Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 11.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[176] being again open to Louisville, exertions were made to ship the public papers and stores of every kind to that place. All night long the work of loading the train was kept up, until every car was filled to its utmost capacity. It is useless to say that the officers of the various departments and their clerks discharged their laborious duties with diligence.

On the morning of the ninth, the train containing the public property, with a guard, composed of the clerks of the various offices, and volunteers from the militia and strangers in the city — all under the command of Mr. J. B. Tilford, of the Adjutant--General's office--started for Louisville. When nearing Pleasureville the road was discovered to be on fire. The engine was immediately reversed, and the train attacked by guerrillas. The guard succeeded in defending the train, on which a running fire was kept up for several miles, and, notwithstanding the road was obstructed with rails, &c., every two or three hundred yards, the train and guards uninjured reached the depot at 7:15 o'clock P. M.

The enrolled militia of this city, Peak's Mill precinct, and other parts of the county, had been collecting during the day. A squad under Captain Sanford Goins were sent to man the guns in the fort; a small guard being at the arsenal, the remainder were placed in barracks near the city.

Finding it impossible for me to attend to all the details and at the same time exercise general command, I availed myself of the services of Colonel George W. Monroe, Twenty-second Kentucky infantry, who at all times has been found willing to respond to the call of his country and State, and placed him in command of forces for the purpose of organizing and distributing them, with orders to report from time to time to these headquarters.

On the morning of the tenth, the militia force was collected at the Arsenal for equipment, and then, by Colonel Monroe, distributed between the fort, the arsenal, and the bridge leading to South Frankfort.

I sent a special messenger through to Louisville, with an order to Colonel Gathright, commanding the militia of Jefferson county, to turn out his command for service, and to act, on consultation with Mr. Gill, the Superintendent of the railroad, in establishing connection between here and Louisville, leaving a sufficient guard at the most important points for the protection of the road. Lieutenant-Colonel Craig was sent from here with a company, composed of detachments from the First Kentucky scouts and the militia, as a guard to a construction train, with orders to repair whatever damage had been done to this end of the road. This expedition returned in the evening, without being able to accomplish their mission. Colonel Craig found the enemy posted in the stockade near Benson bridge, and, charging them, drove them out and across the creek, capturing two horses, with the loss of one man wounded and three missing; what damage he did the enemy he was unable to ascertain.

These persistent efforts to stop all use of the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad demonstrated that we were in danger; and when the news was received that Morgan was at Georgetown, no one could doubt his intentions. We, here in Frankfort, were not long in finding out what those intentions were.

About seven o'clock P. M., tenth instant, a picket came into my headquarters and announeed that the enemy were advancing on the Georgetown pike. The detachment of scouts had been ordered, but a short time before, to be prepared to strengthen the pickets on any road that might be threatened. They were immediately sent out the Georgetown pike. Colonel Monroe and myself accompanied them as far as the cemetery gate, when I was informed by a picket stationed to the left of the road, in position to see the Owenton pike, that a large force was advancing on that road. Hearing nothing from the pickets stationed at Hord's house, I rather doubted the information, and leaving Colonel Monroe to defend the Georgetown pike, I took six mounted men and started out on the Owenton road. I had not gone far when I discovered the enemy moving up the hill to attack the fort. Ordering the cavalry that were with me to make for the fort by the road leading up the hill next to the river, I made my way up the hill, reaching the summit just in time to see the men driven from the advanced gun and the enemy take possession of it. I was met by a large number of negroes, who had been used in building a redoubt, and who were running for the fort. I changed their course, and made them go down the hill, to the left near the river. No negroes were allowed in the fort. I had no intention of using them as soldiers, and knowing that if the enemy should succeed in taking the place they would be murdered, I ordered them from the hill.

By this time the enemy, about sixty strong, were advancing rapidly upon the fort, from the direction of the gun they had captured; a portion taking shelter behind a stone wall, under cover of which they could approach nearer the fort. As I rode around to the entrance, I observed about twenty-five of the enemy moving in the direction of the ravine on the west slope of the hill, a short distance north of the fort. I gave the command “fire,” and with a few rounds the enemy were repulsed; as they were also in two succeeding assaults.

In the first assault, Major T. J. Hutchinson and John Coleman, of the Thirty-sixth Enrolled Militia of Franklin county, were wounded while working the guns in the fort. Major Hutchinson was wounded in the face, and John Coleman in the breast, both seriously, but neither mortally. Information was received through prisoners, that the enemy lost five men wounded; and there was one horse captured by us.

Hostilities having ceased for a while, and Colonel Monroe arriving, it was concluded to