Forgotten Battle 2

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This month's Forgotten Battle is...

The Battle of Tebbs Bend

Intro

The battle of Tebbs Bend was fought on July 4, 1863, in Taylor County, Kentucky. It was a heavy skirmish that helped shape the future of the state of Kentucky in the War between the States. One that would turn a small group of boys from Michigan into heroes during what would be the longest raid in American history.

Part I 

In the year 1863, the tide of the Civil War was beginning to turn. The year had begun very badly for the Union Army. On the Eastern Front, the Union Army of the Potomac suffered a humiliating defeat at the battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia. But by the month of May things began to change. On the Western Front, the Army of the Tennessee laid siege to the city of Vicksburg. On May 16 and 17, they won two victories at the battles of Champion Hill and Big Black River Bridge. With the situation on the Western Front deteriorating for the Confederacy, one man decided to try and turn the tables. He was, Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan.

General Morgan had already seen heavy combat in the Civil War. On December 7, 1862, Morgan successfully ambushed and scattered a Union army at the battle of Hartsville. His success there and the worsening situation for the Confederacy at Vicksburg convinced Morgan that the time was right to launch a raid into the Northern states. He hoped that his raid would divert Union soldiers from Vicksburg, disrupt communications between Union armies, and seize critical weapons and ammunition for the Confederacy. 

It was a bold and risky plan, but Morgan was certain his raid would be a major success. He could not have been more mistaken.

Part II

On June 11, General Morgan departed from Alexandria, Tennessee, with 2,400 handpicked cavalrymen and four artillery pieces. They headed for the Tennessee-Kentucky border and waited. Upon learning of the Union Army of the Cumberland's advance on the city of Knoxville, Morgan took the opportunity to cross the Cumberland River on June 30. By July 2, all of Morgan's raiders had successfully crossed into Kentucky without incident. They then began advancing to the Green River while being guided by pro-Confederate citizens of Kentucky. 

After a few skirmishes with small groups of Union cavalry, Morgan and 1,000 of his raiders (he had divided his force to attack other enemy positions) finally reached the Green River on July 3. After rounding one of the river's bends (Tebbs Bend), the raiders found their advance blocked by a small outpost of Union infantry guarding a bridge over the river. The outpost was defended by just over 200 men from five companies of the 25th Michigan Infantry. In command of this small force was Colonel Orlando Hurley Moore.

Just over six months prior, Morgan and his raiders had attacked and burnt the bridge and the outpost at Tebbs Bend. By now, Union engineers had rebuilt both and bolstered the stockade guarding the bridge. Upon receiving intelligence of Morgan's incursion into Kentucky, Colonel Moore moved his men from a prior position to a narrow neck of the Green River. They then began building a new fortification on a knoll near Tebbs Bend. Moore had his men dig a rifle pit 100 yards in front of the main defense line. They then constructed an abatis (a barricade of sharpened tree branches) around the outpost. Finally, they placed wooden spikes in two zigzag rows in front of the abatis. When Morgan's raiders arrived at Tebbs Bend, Moore and his 260 Michigan boys were in a strong defensive position.

Part III

On the night of July 3, Morgan began placing his four artillery pieces. Due to his superiority in numbers, he expected a quick and easy victory. On the morning of July 4, Morgan ordered several scouts to probe the Union position. As Confederates approached on horseback, the Yankees opened fire on them, inflicting casualties. Morgan responded by bombarding them with his four cannons. However, Moore's soldiers simply ducked into their rifle pits and trenches. When the bombardment ceased, they had only suffered two wounded and little damage to the outpost. 

Morgan then sent a demand of surrender to Colonel Moore. Moore replied, "Present my compliments to General Morgan, and say to him that, this being the fourth of July, I cannot entertain his proposition." Angered by this, Morgan ordered his cavalry to prepare to charge and for the artillery to resume bombardment. At this moment, Moore ordered his sharpshooters (made up of squirrel hunters) to take aim and snipe at the rebel gunners. With their brand new Enfield rifles, the sharpshooters easily picked them off and silenced Morgan's artillery. 

Undaunted, Morgan ordered his cavalry to charge. The Confederate horseman charged at full gallop towards the Union trench and were met with a wall of lead. Although they managed to capture the forward rifle pit, the Confederates found themselves unable to get past the abatis. This made them easy targets for the Yankees who had successfully retreated to the main trench. The Confederate cavalry found themselves stuck in a well-laid trap as they were practically dropped from their saddles. Still determined, Morgan ordered his raiders to launch second charge (dismounted). This attack was also met with disaster. 

Epilogue

After four hours of combat, Morgan called off further attacks. He then sent forward a white flag of truce asking Moore for permission to collect his wounded and bury his dead. Permission was granted. After completing that task Morgan and his mauled raiders withdrew southward to look for a different bend to cross the Green River. His casualties were: 36 killed, 45 wounded, and 30 captured. By contrast, Moore's casualties were only 6 killed and 24 wounded. For Morgan, this battle was a humiliating defeat and foreshadowed how his raid would ultimately end. He would suffer more defeats and he and most of his army were eventually surrounded and captured at Salineville, Ohio, on July 26, 1863. This concluded the longest military raid in American history.

For their part, Orlando Moore and the 25th Michigan had won an impressive victory. A reporter from the Louisville Times called the battle, "...one of the finest planned and best fought battles of the war". For Colonel Moore and the 25th Michigan, the battle was their baptism of fire (first real combat action). They would go on to see further combat at the battles of Atlanta, Jonesboro, Resaca, Franklin, and Nashville. After the war, they returned home to a hero's welcome. 

Since it happened on the heels of the much larger Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the Battle of Tebbs Bend did not receive major recognition in Northern newspapers. Today, the battle has been largely forgotten by the general American public. But for many historians and local Kentuckians, it is remembered as a great symbol of courage and valor against overwhelming odds. It was a small battle that made a big difference in the longest raid of the American Civil War. 

http://www.tebbsbend.org/history.html

https://dutchamericans.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/1997_07_elenbaas.pdf

https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/97

https://www.calhoun.migenweb.org/military/25th_infantry.htm

https://www.kpl.gov/local-history/kalamazoo-history/civil-war/col-orlando-hurley-moore/