The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1873-02-07
Who Brought the Newsf

The following remarkable story Is
taken from the St. Louis Rcpublioan.
Does any one in our community know
anything about it'
"Who brought the news' That is
question that has never been settled, and
probably never will be. II is fact,
however, which can be subetantiated by
thousands Of living witnesses, that the
details Of the battle Of Mill Springs
reached Paris, Kentucky, on the 18th of
January. 1852. The rumor was that
the battle had occurred two days before
that General Zollicoffer had been at.
tackled at Fishing creek, or Mill Springs,
that he had been killed and his body
stripped, mutilated and thrown into a
swamp, and his army completely routed.
Also that Major BaiIie Peyton had fallen;
that a Mississippi regiment, supported
by a regiment from Tennessee. had be-
haved handsomely, while the remainder
of the army had from some cause be.
come panic-stricken early in the fight,
and fed from the field completely de-
moralized.
The whole bluegrass region Of Ken
lucky became excited over the news;
the particulars, as above related, were
on every tongue, and so they spread all
over Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee.
and into West Virginia. Let it be re-
membercd that this rumor started in
Paris, Kentucky. on the 18th of Janu-
ary, 1862. Citizens of Paris wrote to
their friends in other States, giving these
details, and these letters are still in exist
ence to speak for themselves, bcsring the
above date, and two or three days there
after.
In those days we used to hear of mes
sages by the grapevine telegraph, and by
passengers by the underground railroad.
If the report of the battle of Mill
Springs and the death of Zollicoffer came
by either Of these lines, it is more ex-
trsordinsry than any feat ever performed
by lightning or steam. The wonders Of
this performance are yet discussed by
many who were cognizant Of the occur
renee, and the fact that the particulars
of this battle, so received, got into the
newspapers, and were treated as current
news.
Captain C. +. Merrill, of the Confed-
crate army, has lately given his recollec-
ton of it as a singular incident Of the
late war. Captain Merrill is the son Of
a Mississippi planter, and commanded q
regimentin the war. He passed through
Lexington, Kentucky, on the night Of
January 18th, 1862, fastening to rejoin
his command in Virginia, by way of
Cumberland Gap. Before daylight the
next morning he took shelter in the
house of Southern sympathizer until
the following night, preferring to prose-
cute his disloyal journey between two
suns. He states that he spent the 18th
of January in company with several
gentlemen from Clark, Fayette 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 its history in
the minutest details.
Captain Merrill says "This rumor
was heralded ON the 18th of January,
and continued to meet il all along my
route through the mountains of East
Kentucky until reached Abingdon,
Virginia, which point l made on the
night of the 18th, On that night /
solicited sleep rather than companion
ship, and retired to my bedroom at the
hotel, well content to have at last reached
the civilization of Dixie in safety. What
was my surprise, however, on awakening
next morning, ~ hear that on the aeS>
before (the 18th Gensssf zolliooHsrs
Immy had been beaten. himself killed,
etc.. with all the incidents, just as had
heard week before in Central Ken
lucky. 'What' i exclaimed, has there
been another battle? And has General
Zollicofer been killed second timer
The battle in which Zollicoaer was
killed really occurred on the 10Th of
January, 1862, seven days after the ru-
NOR above related was current in Paris.
Kentucky. The people had been dis
cussing it for week, and were startled
at the remarkable coincidence, the details
given by the rumor and the actual events
corresponding exactly to the minutest
particulars. 1t has not ceased to be a
wonder to this day. The realization Of
the intelligence was 50 astounding that
efforts were made TO trace the rumor 10
its source. 1t was only ascertained that
some stranger accosted citizen Of Paris,
called him by name, and related the
battle of Mill Springs on the 18th Of
January. which battle did not take place
till the 18th of January following.