Ambushed at Ivy Mountain

In one of the opening moves to establish firm Federal control of eastern Kentucky, in early November 1861 General William Nelson marched a column of roughly 5,500 Federals from Prestonburg towards Piketon, Kentucky. At the head of the column were a few mounted scouts followed closely by four companies of Colonel Charles A. Marshall’s Kentucky Battalion (later the 16th Kentucky Infantry regiment) with Captain Alexander Berryhill’s Company A of the 2nd Ohio Infantry. Behind them were the 2nd Ohio, 21st Ohio, and 59th Ohio regiments with the guns of Battery D of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery bringing up the rear. Nelson had approximately 5,500 men in this expedition, plenty of force to disperse the enemy it was thought.

Athwart their path lay the newly raised Confederate volunteers of the 5th Kentucky Infantry under the command of Colonel John S. “Cerro Gordo” Williams. After spending the summer months enjoying “neutrality,” in early September Kentucky plunged into full-bore participation in the war when the Confederates moved into Columbus, Kentucky on the Mississippi River. Federal forces soon also moved in and recruiting points opened throughout the state seeking volunteers for both sides of the conflict. So poorly equipped and indifferently armed (shotguns and squirrel rifles) that they were called the “Ragamuffin Regiment,” the 5th Kentucky nevertheless gave the Federals a good fight at Ivy Mountain on November 8th. The Ragamuffins arrayed themselves along the brow of Ivy Mountain, a commanding position which forced the Federals to deploy along the narrow road with the mountain to their left and the West Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River to their right.

    Chaplain John S. Bayless was at the front of the Federal column with the other members of Marshall’s Kentucky battalion when the Confederates sprung their trap on the lead scouts. “The guide along with Captains Gault and Reed, being considerably in the advance, discovered that the foe was concealed behind rocks, trees, and bushes, reserving their fire for a further advance of the column,” Bayless recounted. “Captain Gault, who was fortunately armed with a five-shooter Colt’s Revolving Rifle, opened fire upon them, discharging the contents of his gun and about the same time both the guide and Mr. Reed discharged their muskets upon the foe which brought them into a more precipitate action than was laid down in their program. The horse of Captain Gault was shot from under him, and the guide received two of the enemy’s balls which brought him to the ground. Reed’s horse was also killed, and such was their perilous and exposed condition that both were under the necessity of taking shelter under the cover of a shelving rock which induced Reed to suggest to Gault tin his peculiar style that “they were both gone up, sir!”

It was the first of many instances of Kentuckians fighting Kentuckians in this war, and in this case, the strength of numbers told and in about an hour the Federals forced the 5th Kentucky off Ivy Mountain after suffering 30 casualties. Chaplain Bayless’ account of the Battle of Ivy Mountain originally appeared in the Maysville Eagle and was subsequently published in the November 28, 1861 edition of the Louisville Daily Courier.

 

Flag later carried by the 16th Kentucky; four companies of what later became this regiment fought at Ivy Mountain under the command of Colonel Charles A. Marshall. Chaplain John Bayless would accompany the regiment for the rest of his life. 

Ivy Mountain, Big Sandy, Floyd Co., Kentucky

November 9, 1861

          On the morning of the 8th, we left Prestonburg and took up the line of march for Piketon and were in motion as early as 5 o’clock, moving forward rapidly. Colonel Marshall’s battalion, composed of Companies A, B, C, and D of his own regiment and Captain Berryhill’s Company A of the 2nd Ohio Volunteers constituted his command and were placed in advance of the 2nd, 21st, and 59th regiments of Ohio Volunteers. Upon our boys devolved the duty of climbing the mountains as scouts, to do which and keep at the same time in advance of the main column required the most exhausting toil. General Nelson, in order to form a junction with a force which he had moved forward in advance of us about 24 hours, was compelled to make a forced march. As our route was circuitous, distance could only be overcome by speed.

          All our movements were rapid, sometimes advancing at the double-quick step. Our boys who scaled the mountains often made extended detours to head the gullies had to bound like deer to keep ahead of those traveling in a straight road and on a plain surface. I felt for them as they came in from the mountains wet with perspiration, faint, exhausted, yet determined.

          About twelve miles from Prestonburg we came upon about 50 of the enemy’s cavalry scouts. The guard and Colonel Marshall opened fire upon them and put them to flight. Suspecting that some of the foe were still lurking in ambush, the moral effect of a shell was tried with what effect upon their nerves, if any were near, I cannot tell. After this little episode, we urged our way towards Piketon, the expected field of definite action. But when we proceeded between two and three miles and the head of Colonel Marshall’s battalion was approaching the upper part of the mountains, the guide along with Captains Gault and Reed, being considerably in the advance, discovered that the foe (1,000 strong) was concealed behind rocks, trees, and bushes, reserving their fire for a further advance of the column.

