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This month's Forgotten Battle is...
The Battle of Mill Springs
Intro
The Battle of Mill Springs occurred on January 19, 1862. It was fought near the town of Nancy, Kentucky, as part of the American Civil War. This battle would be the conclusion of a Confederate Offensive into Kentucky and the first significant victory of the war for the Union.
Part I
In 1861, the American Civil War began very well for the Confederacy. But by September, the situation had begun to deteriorate. The last state to secede from the Union was Tennessee. Unfortunately, not all of the state's population was pro-secession. The population of Eastern Tennessee was still loyal to the Union. For the Confederacy this was big problem. Located on the boarder of Tennessee and Virginia was the Cumberland Gap. This was a crucial mountain pass between the Appalachian Mountains that linked the two Confederates states. Without it, the Confederates would have no supply line to the state that contained their capital (Richmond).
In command of all Confederate Armies was, General Albert Sidney Johnston. While the situation in Eastern Tennessee presented a problem, he initially had a crucial advantage. In 1861, the border state of Kentucky had declared itself neutral. This gave the Confederates in Tennessee a much needed buffer zone that could prevent Union invasions from the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Unfortunately, one of Johnston's own generals violated Kentucky's neutrality. On September 3, a Confederate Army under the command of Brigadier General Gideon Pillow, acting on orders by Major General Leonidas Polk, crossed the border and seized the Kentuckian city of, Columbus.
In retaliation, a Union army under the command of Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant crossed Kentucky's northern border and seized the city of, Paducah. Soon, tens of thousands of Federal soldiers began pouring into Kentucky and the state fell under Union control. With the loss of the buffer zone, Johnston's position became even more dire. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the Federals invaded Tennessee.
Part II
By late November 1861, General Johnston was in charge of all Confederate armies located between Arkansas all the way to the edge of Tennessee. With his army spread dangerously thin, Johnston concentrated most of them at the two crucial fortifications of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. On his right flank, he placed 4,000 soldiers under the command of Major General George Crittenden. In command of Crittenden's 1st Brigade was, Brigadier General Felix Zollicoffer. His brigade was tasked with guarding the Cumberland Gap. Believing the gap was adequately fortified, Zollicoffer decided to launch an invasion of Kentucky. He took his brigade and headed to the border and prepared to cross the Cumberland River.
When Johnston learned of Zollicoffer's plan, he immediately ordered the latter to turn back and return to the Cumberland Gap. When Zollicoffer refused, Johnston ordered George Crittenden to take control and bring Zollicoffer's soldiers back himself. But by the time Crittenden arrived, Zollicoffer and his army were already across the river and inside Kentucky. Believing that withdrawing them was too dangerous, Crittenden decided join Zollicoffer and push further into Kentucky. By January of 1862, more than 5,000 Confederate soldiers were slowly marching up the Mill Springs Road toward the Kentuckian city of Lebanon.
By now however, the Federals in Kentucky were well aware of what was happening. Garrisoned at Lebanon, were 4,000 Union soldiers under the command of Major General George Henry Thomas. On December 28, Thomas received orders to drive the Rebels back across the river by any means necessary. After departing from Lebanon on December 31, Thomas realized that his only chance of victory was to ambush the Confederates at a fork in the Mill Springs Road called, Logan's Crossroads. Despite being delayed by heavy rain (soldiers reported the mud on the roads to be eight inches deep), Thomas and his men reached Logan's Crossroads on January 17. There they set up camp and awaited the oncoming Confederates. The two armies would finally meet early on the morning of January 19.
Part III
Around midnight, the Confederates left their camp and began marching toward Logan's Crossroads. At 6:10 in the morning, they encountered Federal pickets (scouts). From there, the battle began. At first, the Confederate attack pushed back the Union center that was under the command of Colonel Mahlon Manson. But then an hour into the battle, a thick fog rolled in that obstructed the view of the battlefield. In the confusion, General Zollicoffer accidentally rode into the Union line. He was shot from his horse and killed. With their commander dead and the fog impeding their vision, the Confederate attack stalled. From there, the tide of the battle turned.
Around the same time Zollicoffer was killed, General Thomas himself arrived on the battlefield. Intending to use a pincer movement (aka: a double envelopment), he ordered the 9th Ohio (made primarily of German immigrants) and the 2nd Minnesota infantry regiments to move the Union right. The 9th Ohio was ordered to advance while the 2nd Minnesota fired two volleys into the Confederate left flank. After the second volley, the 9th Ohio fixed bayonets and charged. This attack broke through Confederate left and scattered it.
After this, the Union left also surged forward and outflanked the Confederate right. From here, the whole Confederate line caved in the battle quickly turned into a rout. The rebels dropped their rifles and fled in complete disorder with the yankees in hot pursuit. The yankees pursued the rebels nine miles back to their camp at Beech Grove before finally being stopped by a rearguard. At that point, Thomas ordered them back and prepared to attack again the following morning. The entire battle had lasted just under three hours.
Epilogue
During the night of January 19, the Confederates bade a hasty retreat back across the Cumberland River. When the yankees attacked the next morning, they found the rebel camp completely deserted. The casualties for the Battle of Mills Springs were light, yet far lopsided. The Federals had suffered 39 killed and 207 wounded. By contrast, the Confederates had lost 125 killed (including General Zollicoffer) and 404 wounded (nearly all of whom had been captured). In their disorganized retreat, the Confederate army had also abandoned all of their artillery (12 guns), 150 wagons (full of food, rifles, and ammunition), and more than 1,000 horses and mules.
For the Federals, the Battle of Mill Springs was a major victory. It enabled them to not only secure Kentucky, but also to invade Tennessee just two weeks later. After capturing both Forts Henry and Donelson, they were full control of that state as well. Although fierce fighting would take place in both states over the next three years, they would both remain in Union hands for the remainder of the war. Today, the battle is remembered by historians as the first great success for Union. One that would greatly affect the outcome of the American Civil War.
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/mill-springs
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ky-millspringsbattle/
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/george-henry-thomas-at-the-battle-of-mill-springs.htm
https://ironbrigader.com/2012/01/04/battle-mill-springs-kentucky-edwin-m-stanton-named-secretary-war-january-1862/
