Battle of Mill Springs The Battle of Mill Springs , also known as the Battle of Fishing Creek in Confederate terminology , and the Battle of Logan ' s Cross Roads in Union terminology , was fought in Wayne and Pulaski counties , near current Nancy , Kentucky , on January 19 , 1862 , as part of the American Civil War . It concluded an early Confederate offensive campaign in eastern Kentucky . While considered a small battle in comparison to many that followed in the Civil War , the battle at Mill Springs was the second largest in Kentucky — only Perryville had higher casualties . It was also the first significant Union victory of the war , much celebrated in the popular press , but was soon eclipsed by Ulysses S . Grant ' s victories at Forts Henry and Donelson . Background . In 1861 the critical border state of Kentucky had declared neutrality in the fight to maintain the Union . This neutrality was first violated on September 3 , when Confederate Brig . Gen . Gideon J . Pillow , acting on orders from Maj . Gen . Leonidas Polk , occupied Columbus and two days later Union Brig . Gen . Ulysses S . Grant seized Paducah . Henceforth , neither adversary respected the proclaimed neutrality of the state and the Confederate advantage was lost ; the buffer zone that Kentucky provided was no longer available to assist in the defense of Tennessee . By early 1862 , a single Confederate general , Albert Sidney Johnston , commanded all forces from Arkansas to the Cumberland Gap . His forces were spread thinly over a wide defensive line . His left flank was Polk in Columbus with 12 , 000 men . The center consisted of two forts under the command of Brig . Gen . Lloyd Tilghman , with 4 , 000 . Forts Henry and Donelson were the sole positions to defend the important Tennessee and Cumberland rivers , respectively . His right flank was in Kentucky , with Brig . Gen . Simon Bolivar Buckner ' s 4 , 000 men in Bowling Green , and about 4 , 000 in the Military District of East Tennessee under Maj . Gen . George B . Crittenden , which had the responsibility for guarding the Cumberland Gap , the gateway for entering pro - Unionist East Tennessee . Crittenden ' s 1st Brigade was commanded by Brig . Gen . Felix Zollicoffer , whose main responsibility was to guard the Cumberland Gap . Assuming that the gap was fortified satisfactorily , in November 1861 he advanced west into Kentucky to move closer to the Confederate forces in Bowling Green and to strengthen control in the area around Somerset . The southern bank of the Cumberland River at Mill Springs was a bluff and a strong defensive position , whereas the northern bank was low and flat . Zollicoffer chose to move most of his men to the north bank where they would be closer to nearby Union troops , incorrectly assuming that it was more defensible . Both Crittenden and Albert Sidney Johnston ordered Zollicoffer to relocate south of the river , but he could not comply — he had insufficient boats to cross the unfordable river quickly and was afraid his brigade would be caught by the enemy halfway across . Union Brig . Gen . George H . Thomas received orders to drive the Confederates across the Cumberland River and break up Crittenden ' s army . Thomas left Lebanon and slowly marched through rain - soaked country , arriving at Logan ' s Crossroads on January 17 , where he waited for Brig . Gen . Albin F . Schoepf ' s troops from Somerset to join him . Crittenden , who until early January had remained in his headquarters in Knoxville , arrived at Mill Springs and realized that his inexperienced subordinate was in a dangerous situation . He devised a plan to attack the Union force before it could concentrate against him ; one section of the Union Army , three brigades under Thomas , was located at Logan ' s Crossroads ; Schoepf ' s brigade was at Somerset , separated by rain - swollen Fishing Creek , which might be a sufficient barrier to prevent the forces from joining together quickly . Crittenden ordered Zollicoffer to attack the Union camp at Logan ' s Crossroads at dawn on January 19 . Battle . The Confederate march through the night was hampered by rain and mud and the troops arrived at Logan ' s Crossroads cold and miserable . Many of the men carried antique , Napoleon - style flintlock muskets , which became almost useless in the wet weather . The slowness of the march had cost them the element of surprise . Nevertheless , they launched a spirited