JOHN A. McCLERNAND to Henry W. Halleck, January 24, 1862
Cairo, Ill., January 24, 1862.
Sig: Being in temporary command of this district, it becomes my duty to submit the following report of the expedition which left Cairo under. orders to penetrate into the interior of Kentucky in the neighborhood of Columbus and towards Mayfield and Camp Beauregard:
The expedition consisted of the Tenth, Eighteenth, part of the Twentyseventh, the Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth, Thirty-first, and Forty-eighth Regiments of Infantry, Schwartz’s and Dresser’s batteries of light artillery, —
under command of Captain Schwartz, chief of artillery; Carmichael’s, O’Harnett’s, and Dollins’ companies of cavalry, attached to regiments; Stewart’s cavalry company, attached to my brigade, and five companies of Col. T. Lyle Dickey’s Fourth Cavalry Regiment, numbering 3,992, of cavalry 1,061, and of artillery 139, rank and file, all under my command, and all Illinois volunteers except Schwartzs battery of light artillery.
The cavalry, which had crossed the river and encamped at Fort Holt on the evening of the 9th, marched on the morning of the 10th to Fort Jefferson, Captain Stewart, with his company, being inthe advance. On arriving he detained in custody all persons found at that place, and. immediately sent forward pickets to guard the pass at Elliott’s Mill and other approaches from Columbus. The remainder of the forces, eonveyed by transports, arrived at Fort Jefferson on the same day (10th) and encamped, awaiting further orders. On the 11th I ordered a reconnaissance east to Blandville, by the Hill road, 8 miles; thence south, on the road to Columbus, to Weston’s, 5 miles, and returning by Elliott’s Mill to Fort Jefferson, 9 miles. This reconnaissance was made by Captain Stewart,in command of his own company, and Company B (Captain Oollins), “of the Fourth Cavalry. Noarmed enemy was encountered, but captures of L. T. Polk and Daniel Frazer, supposed to be couriers from Columbus, were made. No United States forces having previously
approached so near Columbus, the inhabitants uniformly mistook our
eavalry for rebel troops.
On the 12th I ordered a demonstration to be made in the direction of Columbus by six companies of cavalry, commanded by Captain Stewart, supported by the Tenth and Eighteenth Regiments of Infantry, commanded respectively by Colonels Morgan and Lawler. The infantry, –
erossing Mayfield Creek at Elliott/s Mill, took position there, while the eavalry advanced until they came within a mile and a half of the enemy’s defenses, driving his piekets into camp and bringing away several prisoners and their horses. It was discovered that an abatis of fallen tim. ber a half mile in width surrounded the enemy’s intrenchments. The rigor of the weather and the non-appearance of any considerable rebel force led to the belief that they were closely collected around eamp fires within their intrenchments, and indisposed to take the field. It is
believed that with suitable preparation on our part a favorable time
was thus afforded for suecessful attack and the capture of Columbus. From this near approach the cavalry returned by Puntney’s Bend and Elliott’s Mill to Fort Jefferson, communicating with and being joined by the infantry who formed their support. On the 13th, Lieut. H. C. Freeman, engineer, with an escort of cavalry, explored the different roads leading from Fort Jefferson to Blandville, and selected a strong position for an encampment a half mile south of Blandville, on the road to Columbus. On the 14th the whole force, preceded, flanked, and followed by strong guards, moved in two columns by different roads towards Blandville, and encamped in such a manner as to command the approaches from Columbus by both bridges across Mayfield Creek in that vicinity. Une of these is known as O’Neal’s Bridge and the other as Blandville Bridge.
The distance of this day’s march was 84 miles, over difficult, roads, covered with sleet. To prevent surprise, strong mounted pickets were thrown forward toward Columbus and tothe bridge across Mayfield Creek at Hayworth’s Mill, 3 miles above Blandville. On the 15th we advanced to Weston’s, the Fourth Illinois Cavalry and Dollins’ company, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel McCullough, making an early move-
. ment southwest in the direction of Columbus, and repeating a near
approach to that place, while Captain Stewart, with his company, pushed a reconnaissance 3 miles, quite to Milburn, taking the town by surprise and picking up a man just from Columbus, from whom he derived much valuable information respecting the condition of the rebel force at that place. He learned from this source that our demonstrations towards Columbus had excited much alarm, and induced the enemy to call in his forces at Jackson, Beauregard, New Madrid, and other places; two Mississippi regiments, according to report, having burned up their tents before their flight. (Milburn is reproached as a Union town by the rebels. Joined at Weston’s by the Seventh Illinois, Colonel Cook, our whole foree encamped for the night in line of battle 10 miles from Columbus, taking a strong position, commanding the approaches from that place by two roads which here intersect the roads leading from Puntney’s Bend and Elliotts Mill to Milburn ; General Paine’s column, following
. and eneamping at the same place, during the next day, covered our rear,
e kept open communication with the base of operations at Fort Jef- ‘erson.
