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The
First Kentucky Cavalry
continued
He thinks that the balance of the
command are prisoners, including Gen. Stoneman. He cut the railroad south of
Macon. The command was overwhelmed by the rebels between Monticello and
Clinton." It would be interesting to narrate, in detail, the events of this
raid, but space forbids. Col. Adams refused to surrender, and determined to cut
his way out. Stoneman told him his command would be cut to pieces. Adams said:
"I will take the responsibility." He did so, and fought his way through the
enemy's lines and returned, as we have seen. At this time, among the killed was
Capt. Francis M. Wolford, and Lieut. Murphy wounded. General Sherman says of
this raid: "one brigade, Col. Adams', came in almost intact."
After this the regiment returned to Kentucky, and September 16, 1864, was in
camp at Mount Sterling. It was then incorporated with General Burbridge's
command, organized for the expedition to Saltville, Virginia. After this
campaign, in which the First Cavalry was as active and useful as it ever was,
fighting and marching and sustaining losses, it returned to Mount Sterling,
Kentucky. On the 31st of December, 1864, after nearly 3 1/2 years of continuous
hard service, and having performed its full duty to state and country, it was
mustered out of the service at Camp Nelson, Kentucky.
Note: Col. Wolford was a remarkable man and a decided character. Many anecdotes
are told about him. In Tarrant's history of the regiment, it is stated that a
Georgia captain, who was captured at Mill Springs, said to Wolford: "Col., this
is a dreadful business." "Yes, it is," replied the Col. "All we want is to be
let alone," said the captain. "It looks that way," responded Wolford, "when you
have come all the way from Georgia to shoot my men, many of whom are in hearing
of their homes."
Tarrant also relates that as the soldiers had a habit of taking all the chickens
that crowed for Jeff Davis, the people complained of it. Wolford said: "The
thieves must certainly belong to some other regiment, for I have ordered my men
not to steal, and they always mind me, so it must be some other men than mine."
The present writer was on Gen. Shackleford's staff in the East Tennessee
campaign, fall of 1863. At that time Negro enlistments had begun, and many
Kentucky officers disliked it. Among them was Wolford. In the siege of
Knoxville, provisions became scarce and Cols. Wolford and Pennebaker often
appeared at Gen. Shackleford's mess to get something to eat. One day Wolford,
with a grim smile, said to Col. Pennebaker, "Charley, I don't like nigger
soldiers, and neither do you, but if Lincoln should send a lot of 'um down here,
and run off old Longstreet, I wouldn't care a ----, would you?"
In the battle of Beans Station, Shackleford observed Wolford's men withdrawing
from their position. He told the writer to ride like fury to Wolford, and tell
him he must hold that place. Upon receiving the order, Wolford spurred his horse
along the line of brigade, shouting his orders; 'bout faced his men, and he led
the way back, riding in front of his command waving his hat, and urging the men
forward. It was a splendid act of gallantry, and instantaneous execution of an
order. A fierce fight ensued, but Wolford regained his position.
It was commonly remarked that Wolford's men scattered all over the country and
that some of them could be found anywhere at any time, but that when wanted at
any one place they all turned up in some marvelous way, like Robin Hood's men,
at the call of their leader. Alluding to this well-known reputation of the
regiment, Gen. Whitaker once said to Col. Wolford: "Colonel, I understand some
of your men were with the Army of the Potomac on the last movement on Richmond."
"I reckon not," said Wolford. "If my men had been there they would have taken
the place."
It is related that after the battle of Shiloh, although Wolford's regiment was
on duty in the upper parts of Tennessee, east of Nashville, two of its men were
observed riding composedly along the lines, and their appearance caused great
shouting and cheering among the Kentucky soldiers who had already learned the
peculiarities of the First Cavalry.
From Dyer's Compendium:
1st Regiment Cavalry
Organized at Liberty, Burkeville and Monticello, Ky., October, 1861, and
mustered in October 28, 1861. Attached to Thomas' Command, Camp Dick Robinson,
Ky., to December, 1861. 1st Division, Army of the Ohio, to March, 1862. (5 Cos.
attached to Garfield's 18th Brigade, Army Ohio. December, 1861, to March, 1862.)
