The Rebels Flew Right and Left: A Hoosier at Mill Springs

Following the Federal victory at Mill Springs, Private William Ruby of the 10th Indiana observed the mad scramble for souvenirs amongst his peers. He proudly reported securing one of the best prizes: a Confederate flag that belonged to a company in the 16th Alabama.

“We gave them such an ungodly scare in the fight that they left their wagons, tents, trunks, horses, saddles, clothes, guns, pistols, ammunition of all kinds, cannons and in fact everything imaginable,” he wrote to his father. “A person could not form the least idea of the scene which followed. There is hardly anyone but what had a relic or trophy to keep in remembrance of the ever-to-be remembered 19th of January. I captured a splendid banner belonging to the Marion County, Alabama Guards. I will present it to old Tippecanoe County, together with another one captured by Johnny Mackessey of our company. I also got a flute worth about $30, a silver watch, a splendid pistol and case worth about $30. I have several nice little trophies which I intend sending home at the first opportunity. Swords and long knives are in abundance.”

Private Ruby’s account of the fight at Mill Springs first saw publication in the January 25, 1862, edition of the Lafayette Journal & Courier published in Lafayette, Indiana.

Corporal William Duncan fought at Mill Springs as part of Co. G of the 10th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The Hoosier would not survive the war, dying June 25, 1864, from a wound sustained 10 days earlier during the Atlanta Campaign. 

Camp Beech Grove, inside Zolly’s Fortifications, Mill Spring, Kentucky

January 21, 1862

Dear father,

          No doubt you are anxious to hear of my whereabouts. I can only say that I weathered the storm and came out without a scratch. I shot two seceshers that I know of; I togethers with others saw them fall. One was a color-bearer who waved his flag in our faces when I took good aim and down he went.

          Last Sunday morning, immediately after roll call, one of Woolford’s cavalry came into camp with the intelligence that a large force was advancing towards us. We had no sooner received the news than we heard the pickets firing briskly. The long roll was beat, the regiment formed in line of battle and started immediately to the rescue of Co. K who were out on picket duty. We no sooner reached the scene of action than Colonel Kise gave the command to “fire!” which the boys did with a will. Our situation was upon a small hill, the enemy on the hill just above us, but out of sight on account of the density of the underbrush. After a fight of near an hour, we were obliged to retreat, as the other regiments failed to come up to sustain us.

          We held our ground against a force of 9,000 strong. Before we retreated, they flanked us right and left so that we were in a crossfire, it was in this predicament that we lost most of our men. When we retired the 4th Kentucky came up and took our place, where they did good service. They fought valiantly as any troops could have done. No sooner had we reached our camp than we were again called to rally, which we did with alacrity. No sooner had we formed in line than General Thomas ordered us forward to sustain the 4th Kentucky, who were now nearly out of ammunition. We went forward to the front, squatted behind a fence and pecked away at the Rebels whenever we got a chance.


In about half an hour, we were ordered to the woods where we again went on double quick. From this position, we were ordered to the left from there we were commanded to “charge bayonet” which we did with a yell and a good will. The Rebels flew right and left. Our boys followed them, keeping up a continual fire. The Rebels fell all around; some of them were spunky, held their ground as though they intended staying with us a while, which in fact they did. After driving the Rebels out of the woods, we kept after them through an open field when they squatted behind a fence, when our boys, the 4th Kentucky, and 9th Ohio which had just come up, took to stumps and old dead trees.

The last half hour’s firing was the hottest and heaviest of all. During the engagement, our artillery fired some 25-30 shells which made a general scatter among the seceshers. They returned the fire with interest. In their flight the Rebels left two cannon and guns innumerable. After the Rebels fled, we followed them about half a mile when we came to a halt, took breakfast at the expense of the party ‘cleaned out’ which they had left behind them a short distance, intending (as they said) to return for it after they had given us what we needed and taken breakfast in our camp. Old General Zollicoffer said at starting that he would take breakfast in our camp or in hell that morning. I think he must certainly have taken his breakfast in the latter place as he was killed early in the engagement.

Colonel Speed Fry of the 4th Kentucky claims the killing of Zollicoffer; others say that it was an Enfield ball that put out his lamp of life. One thing certain, Zollicoffer is dead. General George Crittenden was wounded and is a prisoner in our camp. We pursued the Rebels; they fled for their fortifications, but no officer could get them out of their bunks after they had once reached them in safety. The roads we passed over were the worst and muddiest that I ever traveled or ever want to again.

National colors presented to the 10th Indiana by the Loyal Ladies of Lafayette; note the Mill Spring battle honor above the regimental identification. 

We came in sight of old Zollicoffer’s works just before dark and could see the Rebels at work inside of their entrenchments. They threw two shells at us but did us no damage. Our artillerists threw about 40 rounds at them, which made them get up and skedaddle. All night we could see them crossing the river on their ferry boats. As soon as daylight set in, we threw eight or ten more shells at them as they crossed the river. One shell set their boat on fire. After that we could see the Rebels swimming the river. One whole regiment pitched in at once.