Brigadier-General Grant, commanding the various forces in the field, eame up with us at this point, and expressed his approval of the manner in which the disposition of the forces had been made. To prevent surprise, strong guards were again thrown forward. At 7 o’clock a. m. on the 16th the entire column, except the Seventh Illinois Volunteers, moved forward over icy roads towards Milburn, a small town southeast from Weston’s and 8 miles distant, reaching Milburn about 12 m. The head of the column passed through the town on the road to Mayfield . about 2 miles and halted, a portion of the column resting in the town.
Looking to the object of the expedition, so far as it had previously
been explained to me, I here maneuvered my forces so as to leave the enemy in doubt whether my purpose was to attack Columbus, march upon Camp Beauregard, or to destroy_the railroad leading from Columbus to Union City, and to awaken apprehension for the safety of each. While the rear of the column was still resting in Milburn I countermarched the portion of it advanced beyond that place, taking the road beyond Milburn leading north to Lovelaceville, and followed in proper order by the rear of the column, pushed on some 4 miles on that road, and encamped. Giving out that the object of the countermarch was to encamp for the night on favorable ground near water in the vicinity of Milburn, the latent purpose of my change of the direction of my march was completely concealed. In the mean time, to increase the deception, in pursuance of my order, Lieutenant-Colonel McCullough, with the Fourth Cavalry, made a demonstration some 5 miles in a westerly direction on the road from Milburn to Columbus, and there again heard that Camp Beauregard was broken up, and that the enemy had retired within his intrenchments at Columbus, and soon after I heard that he had destroyed the railroad bridge across the Obion, which, if true, must be attributed to fear that it was my intention to seize and control the railroad in the rear of Columbus. Sending forward Captain Wemple, with his company of the Fourth Cavalry, to Mayfield, I communicated with General Smith, commanding the column that marched from Paducah, placing him in possession of a dispatch from Brigadier-General Grant, and giving him information of the report that Camp Beauregard had been abandoned. Captain Wemple and his command joined me the next day.
On the 17th our whole force advanced north 8 miles to Lovelaceville, throwing forward strong pickets to guard the approach from Columbus by Hayworth’s Bridge. On the 18th my command was marched in two columns by different roads in a westerly direction, and encamped for the night about a mile from Blandville, except the Twenty-ninth Regiment and part of the baggage train, which, in consequence of the heavy rains of the previous night and the miry roads, were unable to come up. Riding back, I disposed of the regiment and train so as to secure them against danger. On the 19th the Twenty-ninth and the remainder of the train came up, the march of the former continuing as far as O’Neal’s Mill, before mentioned, where, with a section of Schwartz’s battery, they encamped for the night, disposing the force so as to command the approach from Columbus by the bridge at that place. During the same
day I also sent forward the Tenth Regiment and another section of.
Schwartz’s battery to occupy another approach from Columbus by the
Blandville Bridge. These dispositions were made anticipatory of an
advance by the enemy, of which I had heard a report, and still further to insure our safety I placed strong pickets above, at Hayworth’s Bridge, instructing the officer in command to remove some of its plank so as to render it temporarily impassable.
Admonished by the reported advance of the enemy and the exposure of my left flank for its whole length during the march of the next day,
I dispatched a courier during the night of the 19th to communicate with our forces at Fort Jefferson, and to suggest that the pass at Elliotts
Mill should be oceupied by an adequate force to prevent my return to
Fort Jefferson from being cut off. The courier returned with a message —
from Colonel Marsh, commanding the Twentieth Illinois, informing me
that all our forces except mine and his own had embarked for Cairo, E but that he would remain and hold the pass until I came up, unless
otherwise ordered.
