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.: