the army of the cumberland-第2章

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aysville；　near　the　spot　where　Simon　Kenton's　station　was　erected　in　1785。

On　the　7th　of　October　General　Anderson；　on　account　of　ill…health；　relinquished　the　command　of　the　department；　and　General　W。　T。　Sherman　on　the　following　day　succeeded　him。　　At　the　same　time　General　A。　McD。　McCook　was　placed　in　command　of　the　force　that　＇had＇　been　ordered　to　the　front　under　Sherman。

During　the　month　of　October　the　rebel　Colonel　J。　S。　Williams　was　organizing　a　force　of　some　two　thousand　troops　at　Prestonburg；　on　the　Big　Sandy　River；　intending　to　operate　in　Central　Kentucky　through　McCormick's　Gap。　　General　Nelson　early　in　the　month　started　with　all　the　troops　of　his　command　to　drive　the　rebels　out　of　their　encampment。　　Nelson　ordered　the　Second　Ohio　under　Colonel　L。　A。　Harris　to　move　from　Paris；　and　the　Twenty…first　Ohio　under　Colonel　Norton　to　advance　from　Nicholasville　to　Olympia　Springs；　where　the　entire　command　was　concentrated。　　From　here　he　advanced　to　McCormick's　Gap；　and　then　divided　his　command；　sending　the　Second　Ohio；　a　section　of　Captain　Konkle's　battery；　and　a　company　of　Ohio　cavalry　under　Captain　McLaughlinall　under　the　command　of　Colonel　Harristhrough　West　Liberty　to　unite　with　the　command　at　Salyersville。　　Nelson　then　moved　forward　with　three　regiments　of　infantry；　two　detachments　of　Kentucky　troops；　and　two　sections　of　Konkle's　battery；　with　a　battalion　of　cavalry；　on　the　road　to　Hazel　Green。　　On　the　23d　Harris　occupied　West　Liberty；　after　a　brisk　skirmish。　　The　command　united　at　Salyersville　and　followed　the　enemy　to　Prestonburg。　　At　this　point　Nelson　sent　the　Thirty…third　Ohio；　with　the　Kentucky　troops　and　a　section　of　Konkle's　battery　under　Colonel　Sill；　by　a　detour　to　the　right　to　flank　the　rebel　position　at　Ivy　Mountain。　　Nelson　on　the　next　day　then　advanced　with　his　command　on　the　direct　road　to　Piketon；　and　encountered　the　enemy　in　ambush　on　the　mountain　at　Ivy　Creek。　　Pushing　forward　at　once　with　the　force　under　his　immediate　command；　Nelson　attacked　the　enemy；　and　after　a　brisk　engagement；　lasting　over　an　hour；　routed　them　from　their　cover　and　drove　them　in　full　retreat。

Sill　occupied　Piketon　on　the　9th　without　much　opposition。　　General　Nelson　arrived　there　on　the　10th；　when　the　rebels　leaving　the　State　and　retreating　through　Pound　Gap；　he　was　ordered　to　report　with　his　command　to　General　Buell　at　Louisville。

On　the　retirement　of　General　Anderson；　as　the　ranking　officer　in　the　department；　General　Sherman　assumed　the　command。　　On　the　9th　of　November；　by　general　order　from　the　headquarters　of　the　army；　No。　97；　the　Department　of　the　Ohio　was　created；　〃to　consist　of　the　States　of　Ohio；　Michigan；　Indiana；　that　portion　of　Kentucky　east　of　the　Cumberland　river；　and　the　State　of　Tennessee；　and　to　be　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　D。　C。　Buell；　headquarters　at　Louisville；〃　and　General　Sherman　was　relieved　from　command　at　his　own　request。

Nelson's　command　being　ordered　out　of　East　Kentucky；　the　rebel　forces　again　entered；　and　in　small　bands　were　depredating　on　Union　people　in　the　Big　Sandy　Valley。　　The　Fourteenth　Kentucky　under　Colonel　L。　P。　Moore　was　ordered　to　move　from　Catlettsburg　and　advance　up　the　valley。　　General　Buell　finding　that　the　rebel　force　had　been　largely　re…enforced　by　the　advance　of　General　Humphrey　Marshall；　one　of　the　ablest　rebel　generals　in　that　part　of　the　country；　ordered　the　Twenty…second　Kentucky　under　Colonel　Lindsay　from　Maysville　to　join　the　Fourteenth；　and　Lindsay　was　placed　in　command　of　the　two　regiments。　　Marshall　was　a　graduate　of　West　Point；　he　had　served　in　the　Black　Hawk　War　and　had　seen　service　in　Mexico　as　a　Colonel　of　Kentucky　cavalry；　winning　distinction　at　Buena　Vista。　　He　had　now　entered　the　State　from　Virginia　through　Pound　Gap；　and　had　reached　a　strong　natural　position　near　Paintville；　where　he　was　rapidly　increasing　his　army；　with　the　intention　of　raising　a　sufficient　forcealready　some　five　thousandto　operate　on　General　Buell's　flank　and　to　retard　his　advance　into　Tennessee。　　The　Forty…second　Ohio；　just　organized；　was　in　a　camp　of　instruction　near　Columbus；　Ohio；　under　its　Colonel；　James　A。　Garfield。　　While　there；　in　December；　he　was　ordered　by　General　Buell　to　move　his　regiment　at　once　to　Catlettsburg；　at　the　mouth　of　the　Big　Sandy　River；　and　to　report　in　person　to　Louisville　for　orders。