At 7 o’clock on the morning of the 20th the main body of my forces
. aap. XVIL] EXPEDITION INTO KENTUCKY FROM CAIRO, ILL.
moved forward on the direct road to Fort Jefferson. The Twenty-ninth, with a section of Schwartz’s battery, and the Tenth, with another section of the same battery, after having rendered the bridges near their encampments impassable, falling in the rear of the column, moved on with it to Fort Jefferson. During the exposure of this day’s march, which was considered eminently critical, the column was guarded against surprise by strong guards of cavalry and infantry moving in front, rear, and on the left flank. The Eighteenth and Thirty-first Regiments, together with three pieces of Dresser’s artillery, having arrived at Fort Jetferson by 1 o’elock p. m., were immediately embarked for Cairo, the remainder of the column following the next day to the same place.
The unavoidable deficiency of transportation with which my command set out, aggravated by the bad condition of the roads, prevented me from taking, on leaving Cairo, the five days’ supply of rations and forage directed by the commanding officer of this district; hence the necessity of an early resort to other sources of supply. None other presented but to quarter upon the enemy or to purchase from loyal citizens. I accordingly resorted to both expedients as 1 had opportunity. Insome cases finding live stock, provisions, forage, &¢., the owners of which had abandoned it and gone into the rebel army, I took and appropriated it to the uses of the United States without hesitation. In other cases I purchased from loyal eitizens such supplies as were indispensable, and caused certificates to be issued, charging the Government for the fair value of the articles thus obtained. By these means of supply, resorted to from necessities of the case, substantial economy was practiced in saving to the Government in supplies and transportation more than their full value for the five days named.
The reconnaissance thus made completed a march of 140 miles by the eavalry and 75 miles by the infantry over icy or miry roads during a most inclement season, and has led to the discovery of several important roads which did not appear upon our maps. It has also disclosed the fact that, with proper crossings of Mayfield Creek at Elliott’s and O’Neal’s Mills, also immediately south of Blandville, and still above at Hayworth’s Mill, no serious obstacle will intervene to prevent an army” marching in several divisions by different routes upon Columbus; and, while this is true, it is also worthy of mention that Mayfield Creek affords a strong natural barrier against any advance of the enemy upon a force taking position behind it. Besides the immediate object of so formidable a demonstration, other beneficial results, perhaps of little less importance, have flowed from it. Without doubt it has exploded many false reports studiously and sedulously circulated by the enemy to our detriment. It has forcibly and deeply impressed the inhabitants of the district through which we passed with the superiority of our military preparations and of our ultimate ability to conquer the rebellion. It inspired hopé among many loyal citizens, who hailed us as deliverers, whom I regret our unexpected withdrawal will probably leave victims of rebel persecution and proscription. This consideration, with others having great weight with me, prompts me in conclusion to presume upon your indulgence so far as to urgently recommend a renewed advance of our forces, if not immediately upon Columbus, at least so far as to regain the ground we recently occupied. Landing a floating depot at Puntney’s Bend, under protection of our gunboats, from which to draw supplies, and reoccupying Milburn and the crossings at Weston’s, with adequate forces threatening the railroad back of Columbus, and co-operating with our gunboats and such other force as had seized New Madrid, it would be placed within our power in a large measure to
Ig E * herd 72 OPERATIONS IN KY., TENN., N. ALA., AND S. W. VA. [Omar. XVIL
eut off the enemy’s supplies, and thus force him to surrender or come out from his defenses and give us battle at his disadvantage.
Although disappointed by the recall from their advance, I am happy to state-that the officers and men under my command from first to last performed the duties incident to the expedition with ability, fidelity, and rare patience under the most trying circumstances, and whether the plan mentioned or that of a direct attack upon Columbus be adopted, they earnestly ask to be allowed to share in its execution.
Inclosed herewith you will find maps and drawings furnished by Lieut. H. C. Freeman, detached as engineer of my command by Colonel-Webster, chief engineer of this military district, which illustrate the route of our march, the forms and places of our encampments, and the relations of a number of important roads and towns.*
Your obedient servant,
JOHN A. McCLERNAND,
Brigadier-General, Commanding District of Cairo.
Commanding Department of Missouri.
JANUARY 15-25, 1862.— Reconnaissance from Paducah, Ky., to Fort Henry,
Tennessee.
No. 1.—Brig. Gen. Charles F. Smith, U. S. Army.