The National tribune., 1906-03-22


travelling to reach Logan's Crossroads
10 miles from Camp Beech Grove. Thi.
! was on the 18th of January, end
Thomas only had a portion of his com.
mand with him, with the remainder
detained along the route by the Diff
culues encountered. He went into
camp to walt for them to come up
| and disposed of his forces 10 cover his
position. The 10th Ind, wolford's
Cavalry and Kinney's Battery were
pushed out on the road leading direct
" toward the enemy, and with the
cavalry on picket.
The 9th Ohio and Cd NInn. were
camped three-ouarters of mile TO the
right, on another road. Gen. Schoepf
was ordered TO ser6 10 Thomas the
18th Ky. and lst and I'd Tenn. and
Standards Battery. The 4th KY, Wet
mores Battery, and the battalion of
Michigan Engineers arrived on the
18th, leaving the 18th Ohio aud the
18th u. 5. still in the rear.
Crittenden determines to Attack.
Gen. Crittenden had kept pretty we'll
Informed as to Gen. ThomaS's move
IEsnts, but thought that the difficulties
Of the roads had strung out his troops
much worse than was really the case.
He did not appreciate. what even Gems.
Grant and Sherman never fully learned
to, that though Gen. Thomas Was ap-
parently very slow, he was yet all the
time IN q surprising state Of readiness,
and that attacking him had always the
dangers of boarding a lion in his den.
Nor did Crittenden understand the pro-
puIsive energy of the Union soldiers.
1t seemed the correct thing to march
out quickly from Camp Beech Grove,
overwhelm the regiments which Thom-
as had thrown forward. and crush the
others as they came struggling forward
through the mud to the assistance of
their comrades, finally smashing
Schoepf as he arrived from Somerset.
With 5000 men well In hand 1t GER
tainly looked as II Crittenden would
have little trouble in defeating Thomas
in detail. This view strongly COM
mended itself TO the council of war
which Crit:enden called on the evening
of Jan. IS, at which were present the
Prigadier- Generals, Colonels and Bat
tery Captains of his command. They
unanimously voted to attack, and the
following order OF battle was issued:
Headquarters, Beech Grove, Jan.
IS, 1862.
1.-The following will be the orders OF
march:
Gen. Zollicofrer-15th Miss ir ad-
vance, Col. Walthall; battery of four
guns, Capt. Rutledge; 18th Tenn. Col.
Cummings; goth Tenn, Capt. Battle;
20th Tenn, capt. stanton.
Gen. Carroll--17th Tenn, Col. New
man; 2Sth Tenn, Col. Murray; 29th
Tenn, Col. Powell; two guns in rear
of infantry, Capt. McClung; 10th Ala,
Col. Wood Gin reserve).
Cavalry battalions In rear.
"Col. Brawner on the right; Col.
Mcclellan on the left.
Independent companies in front of
the advance regiments.
An, ,I,,,ia nd
Wagons in rear of the whole, and
in order of their regiments.
"By order of Gen. Crittenden."
"a. l.. Cunningham, A. A, G.
The Attack.
Drenching rains fell all the time on
Jan. II and Is. At midnight OF the
18th Gen. Crittenden set his regiments
in motion, in the midst of q dashing
downpour, for Logan's Crossroads.
and they plodded sullenly forward
through the darkness and the pelting
showers. They marched well, however,
and at $40 struck the pickets of the
list KY. Cav, who offered a stubborn
resistance. Col. Wolford sent a COM
pany 10 their assistance. which ran
against an Alabama regiment, and re-
ceived volley which killed two men
and emptied a number of other sad
dies. The company fell back in con-
fusion upon the infantry, and thereafter
Wolford's men fought on foot.
The morning was gray, lowering. with
frequent dashing showers that left
sheets OF mist to obscure the landscape.
With the exception of few Mexican
soldiers none of the men had ever been
under fire, and the experience of those
in Mexico was poor preparation for the
manner Of combat in which they were
now to engage. All was anxiety, with
each man summoning up his utmost
moral force to Withstand the terrific
ordeal. None of the men had any con-
ception of what was about to happen,
and could only brace himself TO meet
the worst. The 4th KY. was perhaps
the luckiest OF all because Il was soon
under a sharp fire, and the men see
ing their enemies before them, were
at no loss what to do, and soon became
absorbed IN doing it, while the regi-
ments farther back stood nervously
under arms, listening to the uproar In
front and wondered-wondered with
that consuming, racking curiosity that
only young soldiers can feel. In the
midst of this first encounter an officer
wearing q rubber overcoat and accom-
panied by an Aid approached Col. s. S.
Fry, who was sitting on his horse at