It Wasn't A Mire Diversion

The First Battle of Franklin was fought in Williamson County, Tennessee on April 10^th 1863, taking place near where the more famous battle of the same name would happen in 1864.

On April 10^th 1863 Confederate Major General Earl Van Dorn advanced his cavalry, about 6,000 strong, north from Spring Hill, Tennessee, towards Franklin, Tennessee.  His force would run into skirmishers of Union Major General Gordon Granger.  Granger had received a report of an attack to his north in Brentwood, Tennessee, and thought Van Dorn’s attack was a mire diversion.  When Granger learned that there was no threat to Brentwood, he decided to drive Van Dorn.  When the Union commander sent orders, he found that one of his subordinates had already initiated an attack.

The 4^th United States Cavalry under the command of the Brigadier General David S Stanley came in behind Van Dorn’s troopers by crossing the Harpeth River at Hughes’ Ford.  The Union troopers captured Freeman’s Tennessee Battery, but loose it when Confederate Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest made a counterattack.  Finding Union cavalry in his rear, Van Dorn withdrew back to Spring Hill, leaving the Union in control of the area.  This battle cost the Confederates 137 and the Union 100 casualties.

Abandon Pursuit

Earl Van Dorn

The Battle of Hatchie Bridge or Davis Bridge was the final engagement of the Luka-Corinth Campaign and was fought October 5^th 1862 in Hardeman and McNairy Counties Tennessee.

Confederate Major General Earl Van Dorn’s Army of Tennessee retreated on October 4^th 1862 from Corinth, Mississippi, halting that night near Chewalla, Tennessee.  Union Major General William S Rosecrans began his pursuit the next morning, with the assistance of Major General Edward O C Ord.  Around 8am on the morning of October 5^th 1862 Ord took command of the combined Union forces and moved on Van Dorn’s advance; commanded by Confederate Major General Sterling Price’s men, pushing them back about five miles to the Hatchie River and across the Davis’ Bridge.  Ord was wounded in the ankle during this push.  While Ord’s men pushed Price’s Confederates, Van Dorn had scouts looking for another way to cross the Hatchie River.

Union General Ulysses Grant ordered the Union command to abandon the pursuit of the Confederates, allowing Van Dorn’s Army to escape.

A Railroad Builder

Confederate General Lloyd Tilghman an engineer of railroads was killed May 16^th 1863 at the Battle of Champion Hill.

Lloyd Tilghman was born at Rich Neck Manor in Claiborne, Maryland January 18^th 1816, the son of James and Ann C (Shoemaker) Tilghman.  He received an appointment to West Point Military Academy, graduating in 1836 near the bottom of his class.  Tilghman was commissioned second lieutenant in 1^st United States Dragoons.  He resigned after three months of service.  Tilghman went to work in Panama and areas of the south constructing a number of railroads.  He settled in Paducah, Kentucky.

After the Civil War began Tilghman joined the Confederacy and became the Colonel of the 3^rd Kentucky Infantry.  He was promoted to Brigadier General on October 18^th 1861.  Tilghman took on the engineering work of building Fort Henry and Fort Donelson.  He didn’t choose the location for the forts which he stated in his report were in a “wretched military position”.  Tilghman was captured February 6^th 1862 when Fort Henry fell to Union General Ulysses S Grant, and was sent to Fort Warren in Boston, Massachusetts as a POW.  He was exchanged August 15^th 1862 for Union General John F Reynolds.  Tilghman returned in the fall and took command of a brigade in Confederate General Earl Van Dorn’s Army of the West.  He commanded artillery at the Second Battle of Corinth.

Tilghman was hit by a shell fragment and killed May 16^th 1863 at the Battle of Champion Hill.  He is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City.

A great web site, if you like to more about Lloyd Tilghman is Paducah's General Lloyd Tilghman

Struck Down By A fever

Confederate General John Bordenave Villepigue resigned his commission with the Union army on March 31^st 1861.

John Bordenave Villepigue was born July 2^nd 1830 in Camden, Kershaw, South Carolina.  He attended the South Carolina Military Academy in 1846, the Citadel in 1847 and finally graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1854, the 2^nd in his class.  Villepigue’s first duty as a Second Lieutenant was with the 2^nd United States Dragoons.  He saw action in Kansas and Nebraska against the Sioux, and was part of the Utah campaign in 1857.  Promoted to First Lieutenant he taught for a time at the Carlisle Cavalry School in Pennsylvania.

Villepigue was on duty in Utah when the Civil War started, he resigned his commission in the Union Army March 31^st 1861.  He took a commission in the Confederate Army of Captain of artillery.  In a short time Villepigue was promoted to Colonel in the 36^th Georgia Infantry, and he took command of Fort McRee in time for the bombing on November 22^nd 1861, where he was seriously wounded.  Serving under Confederate General Braxton Bragg; who praised him for his leadership, Bragg said Villepigue was "an educated soldier, possessing in an eminent degree the love and confidence of his officers and men, he had been specially selected for this important and perilous post."  He moved onto Mobile, Alabama and received an appointment to Brigadier General in 1862.  Villepigue commanded a brigade at the Second Battle of Corinth in October 1862, serving under Confederate Major General Earl van Dorn.

