Crossing the river we proceeded up the pike about six miles, then turned off “short left.” It was dark and cloudy, and therefore a disagreeable march over a country road to Hammondsville, a distance of eight miles, where we went into camp until the main body came up. When General Morgan arrived the company was divided into several detachments, and sent in as many directions to hunt the enemy. No trooper could have envied us that pleasure, for it was now midnight, very dark, and raining hard. But knowing that “faint heart ne’er wins,” we struck boldly out to make the necessary discoveries. When daylight returned it found all the scouts at headquarters, making their reports to the satisfaction of the General.
In the morning, as soon as we had fed, we took the advance in the direction of the railroad, near Upton’s. Just as we got in sight of the railroad we saw on our left and front some twenty or thirty Yankee infantrymen acting, apparently, as a railroad guard. At the time we discovered them we were marching in a lane. Putting our horses at the fence, those that did not go over rode it down, and we all passed over the field at a sweeping pace, charging the Yanks, who surrendered without firing a shot, though we gave them a round at short range. A small force, garrisoned at Upton’s Station, was also captured soon afterward.
“Lightning,” our telegraph operator, tapped the wire, and his office opened in a few minutes. Lieut.-Col. Hutchison, of the Second, with a detachment, compelled the surrender of the force in the stockade at Bacon Creek bridge, the first station south of Upton’s, then burnt the bridge. This made the third time our command had destroyed that bridge.
We were ordered to “Nolinn” bridge to find the position of the stockade and the force that garrisoned it. Approaching quite near without their knowledge, we were about to open fire when an officer, with an escort, and bearing a flag of truce from the General, rode past us, to “demand an immediate and unconditional surrender.” The officer in command agreed if we could show him three pieces of artillery. When he rode out to see the three pieces he saw six instead, and he submitted without a word. We proceeded then to burn the bridge and the stockade.
As soon as this had been accomplished we moved on Elizabethtown, found the outpost just at dawn, and went into camp. The General then ordered the scouts from the advance, and instructed them to remain inside of the lines during the night. This he did to insure them some relief, since they had been on the outpost for several days and nights in succession, without sleep or rest.
We fared sumptuously that night on the many delicacies we had captured the day previous from the sutlers’ wagons, things intended for the Christmas holidays. These luxuries fell into unexpected hands, yet they were none the less appreciated by us for being unexpected. Possibly we enjoyed them all the more.
Early the next morning we scouts went to the front, and relieved the troops acting as advance. Within two or three miles we met Federal pickets, and had a skirmish with them, driving them back to within a mile of town. A Yankee captain, under a flag of truce, met us. He carried a message to the General, demanding unconditional and immediate surrender of the forces; further, the message said that we were surrounded by an overwhelming force, and that escape was impossible. We detained the Yankee captain while the message was forwarded to the General by one of the scouts.
When the scout returned he carried, for reply to the Yanks, the same message, except that the General’s signature was attached. For the General, believing that the enemy were trying to gain time, demanded the same thing of them that they had demanded of us—unconditional surrender within fifteen minutes; and if this demand was not acceded to, they were ordered to move the non-combatants out of town. Not receiving a response within the given time we had orders to advance, and we executed them with a will, driving the Yankee outposts back upon their main line with confusion. We then received instructions to make our way around the town and cut off their retreat. This we did, destroying the Louisville and Nashville Railroad for over two miles, and capturing fifteen or twenty infantrymen who were guarding the road. The brigade encamped in and near the town that night.
The next day we moved against the forces guarding the trestle at Muldrough’s Hill, composed of two regiments. The one just captured at Elizabethtown was a very large regiment, about eight hundred strong. As there were two trestle works, both were attacked at the same time, and after a pretty warm fight of an hour’s duration they surrendered unconditionally, after which all their effects, stores of all kinds, stockades and trestles were burned to the ground. The prisoners were paroled before dark.
Regaining the pike we marched to the Rolling Fork River, and all, excepting the scouts, bivouacked on the south side. We crossed the river and went on outpost duty, keeping a vigilant watch all night. Early the next morning all of the command crossed to the north side, save one regiment, the Eighth, which was attacked by a large force of Yankees who had come up during the night.