the army of the cumberland-第4章

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een　intrenching　his　camp；　his　line　of　fortifications　extending　from　the　river　to　Fishing　Creek　and　his　camp　being　in　the　angle　formed　by　the　junction　of　this　stream　with　the　Cumberland。　Having　accomplished　this；　and　not　intending　to　bring　on　an　engagement；　Schoepff　returned　with　his　command　to　their　encampment　north　of　Somerset。

Buell　now　finding　that　the　only　rebel　force　encamped　in　Eastern　Kentucky　was　that　under　Zollicoffer；　and　deeming　it　important　that　he　be　driven　from　the　State；　modified　his　previous　order　to　Thomas；　and　on　December　29th　directed　him　to　advance　against　Zollicoffer　from　Columbia　and　attack　on　his　left　flank。　　He　also　ordered　Schoepff　to　attack　him　in　front。　　Two　days　later　Thomas　started　from　Lebanon　with　the　Second　Brigade；　under　command　of　Colonel　Manson；　and　two　regiments　of　Colonel　McCook's　brigade；　Kinney's　battery　of　artillery；　and　a　battalion　of　Wolford's　cavalry。　　Heavy　rains；　swollen　streams；　and　almost　impassable　roads　impeded　the　movement　of　the　troops　so　that　it　was　not　until　the　17th　of　January　that　they　reached　Logan's　Cross　Roads；　ten　miles　from　the　rebel　encampment。　　At　this　point　Thomas　halted　his　command　and　awaited　the　arrival　of　the　Fourth　and　Tenth　Kentucky；　the　Fourteenth　Ohio；　and　the　Eighteenth　United　States　Infantry；　detained　in　the　rear　by　the　condition　of　the　road。　He　communicated　at　once　with　Schoepff；　and　the　same　day　the　latter　reported　in　person。　　General　Thomas　directed　Schoepff　to　send　him　Standart's　battery；　the　Twelfth　Kentucky　and　the　First　and　Second　Tennessee　regiments；　which　were　to　strengthen　the　command　on　the　immediate　front　until　the　arrival　of　the　regiments　in　the　rear。　Thomas　placed　the　Tenth　Indiana；　Wolford's　cavalry；　and　Kinney's　battery　on　the　main　road　leading　to　the　enemy's　camp。　　The　Ninth　Ohio　and　the　Second　Minnesota　were　posted　three…quarters　of　a　mile　to　the　right　on　the　Robertsport　road。　　Strong　pickets　were　thrown　out　on　the　main　road　in　the　direction　of　the　enemy；　with　cavalry　pickets　beyond。　　Our　pickets　were　fired　on　and　had　a　skirmish　with　the　rebel　pickets　on　the　night　of　the　17th。　　On　the　18th；　the　Fourth　Kentucky；　a　battalion　of　the　Michigan　Engineers　and　Wetmore's　Battery　also　reported　to　Thomas。

Crittenden；　on　learning　that　Zollicoffer　had　crossed　the　Cumberland；　had　sent　at　once　an　order　by　courier；　post　haste；　directing　him　to　recross；　but　on　his　arrival　at　Mill　Springs　he　found　Zollicoffer　still　on　the　north　bank；　waiting　his　arrival　before　retiring。　Crittenden　gave　orders　at　once　for　the　construction　of　boats　to　take　his　command　across　the　river；　but　they　were　not　ready　when　he　heard　of　the　approach　of　General　Thomas　on　January　17th。

On　the　18th；　Crittenden　reported　to　General　Johnston　that　he　was　threatened　by　a　superior　force　of　the　enemy　in　his　front；　and　that　as　he　found　it　impossible　to　cross　the　river；　he　should　have　to　make　the　fight　on　the　ground　he　then　occupied。

His　weekly　reports　showed　eight　infantry　regiments；　four　battalions　（seventeen　companies）　of　cavalry；　and　two　companies　of　artillery；　making　an　aggregate　of　9；417　men。　　His　circular　order　of　the　18th；　directing　the　order　of　march　in　his　advance　to　attack；　shows　that　his　army　was　on　the　day　of　battle　composed　of　the　same　companies；　and　that　his　force　was　about　the　same。

At　midnight；　on　January　18th；　in　a　heavy　winter　rain；　the　Confederate　army　marched　out　to　battle　with　Bledsoe's　and　Saunders's　independent　cavalry　companies　in　advance。　　Zollicoffer's　brigade　of　four　regiments；　with　Rutledge's　battery　of　artillery；　followed。　　Then　came　General　Carroll's　brigade　of　four　regiments；　one　in　reserve；　with　McClung's　battery　of　artillery；　Brauner's　battalion　of　cavalry　on　the　right；　and　McClellan's　battalion　of　cavalry　on　the　left；　with　Cary's　battalions　in　the　rear。　　After　a　six　hours'　march　through　the　rain　and　the　mud；　the　advance　struck　our　cavalry　pickets　at　six　o'clock；　in　the　early　gray　of　a　winter　morning；　two　miles　in　front　of　the　Federal　camp。　　Wolford's　cavalry　slowly　fell　back；　reporting　the　enemy's　advance　to　Manson；　who　immediately　formed　his　regimentthe　Tenth　Indianaand　took　position　on　the　road　to　await　the　attack。　　Manson　then　ordered　the　Fourth　Kentucky；　Colonel　Speed　S。　Fry；　to　support　him；　and　reported　to　Thomas；　in　person；　the　advance　of　the　rebels　in　force；　and　the　disposition　he　had　made　of　his　troops　to　meet　the　attack。　　General　Thomas　directed　him　to　return　to　his　brigade　immediately；　with　orders　to　hold　the　enemy　in　check　until　the　other　troops　could　be　brought　up。　　Orders　were　given　to　the　other　commanders　to　form　immediately；　and　in　ten　minutes　they　were　all　marching　to　the　battle…field；　except　the　battalion　of　Michigan　Engineers　and　a　company　of　the　Thirty…eighth　Ohio；　detailed　to　guard　the　camp。