Villepigue caught a fever during the campaign.  He was sent to Port Hudson, Louisiana to recuperate, but developed pneumonia and died November 9^th 1862.  He is buried in the Old Quaker Cemetery in Camden, South Carolina.

A Union Star

The USS Star of the West was fired on January 9^th 1861 as it entered Charleston Harbor by cadets from the Citadel.

The Star of the West was built in 1852 for Cornelius Vanderbilt, and was launched June 17^th 1852.  It was a 1,000 ton steamer with a wooden hull, two masts, and a side paddle wheel.  She worked for the United States Mail Steamship Company running between New York City, Havana Cuba, and New Orleans, Louisiana until January 1861.

A week after South Carolina had seceded from the Union, the USS Star of the West was fired on when she tried to enter Charleston Harbor on January 9^th 1861.  Cadets from the Citadel fired a warning shots across the Stars’ bow as she was attempting the get supplies to the garrison at Fort Sumter.  The Star was hit three times.  She gave up trying to get to Fort Sumter and returned to her home port in New York Harbor.

The Star then went to work as troop transport, picking up seven companies of Union troops at Indianola, Texas.  She was captured April 18^th 1861 while anchored in Matagorda Bay by Confederate Colonel Earl Van Dorn.  Taken to New Orleans her name was changed to CSS St Philip.  The Confederates had her sunk near Greenwood to block the Union flotilla from making it up river to Vicksburg.

Quickly Took Control Of Holly Springs

Confederate Major General Earl Van Dorn sent a force against Union Major General Ulysses S Grant December 20th 1862 at Holly Springs, Mississippi.

In charge of three mounted brigades, Confederate Major General Earl Van Dorn, moved his force against Union Major General Ulysses S Grant’s supply depot at Holly Springs, Mississippi. On December 19th 1862 Grant learned that Confederate Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest was attacking the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, tearing up the track in West Tennessee. Van Dorn used this cover, moved his men well east of the Union troops, then cut west to Holly Springs. Grant didn’t learn of Van Dorn’s move until late on December 19th 1862, at which time he warned Colonel Robert C Murphy at Holly Springs.

Van Dorn split his force and at dawn on December 20th 1862, the Confederates sweep into town from the north and east. He posted patrols to prevent Union reinforcements from reaching the town. Van Dorn’s troops routed the Union soldiers in Holly Springs, taking 1500 prisoner; and quickly taking control of the supply depot. The Confederates cut the telegraph line, took up the track and sacked the warehouses, burning anything they couldn't take. Van Dorn then headed north, moving away from Grant’s headquarters. Although Grant pushed his cavalry he was unable to catch up with the Confederates.

Surrounded And Out Of Ammo

In Williamson County Tennessee on March 5th 1863 the Battle of Thompson’s Station took place.


Following the Battle of Stones River, Union infantry under Colonel John Coburn headed south toward Columbia to scout the area. About four miles from Spring Hill Coburn’s right wing attacked two Confederate regiments. Confederates Major General Earl Van Dorn and Brigadier General W H “Red” Jackson’s soldiers made a frontal attack on Coburn’s men. At the same time Confederate Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest swept around the Union left flank and into their rear. Forest was able to block the road to Columbia in the Union rear and capture Coburn’s supplies. After hard fighting, out of ammunition and surrounded Coburn surrendered. The Union troops lost 1,906 men either wounded or killed, the Confederates saw 300 casualties.

An Acoustical Shadow

The Confederate Army of the West found themselves in the Battle of Iuka on September 19th 1862.

Confederate Major General Sterling Price’s main column arrived in Iuka, Mississippi on September 14th 1862. He had been ordered by his commander General Braxton Bragg to keep the Union army in Mississippi from moving into Tennessee.

Union General William Rosecrans began his march to Iuka, Mississippi at 4:30 am on September 19th 1862. Price had planned to rendezvous with General Earl Van Dorn, but saw that he could not evacuate Iuka at that time. As Rosecrans’s men advanced they fought an action with the Confederates along the route. At about 4pm the Union column halted on the top of a hill, because the Confederates were in the ravine below which was filled with trees and underbrush. The Confederate troops embarked on an attack up the hill, where they took an Ohio battery. The fighting went on until dark. Although by all accounts the fighting was heated, an acoustical shadow kept all sound from the battle from being heard just two miles away where other Union troops were located. Rosecrans’ men camped behind the ridge and Price redeployed his troops across their front.

Following the 19th’s battle Price planned to reengage the enemy, but his subordinates convinced him to join his army up with Van Dorn. The Union army occupied Iuka, before making a pursuit on September 20th 1862. The Confederate rearguard and a heavily overgrown terrain prevented the chase from amounting to much. The Union saw casualties of about 800 killed, wounded or missing. The Confederate side saw about 1500 casualties from the battle.