          Captain Gault, who was fortunately armed with a five-shooter Colt’s Revolving Rifle, opened fire upon them, discharging the contents of his gun and about the same time both the guide and Mr. Reed discharged their muskets upon the foe which brought them into a more precipitate action than was laid down in their program. The horse of Captain Gault was shot from under him, and the guide received two of the enemy’s balls which brought him to the ground. Reed’s horse was also killed, and such was their perilous and exposed condition that both were under the necessity of taking shelter under the cover of a shelving rock which induced Reed to suggest to Gault tin his peculiar style that “they were both gone up, sir!”

Colt's Revolving Rifle


Colonel Marshall urged on his column which was between a quarter and a half mile in advance of the 2nd Ohio when the battle commenced. Captain Gault was cut off from his command and in order to rejoin it with the least prospect of safety, he had to swim the river and carrying Colonel Marshall’s revolving rifle in his hand and then return to reach the side of the river at least a point lower down. By this time, the engagement between Colonel Marshall’s command (on the narrow road at the base of the mountain and immediately on the banks of the river) and the foe (entrenched upon the top and brow of the mountain) became general, and three of Captain Gault’s men fell at the very commencement of the action and a number more of them were wounded. This company from their position had to bear the brunt of the battle and courageously and persistently they did so.

 

“I was riding along somewhat carelessly when crack, crack, crack went their rifles and down fell our men. Crack, crack, crack, they came. I jumped off my horse when along came Major Harris and gave me his horse to hold. I soon hitched them both to a tree down by the river and sprung again up the bank when whiz, a bullet went past my face about three inches from it and made me draw my head back in a hurry I can assure you. I looked up the hill but could see no one for the smoke, so I levelled my gun in the direction of the enemy and fired, loaded again, and fired. I got my rifle in readiness again, but another ball passed pretty close. Here comes another- buzz, buzz, you can hear their whiz for fully a hundred yards as they come- and I got out of the way. But where did it go to? Whew, that was close! But great God, it has gone through a man’s shoulder within a few yards of me and he falls.” ~ unknown officer of 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry

 

Captain Berryhill’s company of the 2nd Ohio, which had been placed in Colonel Marshall’s command, bore themselves most gallantly and rendered most effective service by scaling the mountains where, under the command of their fearless and intrepid captain, they accomplished deeds of noble daring. In point of suffering, the company stands second on the list as will be seen by the more detailed account of the result of the engagement. It is coped from Major Harris’ official report, prepared to be submitted to General Nelson. It soon became evident that the foe was faltering before our fire, when we were opened upon from the opposite side of the river and thus exposed to both fires. Our command maintained their ground until the artillery was brought into action. 

The slain of the enemy left on the battlefield on this side of the river whom we buried and of the three wounded prisoners who were cared for by us, two have died, making the number of their dead, so far as our personal knowledge extends, to be eleven. It is stated, however, that they acknowledge their loss in wounded, prisoners, and slain as many as 60. The 2nd and 21st Ohio participated in the action, doing good service. The 59th, which came up later by a well-directed volley, silenced the foe who by their fire were trying to pick off the artillerymen from the other side of the river.

Colonel Jesse S. Norton
21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry

In this contest, our boys faced the fire and showed the spirit of determined bravery every way worthy of Kentucky’s ancient fame. They fought and conquered. Among the incidents not detailed in Major Harris’ report, I must mention that he was slightly wounded. That he is alive is doubtless owing to the fact that a silver spectacle case and a well-filled pocket obstructed the passage of the ball so that only the point of the bullet imbedded in the flesh. Colonel Marshall’s Kentucky jeans are badly riddled, both his upper and nether garments look decidedly worse for the contest. Even his cap was ventilated, and his noble steed fell victim to the enemy’s fire. To the great gratification of all his command, he still lives unscathed and unharmed. I know that he will ever cherish with the most grateful emotions the many instances of devotion shown him by the gallant soldiers whom he led and cheered by his voice and presence during the battle. He heard the cry time and again as he passed along the line among his soldiers, “Colonel, we are with you! Colonel get out of the way! They are shooting right at you!”

This engagement lasted one hour and a half. After our men were brought into action, they never yielded one inch of ground although they were exposed to the enemy’s crossfire both from their mountain ambuscade and the opposite side of the river. The advance under Colonel Marshall including Captain Berryhill’s company was less than 500 men while our information is that the assault was made on us by a force of 1,000 who chose their ground well. [Confederate reports indicate their force to be 231 men] We routed them, taking four prisoners besides the three who were wounded.

