Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-09-07
ANNIVERSARY OF
BATTLE OF RICHMOND
And Victory For Cenfedesates 1.
Told BY Federal Veteran
In Indiana Paper

Wednesday, August 80, 19Zl, the
battle of Richmond was fought
in the Civil War. There are per-
haps very few in Madison who
know much oftthe history of that
conflict. Mr.. w. L. Howe, whose
father, Peter Howe, fought in
the battle ON the Confederate
side, has just received a copy OF
Lebanon, Indiana, paper in
which a Federal veteran writes
Of the battle fought here from
his side of the opposing forces.
What he writes will be of inter
tas. He writes:
Today is the 5oth anniversary
of the battle of Richmond. Ken
lucky, fought on the 3Oth day of
August, 1862, between the Union
forces under Gen. Mason and
corps of Confederate troops un-
der command of Gen. Kirby
Smith.
Although it was not rated as
one of the big or decisive battles
OF the war. yet it was a hard
fought contest beginning early in
the morning an continuing until
well along in the afternoon, result
ing in a rather disastrous defeat
for the Union forces engaged.
The writer then tells how his
company was organized in Indi-
ana and marched into Kentucky.
He writes entirely from the Fed
eral side of the question:
After spending some three or
four days at Frankfort, we were
put out on forced marches after
Morgan. who led us a. merry
chase over the celebrated "Blue
Grass region" but as his force
was mounted on good horses and
we were afoot he had little trou-
BILE in evading us and keeping at
a safe distance ahead. Thus we
spent. the remainder of July and
the early days of August. follow
ing him from Frankfort to Lex
ington, Georgetown, Winchester,
Paris and back to Lexington,
where we were in camp immedi-
ately prior to the battle. 1t was
a period of great draught and ex-
IRENE heat and MANY. were over
come on the march by the heat
land lack of water.
Late in August, General Bragg
with a large rebel force and Gen
eral Buell., commanding the army
iof the Ohio, were making their
celebrated race up through cen
trail Kentucky, and Gen. Kirby
Smith with the corps of some fif-
teen thousand troops was also in
vading the state from Tennessee
over Cumberland Gap. In order
to prevent if possible, a junction
of Smiths forces with those OF
Bragg, force was sent ont in
the direction of Richmond, which
|place he was now approaching.
There were some troops on the
way to join us but they did not
reach us in time to participate in
the battle. We left Lexington
on the 18th going by rail to Mich
olasville. and ON the afternoon OF
the 10Th we encountered de
tachment of Smiths advance
from which we took a mountain
howitzer and its commanding Of
lficer, rebel captain and possibly
Ia few others. Afterwards we
went into camp a few miles south
lof Richmond. That night a recon
noitering party of Metcalf's Cav
! alry, led by Captain William Oder
attacked the advance force o.
lSimth at Big Hill. some four o,
five miles south of Richmond, but
latter a hot flint, finding the enemy
in superior force and strongly
lposted, drew off with some loss
but in good order.
| Early next morning. the firing
| of the pickets and the beating o
the long roll told us that we wer.
in for "a fight, and soon we were
in line, our skirn6shers were en-
tagging those of the enemy am
deployed in excellent style in full
lview of us as we stodd there an
waited for orders to advance. w
had not long to wait and wer
soon ordered up to support tn
battery which was then hurried
: wheeling it's guns into positio
land Numbering for the fray
Taking our position few pace
I lin the rear of the battery W
/ calmly awaited the onset. w
| Iwere ordered to lie down, while
I 1--we did.A quarter of a mile away
1 the rebel artillery could be see
| getting into position. Not sht
I had as yet been fred except b
] the pickets and skirmishers ar