrated, far less prudent. Casting aside the spade, he at once advanced beyond his intrenchments, to meet the enemy and give him battle. The result was a defeat at the
BATTLE OF RICHMOND, KY.
August 30, 1862.
Richmond, Kentucky, is a small village south of the Kentucky river, southeast of Frankfort, and about twenty-five miles from Lexington. Richmond is the capital of Madison county, situated about fifty miles south-southeast of Frankfort, the capital of the State. The Federal force there consisted of one Ohio regiment, five Indiana regiments and part of a sixth, two Kentucky regiments, all raw troops, and a squadron of Kentucky cavalry, under the command of Brigadier-Generals Mahlon D. Manson and Crufts, with nine field-pieces, making in all six thousand five hundred men. The number of the enemy’s forces, known to be in front, could not be ascertained. Information was brought to General Manson, Friday, August 29th, that the enemy were approaching in large force. General Manson at once sent a dispatch to Colonel Munday, commanding a small detachment of cavalry in the neighborhood of Kingston, directing him to hold the enemy in check; and, if possible to ascertain his strength and position. The first brigade was then ordered to stand to arms, and hold themselves in readiness to act at a moment’s notice.
Four additional companies were sent forward, to strengthen the pickets at the fort of Big Hill, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Wolfe, of the Sixteenth Indiana.
At two o’clock, General Manson received intelligence that the infantry picket, the cavalry of Lieutenant-Colonel Munday, and a similar force under command of Colonel Metcalf, were retreating with all speed toward the camps, hard pressed by a rebel force numbering four or five thousand men. Without loss of time, General Manson ordered out the First brigade, consisting of the Fifteenth, Fifty-fifth, Sixty-ninth and Seventy-first Indiana regiments; and the artillery under command of Lieutenant Lamphere. After an advance of three-quarters of a mile, General Manson descried a heavy column of rebel cavalry, hardly a mile east of the road, and ordered a section of the artillery into position, to fire upon the enemy. The firing was commenced with such excellent effect, as to scatter the enemy in every direction. General Manson then continued his advance, bivouacking for the night at Rogersville.
On the morning of the 30th he met the enemy. By this movement he had placed a distance of four miles between himself and General Cruft’s brigade. The din of battle at once began, Kirby Smith attacking the National troops, with the whole rebel force. General Cruft, hearing the cannonading, moved to General Manson’s support, without waiting for orders; and found the battle already raging with fierceness and fury. The new troops were hastily formed in line, under heavy fire, and they fought bravely, against a foe of almost double their own numbers. But the slight confusion of forming them into line had already been taken advantage of by the enemy, who pressed forward in heavy force, and outflanked the Union troops, by gaining the cover of a large corn-field and the woods; and making a dash upon the left wing, it gave way, and fell back in the utmost confusion. General Manson had maintained his position for upward of three hours; and the artillery had kept up an almost unceasing fire. The Sixteenth, Fifty-fifth, Sixty-ninth, and Seventy-first Indiana regiments, under command of, respectively, Colonel Lucas, Colonel Mahan, Lieutenant-Colonel Korff, and Lieutenant-Colonel Topping, occupied prominent positions during the engagement, and were constantly exposed to the enemy’s fire. As the rout of the Union forces became general, three regiments of General Cruft’s brigade, with the Eighteenth Kentucky, Colonel Warner, in advance, came up, and made a determined and desperate effort to check the advancing enemy. For twenty minutes they contended manfully with an overpowering rebel force, but were at last obliged to fall back before overwhelming numbers. But the Union forces were not yet defeated; they retreated about three-quarters of a mile, and once more formed into line of battle. General Cruft’s brigade was ordered to the right, to take position on an elevated part of the ground; two regiments were placed on the extreme right, within cover of a piece of wood; and two behind a fence, fronting a field of corn. The First brigade was placed on the left of the road, and formed in line behind fences. The rebels, secure in numbers, and triumphant from recent victory, came dashing forward exultantly and with loud cheers, and threw themselves upon the left flank of General Manson’s little army. This movement occasioned an immediate change of front; in the attempt to effect it the Union troops were again thrown into confusion, and completely routed. General Manson and General Cruft rode forward, and made a last effort to rally the scattered remnants of their twice defeated troops; and General Nelson at this moment coming up, a third time the line was formed, under the combined efforts of these officers: but the day was against the Union soldiers. After a short, sharp contest, lasting but a few minutes, the patriot line was repulsed, defeated, and scattered in confusion. The archives of the State and about one million of treasure from the banks of Richmond, Lexington, and Frankfort were transferred during the night to Louisville.