the army of the cumberland-第3节

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corporated　in　the　main　command。　　He　could　not　have　been　located　farther　west　without　inviting　the　advance　of　the　Federal　forces　into　East　Tennessee　or　to　Nashville；　flanking　Bowling　Green。　　Zollicoffer　had　no　ability　as　a　soldier　to　handle　troops；　and　General　George　B。　Crittenden；　of　Kentucky；　a　graduate　of　West　Point；　who　had　seen　service　in　the　Mexican　War；　and　who　held　at　the　outbreak　of　the　rebellion；　a　commission　as　Lieutenant…Colonel　in　the　regiment　of　Mounted　Riflemen；　was；　in　November；　assigned　to　the　command　of　the　district　as　Major…General；　with　headquarters　at　Knoxville。　　Great　expectations　were　entertained　in　regard　to　Crittenden's　military　abilities；　and　about　the　first　of　the　year　1862　he　assumed　command　in　person　of　the　rebel　forces　at　Beech　Grove。　　The　fact　that　Zollicoffer　had　established　his　camp　on　the　north　side　of　the　Cumberland；　〃with　the　enemy　in　front　and　the　river　behind；〃　was　known　to　Johnston；　and　information　given　by　him　to　Crittenden。　　General　Johnston　had　written　Zollicoffer　that　the　interest　of　the　service　required　him　simply　to　watch　the　river；　and　that　he　could　do　this　better　from　Mill　Springs　without　crossing　it。

Zollicoffer；　however；　had　crossed　the　river　before　he　heard　from　Johnston；　and　replied　that；　while　from　this　letter　he　inferred　that　he　should　not　have　done　so；　it　was　now　too　late；　as　his　means　of　recrossing　were　so　limited　that　he　could　hardly　accomplish　it　in　the　face　of　the　enemy。　　On　his　reaching　the　Cumberland　with　his　command；　he　had　sent　forward　his　cavalry　to　seize　the　ferryboats　at　Mill　Springs。　　In　this　they　failed；　and　the　crossing　was　effected　on　one　ferry…boat；　seized　lower　down；　and　barges　built　by　his　troops。

General　Thomas　was　ordered　in　November　to　concentrate　his　command　in　order　to　be　prepared　for　any　movement　Zollicoffer　might　make；　and；　if　necessary；　to　attack　him　in　his　camp。　　General　Carter　with　his　brigade　was　stationed　at　London；　Colonel　Hoskins　was　near　Somerset；　and　Colonel　Bramlette　at　Columbia；　all　watching　Zollicoffer's　movements；　and　reporting　them　to　General　Thomas；　who　endeavored　to　stop　his　advance　at　the　Cumberland　River。　　Five　hundred　of　Wolford's　Cavalry　were　ordered　from　Columbia　to　reinforce　Colonel　Hoskins；　and　General　Schoepff；　with　the　Seventeenth　Ohio；　the　Thirty…eighth　Ohio；　and　Standart's　battery；　to　take　position　on　the　Cumberland　River　at　Waitsborough；　where　he　could　command　the　crossing。　　Here　he　was　to　fortify　and　guard　the　river　at　this　point　and　above　and　below；　to　prevent　the　enemy　from　crossing；　or　from　obtaining　the　means　for　doing　so。

