19 January 1862, Kentucky, War Between the States

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Aldridge Letters ] [ Aston Letters ] [ Baker Letter ] [ Bircher ] [ Carter Diary ] [ 1st Mich Report ] [ Hart Letter ] [ Deaderick Accounts ] [ Drake Letter 1 ] [ Durfee Letter ] [ Lt. Eckels Letter ] [ Etter Letter ] [ Faw Letter ] [ Capt. Free Letter ] [ Frierson Letters ] [ Fry Interview ] [ Griffin letter ] [ Haggard Letter ] [ Hapley ] [ Honnell ] [ 1st Mich ] [ Memphis Paper Report ] [ Michigan Engrs and Mech ] [ 1st Mich. Letter ] [ Porter ] [ Potter Letter ] [ Rutledge Letter ] [ Sheliha Report ] [ Simpson Letter ] [ Talley ]

Michigan Troops in the Battle of Mill Spring

Col. Innes’ Fusileer Regiment take part in the fight.

From the following extracts from a private letter which we are permitted to publish, it would appear that Michigan was represented in the engagement at Mill Creek, Ky., on Sunday last. The letter was written by Orlando J. King, formerly an employee of Chas. Kellogg & Co., of this city, but who is now, we are informed, Orderly Sergeant in Co. F, 1st Michigan Fusileers, Col. Innes. The letter bears date, Camp Fisher, Ky., Jan 21st, and says:

On Sunday Morning, Jan. 19th, just at daylight, we were called into line of battle. I took 40 men and went out on picket guard in the woods, right back of where the battle was going on. The balls fell all around us, but none of us were hurt. I took two rebel prisoners myself as they were running from the fight. The battle commenced at 7 A.M., and lasted until 12 A.M., when the rebels retreated. Our artillery and rifles did the work. We threw shell and grape and cannister so fast that they could not stand it. The killed and wounded on the rebel side were about 500, and on our side 150.

The force engaged was about 7,000 on the rebel side, and about the same on ours. When the rebels retreated our men followed them right up, clear to their entrenchments, which was nine miles. We drove them out of their entrenchments and across the Cumberland river. They then burned the boats so that we could not follow them, but we shelled them out of their forts there. We took all their provisions on this side of the river. We killed old Zollicoffer and took Gen. Crittenden prisoner. [This latter is doubtless only a camp rumor – Eds. Advertiser.] It is the greatest battle that has been fought. The rebels ran worse than our men did at Bull Run. We buried the dead rebels yesterday. It was the worst sight I ever saw. We put them in holes dug in the ground, about twenty in each. Most of them were shot through the head. We put in one hole five Lieutenants and five Captains. The dead horses were scattered all over the field. It was the most sickening sight I have ever seen, all bloody, and some with legs and arms shot off. Col. Fry shot Zollicoffer.

Letter from 1st Sgt. Orlando J. King, Co. F, 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics, in the Marshall, Michigan, "Statesman," 29 January 1862 (reprinted from the Detroit "Advertiser")

Courtesy Mark Hoffman  --  see Mark's info on the 1st Michigan Engineers & Mechanics at Mill Springs