Unattached, Army Ohio, to September, 1862. 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army
Ohio, to November, 1862. Post Gallatin, Tenn., Dept. of the Cumberland, to
April, 1863. District of Central Kentucky, Dept. Ohio, to June, 1863. 1st
Brigade, 1st Division, 23rd Army Corps, Army Ohio, to August, 1863. Independent
Cavalry Brigade, 23rd Army Corps, to November, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division,
Cavalry Corps, Army Ohio, to May, 1864. Independent Brigade, Cavalry Division,
23rd Army Corps, to August, 1864. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, District of
Kentucky, Dept. of Ohio, to December, 1864. Camp Nelson, Military District of
Kentucky, to September, 1865.
SERVICE--Near Rockcastle Hills October 18, 1861. Camp Wild Cat October 21.
Fishing Creek December 8. (5 Cos. sent to Prestonburg, Ky., December 10 and Join
Garfield. Garfield's operations against Humphrey Marshall December 23, 1861, to
January 20, 1862. Middle Creek, near Prestonburg, January 10, 1862.) Near
Logan's Cross Roads, Mill Springs, on Fishing Creek, January 19-20, 1862. Near
Cumberland Gap February 14 (Detachment). Big Creek Gap and Jacksboro March 14
(Detachment). Reconnaissance to Cumberland Gap March 21-23 (1st Battalion).
Moved to Nashville, Tenn., April. Purdy and Lebanon May 5. Duty at Shelbyville,
Columbia, Mt. Pleasant, Lawrenceburg, Pulaski and Murfreesboro, Tenn., until
August. March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 21-September 26.
Capture of 3rd Georgia Cavalry at New Haven September 29. Pursuit of Bragg into
Kentucky October 1-22. Near Perryville October 6-7. Battle of Perryville October
8. Danville October 11. Near Mountain Gap October 14 and 16. March to Nashville,
Tenn., October 22-November 7. Ordered to Kentucky November. Operations against
Morgan December, 1862, to January, 1863. Operations against Pegram March
22-April 1. Danville March 24. Dutton's Hill, near Somerset, March 30.
Expedition to Monticello and operations in Southeast Kentucky April 25-May 12.
Howe's Ford, Weaver's Store, April 28. Monticello May 1. Neal Springs May. Near
Mill Springs May 29. Monticello and Rocky Gap June 9. Saunders' raid in East
Tennessee June 14-24. Lenoir June 19. Knoxville June 19-20. Strawberry Plains
and Rogers' Gap June 20. Powder Springs Gap June 21. Columbia and Creelsborough
June 29. Pursuit of Morgan July 2-26. Marrowbone, Burkesville, July 2. Columbia
July 3. Martin's Creek July 10. Buffington's Island. Ohio, July 19. Near Lisbon
July 26. Operation against Scott in Eastern Kentucky. Lancaster and Paint Lick
Bridge July 31. Lancaster August 1. Smith's Shoals, Cumberland River, August 1.
Burnside's campaign in East Tennessee August 16-October 17. Calhoun and
Charleston September 25. Near Philadelphia September 27 and October 15.
Philadelphia October 20. Motley's Ford, Little Tennessee River, November 4.
Knoxville Campaign November 4-December 23. Marysville November 14. Little River
November 14-15. Stock Creek November 15. Near Knoxville November 16. Siege of
Knoxville November 17-December 5. Pursuit of Longstreet December 5-23. About
Bean Station December 9-13. Operations about Dandridge January 16-17, 1864. Bend
of Chucky River, near Dandridge, January 16. Dandridge January 17. Flat and
Muddy Creek January 26. Seviersville January 26. Near Fair Garden January 27.
Moved to Mt. Sterling, Ky., February 17-26, and duty there reorganizing until
April. March to Tunnel Hill, Ga., May 1-12. Atlanta Campaign May to September.
Demonstrations on Dalton May 9-13. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and
battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5.
Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Lost
Mountain June 10 and 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Operations on line of
Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Campbellton July 4. On line of the Chattahoochie River
July 5-17. About Atlanta July 22-27. Stoneman's raid to Macon July 27-August 6.
Macon and Clinton July 30. Sunshine Church July 30-31. Ordered to Mt. Sterling,
Ky., September. Duty at Camp Nelson, Ky., and at other points in Kentucky until
December. Mustered out December 31, 1864. Veterans and recruits consolidated to
a Battalion of 3 Companies and on duty at various points in Kentucky, operating
against guerrillas and quieting country, until September, 1865. Mustered out
September 20, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 5 Officers and 56 Enlisted men killed and mortally
wounded and 1 Officer and 282 Enlisted men by disease. Total 344.
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