The National tribune., 1893-06-22
zOLLICOFFER'S DEATH.
What was Seen by Captain of the 4th Ky
at Mill Spring.

NONE Oh lDSn COITtSpOuuS ~ pSisOud
recollections of it; and as Gen. Fry (he wa
promoted after the battle) has passed away
/ desire 10 give my statement, for know a
much about the death of Gen. ZolliC0ffer a
parties making statements who were no
present when it occurred.
I Joined the 4th Ky.-Col. Speed S. FRI
commanding-at Camp Dick Robinson, KY.
Aug. 81, 1861, and was appointed Sergeant
Major of the regiment. In December wa
appointed Captain of Co. b, but remained
with Col. FTy's headquarters mess until after
the battle OF Mill Spring.
The night of Jan. Is, 1862, my Colonel
and slept together. Early in the morning
of the 18Th we were awake, in conversation
just about daylight. 1t was dark, rainy
morning. Our brigade commander rode up
and informed Col. Fry that the enemy was
upon us.
The regiment formed as soon as possible
right flanked, and double-quicked about
three-quarters of a mile TO the sound of an
occasional gunshot. We left the road and
turned into an open field up the ridge, still
marching by the right flank, along line OF
worm fence, back Of which was heavy tim
Der, underbrush, and the road we had left.
The enemy began firing at US from ridge
across a ravine about $50 yards distance.
our right ran into them before we were
aware of it. Orderly-Serg't Butts, of Co. B,
was there wounded and taken prisoner, the
only man captured on our side in the fight.
1t got too hot for us, and we fell back be-
hind the fence into the underbrush. Cos. A,
B, and c. Oh the right, were driven back a
short distance from the fence across the road.
The road ran within Is or 90 feet of the
field fence on our extreme right, and then
obliqued to the right, forming an angie, and,
on account of the underbrush, a person 20
feet from the angle could not see any one
approach from the opposite direction until
he arrived at the angle. To our right rear
down the ridge the underbrush was not so
thick.
We could not see the enemy in person at
first, but fred at the gun-hashes. We had
had it pretty hot for perhaps 20 or 80 min
utes, when the firing almost ceased on our
right front.
4 man rode around the angle in the road
on gray horse. He wore a white rubber
coat and a blue army cap. Ten or Is feet
from the angle he halted in full view, within
so feet of us, accommodating. An East Ten
nesseean-I forget his name-belonging TO
our regiment wished me to give him gun
cap quick, for he had lost his cap-box in the
hurry that evening, and he wished to shoot
that man, saying that it was old Zolly
himself
/ told him that he was mistaken; that it
was Lieut.. Wolford, of the LIST KY. Cav. /
had met Wolford day OF two before, riding
the same kind Of horse, and the man re-
sembled him very much. The Tennesseean
assured me that he knew Gen. Zollicoffer
better than he did myself, and insisted ON
shooting him, but / would not allow him TO
do so. After remaining a few minutes the
man returned around the angle in the road.
In a very short time afterwards we discov-
cred about 60 men dressed in gray down the
hill on our right rear. They seemed to hest
tate for while; SO did we, because some of
us thought they were 10th Ind men, of our
brigade, who at that time wore gray uni
forms. When they commenced firing We
returned it, and drove them back.
We were still firing at everything we could
see, when the man on the gray horse came
back alone and looked around again. Soon
after he rode back Irwin Williams, Lieu
tenant, Co. c, slipped down to where We had
shot some of the men that had come up on
our right rear, and he could see beyond the
angle in the road. He called to us to Look
out, boysl There they come with their
- old cannon. They tried to shoot it,"
Soon after this Col. Fry came up to Us for
the first time. He had been hard pressed
He had been riding an iron-gray horse. He
wore blue military cap, a single-breasted
blue uniform coat, with ColOnels shoulder
straps. He was well out to the angle of the
road when the same man appeared, as he had
done twice before. He rode mp to Col. Fry,
and he and the Colonel rode side by side to-
ward us, and in conversation with each other.
None of us could hear what was said, al
though some Of our men were In 20 feet of
them.
was about 40 or 80 feet from where the
stranger halted. Col. Fry rode on about %
or 30 feet, when man galloped mp from be-
hind. Our stranger passed him few yards
fred bis pistol at Col. Fry, and turned back.
The Colonel Immediately wheeled his horse,
remarking, THAT is your game, is it."
raised his pistol, and fired at the man on the
gray horse, who remained standing where he
had halted. A good many of as fired also,
and on account Of the dense smoke after the
firing we could not see who fell.
Col. Fry, as soon as the smoke cleared up
and showed no enemy in sight, rode out into
the field. The enemy then commenced fir
ing at him, and he turned TO come back; as
he did so his horse was bit in the side by a
AnOohNt-DeiAAs LVAC DsASh " uof NlS-
mounted, and one Of the men led the horse
down the road TO our left rear.
4 few minutes after the Colonel had dis
mounted he came over and sat down beside
me on log. The enemy showed them
selves at the angle in the road, and we were
watching for them, firing at every oppor-
tunity. They finally disappeared, and Capt
John Williams, Co. c, came up and re-
marked that an officer must be killed over
there, from the anxiety of the enemy TO get
his body. Col. Fry Immediately replied
that il was the man he killed.
Soon afterwards the Colonel moved down
the ridge towards the center of the line. I
advanced cautiously towards the angle in
the road, and reached it unmolested. No
enemy was in sight alive, but found sew
eral dead in front Of me, one of them the
body of the man of the gray horse. He was
lying fat on his back, his arms extended.
he had upon his person a white rubber
oyercOat, unbuttoned, a blue Federal army
cap, and double-breasted blue army Off
GERS coat, the top buttons Of it unbuttoned,
displaying in side pocket the top of will
low flask. A feld-glass was slung from
leather strap on the outside of his rubber
coat. Underneath this coat, but outside Of
his uniform, his sword was buckled.
Not wishing to disturb his arms I uu-
buckled the feld-glass strap and took off his
sword and belt, gathered them up, pulled
his cap down over his eyes, and left him.