None of them got their guns ashore; they started in with them but lost them in the river. Over 3,000 guns were lost in the Cumberland and over 100 horsemen drowned. On the night of January 19, our regiment lay out, Mother Earth for a bed, the bright canopy of heaven above for a covering, and slept first rate, dreamed of home and seeing you all. On the morning of the 20th, we took our frugal breakfast which consisted of a hard cracker and a piece of bacon, roasted on the coals.

About 10 o’clock, we formed in line and marched over to the camps lately vacated by the Confederates. Once inside, we began to look around and were astonished to see how or what could possess a set of men to leave works as strong as they had here on the riverside. They had natural fortifications and on the side from which we would have to attack them were strong enough to hold with a small force against a host, we could never have taken them without a heavy loss on our side. And after we would have taken their works on this side of the river, they could have held the other side as they had heavy works all around them, whilst on the river side, the works were almost impregnable.

They could have sunken every boat that we could have got or attempted to use, but as luck would have it, we gave them such an ungodly scare in the fight that they left their wagons, tents, trunks, horses, saddles, clothes, guns, pistols, ammunition of all kinds, cannons and in fact everything imaginable. A person could not form the least idea of the scene which followed. There is hardly anyone but what had a relic or trophy to keep in remembrance of the ever-to-be remembered 19th of January.

Of our officers (that of Co. E) I can say this much: they behaved nobly, did their duty, none could have done better. Our loss in the 10th Indiana was 13 killed and 80 wounded, two of whom have since died. Our company lose one killed and six wounded. Lieutenant Louis Johnson has a slight scratch on the right arm. On our first fight in the morning, we held our ground one hour and 40 minutes against 9,000 men. Our force was only 700. One prisoner, a Mississippian whom I took, said to me, “By God, boys, you fight like hell. You are too heavy for us!” We had to contend against Mississippians, South Carolinians, Alabamians, Louisianans, Tennesseans, and Kentuckians. The Hoosiers beat all and the 10th Indiana gets all the praise, the 4th Kentucky a share.

After the battle, General George Thomas rode up before us. He told General Mahlon Manson that he never saw such fighting in his life as we did and said, “three cheers for the brave Indianans.” Everyone says that we do beat hell in a fight. I captured a splendid banner belonging to the Marion County, Alabama Guards [Co. G or K, 16th Alabama]. I will present it to old Tippecanoe County, together with another one captured by Johnny Mackessey of our company. I also got a flute worth about $30, a silver watch, a splendid pistol and case worth about $30. I have several nice little trophies which I intend sending home at the first opportunity. Swords and long knives are in abundance.

Mess No. 4 is quartered in a hut lately occupied by an Alabama captain. The Rebels had erected winter quarters and intended staying here. We captured over 1,600 head of horses and mules, 500 wagons, and 14 cannons. Provisions are plenty- we have everything that we could wish for and have had a good old time reading Secesh letters. The Rebels put their loss at over 2,000; we have picked up and buried over 250. We have about 60 prisoners in our camp besides others; they say their loss is heavy.

To learn more about the Battle of Mill Springs, please check out these related posts:

Trembling in Our Very Boots: A Hoosier Describes Mill Springs (10th Indiana)

Nip and Tuck with the 2nd Minnesota at Mill Springs 

A Librarian's First Battle: At Mill Springs with the 2nd Minnesota

A Tale of Two Colonels: A Blue & Gray View of Mill Springs (16th Alabama and 2nd Minnesota)

Failure at Fishing Creek: A Mississippi Tiger's Take on Mill Springs (15th Mississippi)

The Odyssey of Zollicoffer's Body

          William Franklin Ruby was born December 2, 1840, in Lafayette. Tippecanoe Co., Indiana at the age of 16, set out to make his fortune in Texas where he engaged in the drug business for four years, but left the now now-seceded state on April 12, 1861. The overland journey took nearly three months to complete, Ruby arriving in Lafayette on July 24, 1861.

Ruby enlisted as a private in Co. E of the 10th Indiana Volunteer Infantry on September 18, 1861. Promoted to regimental commissary sergeant on March 20, 1863, he mustered out with the regiment September 19, 1864, at Indianapolis, Indiana. He had a very active service with the 10th Indiana, taking part in engagements at Mill Spring, Perryville, Hoover’s Gap, Chickamauga, and throughout the Atlanta campaign. Cited for heroism is distributing cartridges to the regiment at Perryville, Ruby suffered a severe wound at Resaca in May 1864. “He was sent to Gallatin, Tennessee with a train of supplies for the troops who had gone after Morgan’s band at Muldraugh’s Hill and received a telegram to get back to Elizabethtown as fast as possible as Morgan was making for the railroad at that point to cut off and capture the train and supplies, but he won the race by about 20 minutes and saved the train,” his obituary stated.

In April 1865 he was commissioned as quartermaster of the 154th Indiana, one of Indiana’s last Civil War regiments, and served just a few months before mustering out of service for the final time August 4, 1865, at Winchester, Virginia. Lieutenant Ruby passed away October 13, 1924, in his hometown of Lafayette and is buried at Greenbush Cemetery.

Source:

Letter from Private William Franklin Ruby, Co. E, 10th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Lafayette Journal & Courier (Indiana), January 25, 1862, pg. 3

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