         

 

Sources:

Letter from Chaplain John S. Bayless, 16th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, Louisville Daily Courier (Kentucky), November 28, 1861, pg. 1

“The Battle at Piketon: A Soldier’s Experience in His First Battle,” account from unknown officer of 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Reading Times (Pennsylvania), November 29, 1861, pg. 2

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

Arming the Buckeyes: Longarms of the Ohio Infantry Regiments

Image
     A common question that comes up in conversation about Civil War Buckeye regiments is "What were they armed with?" We are fortunate in that the state of Ohio kept good records of how the regiments were armed when they went into service, this being especially true for those regiments which went into service in 1861 and 1862. The state adjutant general's reports for 1861 and 1862 have been heavily drawn upon to construct this article, as well as consultation with Phil Spaugy who has done extensive research on how Ohio's troops were armed during the war.      Buckeyes carried a fairly wide variety of weapons into the field, and the below article breaks this down into weapons of both domestic manufacture and imported arms. The early days of the war found the state of Ohio practically bereft of longarms; as an example, when the 1st and 2nd Ohio Volunteer Militia left the state in late April 1861, they left unarmed, being armed at Lancaster, Pennsylvania on their way to
Read more

Bullets for the Union: Manufacturing Small Arms Ammunition During the Civil War

Image
       Civil War bullets are perhaps the most common item collected from the era; the two armies expended bullets by the millions during the four years’ conflict and spent or deformed bullets of all shapes and sizes have made fascinating and affordable collectibles since the guns went silent in 1865.       I recently acquired a display piece featuring 35 different types of small arms ammunition used during the Civil War, including everything from a small .28 caliber ball up to a .69 caliber three-ring Minie and it triggered some questions: how did the Federal army obtain its small arms ammunition during the war? Where did the lead come from to make the bullets, and where and how was the ammunition manufactured? This post seeks to answer those questions. A typical .58 caliber 3-ring Minie bullet   “Whenever the blasts of war blow in the ears of men who trade in the implements of destruction, they are apt to experience more joy than the true warrior, for then comes the harvest of gain.
Read more

Dressing the Rebels: How to Dye Butternut Jeans Cloth

Image
     In the early days of the Civil War,  the Southern states found themselves with an abundance of cotton but a shortage of cloth with which to make army uniforms. The trade in cloth prior to the war had largely been to send raw cotton or wool north to New England (or Great Britain) where it was converted into usable cloth; but now that trade was broken and the Southern states were thrown upon their own resources in their efforts to properly clothe the Confederate army.  This collection of Confederate enlisted men's frock coats and shell jackets gives some indication of the variety of shades of butternut worn during the war. All of them are shades of yellow brown, some heavier on the yellow and some heavier on the brown. The blue used around the collar or as rank insignia indicates that the soldier was in the infantry. Surviving Confederate uniforms are considered rather rare and command quite a healthy price in the collecting market. For an in-depth study of how Confederate jacke
Read more

The Wizard of Oz and the Civil War

Image
T he 1939 film The Wizard of Oz has delighted viewers for 85 years and ranks as a personal favorite, especially during the Halloween season. While watching it with the family the other night, I wondered if there were any connections between the film and the Civil War. Not surprisingly, the answer is yes and those connections touch both the blue and the gray.           Interestingly both “witches” in the film not only had Civil War ancestors but had connections with Civil War soldiers from Ohio. Margaret Hamilton, the “Wicked Witch of the West,” was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 9, 1902, to attorney Walter Jones Hamilton and his wife Mary Jane Adams; Margaret’s grandfather was Judge Edwin Timothy Hamilton. Judge Hamilton had served as a private in Co. D of the 84 th Ohio Infantry during the summer of 1862. The 84 th Ohio, a three months’ regiment, served nearly the whole of its service attached to the Railroad District in western Maryland, performing provost duty at Cumberlan
Read more

The Vaunted Enfield Rifle Musket

Image
     The English-made Model 1853 .577 caliber Enfield Rifle Musket was widely regarded as the best infantry arm in the world at the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861. Favorable international press describing its efficiency in the Crimean War and in suppressing the Indian rebellion led to the widespread desire of American infantrymen (both Federal and Confederate) to be armed with these accurate and well-made arms. The lock plate of this well-worn P1853 Enfield rifle musket produced in 1862 shows the typical markings of a British-made weapon that made it through the Federal blockade.  ( Army of Tennessee Relics ) Enfield-pattern weapons were imported into the states by the tens and hundreds of thousands during the war years; one estimate stated that the Federal government purchased 500,000 while the Confederates purchased another 400,000. The Confederate government dispatched Captain Caleb Huse to Europe in April 1861 to purchase weapons and Huse focused on securing all the Enfi
Read more

