The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-02-06
Another Remarkable Story of tile War.

The Missouri Republican is responsible for
the following remarkable story:
1t is a fact that can be substantiated by thou
sands ofliving witnesses that the details of the
battle of Mill Springs reached Paris, Kentucky,
on the 18th of January, 1862. The rumor was
that the battle had occurred two days before
that General Zollickoffer had been attacked at
Fishing Creek or Mill Springs, that he had
been killed and his body stripped, mutilated
and thrown into swamp, and his army COM
pletely routed. Also, that Major Bailie Peyton
had fallen; that Mississippi regiment, sup
ported by a regiment from Tennessee, had be-
haved handsomely, while the remainder of the
army had for some cause, become panlc-strlck
en- early in the fight and fed from the field
completely demoralized. The whole Blue
the news the particulars as related above were
on every tongue, and so they spread all over
eastern Kentucky and Tennessee and into West
Virginia. Let it be remembered that this ru-
NOR started in Paris, Kentucky, On the 18th of
January, 1862. Citizens of Paris wrote to their
friends in other States, giving these details,
and letters are still in existence to speak for
themselves bearing the above date and two or
three dates thereafter.
eIn those days we used to hear of messages
by the grapevine telegraph and passengers by
the underground railroad. If this report of the
battle of Mill Springs and the death of Zollick-
offer came by either of these lines, it is more
extraordinary than any feat ever performed by
lightning or steam. The wonders of this per-
formance are yet discussed by many who were
cognizant of the occurrence, and the fact that
the particulars of this battle, so received, got
into the newspapers and were treated as current
news.
Captain G. E. Merrill, of the Confederate
army has recently given his recollection of it
as singular incident of the war. Captain
Merrill is the son of Mississippi planter, and
commanded Mississippi regiment in the war.
He passed through Lexington, Kentucky, on
the night of January IL, 1862, fastening to re-
ioin his command in Virginia, by way of Cum
berland Gap. Before daylight next morning
he took shelter in the house of q Southern
sympathizer until the following night, prefer
ring to prosecute his disloyal journey between
suns. He states that he spent the 18th of jan
uary in company with several gentlemen from
| Clarke, Fayetto and Bourbon counties, and
they were full of the news of the battle above
alluded to- They did not know exactly how
the news came, but they had It's history to the
minutest details.
ave give paragraph or two of Captain
| Merrill's account:
."This rumor heralded on the 18th of Janu-
ary and continued to meet it all along my
route through the mountains of East Kentucky
until reached Abingdon, Va, which point l
made on the night of the 18th. On that night
I solicited sleep rather than companionship,
and retired to my bedroom at the hotel, we'll
content to have at last reached the civilization
of Dixie in safety. -
"'What was my surprise, however, on ava
kening next morning to hear that on the day
before 1.-THE 19th) General Zollickofer's army
had been beaten, himself killed, etc., with all
the incidents Just as had heard week before
in Central Kentucky. 'Whatp I exclaimed,
has there been another battle and has Gen. Il.
been killed a second time p"
'The battle in which Zollickofer was killed
really occurred on the 10Th of January, 1862,
seven days after the rumor above related was
current in Paris, Ky. The people who had
been discussing it for week were startled at
the remarkable coincidence. The details given
by the rumor and the actual events of the bat
tie corresponded so exactly to the minutest par
ticuars, it has not ceased to be a wonder to
this day. The realization of the intelligence
was so astounding that efforts were made to
trace the rumor back to its source. Itwas only
ascertained that some stranger accosted a citi.
zen of Paris, called him by name, and related
the story of the battle of Mill Springs on the
18th of January, which battle did not take
place till the 10Th of january following"