by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER VIII
BEFORE THE BATTLE OF MILL SPRINGS
Captain Gordon had related the history of the affair at Breedings, andDeck had learned from Lieutenant Logan considerably more that was notwithin the knowledge of the commander. As they finished their simpledinner, they discovered a gentleman, attended by a couple of men wholooked like mechanics, the latter with muskets on their shoulders, andall of them mounted on fine horses, approaching the camp. The twosurgeons had finished dressing the wounds of the injured, and hadmounted their horses to depart. The soldiers, the prisoners, and thehorses had all been fed, and it seemed to be time for the nextmovement.
"That is Colonel Halliburn coming," said Milton.
"Is his title simply an honorary one, or is he a military man?"inquired the captain.
"He has been the leading man in the militia for thirty years, though hehas never been in active service," replied Milton. "He is past themilitary age now."
The gentleman was introduced to the party, and he gave Deck the mostcordial thanks for the service rendered to his brother.
"How is Miss Grace, Colonel?" asked Win.
"She is well and happy now, though she is much concerned about herguardian, and would have returned to him if I had permitted her to doso; but I am going over to my brother's now, and I shall persuade himand his wife to come to my house, for it is not safe for them to bealone there. I have brought a couple of my men with me; and if we cando anything to assist you here, we are at your service."
"Thank you, sir; we have defeated the enemy on all sides, and we areready to move on now to join the other company of our squadron,"replied the captain. "The next question that we have to settle is thedisposition of our wounded, some of whom are not in condition to bemoved."
"My house is at your service for this purpose. I have twenty-five menwho belong to the Home Guard of Millersville residing in my village;and I have called them out since Miss Morgan came to my house, and theywill be able to defend us from any ordinary enemies, so that your menwill be safe there," said the colonel.
"I thank you with all my heart," answered Captain Gordon. "I shallavail myself of your kind offer."
"I am the captain of the Home Guards, and Dr. Barlow is the surgeon;and we will attend to the removal of the men. I will look after thematter as soon as I return from my brother's. Mr. Milton and the doctorwill remain here till I come."
"I am under very great obligations to you, Colonel Halliburn," addedthe captain, "and I hope I shall be able to render you any service in atime of need which you may require."
The commander of the company paroled the Confederate prisoners, andpermitted them to retire with their horses. They carried their woundedwith them on stretchers or on horseback, and marched up the road tojoin the rest of their company. The bugle sounded, and the firstcompany of the Riverlawns formed in the road. It was only about sixmiles to Millersville, and the captain decided to march the guerillaprisoners to that town. They were placed between the two platoons, witha guard on the flank; but the fun had all gone out of them, and theywere as submissive as whipped puppies. The column marched, and in abouttwo hours arrived at their next destination.
They found a company of about fifty Home Guards, armed with muskets,but without uniforms, drawn up to receive them; for the news of theskirmish had reached the place, and a considerable body of citizenswere in attendance as spectators.
"I am Lieutenant Ripley, commanding in the absence of Captain Halliburnthe Home Guards, all loyal men, and we give you a Kentucky welcome,"said the officer of the Guards, saluting the captain. "What can we dofor you?"
"You can take these guerilla prisoners off our hands, for they are anuisance to us," replied Captain Gordon with a smile.
"Do you wish us to hang them to those trees yonder?" asked thelieutenant.
"I do not ask you to do anything of the kind, though it might do themgood to hang them; but we don't treat prisoners in that way, even ifthey are guerillas," replied the commander with considerable energy."You can confine them in some building, or let them go; but you mustnot kill, starve, or ill-treat them, for Union soldiers don't do suchthings."
It was nearly sundown, and the captain decided to bivouac for thenight. The camp was laid out in a field, and the tents were pitched. Asupper was cooked for the men, though the commissioned officers wereinvited to a private house; but they declined the invitations to sleepaway from the company, though they ate the supper provided for them inthe house of a Union magnate, and repeated again the story of the day'sevents. The commander inquired particularly for the news from the seatof war in this quarter.
"I understand that General Crittenden has joined the army of GeneralZollicoffer, and, as he ranks him, has the command of the army,"replied the host, who seemed to be a very well-informed gentleman. "Ibelieve most of the Confederate troops on the other side of theCumberland River are Tennesseeans, and that is about all I know inregard to them."
"Do you know where they are located, Mr. Kennedy?" asked the captain.
"We all know that they are on the other side of the Cumberland, aboutsix miles below the point to which steamboats can ascend. Zollicofferhas fortified the hills, three or four hundred feet high, and holds avery strong position; in fact, one of the strongest in the State in thehands of the enemy. It covers the coal-mines and a great manysalt-wells beyond the river, and these are of the utmost importance tothe Confederacy. But it is well understood in these parts that the armyof Zollicoffer is short of supplies, and some say his men are starvingin the camps. I know that the Tennessee cavalry are foraging on thisside of the river to a considerable extent; and you have met one ofthese parties to-day, and defeated them. Compared with the guerillasthat are operating on their own account in many parts of the State, theforagers are really very mild; for they do not insult women, or takeanything from the farmers and planters except provisions; and theytreat Federalists and Secessionists just alike, for supplies havebecome an absolute necessity to their army."
