War in the Bluegrass State

CAMPAIGN NOTE

This narrative campaign is based on the Confederate invasion of Kentucky in August-October 1862. The narrative  will follow the historical storyline until a situation occurs were history might take another course or game result changes that storyline. Where I have deliberately changed any historical background I will add a HISTORICAL NOTE and when I judge than an option needs to be taken by a commander I will list the options and the course taken in a GAME NOTE.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In the spring of 1862, Union troops had won a string of victories at Forts Henry and Donelson and at Shiloh. They captured the Tennessee cities of Nashville and Memphis placing most of the Cumberland and Tennessee River valleys had come under their control. By the middle of the year the Union forces, under Major General Ulysses Grant and Major General Don Carlos Buell, had sprawled across most of Tennessee and Northern Mississippi lacking direction. The Confederates sought to regain the initiative in this critical region. In July Major General Edmund Kirby Smith, commanding the Department of East Tennessee floated the idea of an invasion of Kentucky, believing that such an operation would allow them to obtain supplies, enlist recruits and divert Union troops from Tennessee. He believed that the whole of the Bluegrass Country could be secured easily and 25,000 to 30,000 men would rush to enlist. Confederate President Davis had been frustrated with General Beauregard's inactivity in Mississippi and replaced him with Major General Braxton Bragg. He then suggested that Bragg shift his base of operations from Tupelo Mississippi to Chattanooga from where he might support Kirby Smith. Bragg considered a number of options but in the end moved his Army of Mississippi to Chattanooga. Smith and Bragg met in Chattanooga on July 31, and devised a plan for the campaign. Bragg's army needed rest after its relocation so Kirby Smith, with his Army of Kentucky, reinforced by two of Bragg's brigades, would march into Kentucky and clear the Yankees from the Cumberland Gap. A third Confederate army would move into Northern Mississippi to hold Grant in place. Kirby Smith would then join Bragg and their combined force of 60,000 men would threaten the Buell's rear and force him to fight a battle for his supply lines. It was bold but risky plan requiring perfect coordination between multiple armies that would initially have no unity of command and they would be operating in areas with poor communication. Bragg almost immediately began to have second thoughts, but Davis strongly supported the idea. Not only would it frustrate Union efforts, but he believed that Kentucky, which had declared its neutrality earlier in the war, could still be turned to the Confederate cause.

At 38 years old Edmund Kirby Smith was an ambitious man. This Floridian was a soldier of some experience. After graduating from West Point in 1845 he served in Mexico with Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, fighting at Resaca de Palma, Palo Alto, Cerro Gordo, Contereras and Chururubusco. Post war service in Texas, the Military Academy and against the Comanches in Kansas followed. When Florida seceded in 1861, he offered his services to the Confederacy and was immediately made a major of artillery then on the same day was made lieutenant colonel in the cavalry. He served briefly as Assistant Adjutant General to Joseph Johnston before being promoted to brigadier general and given a brigade in the Army of the Shenandoah that he led at the First Battle of Bull Run. His was the brigade that secured the Confederate left, but in the battle he was wounded in the neck and shoulder and spent three months in command in Florida while recuperating. He returned to Virginia as a major general commanding a division in the Army of Northern Virginia, but in early 1862 was transferred west. By mid-1862 he commanded the Department East Tennessee based at Knoxville

No sooner had the two brigades from Bragg arrived in Knoxville than Kirby Smith changed his mind. He could see no personal gain in the arrangement. He would invade the Bluegrass country on his own, renaming his force the Army of Kentucky. He was confident that the appearance of his army there would see recruits flock to the Confederate flag. He advised Bragg that he was abandoning their agreement and was bypassing Cumberland Gap, masking it with a token force while he moved north. Bragg warned that if Buell moved north he would have the inside track and could easily overwhelm the Army of Kentucky before the Army of Mississippi could join him.

Smith thought "we won't need you. We have 22,000 men and we will pick up another 30,000 in Kentucky in no time." Beside Bragg had a reputation in the Old Army as cautious, cantankerous and difficult to work with. Some said he had argued with everyone in the army. He wasn't popular among his own generals and he had shot some of his own men for desertion - that sort of thing didn't go down well with these volunteer types.

*******

The army marched north on the morning of 13 August. For three days they marched through rugged Cumberland Mountains via Rogers’s Gap to Jelico, on the Kentucky state line. Kirby Smith's army comprised four divisions: Stevenson's (9,000 men), Heth's (5,000 men), Churchill's (3,000 men), Bragg's two brigades under Cleburne's (2,000 men) and Scott's cavalry brigade (1,000 men).