attack , led from the front by Zollicoffer , and achieved some initial success . The 15th Mississippi Infantry and the 20th Tennessee pushed back the ( Union ) 4th Kentucky Infantry , under Col . Speed S . Fry , as well as the 2nd Minnesota and 10th Indiana and some Union cavalry . In the poor visibility of the dark woods , clouded with gunsmoke , confusion reigned . Zollicoffer , who was conspicuous in front of his men with a white raincoat , mistakenly approached the Union 4th Kentucky infantry , believing they were Confederates firing on their own men . Zollicoffer was shot and killed , allegedly by Col . Fry himself . The sudden death of their commander and heavy fire from Fry ' s regiment caused the center of the Confederate line to fall back momentarily in confusion . Crittenden rallied his men and ordered a general advance by Zollicoffer ' s brigade and the brigade of Brig . Gen . William H . Carroll . At this point , Thomas arrived on the field and ordered the 9th Ohio to advance while the 2nd Minnesota maintained heavy fire from the front line . Col . Robert L . McCook , commanding Thomas ' s 3rd Brigade , wrote that the lines were so close that the " enemy and the Second Minnesota were poking their guns through the same fence . " When the 9th Ohio turned the Confederate left flank , the battle was decided . The Confederate troops broke and ran back toward Mill Springs in a disorderly rout , and Crittenden , who was rumored to be drunk during the battle , was powerless to stop them . They frantically crossed to the south side of the Cumberland , abandoning twelve valuable artillery pieces , 150 wagons , more than 1 , 000 horses and mules , and all of their dead and wounded . The retreat continued all the way to Chestnut Mound , Tennessee , ( near Carthage ) , about due east of Nashville . Aftermath . Casualties were relatively light : Union losses were 39 killed and 207 wounded , Confederate 125 killed and 404 wounded or missing . Crittenden ' s military career was also a casualty . Accused of drunkenness and treason , his army was disbanded and he was reassigned to be a corps commander under Buckner at Bowling Green . Within two months he was relieved of his command and arrested for a subsequent episode of drunkenness . In October 1862 , after a court of inquiry ordered by General Braxton Bragg , Crittenden resigned as a general and served without rank on the staff of Brig . Gen . John S . Williams and other officers in western Virginia for the remainder of the war . The Battle of Mill Springs , along with the Battle of Middle Creek on January 10 , broke the main Confederate defensive line that was anchored in eastern Kentucky . Confederate fortunes in the state did not rise again until summer when Gen . Braxton Bragg and Maj . Gen . Kirby Smith launched their Kentucky Campaign , which culminated in the Battle of Perryville and Bragg ' s subsequent retreat . Mill Springs was the larger of the two Union Kentucky victories in January 1862 . With these victories , the Federals carried the war into Middle Tennessee in February . Battlefield today . The Mill Springs battlefield is located in Pulaski County , not far from Nancy , Kentucky . The historic town of Mill Springs , after which the battle was named , is actually some distance away across Lake Cumberland . Portions of the battlefield are preserved as a county park ( named Zollicoffer Park in honor of the slain general ) . The Mill Springs Battlefield Association has protected portions of the battlefield by the acquisition of development rights to what is still a largely rural landscape , or by outright purchase . Zollicoffer Park contains the Confederate Cemetery , which consists of a mass grave . There is a corresponding Mill Springs National Cemetery in Nancy , where the Union dead were interred . The battlefield , which covers about , was named by the United States Secretary of the Interior as one of the top twenty - five priority battlefields and is considered a historic landmark . The Zollie Tree was the tree attributed as the place Felix Zollicoffer fell ; it no longer exists , the victim of a lightning strike , but the stump is marked . On November 4 , 2006 , the Mill Springs Battlefield Visitors Center and Museum was officially dedicated . Several commemorative ceremonies are held at the battlefield each year , including candlelight tours , living history presentations , and occasional re - enactments .