Doc. 76.-operations of Wolford's cavalry.
Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 18, 1862.
After the Bearwallow fight, in which about three hundred and fifty of the regiment routed a regiment of infantry and a battalion of cavalry, we marched to Glasgow to drive back any force coming from that direction.
We returned and were sent forward upon the Glasgow and Bardstown road, and might have made some brilliant dashes upon the rear of Bragg's army, if we had not been under the direct orders of the Commanding General, who had grander plans in view than the capture of the mere outposts and rear-guards of the enemy.
The cavalry are often blamed by the ignorant for not doing what they are ordered not to attempt lest it should disarrange some higher plan; and indeed it has become common for a certain set of men to curse the cavalry for inefficiency as if they had the free control of their own actions, when the fact is, they are under the immediate control of the department commander, and have even less liberty than the infantry.
Whatever the cavalry was in the early part of the war in our late campaigns, both here and in Virginia, they have shown quite as great efficiency as the infantry.
As an instance of this, Col. Kennett, with some one thousand two hundred cavalry and two pieces of artillery, parts of the First and Second brigades, held Hartsville for two weeks in the very face of both Morgan's and Forrest's cavalry and a body of infantry and eight pieces of artillery.
He kept us on the continual alert, and a large scout went out every day, driving in their pickets and skirmishing with them.
Our place was taken by three regiments of infantry with two pieces of cannon and a few cavalry, and the result was the capture of all in less than ten days time by the same forces opposed to us.
The First brigade, commanded by the brave Colonel E. M. McCook, of the Second Indiana, were, after frequent successful skirmishes with Bragg's rear-guard, detailed to guard the immense wagon-train of Buell's army through from the Green River to Louisville.
Buell in this, as in other parts of his Kentucky campaign, showed great strategy, and made a complete success.
He knew that the enemy would watch for this train, fifteen miles long, and capture or destroy it if possible.
Instead, therefore, of bringing it forward upon the road on which the army came, he sent it twelve miles further west; and had McCook's brigade of cavalry to scout the road continually from Elizabethtown to Munfordville, covering the vast train, as it passed safely through Litchfield on to Louisville, without ever being even seen by the enemy.
While scouting here on the road, and skirmishing with the enemy over toward Bardstown, covering the train and rear of Buell's army, and keeping the enemy in continual alarm, this brigade effected one of the most brilliant affairs of the campaign.
We received information that a cavalry regiment was encamped at New-Haven, watching ou<*>movements.
Colonel Kennett, the ever vigilant cavalry division commander, determined if possible to surprise and capture the force.
Colonel McCook, always ready for any daring movement, was also anxious for the adventure, and Colonel Wolford, though almost past riding from his wound, was ready and eager for the execution of any plan they might adopt.
It was finally arranged that seven hundred men, under Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart, should undertake the affair.
Two hundred and fifty of Wolford's regiment took the advance under that daring officer, Capt. Adams, and the others were to support him--two hundred and fifty from the Second Indiana, and two hundred of the Third Kentucky. Captain Jenkins, since killed in the battle of Chaplin Hills, Lieuts. Coppage, Vandike, Paukey, Dick Beattie, and Sergeants Humphrey and Kimbrel, led the detachments from their several companies.
Lieut.-Colonel Stewart planned the attack and Captain Adams executed it. As the enemy was known to be on the alert and using the utmost vigilance to prevent a surprise, the most difficult part of the affair was the capture of the pickets so as not to give the alarm.
Lieut. Coppage and Sergeant Humphrey, with twelve men, were sent forward by Captain Adams to attempt this part, and most adroitly and gallantly did they execute it. Sergeant Humphrey and one other went before some fifty yards with instructions that if there were only two men on picket to dash up to them and, presenting arms, demand an immediate and silent surrender; but in case there were several on picket, they were to make signal to those
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behind, who were to dash forward at full speed and overpower them or give chase and the whole column would charge after them.
The advance two came upon the first picket of two men, and by a rapid dash captured them without firing a gun or giving any other alarm.
The second picket was taken in the same way with like success, and they now learned that there was a third picket of some fifteen, near the bridge over the Rolling Fork.
The first twelve were now sent forward, and a company detailed to advance closely behind, to sustain them.
By another brilliant dash these fifteen were also captured, and no gun fired to alarm the camp, now about a mile distant.
The rest of Captain Adams's command was now brought up, and forming by fours, he gave the command for a charge over the bridge, through the town of New-Haven, up into the camp of the enemy in the woods beyond the town.
The sun had just risen as they charged through the bridge with a roaring sound like thunder for some minutes, and then under the heavy cloud of dust, their swords, guns, and pistols gleaming like lightning beneath it, they dashed through the town, and then opened their unearthly shout of “The wolf!
The wolf!
Huzza! Huzza!”
and charged around the camp of their terrified foes.
The head of the column, now half around their camp, the enemy began to rush for their arms, when Capt. Adams shouted: “Halt!
And present arms!”
All with the precision and coolness of veterans in a moment levelled their guns upon the now panic-stricken, confused enemy; and the Captain at the top of his voice called out: “I demand your immediate, unconditional surrender.”
“To whom must I surrender,” called out Colonel Crawford in command of the Third Georgia cavalry, as he now stepped forward.
“To Captain Adams, commanding the First Kentucky cavalry,” replied the Captain.
“Give me a few moments to consult my officers, will you?”
said the Colonel.
“I have no time to fool away,” replied the Captain.
“Two minutes and a half, sir, and I will order my men to work upon you.”
“If I have only that time, Captain,” said the Colonel, “I will surrender at once, expecting good treatment from so gallant an officer and such brave men as you have the honor to command.”
The camp was accordingly surrendered, and the whole force, consisting of nearly all the Third Georgia cavalry, a few of the First Kentucky rebel cavalry, and a few Texas Rangers, in all some three hundred men, without the fire of a gun. Before the other gallant fellows could come up, the whole affair was over and they only had the pleasure of feeling that they had also gallantly done their part, in coming up to the support of the more fortunate advance, to whom the main credit of the exploit has been awarded.
As the advance dashed around the camp a group stood near them looking on in wonder.
As they halted, one exclaimed: “You are not Yankees, are you?”
“No,” answered Sergeant Humphrey.
He turned to his fellows and, clapping his hands, exclaimed: “Didn't I tell you they were not Yankees?
Didn't I tell you so?
Who are you?”
he called out again.
“Wolford's cavalry,” replied the Sergeant.
Then raising his hands in utter despair, the poor Georgian exclaimed: “Good heavens!
Then we are gone.”
They were marched over to Elizabethtown, and from thence sent on to Louisville, and I suppose have long since been exchanged.
We can but wish them health and prosperity, as they were a fine-looking set of men, and we wish them a like good future should we meet them again on the battle-field.
“The Wolf of Kentucky” treats his prisoners well, and we wish to capture and kindly send home a few thousand more as we did about one thousand two hundred in our late Kentucky campaign. 