During August 1862, Confederate General Edmund Kirby-Smith invaded Kentucky, through Cumberland Gap, capturing Barbourville on August 18th. Kirby-Smith commanded the Army of East Tennessee, with roughly 20,000 soldiers. He marched along the old Wilderness Road toward Richmond. At the end of the month, Kirby-Smith won an overwhelming victory over the forces of Major General William “Bull” Nelson at Richmond. Nelson’s forces total roughly 8,000 before the battle and less than 2,000 afterwards. The Federal forces then fled towards Lexington and then Louisville.
While the battle was still progressing, General J. S. Jackson sent Nelson a dispatch, on August 30, 1862, at 1:30 pm, “it was also reported that a <rebel> column was advancing toward Lexington on the Tait's Creek road.” [i]
After the battle, Smith then marched from Richmond towards Lexington and crossed the Kentucky River at Clays Ferry[1] and Tates Creek Ferry[2].
While Confederate troops were preparing to cross at Tates Creek, the newly formed 94th Ohio Infantry Regiment[3], under Colonel Joseph W. Frizell, arrived on the Fayette County side. During the early night of August 31, 1862 a brief skirmish was fought between the Confederate advance guard and the Ohio troops.
After dawn the next morning, the Confederates began shelling the Federal troops who soon began retreating towards Lexington on the Tates Creek Pike. Forwards units of the Confederate troops harassed the Ohio troops until cavalry reinforcements arrived. The Ohio Infantry marched to Lexington, then later on to Versailles, Frankfort and Louisville.
This action was known as the skirmish on the Kentucky River, Tait’s Ferry[4] or Yates’[5] Ford.[ii] See 94th Ohio Regimental History.
On September 2, 1862, Smith captured Lexington and quickly controlled Central Kentucky. The invasion ended after the battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862, when the Federal Army of the Ohio, under General Don Carlos Buell, forced the Confederate forces under General Braxton Bragg (which had consolidated with Kirby-Smith) to return to Tennessee.
Two days later, Morgan, in a surprise attack, captured the 4th Ohio Cavalry at Ashland, the old Henry Clay homestead. Morgan had slipped back into Lexington by crossing the Kentucky River at Tates Creek. After refitting his troops with confiscated horses and colt revolvers, Morgan rode south. Before leaving, Morgan burned the government stables, the two railroad depots, and the Main Street trestle.[iii]
94th Ohio Regimental History
On Saturday, the 30th, the regiment was loaded on the cars of the Kentucky Central Railroad for Lexington, where it arrived the same evening and learned of the disastrous battle which had been fought that day at Richmond, about thirty-fives miles distant, where our new troop, under General Nelson, had been badly defeated and a large number captured by a greatly superior force of Confederate troops under General E. Kirby Smith.
This was not encouraging to a regiment which had just been mustered into the service and totally unacquainted with battalion maneuvers and knowing but little of company drill or the manual of arms. That night we rested on the ground near the cemetery, supplerless <supply less>. On the following morning, Sunday, the 31st of August, we left our camping ground and marched into the town and formed on the square at the court-house, where we were told we would be fed, but after waiting for some time and getting nothing we received an imperative order to march at once and formed our column, moving out in the director of Tate's Creek Ford, on the Kentucky River, sixteen miles south-east.
The band marched at the head of the regiment, playing that once popular air "We're coming, Father Abraham, three hundred thousand more." The weather being very hot, the roads dry and dusty, and with nothing to eat and very little water to drink, having no means of carrying it with us (canteens not having as yet been issued), would have made it a hard march for veterans, but more especially for soldiers whose uniforms were taking the first dust and who were totally unused to hardships.
During the march several were overcome by the heat and had to be left by the roadside. In the evening, a short time before reaching the bluffs overlooking the river, a heavy shower came up and drenched the men thoroughly; shortly afterwards it became dark.
The regiment was halted where the road commenced to descend towards the river; the Colonel ordered one company to be placed on picket. While this was being done and the men were finding their places in the darkness, the remainder of the regiment laid down upon the ground, wet, hungry and exhausted, and many soon fell asleep; but their sleep was of short duration, for a party of rebels concealed in the thick cedars skirting the road fired at short range and threw us into temporary confusion. Six or eight cavalrymen, whom we had rallied during the day from the stragglers met on the road, were seated on their horses near the right of the regiment when the firing began; suddenly wheeling, they dashed back through the mass of men in the road, injuring some seriously and adding no little to the confusion. A random fire was kept up for some minutes by our men, but after the Colonel <Joseph W. Frizell> had peremptorily ordered it to cease and it still continued, he declared he would shoot the first man who fired another shot; this had the effect to stop it.
That was a long and weary night, full of alarms, sleeping with guns in our hands, ready to spring to our feet at a moment's notice. One man missed his brother from the ranks, and fearing that something had happened to him, crept down to the road where the firing had begun and there found a dead man. To assure himself whether it was his brother or not, he pulled off his boot, knowing that he had a toe missing on one foot. His worst fears were realized, for it was indeed his brother, cold in death.
When morning dawned we found ourselves occupying a bluff overlooking the river, with bluffs of a like character on the opposite side. The march and fast of the previous day had made us extremely hungry, and we began to look for something to eat, but all we could find was some green coffee which had just arrived in a wagon from Lexington, and green corn growing in an adjacent field. While roasting the corn some of the boys scattered in search of drinking water, and while they were gone the stillness of the morning was broken by the boom of a cannon from the opposite bluff. Then came the screeching of a shell over our heads; this was followed by others in rapid succession. The companies were formed in line separately and posted in such positions that it seemed that we had a much larger force than we actually had. The firing lasted about half an hour, during which time we got a lesson in dodging shells which lasted us during the remainder of the service.
