The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1862-01-30

hI EANSo wv lOAT
lowing clear account of the military
movements preceding the defeat of Zol.
licoffer. The presumption is the infor-
nation was obtained from headquar.
ters: ..
THE MIIiL-sPRING Victory.
The instructions of Gen. Buell show
that he is fully master Of the situation.
It was arranged that Gen. Thomas
should leave jamestown kpd General
SchOepf advance from near Somerset,
thus hemming ZolIicoffer in from the
west and north. Some secession spy
carried the intelligence of Thomas's
movements to the rebel camp, and Hol-
licoffer, making forced march on Sat
urday afternoon, reached Thomas's en-
campment and attacked it early on Sun
day morning. In the meantime Major
Sheppard, of the Eighteenth Regulars
Of Col. Manson's brigade, the Tenth In.
diana, Col. Harlan's Tenth Kentucky,
and Col. Fry's Fourth Kentucky, reach.
ed Gen. Thomas's camp, after forced
march from Columbia of twenty Eve
miles, 80 that he was able to advance
upon the rebels and drive them before
him until they reached their intrench-
ments at night. Our troops. as We have
before stated, slept on their arms, and
at daylight on Monday prepared to
storm the works. But the rebels had
the small steamboat which has been ply.
ing the Cumberland for some weeks, and
also twelve or fifteen large-sized coal
barges, with which they effected trans.
portation across the river, and then
scampered in all directions.
To understand the exact location of
the battle-i field, it should be remem.
bered that Zollicofer and Schoepf were
facing each other at Somerset, point
about 40 miles nearly due south from
Danville, and about 20 from Lexington
Schoepf's position was at the town, Zol
licofer's at Mill Spring, a few miles
Southwest, on the Cumberland. Gen
Thomas, who had been sent some week;
ago to Columbia, was advancing by
jamestown, (west of Zollicoffer,) and
was thus coming in on his left flank
To avoid being caught between the
two columns, Zollicoffer marched west
ward and attacked Thomas; with what
success the nation already knows.
WHY THE REBELS WERE NOT SUR
ROUNDED.
Gen. Schoepf was unable to bring his
command up to bear any part in the
fight, on account of the bad condition
of the roads and the precautions taken
by Zollicoffer to guard all the avenues
to his camp by abattis, or irregular OBJ
structions Of felled trees and rocks
But for this, he would have caught the
rebels in their rear, prevented their re.
treat to their intrenchments, and com
PEELED the surrender of the whole force
THE FINDING OF zoLLICoFFER S CORPSE
The battle ragged hotly and furiously
till about noon, when the rebel forces
we're put to fight in disorder, leaving
two hundred killed and wounded on
the field. Among the killed was Bailey
Peyton, Jr., Of Zollicoffer's staff, and
among the mortdlly wounded who
shortly afterward died, was Zollicoffor
himself, found in a wagon.
The Lexington Observer also has
letter from Somerset giving this
confrmatory Of the camp belief of Zol-
licoffers death: raf
The rebels are defeated and routed =
the loss supposed to be from 300 to 500
killed and wounded, and there are DIFF.
ferent reports as to the number of pris,
ouers. There seems to be no doubt
about Zollicoffer's having been killed.
WHY zoLLICOFFER ATTACKED THOMAS.
On Thursday before the. battle, the
army at Somerset moved forward toward
the encmy's camp, aud part took anOth-
or route to cross Fishing Greek lower
down. There was large rise in the
river, and those who took the town road
were ordered back, as they could moi
cross the creek on account of back wa
ter. .rf
Gen. Thomas had come up the Co.
lumbia road, and halted at fork of the
road on the Milesburg road about eight
miles from Somerset.--In the meantime
it was raining very hard, which swelled
all the creeks, and caused another rise
10 the river. We suppose that Zallicof
fer knew that four Of our regiments had
returned, and that the creek had swol
len so as to prevent our troops from ad
vancing, and took the occasion to make
the attack under the belief that Thomas
had but small force compared with
his. The result was another Wild Ca
affair, with the exception that he wal
pursued. ttr44
HOW THOMAS GOT TROOPS ENOUGH tt
s la tMEETlTHE ATTACK. rn IA
During Saturday night Col. Manson
with his brigade, numbering four or fiv,
thousand men, made forced march of
twenty five miles through the mud ant
rain, and came up to Thomass cam
about three hours before the attack wa
made. Gen. Thomas had some of tn
best troops in the service under his i'm
mediate command, including the 9tl
Ohio, 10th Indiana, aud 10Th regulars
aud the lighting was fierce and bloody
hi COL. M'oooK's WOUNDS. =.
[oOpy of Private Dispatohl
SOMERSET, Ky, Jan. 2l.--Io j. 3
StdHO: My wound is painful, but nc
dangerous. Three balls passed throug
my horse, fourth cut my overcoat, an
a fifth hit me. Telegraph my friend