"Troops are constantly arriving from the North; and doubtless theyintend to attack Zollicoffer or General Crittenden, whichever it maybe, in his position near the Cumberland," suggested Captain Gordon.
"I doubt if Zollicoffer will wait for them to do that; for he must findthe Union forces, and beat them, or retreat into Tennessee. Should hestay where he is, he must either surrender or starve."
It appeared subsequently that he decided upon the alternative ofcrossing the Cumberland, and attacking the Union forces wherever hecould find them. He was compelled to do this, as Mr. Kennedy declared,or starve for the want of supplies. Mill Springs, which is the namegiven to the battle that was fought by Zollicoffer, though it is calledSomerset, and also Logan's Cross Roads, is on the south side of theCumberland River, and is a post-town. But the battle was not fought onthat side of the river, and it is the name of the position of theConfederate army before the battle.
The line of defence, or of attack, as might be, chosen by theConfederate army under General Johnston in Kentucky, appeared to extendacross the southern part of the State, and included three strongholds,the first of which was Columbus, on the Mississippi River, on the west;Bowling Green in the centre; and around Mill Springs on the east.General Crittenden, the Southern commander-in-chief in this section,had intrenched himself at Beech Grove, in Pulaski County, on the northside of the river, east of Mill Springs.
Zollicoffer commanded under him, and the battle was fought by him. Hisposition was fifteen miles south-west of Somerset. General Buell, atLouisville, then in command of the Union department which included theState of Kentucky, realized the necessity of reducing this stronghold,and sent General George H. Thomas, the ideal soldier of the war, thoughnot then so well known as at a later period, with a considerable forceto this region to accomplish this object. This able general hadapproached his destination, but had not yet concentrated his force forthe attack. It was General Crittenden's policy to beat the Union armyin detail before the troops for the assault had been massed for t
hefinal attack; but Zollicoffer, forced by his need of supplies, crossedthe river in a steamer and other craft, with about five thousand men,and moved towards the north, to attack the force that threatened him.
This was the situation in the vicinity of Somerset and Mill Springswhen the Riverlawn Cavalry was marching in the direction of the formerplace; and one company had reached Millersville, while the other wasbelieved to be at Harrison. The raids in the vicinity by foragers andguerillas had been the immediate cause of sending the squadron to thelocality. The first company had camped for the night; and the officershad returned from the residence of Mr. Kennedy, where they had beenentertained at supper. The officers and soldiers were tired enough toroll themselves up in their blankets in their beds on the grass; andCaptain Gordon was preparing to do so when one of the sentinelsinformed him that a man at the lines wished to see him, and he believedit was the one who had been the guide of the first platoon in theforenoon, for he gave his name as Winfield Milton.
At the sound of this name, Deck, who had lain down, sprang to his feet.He feared that he had come for assistance against another attack ofguerillas or foragers. The captain ordered him to be admitted to thetent, and he soon appeared. He had rendered very valuable service, bothto Deck's command and to the company after it was united.
"I am sorry to disturb you, Captain, at this hour; but I could not getaway any earlier, for we have been busy over at Colonel Halliburn's,moving his brother and his wife, and transporting the wounded to hismansion."
"I am very glad to see you, Mr. Milton. It is only eight o'clock, and Ihad not retired," replied the captain. "But I hope you have not beenattacked again."
"No, sir, we have not been attacked; and if we had been, we have forceenough at the colonel's to defend ourselves, for we have a part of theHome Guards from this town to re-enforce those of the little village,"replied Milton. "I came for another purpose."
"I am glad to see you again, Win," interposed Deck, as he grasped thehand of the late guide.
"Sorry to turn you out of bed, Lieutenant Lyon; but I was afraid youwould leave before I could get here in the morning," replied thevisitor. "I have been talking with Colonel Halliburn since you left,and I have felt not a little ashamed that I am not in the Union army inits time of need. But I have had to look after Grace and her guardian'sfamily, and that is the best excuse I could give to myself. Now theyare all settled at the colonel's, and I have come over here to enlistin your company, Captain Gordon, if you will take me. You have lostsome men, and I thought you might want some more."
"We have kept both of our companies full so far, and I shall be glad tohave so good a man as you are in our ranks," promptly answered thecaptain. "When shall you be ready to join us?"
"Right now!" exclaimed Milton.
"Is Miss Morgan willing that you should enlist?" asked Deck with alaugh.
"Grace is as good a girl as ever was raised in Kentucky, and she hasalways been ready to have me go to the war. She is as full ofpatriotism as a nut is of meat, and says she should be ashamed to makeany objection to my going. I am ready to sign the papers, and take allthe steps to get into your company, Captain," continued the would-berecruit.
"Our surgeon is with the other company, and you must be examined by adoctor."
Milton drew a paper from his pocket, which proved to be a certificateto his physical qualifications, signed by Dr. Barlow, who had beenregularly appointed as an examining surgeon. The Captain wrote down theparticulars in answer to his questions, and Winfield Milton was dulyenlisted in the service. Deck was especially pleased with the result ofthis interview, for he had taken a strong liking to Milton.