Starting　his　regiment　eastward；　from　Cincinnati；　Garfield；　on　the　19th　of　December；　reported　to　General　Buell；　who　informed　him　that　he　had　been　selected　to　command　an　expedition　to　drive　Marshall　and　his　forces　from　Kentucky。　　That　evening　Garfield　received　his　orders；　which　organized　the　Eighteenth　Brigade　of　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　and　placed　him　in　command。　　General　Buell　with　these　orders　sent　a　letter　of　instruction；　giving　general　directions　as　to　the　campaign；　leaving　all　matters　of　detail　and　the　fate　of　the　expedition；　however；　largely　to　the　discretion　of　the　brigade　commander。　　The　latter　reached　his　command　on　the　24th　of　December；　at　Louisa；　some　twenty…eight　miles　up　the　Big　Sandy。　　He　then　proceeded　to　concentrate　his　troops；　the　main　body　consisting　of　his　own　regimentthe　Forty…second　Ohiothe　Fourteenth　Kentucky；　and　a　battalion　of　Ohio　cavalry　under　Major　McLaughlin；　which　was　with　him；　but　these　gave　only　some　fifteen　hundred　men　for　duty。

The　next　largest　portion　of　his　command　was　stationed　at　Paris；　Kentucky；　under　Colonel　Cranor；　with　his　regiment；　the　Fortieth　Ohio；　800　strong。　　Cranor　was　ordered　to　join　the　main　body　as　expeditiously　as　possible；　and　to　bring　with　him　that　portion　of　Colonel　Wolford's　Kentucky　cavalry　stationed　at　Stanford；　consisting　of　three　small　battalions　under　Lieutenant…Colonel　Letcher；　and　to　report　at　Prestonburg。　　The　twenty…second　Kentucky　was　ordered　from　Maysville；　and　some　three　hundred　men　of　that　command　reported　before　Garfield　reached　Paintville。　　He　was　also　joined　by　a　battalion　of　west　Virginia　cavalry　under　Colonel　Bolles。　　After　a　toilsome　march　in　mid…winter；　Garfield's　command；　on　the　7th　of　January；　drove　Marshall's　forces　from　the　mouth　of　Jenny's　Creek；　and　occupied　Paintville。　　On　the　morning　of　the　9th；　Cranor　reported　with　his　command；　footsore　and　exhausted；　after　a　march　of　over　one　hundred　miles　through　the　mountains　of　Eastern　Kentucky。　　At　noon　of　the　9th　Garfield　advanced　his　command　to　attack　Marshall　with　his　cavalry；　pressing　the　rebels　as　they　fell　back。　　Reaching　Prestonburg　some　fifteen　miles　from　Paintville；　he　learned　that　Marshall　was　encamped　and　fortified　on　Abbott's　Creek。　　Pushing　on　to　the　mouth　of　the　creek；　some　three　miles　below　Prestonburg；　he　there　encamped　for　the　night；　a　sleety　rain　adding　to　the　discomfort　of　the　men。　Intending　to　force　the　enemy　to　battle；　he　ordered　up　his　reserves　under　Colonel　Sheldon　from　Paintville；　with　every　available　man。　As　soon　as　the　morning　light　enabled　the　command　to　move；　Garfield　advanced；　and　soon　engaged　the　rebel　cavalry；　which　was　driven　in　after　a　slight　skirmish；　falling　back　on　the　main　body　some　two　miles　in　the　rear；　strongly　posted　on　high　ground；　between　Abbott's　Creek　and　Middle　Creek；　at　the　mouth　of　the　latter　stream。　　It　was　impossible　to　tell　what　disposition　Marshall　had　made　for　his　defence；　owing　to　the　formation　of　the　ground　at　this　point　concealing　his　troops　until　our　forces　drew　his　fire。　　Throwing　several　detachments　forward；　the　entire　command　was　soon　actively　engaged。　　The　engagement　lasted　for　some　four　hours；　commending　at　about　twelve　o'clock。　　At　4　P。M。；　the　reserves　under　Sheldon　reached　the　field　of　battle；　and　the　enemy　was　driven　from　his　position。　　Night　coming　on　prevented　pursuit。

Marshall's　command　fled　down　the　valley；　set　fire　to　their　stores；　and　pressed　forward　in　rapid　retreat　to　Abington；　Va。　　Garfield　with　his　command　returned　to　Paintville；　where　it　could　receive　supplies。　　In　February　he　received　orders　from　Buell；　directing　him　to　advance　to　Piketon；　and　drive　the　rebels　from　that　place；　which　he　did；　and　later　from　Pound　Gap。　　This　freed　Eastern　Kentucky　of　rebel　troops；　and　relieved　the　Union　men　of　that　section　of　the　depredations　that　had　been　committed　on　them　by　the　roving　bands　of　the　enemy。　　The　services　of　Garfield's　command　were　recognized　by　Buell；　and　the　thanks　of　the　Commanding　Genera