The　rebels；　in　their　advance；　opened　the　attack　with　Walthall's　Mississippi　and　Battle's　Tennessee　regiments；　which　as　they　moved　forward；　forming　the　right　of　the　rebel　line；　encountered　the　Fourth　Kentucky　and　the　Tenth　Indiana；　formed　on　the　first　line　to　resist　their　attack　in　the　edge　of　the　woods　to　their　front。　　The　Tennessee　regiment　endeavored　to　flank　the　Fourth　Kentucky　on　the　left；　while　the　latter　regiment　was　resisting　the　rebel　attack　on　the　front　in　a　most　obstinate　manner。　　Carter's　Tennessee　brigade　was　ordered　up　in　position　to　meet　this　flanking　movement　with　a　section　of　Kinney's　battery；　and　the　attempt　of　Battle's　regiment　was　checked。

Orders　were　sent　to　Colonel　McCook　to　advance　with　the　Ninth　Ohio　and　the　Second　Minnesota　regiments。　　These　regiments　coming　up　occupied　the　position　of　the　Fourth　Kentucky　and　Tenth　Indiana；　who　by　that　time　were　out　of　ammunition。　　As　soon　as　this　disposition　of　these　troops　had　been　made　the　enemy　opened　a　most　determined　and　galling　fire；　pressing　our　troops　at　all　points。　　General　Thomas's　command　returned　the　fire　with　spirit；　and　holding　their　position　the　contest　was　maintained　for　half　an　hour　on　both　sides　most　obstinately。

At　this　time；　General　Zollicoffer；　being　in　the　rear　of　the　Nineteenth　Tennessee　regiment　of　his　command；　became　convinced　that　the　Fourth　Kentucky　（Federal）　regiment　was　a　part　of　his　brigade；　ordered　the　Tennessee　regiment　to　cease　firing；　as　they　were　shooting　their　own　troops。　　He　then　rode　to　the　front；　where　he　met　Colonel　Fry；　the　commanding　officer　of　the　Fourth　Kentucky。　　Zollicoffer　stated　to　Fry　that　both　commands　belonged　to　the　same　side；　and　that　firing　should　stop。　　To　this　Fry　assented　and　started　to　order　the　Fourth　Kentucky　to　cease　firing；　when　one　of　Zollicoffer's　aids　coming　up；　seeing　that　Fry　was　a　Federal　officer；　opened　fire　upon　him　with　a　revolver；　wounding　his　horse。　　Fry　returned　the　fire；　shooting　Zollicoffer　through　the　heart。

Shortly　after；　the　First　and　Second　East　Tennessee　regiments　of　Carter's　brigade　and　Hoskins's　Kentucky　regiment　were　placed　on　the　left　of　the　Second　Minnesota　regiment；　and　opening　a　heavy　fire　on　the　right　flank　of　the　rebel　line　caused　it　to　give　way。　　The　Second　Minnesota　regiment　kept　up　a　galling　fire　in　the　centre；　while　the　Ninth　Ohio　charged　the　enemy　with　fixed　bayonets　on　the　left；　turned　that　flank；　and　drove　them　from　the　field。　　The　whole　rebel　line　then　gave　way；　retreating　in　the　utmost　confusion　and　disorder　to　their　intrenchments　at　Beech　Grove。　　Thomas　ordered　an　immediate　advance；　after　supplying　his　troops　with　ammunition；　driving　the　rebels　into　their　intrenchments。　　As　these　were　approached　they　were　invested　by　the　division　deployed　in　the　line　of　battle。　Cannonading　was　kept　up　until　dark；　firing　being　in　the　direction　of　the　ferry　to　defeat　a　crossing。　　During　the　night　preparations　were　made　for　an　assault　on　the　intrenchments　on　the　following　morning。　　The　Fourteenth　Ohio；　Colonel　Steedman；　and　the　Tenth　Kentucky；　Colonel　Harlan；　reported　after　the　fight；　where　placed　in　the　front　of　the　advance；　and　were　the　first　to　enter　the　intrenchments。　　Schoepff's　brigade　joined　the　command　during　the　evening；　and　was　placed　in　position　for　the　attack。

At　midnight　Crittenden　abandoned　everything；　and　between　that　hour　and　daylight　escaped　across　the　river　by　means　of　a　steamer　and　some　barges　at　the　landing；　which　he　burned；　leaving　behind　him　his　badly　wounded；　all　of　his　cann