The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1873-03-20
Who Brought the News? 4?

That IS question that has never been
settled, and probably never will be. tt is a
fact, however, that can be substantiated by
thousands of living 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 Gen. Zollicoffer had
been attacked at. Fishing Greek or Mill
Springs, that he had been killed and his
body stripped, mntilated and thrown into
swamp, and his army completely routed
Also, that Maj. Bailie Peyton had fallen.
that Mississippi regiment, supported by a
regiment from Tennessee, had behaved hand
somely, while the remainder of the army
had for some cause become panic-stricken
early in the fight, and fed from the field
completely demoralized The whole Blue
Grass region Of Kentucky became excited
over this 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 rumor started in Paris,
KY, on the 18th of January, 1862 Citi-
zens Of Paris wrote to their friends in other
States, giving these details, and these letters
are still in existence to speak for themselves,
bearing theabove date and two or three days
thereafter.
In those days we used to hear of messages
by the grapevine telegraph, and passengers
by the underground railroad. isreport
of the battle Of Mill Springs and the death
of Zollicofcr came by either Of these lines
it is more extraordinary than any feat ever
performed by lightning or steam. The won
ders of this performance 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 news
papers and were treated as current news.
Captain c. E. Merrill, of the Confederate
army, has lately given his recollection of it
as singular incident of the late war. Cap
tain Merrill is the son of a Mississippi plant
er, and commanded q Missippi regiment in
the war He passed through Lexington,
Kentucky, ON the night of January IL, 1852.
fastening to rejoin his command in Virginia,
by way Of Cumberland Gap. Before day..
light the next morning be took shelter in
the house of Southern sympathizer until
the following night, preferring to prosecute
his disloyal journeys between suns. He
states that he spent the 18th Of January in
company with several gentlemen from Clarke,
Fayette and Bourbon counties, and they
were full of the news Of the battle above al
ludnd -Thoy did not know -sxaetly how
the news came, but they had its history to
the minutest details.
We give a paragraph or two Of Capt.
Merrills account:
''Thus rumor heralded, on the 18th Of
January, and I continued to meet it all
along my route through the mountains of
East Kentucky until 1 reached Abingdon,
Va, which point 1 made late on the night
of the 10Th. On that night solicited sleep
rather than companionship, and retired to
my bed.r at the hotel, well content to
have at least reached the civilization Of
Dixie in safety.
"What was my surprise, however, on
awakening next morning, to hear that on
the day before (the 19th) Gen Zellicoffer's
army had been beaten, himself killed, &c,
with all the incidents just as I heard a ,ceek
before IN Central Kentucky. "What" l
exclaimed, 'has there been another battle?
And has Gen z. been killed second
time p"
The battle in which Zollicofer 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 battle corresponded so exactly to the
minutest particulars 1t has not ceased to
be wonder to this day. The realization
of the intelligence was so astounding that
efforts were made to trace the rumor back to
its source. 1t was only asertained that some
stranger accosted citizen 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