News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-04-02

EA&S w ~S%A&SMy Thomas forte
WsAS was in defense.
His line was a
rock, and that rock never shifted from
its base.
Thomas first battle was a signal vic
tory, and so was his last. At Mill
Spring, Ky, the 10Th of January,
1862, he routed and defeated an enemy
which had come out to rOut and de-
stroy him. The country was hungering
for q victory in the beginning of 1867.
Bull Run and Wilson's Creek were yet
to be redeemed Thomas started the
list of January from Lebanon to attack
the Confederate column under General
G. B. Crittenden, the Kentuckian, who
had crossed the Cumberland river from
Tennessee and fortified his camp near
Mill Spring or Logan's Crossroads.
His men marched over muddy roads,
where the wheels of the artillery and
wagons sank up to the aXles. 1t took
eight days to make forty miles, and his
column was strung out on separate
routes.
Crittenden heard of Thomas advance
at IlSuluS CEeth, Ten llllCS AlOll III"
own position, and moved his command
out to meet the enemy on Fishing creek,
at the crossing of the stream. He
wanted to smash the detachments in
detail as they came to the crossing
Zollicoffer's brigade took the lead, fol
lowed BIZ CAROLS brigade and small
reserve. The column marched all night
of the 18th In a chilling winter rain and
about daylight ran into Wolford's cav
airy pickets, the Outposts of Thomas
line. The Tenth Indiana of Manson's
Federal brigade stood by the cavalry,
and word was carried to the main
camp that the enemy was coming in
force.
Thomas men were just crawling out
of their dog tents for roll call when
Manson dashed through the camp OF
the Fourth Kentucky, shouting for its
commander, Colonel Speed S. Fry.
Colonel Fry quickly led his men in the
direction of the firing and, coming
within sight of the enemy, lined them
I'D along q fence in the edge of
woods. Meanwhile ZolicOffer had driv-
en- back WOford's men and the lndi-
anians, who rallied on Fry's line. Zol-
licoffer's troops came from the cover OF
wood into an open field which was
broken by ravine toward the fence.
Colonel Fry boldly rode to the front to
reconnoiNer the stealthy Confederate
line and when returning was met by
an officer enveloped in storm coat,
which disguised his uniform. Said he
to Fry, 1--WE must not fire on our own
men," at the same time n0dding to-
ward the Confederates and adding,
"Those are our men,"
Fry responded, "Of course not" and
rode back to his place. But one of
"our men, fred with a good aim at the
Yankee Kentuckian and hit his horse
FRY then took the man in the cloak for
his target and brought him down. The
stranger was Zollicoffer himself, but
the Kentuckians didn't know it at the
time. They found their line overlapped
by Confederates and were on the point
of being crashed by CARROTS Confed
crates when Thomas came to the
scene. He had promptly ordered Man
son to return to the front and make
stand, and himself brought up two bat
teries, which he placed in sections in
the center and on the left, where Car
roll was advancing. Meanwhile Fry S
enraged Kentuckians and the Indiana
regiment had done some good shooting,
and two of Zollicoffer's regiments had
turned to rear. The Fourth Kentucky
and Tenth Indiana fired away all their
ammunition and also dropped out of
the fight, but the Second Minnesota
and the Twelfth Kentucky, with Car.
ter's Tennesseeans, were on the ground
to take their places, and Carrolls bold
rush was checked from the beginning,
Thomas guns were useless on that
field for execution, but they made a
bold front and scared the enemy with
their gaping muzzles.
Two of Thomas regiments-the Sec.
ond Minnesota and Ninth Ohio Prus'
sian regiment-were well drilled and
disciplined and were CALAMITY led by
Colonel Robert L. McCook, one of the
famous fighting family. The men of
these regiments stood to their work like
veterans, and the steady though some
what random firing of the guns of Wet,
mores battery into the right of Car
rolls line threw the enemy into confu-
sion. The Twelfth Kentucky advanced
steadily against the Confederate right,
and the Second Minnesota forced the
fighting against the left over the hotly
contested ground where the action had
commenced.
The final blow was given to Carroll
by bayonet charge of the Prussians,
and the whole line broke and ran to the
cover of the woods opposite. AS usual
with new troops, Thomas men had
been lavish with their ammunition, and
before taking up the pursuit it was nee
essary to refill the cartridge boxes.
Crittenden's infantry didn't stop until
the old intrnnchmentS on the bank of