The first objective was to isolate the Yankee force of General Morgan at Cumberland Gap, supposed to be around 8,000 strong. Cutting their supply line that ran via London to Lexington would force them to either retreat or starve. Kirby Smith assigned Stevenson's Division, almost half his army, for this task and with the remaining 5,000 men of Churchill and Cleburne (Heth was still marching from Virginia) he pressed on to London, while Scott’s cavalry ranged north along the Old State Road toward Lexington.

At Jelico the army divided into two columns to take pressure of the country roads heading for London, 60 miles to the north. Scott's cavalry had ridden through London days before and pressed further north. At Big Hill, just south of Richmond, Scott met and scattered two Yankee cavalry regiments.

Kirby Smith's Zone of Operation in Kentucky

Kirby Smith was pleased with campaign's progress to date. Morgan was safely contained at Cumberland Gap, the only Yankees that had been encountered had been pushed aside and rumours told that Buell had given up his positions in Tennessee and was heading for Nashville - that part of the plan had been achieved. He allowed the troops to rest after the arduous passage through the mountains, "a feat rivaling the passage dof the Alps" the wrote his wife, likening his actions to Hanibal, Caesar or Napoleon. "God will direct me on the path of victory and success..." he continued. On 24 August he set off north again, making for Lexington.

*******

William Nelson commanded the 4th Division, Army of the Ohio with headquarters in Lexington. At 37 years of age this native Kentuckian was a huge ox of a man - over six feet tall and weighing 300 pounds - who had earned the nickname 'Bull'. He had joined the Navy and by 1840 was midshipman. He served with the fleet that landed Winfield Scott's expedition at Veracruz in the Mexican War. When the secession crisis occurred in 1861 is brother, a good friend of Lincoln's, arranged for Bull to be sent to Kentucky as an observer to measure the political situation in this border area. When the State formally declared for the Union Nelson was made brigadier general and placed in charge of Camp Dick Robinson, near Lexington, that became the rallying point for loyal troops. He joined Buell's Army of the Ohio and fought at Shiloh. He later participated in the advance on Corinth and was with Buell as he began his move on Bragg at Chattanooga. However, in July of 1862 he was made major general and ordered to northeastern Kentucky to defend the area against a build up of Rebel forces in north eastern Tennessee.

His command in Kentucky was entirely composed of raw recruits, 8,000 men that he quickly formed into two infantry brigade and one cavalry brigade. Commanding the first brigade of four regiments and two batteries of guns, was Brigadier General Manson - who had been trading as a druggist prior to the outbreak of war, but has served with relative competence in the campaigns in western Virginia in 1861. The second brigade of four regiments was led by Brigadier General Charles Cruft who pre-war life saw him pursuing employment as a bank clerk, lawyer, railroad president and publisher. Cruft had fought at Fort Donelson and was wounded three times while leading his regiment in the Hornet's Nest at Shiloh. Brigadier General James Jackson commanded the four regiments of the cavalry brigade. Jackson, also a lawyer, had served in the Mexican War with the cavalry and in 1859 had been elected to Congress, but resigned in 1861 to raise a regiment of Kentucky Cavalry.

The first real indication  that the Rebels were coming north was on 23 August when the Rebel cavalry smashed and scattered two cavalry regiments at Big Hill. Bull Nelson ordered Manson to take his brigade to Richmond, some eight miles north of Big Hill. On the afternoon of the 29th the leading elements of the brigade were south of the town.

*******

Colonel John Scott was forward with the 1st Louisiana Cavalry when the shooting started. The First was his regiment. He had raised it. When secession came he had been a successful planter near the East-Louisiana town of Clinton, some 45 miles north of Baton Rouge. He had seen service in the Mexican War and quickly offered his services to the Confederacy on his state's secession, serving first in Virginia where he was a scout for General John Magruder. He was ordered to return to Louisiana to recruit a regiment of cavalry that the end of October 1861 was mustered into service 900 men strong. The 1st Louisiana had initially served in Kentucky where it was devastated by an outbreak of measles - a common problem in camps that brought country and city men together - that killed many men and saw more sent home. Scott lead the regiment at Shiloh in Bedford Forrest's Brigade. In August 1862 Kirby Smith gave him command of a brigade of three regiments and a light battery.

The 1st Louisiana skirmished with Yankee for about half an hour when Scott decided to push the issue. The advance had just begun and the Yankee troopers were beginning to give ground when infantry and artillery was sighted. Scott broke off the contact at once and fell back on Big Hill, leaving a few scouts to watch the Yankees. At Big Hill he met Pat Cleburne, who had arrived there that afternoon with the first infantry of the army.

Thirty-four year old Pat Cleburne was a recent immigrant. Having failed his apothecary exams in Ireland he had joined the British Army, later purchasing his release, emigrating to the Americas and settling in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he practiced as a druggist and a lawyer. When war came he raised a company of riflemen and seized the Little Rock arsenal. In command of a brigade he fought at Shiloh and soon thereafter took command of a division in the Army of Mississippi. With two brigades, Preston-Smith's and Hill's he had been assigned to the Army of Kentucky.