In front of Atlanta with the 68th Ohio

Image
  The arrow corps badge of the 17th Army Corps was worn by many members of the 68th Ohio in the latter days of the war.       Private Edward A. Bigelow of Co. F of the 68th Ohio Volunteer Infantry wrote this brief account of the Battle of Atlanta just two days afterwards to his father back home in Henry County, Ohio. The regiment formed a part of Colonel Robert K. Scott's three regiment all-Ohio brigade consisting of the 20th, 68th, and 78th regiments, being designated the Second Brigade of the Third Division of Frank Blair's 17th Army Corps. Bigelow's letter originally appeared in the Napoleon Press newspaper and was copied in the Toledo Daily Commercial which was providential as no known copies exist today of the wartime Napoleon Press.  
Read more

Charging Battery Robinett: An Alabama Soldier Recalls the Vicious Fighting at Corinth

Image
W riting 30 years after the Battle of Corinth, James A. McKinstry of the 42 nd Alabama recalled his experiences storming Battery Robinett with Colonel William P. Rogers of the 2 nd Texas and expressed guilt that it was perhaps his action that brought about the colonel’s demise. “On seeing a line of Federals approaching, and before giving the situation a thought, I immediately raised my gun and fired full into the breast of a Federal sergeant, who was in front of the column, and only a short distance from us.  'Twas then that Captain George Foster shouted, "Cease firing, men! cease firing!" and waved his handkerchief, then I realized the true situation. 'Twas too late! That fatal volley had been turned on our little band from the muzzles of 1,500 muskets. I was still standing just as I was when I fired my last shot, and within a few feet of Colonel Rogers, when a Minie ball went crashing through my left hip and turned me half round; another went tearing through my
Read more

Federal Arms in the Stones River Campaign

Image
  T he following list, constructed after many years of research, lists unit by unit which type of weapons were carried by the Army of the Cumberland during the Stones River campaign. A number of sources were consulted including state ordnance reports, Federal quarterly ordnance reports (thank you Research Arsenal ), Ken Baumann’s Arming the Suckers, regimental histories and memoirs, captured ordnance reports, and consultation with knowledgeable experts in the field of firearms. Some of this information has been shared on the blog before in “ Rosy’s Heavy Metal: Artillery of the Army of the Cumberland ” or “ Shoulder Arms: How Sheridan’s and Davis’s Divisions Were Armed at Stones River ” but this is the first time the army as a whole has been presented. The overall conclusion I drew from looking at this data is that the Army of the Cumberland in December 1862 was an organization in the midst of transformation as far as arms. Many of the regiments still retained their original issue
Read more

Cook & Brother of New Orleans

Image
    The lockplate of a New Orleans-made Cook & Brother Enfield rifle produced in 1862 shows the fine craftsmanship that became the hallmark of the maker throughout the Civil War. Note the stars and bars flag at left, an emblem used on C&B's production throughout the war and the Cook & Brother, N.O. 1862 markings. Earlier production weapons at New Orleans had the flag located just above the maker's name while later weapons produced in Athens, Georgia would have a modified flag and Athens on the plate followed by the serial number.        In the spring of 1861, two English-born businessmen, Ferdinand and Francis Cook of New Orleans, perceived the need for the South to have its own domestic production of firearms and  set out to prove "that rifles could made here as well as in Yankee land or in Europe." The brothers  elected to produce copies of the British Model 1853 .577 caliber Enfield rifle as this was considered the benchmark longarm at the outset of the
Read more

Revisiting Snodgrass Hill: Memories of a 21st Ohio Officer

Image
Captain Isaac Cusac, Co. G, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry proudly displaying his rank as captain in an image likely dating from early 1863. One of his shoulder straps was shot off in the final stages of the 21st Ohio's fight atop Snodgrass Hill on September 20, 1863. Cusac brought it back to Chickamauga 50 years later.  I n September 1913, 83-year-old Isaac Cusac, a retired Presbyterian minister from the little town of McComb, Ohio, returned to Chattanooga to attend the national G.A.R. encampment. The former captain of the 21 st Ohio returned to Snodgrass Hill on the old Chickamauga battlefield on the 50 th anniversary of the battle carrying with him a precious relic of his wartime experiences. “He carried with him there an epaulet that was shot from his shoulder at the battle,” it was reported. “The bullet clipped off the epaulet and then struck him on the left hand, injuring two fingers.”           The flood of memories as he walked the grounds must have been overwhelming. The f
Read more