The Colonel learned that a large force of rebels, consisting of infantry, artillery and cavalry, were in our immediate vicinity, so he ordered in the pickets and made preparations to retreat. He gave his horse to his orderly and sent him in haste to Lexington for reinforcements of cavalry. Dividing the regiment into battalions he placed one on each side of the road, which was protected by stone fences, and began to quietly withdraw. The movement was executed so deliberately, and in such perfect order, that the rebels were not at first aware of what was taking place. When they discovered that we were gone they started their cavalry in pursuit; they overtook us after we had fallen back six or seven miles, and attacked the rear while marching in the road.
Up to this time we had kept in the edges of the fields, on either side of the road; but, deeming it safe, and as the marching was so much better, had returned to the road, and were marching in column when the firing began. Here the enemy had us at a disadvantage for a short time, but a line of battle was quickly formed across a field on the south side and at right angles to the road, and their advance was temporarily checked. We had at this time seventy-five or a hundred of our men taken prisoners, most of whom were getting water at a spring on the north side of the road when the attack began.
After remaining in line a short time, the firing not being renewed, the march toward Lexington was resumed. We had proceeded a short distance when we saw a cloud of dust and heard the clatter of approaching cavalry in our front. The head of our column was just entering a deep cut in a hill, and the first impression was that the enemy had us surrounded. Colonel Frizell halted the regiment and ordered those in advance to open ranks, which they did by clambering up the steep banks on either side of the road, so as to be better prepared for an emergency; but when they approached we discovered to our joy that they were Union cavalry, consisting of four companies of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, under the command of Major <Thomas Jefferson> Jordan. They dashed rapidly through the cut, cheering as they went, and in a few minutes we heard the crack of their carbines as they engaged the enemy in our rear.
After marching about a mile farther, we were again halted and formed in line in a corn-field to receive the enemy, but the cavalry was able to hold them in check, and the march to Lexington was not again interrupted.
The loss of the regiment at the ford on the night of August 31st was as follows
Killed:
Perry F. Wikle, Co. F.
Isaac Hollepeter, Co. I.
Wounded:
First Sergeant Henry C. Cushman, Co. A.
Private Jesse Byrkett, Co. D.
Corporal Martin Kessler, Co. D
Private William H. Birely, Co. F.
Private William H. Tennent, Co. I.
The total loss reported was two killed and nine wounded for that day.
Early next morning two outposts held by men from Company H were attacked by cavalry directly after the regiment had started to Lexington. Privates James Doole and Nathaniel Studevant were mortally wounded; the remainder were captured unharmed. Soon after this Private Levi Falknor, of Company B, was disabled by the cavalry advance while he and others were engaged in destroying a bridge.
We arrived at the Fair Grounds near Lexington about six o'clock in the evening, weary and discouraged, to find the military authorities making preparations to evacuate the place. Colonel Frizell rode into the city to endeavor to procure something for the regiment to eat, and Major <David> King was left temporarily in command (Lieutenant-Colonel <Steven A.> Bassford at this time being on leave of absence in Ohio). The Major ordered us from our temporary encampment and marched into the edge of the city; it was then beginning to grow dark.[iv]
Captured on September 1, 1861, near Lexington:
Company A - Captain Perry Steward, Lieutenant Henry C. Cushman (wounded), Sergeant Levi Kolp, Corporal William A. Roberts and Privates Joseph Meenach, John L. Minnich, George Simpson, James Steward.
Company B - Privates John H. Hutson, Reuben G. Kreider, Michael Longnecker,
Company C - Lieutenant John A. Hardy, Sergeants Daniel W. Place and James H. Tamplin, Corporals Alexander B. Carver, Benjamin Place and James B. Redmon and Privates William H. Rhynard, Charles F. Smith, Moses Synder, Jacob Steiger, Enoch Stoker, Israel Thackara, Thomas Wert, Henry F. Whitney and Melchoir Zuickey,
Company H - Corporals Daniel Connard and Isaac R. Land, Privates Henry H. Eavey, Granville P. Edsel, John Eyler, Lewis Gilbert, George V. Good, Jasper N. Green, John C. Lovett and Albert Rader.
[1] Clays Ferry is located southeast of Lexington below the mouth of Boone Creek on the Kentucky River. The ferry was on the Lexington & Richmond Turnpike and was named after Green Clay who opened it in 1798. This turnpike was the most direct route to Lexington from the south.
[2] Tates Creek Ferry was established in 1785 by the Virginia legislature and signed into law by Governor Patrick Henry. The ferry was located on a ford on the Tates Creek Pike, between Lexington and Richmond. The area later became known as Valley View.
[3] The 94th Ohio Infantry Regiment was organized on August 22, 1862, at Camp Piqua, Ohio in response to the Confederate Invasion of Kentucky and Federal reversals in Virginia. The unequipped and untrained unit was ordered to Lexington, Kentucky on August 28, 1862. After arriving on August 30, 1862, they were order to march to the ford and ferry crossing at Tates Creek.
After the skirmishes, the unit retreated to Louisville on September 2-3, 1862. They were assigned to the 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Ohio. They saw action at the Battle of Perryville. In November 1862, the Ohio Infantry was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland and fought in Tennessee until the end of the war.
[4] The original spelling of Tates was Tait’s.
[5] Incorrectly listed in some Northern sources, should be Tates.
[i] War Department, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Washington, Series I, Volume 16, Part I, page 910.
[ii] Official Records, Series I, Volume 16, page 3.
[iii] History of the Kentucky Central Railroad, page 77 and Coleman, pages 32-33.
[iv] Record of the Ninety-Fourth Regiment / Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the War of the Rebellion, Ohio Valley Press, Cincinnati, page 10-14.