"What do you make of it, John?" Cleburne asked in an brogue so strong that Scott sometimes struggled to understand.

"It started off with just a few troopers, maybe a company or two, but then they got some infantry up, and some guns," Scott replied. "So I pulled back. The scouts have reported that more infantry have come up, two, three, maybe even four regiments."

"A brigade?"

"Maybe."

"You'd better report this to the general. He's looking for an opportunity and this may be it," Cleburne said.

Scott nodded and turned away. 

Half an hour later Cleburne received a message to report at once to Kirby Smith.

*******

Kirby Smith was in an excited state when Cleburne arrived. Without so much as a greeting he looked at Cleburne and said, "I want you to hit them hard in the morning general. I'll have Churchill come up as quick as he can. We have them Pat."

Cleburne was not so certain. "Colonel Scott's reconnaissance seemed a little vague to me, sir. Shouldn't we wait until we have confirmed if there's nothing else behind them?"

"There isn't, Pat. Its just a brigade and most likely militia," Kirby Smith said, rubbing his hands together with glee. "My sources tell me that there is no serious force between here and Lexington. We will have them. You will attack first and Churchill will follow. I will send Scott to get in behind them. We will cut off the retreat and take them all. God is with us Pat, we will take them all!"

He had to admire the man's enthusiasm. "Very good, sir, we will be on the road at first light."

"Good man, Pat," Kirby Smith said patting the Irishman on the back.

*******

Mahlon Manson arrived at Richmond after the firing had ceased. The captain of the cavalry was jubilant that he had driven off the Rebs, but Manson did not share his optimism. Something told him that this was the start of something more serious than just a skirmish between outposts. He ordered the brigade to take up positions and had the cavalry push forward another mile to the south. If anything was coming north he wanted good warning. He sent a message off to General Nelson and then settled down for the night.

*******

The Battle of Richmond

*******

 

True to his word Cleburne had his division on the road north at daybreak. With skirmishers thrown forward the division advanced quickly and just after 7:00AM, having been on the road for a little more than an hour and a half, they encountered Yankee skirmishers in the fields about eight miles south of Richmond. Cleburne formed the division for battle, with Hill's Brigade in first line and Preston Smith's remained in its march column behind. the Yankee skirmish line gave way easily when Hill's skirmishers threatened their flanks, falling back on their main line about half a mile to the rear. 

Drawing his binoculars Cleburne scanned the enemy position. They were formed on some high ground either side of the road. A single whitewashed building stood to the left of the road. It looked like the line was about half a mile in length and by counting the flags he figured four or five regiments, but what concerned him was that they seemed to have a significant number of guns. He could see two distinct groups astride the road. Was that two batteries? If it was it was at least twelve guns, since the Yankees formed their batteries in sixes ...that is an awful lot of guns to support four of five regiments. He thought,  "there could be 4,000, may be more, and they have twice as many guns as me. On the other hand all accounts indicate that these were new troops, maybe even militia or home guard. A sudden rush straight at them might drive them from their position".

But this was no time to take risks. He  knew that Churchill was close at hand and would be with him within the hour. He ordered his two batteries forward, Martin's Florida and Douglas' Texas batteries, and  placed them in front of the infantry line. "Draw their fire," he told the battery captains, "but fire slowly, make every shot count. I want to try to see what they have." When he understood what was in front of him, he would send Hill forward.

*******

Manson formed his line on a ridgeline near the Mount Zion Church. It gave a good view and field of fire across the open ground along the Road to Big Hill. He had with him all four regiments and two Michigan batteries - a total of twelve guns. The entire force was made up of untested raw recruits. He placed the artillery astride the road, a few hundred yards south of the church. Behind them he put the 69th and 55th Indiana, the 69th on the right and 55th the left. The 16th Indiana stood behind the 55th and the 71st behind the 16th. Two companies from the 55th were pushed half a mile south as skirmishers.

A little before 7:00 AM, within minutes of his troops taking position, Manson spotted a column to the south. Shortly afterwards firing broke out on the skirmish line and large masses of Rebel troops could be seen forming along a ridge line about a mile distant. Manson immediately sent a messenger off to General Cruft, whose brigade was in Richmond, to come forward at once.

He watched as the Rebels deployed artillery and opened a desultory fire. Nervously he watched the action on the skirmish line. The skirmishers of the 55th soon came scurrying back after being flanked. Seeing that the Rebs to the front were showing no sign of pressing forward he began to become concerned that they might be attempting to get around his left flank, through the woods. He ordered the 16th Indiana to form  the left of the 55th and pulled the 69th across to the left of the 16th. The 71st formed behind the 69th. 