On　December　2d；　Zollicoffer；　while　building　his　ferries；　sent　some　troops　to　shell　General　Schoepff's　camp。　　A　brisk　cannonading　was　kept　up　for　some　time；　when　the　rebels　withdrew。　　Schoepff　regarding　this　as　a　feint；　and　anticipating　a　movement　of　Zollicoffer's　troops　to　cross　the　river；　ordered　two　companies　of　cavalry　under　Captain　Dillon　to　guard　the　ford　and　to　give　timely　notice　of　any　attempt　to　effect　a　crossing。　　He　also　ordered　the　Seventeenth　Ohio　with　three　pieces　of　artillery　and　another　company　of　cavalry；　all　under　the　command　of　Colonel　Connell；　to　support　the　cavalry　under　Dillon。　　The　latter　proved　wholly　incompetent；　and　failed　to　comply　with　his　orders　in　any　particular。　　He　went　into　camp　two　miles　in　the　rear　from　where　he　was　ordered；　and　neglected　even　to　post　his　men　to　guard　the　ford；　whereby　Zollicoffer　was　enabled　to　occupy　the　north　bank　of　the　Cumberland　without　opposition　and　without　Dillon's　even　knowing　that　the　movement　had　been　made。　　This　was　only　discovered　on　the　4th；　when　the　rebels　drove　back　the　Federal　cavalry　and　attacked　Connell；　who　was　advancing　on　a　reconnoissance。　Connell；　in　ignorance　of　the　movement　of　the　enemy；　had　reached　the　vicinity　of　the　ford　and　found　himself　confronted　by　a　strong　force　of　rebels；　who　had　crossed　the　river；　and　who　being　rapidly　re…enforced　rendered　his　situation　one　of　extreme　peril。　　He　withdrew　under　cover　of　the　night　beyond　Fishing　Creek；　without　being　molested。　　Schoepff；　finding　that　the　advance　of　the　rebels　was　supported　by　reinforcements　and　that　Zollicoffer's　entire　force　was　slowly　crossing；　which　would　make　the　enemy's　force　in　his　front　largely　exceed　his　own；　asked　General　Carter　at　London　to　reinforce　him。　　He　also　ordered　Colonel　Coburn　with　the　Thirty…third　Indiana　to　move　from　Crab　Orchard　to　his　support；　and　on　the　6th　established　his　camp　in　a　strong　position　three　miles　north　of　Somerset；　where　he　was　able　to　command　both　the　Stanford　and　the　Crab　Orchard　roads。　　Here　Carter　reported　with　two　regiments　on　the　9th；　Colonel　Van　Deveer's　regiment；　the　Thirty…fifth　Ohio；　with　Captain　Hewitt's　battery　having　already　arrived。　　On　the　8th；　the　rebel　cavalry　crossed　Fishing　Creek　and　reconnoitered　the　Federal　camps。　　They　were　fired　on　by　Wolford's　cavalry；　which　then　fell　back；　and　after　a　brisk　skirmish　with　the　Thirty…fifth　Ohio　they　were　driven　back　with　a　loss　of　two　or　three　men　on　each　side。

General　Buell　had　ordered　Thomas　to　keep　his　immediate　command　at　Columbia；　and　had　directed　him　not　to　send　any　more　troops　to　Schoepff　at　Somerset；　considering　that　the　latter　had　sufficient　force　to　drive　the　rebels　across　the　Cumberland。　　Thomas　was　directed　to　hold　himself　in　readiness　to　make　an　immediate　movement；　when　ordered；　from　Columbia　on　the　rebel　General　Hindman；　who　with　some　seven　thousand　troops　was　operating　in　that　vicinity；　throwing　out　his　cavalry　far　in　advance　of　his　main　column；　and　feeling　the　position　of　the　Federal　forces。　　Hindman　had　been　ordered　by　General　Johnston　to　make　a　diversion　in　favor　of　Zollicoffer；　and　when　Thomas　from　Columbia　checked　Hindman's　advance；　the　latter　reported　that　the　force　under　Thomas　had　not　been　weakened　to　reinforce　Schoepff；　or　to　strengthen　the　main　command　at　Bowling　Green；　and　that　Zollicoffer　was　in　no　immediate　danger。

Schoepff　with　his　entire　command　on　the　18th　made　a　reconnoissance　to　determine　the　location　and　purposes　of　the　rebel　force。　　Pushing　his　command　forward　he　drove　their　cavalry　pickets　in　and　found　that　Zollicoffer　had　been　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　advanc