*******

Kirby Smith rode onto the field about 8:30 and received Cleburne's report. The Yankees were not showing any sign of moving, but their advantage in artillery was beginning to show and Douglas' Battery in particular was starting to suffer. He noted that the Yankees seemed to be reinforcing their left so he determined to strike their right. He would bring Churchill up on the left and extend beyond the enemy right. A long ridge running up to the stream would provide cover the the advance. At the same time he ordered Cleburne to advance on the Yankee line with Hill's Brigade, while Preston Smith would try to envelop flank them from the right.

Cleburne got his troops moving swiftly with Preston Smith taking advantage of the woods.

Churchill followed quickly with McCray's brigade moving behind the ridges and McNair's Brigade forming the liaison with Hill.

Further north Cruft's Brigade had arrived and was moving to take post on Manson's right, but without any particular speed.

 

The artillery duel continued as the troops took position. Douglas's battery was suffering heavy and soon retired, but Martin's gunners were having better success and soon silenced Battery G 1st Michigan. The Confederate took full advantage of the silencing of the Yankee battery and surged forward. Hill and McCray made good time, but McNair and Preston Smith struggled in the terrain.

McCray pushed his men hard in the rising heat of the day and he was soon  across the stream and up to the base of the ridge before Cruft's troops had deployed. Hill's Brigade was closing up on the stream to his right.

Cruft managed to deploy the 95th Ohio on the left of the guns. The 12th Indiana formed on the right behind the guns and the 66th Indiana formed on the extreme right, with a large gap between it and the 12th. The 18th Kentucky was still in column on the road.

McCray pushed his regiments forward. His brigade was largely made up of cavalry that had been dismounted through lack of horses and given rifled musket. The 10th, 11th and 14th Texas Cavalry were on the left and the 11th charged uphill against the the 66th, the 15th Texas slammed into the 12th Indiana while the 31st Arkansas took the Yankee guns in the flank. 

Battery F, 1st Michigan was overrun and the Arcana's boys pressed on to Battery G, overrunning that too. The 66th and 12th Indiana were pushed back but did not break. McCray reformed his line on the ridge.

Cruft's Brigade was struggling. The 95th Ohio wheeled to face the 31st Arkansas and the 18th Kentucky delivered a devasting fire that stopped then drove back the 15th Texas. Manson brought forward the 55th Indiana to protect the 95th's left.

Meanwhile Hill got his brigade across the stream and prepared to attack the Yankees on the ridge to the right of the road.

Hill hit the 55th Indiana with the 2nd and 35th Tennessee  regiments, but they were repulsed. To their left the 31st Arkansas  attacked the 95th Ohio but could not drive them. Preston Smith continued to press beyond the Yankee right.

Around this time Manson, who commanded the field, received a message from Nelson not to fight, but to fall back on Lexington. "A bit to damned late for that," he thought. He knew the front could not last for much longer against these attacks but when the 55th Indiana held off the Rebels, he saw an opportunity to form a second line. He pulled back the 16th Indiana and had Cruft pull the 12th Indiana back to form along side it.  

On the Confederate left McCray pulled the 10th, 11th and 14th Texan into line and threw them against the 66th Indiana. The 66th turned in rout and the 11th Texan dispersed them as they followed up.

The Union line has now been turned on both flanks as Preston Smith extended beyond the Yankee left.

Manson attempted to extract the 55th Indiana, but when the 95th Ohio was finally broken, it was forced to turn back and hold off an attack by Hill. In this difficult fight Manson was killed. Meanwhile the 18th Kentucky continued to hold out and roughly handled three of McNair' regiments. It finally succumbed to an attack against its flank by regiments from Hill's, McNair's and McCray's Brigades.

As noon passed Bull Nelson arrived on the field. In his best sailor's language he tried to bully the fugitives of the regiments into forming a line. He succeeded in forming four regiments into some sort of line. But Nelson was soon wounded and  the line streamed north.

Kirby Smith was desperate to push harder and pursue the Yankees to Richmond and beyond. By the day was exceptionally hot and the brigades were terribly tangled. Reluctantly he called a halt. 

Then, less than half an hour later, firing was heard north of Richmond. Scott's cavalry was attacking the retreating Yankees!

*******

Kirby Smith was jubilant. Scott had indeed intercepted the Yankee retreat and in the course of the afternoon brought in 3,500 prisoners. In all the Army of Kentucky picked up 4,300 prisoners and inflicted an estimated 1,000 casualties.  But there were Confederate casualties too, maybe 600, largely from McNair's brigade that had been roughly handled by the 18th Kentucky.

Nonetheless he had effectively destroyed the only Union force in western Kentucky. Lexington, Frankfort and possibly Louisville were his for the taking.

TO BE CONTINUED