The First Union Win

General Felix Kirk Zollicoffer

Fought in Laurel County, Kentucky, the Battle of Camp Wildcat was one of the first Union victories on October 21^st 1861.

Confederates under Brigadier General Felix Kirk Zollicoffer moved from Tennessee into central Kentucky, hoping to gain control of the state.  The 5,400 Confederates took control of the Cumberland Gap, pushing out the home guard near Barbourville.  Union Brigadier General George Henry Thomas ordered Colonel Theophilus T Garrard to move troops forward to a ford on the Rockcastle River, in the heavily forested Wildcat Mountain area to block the Wilderness Road.  Garrard was out numbered 7 to 1, before Brigadier General Albin F Schoepf moved into the area bring the Union troops to about 7,000.

The two sides met in the late afternoon of October 20^th 1861 in a heated battle.  The morning of October 21^st 1861 opened with an intense ground fight.  From behind fortifications the Union soldiers held off repeated attacks by the Confederate forces.  The Confederates withdrew during the night and continued to the Cumberland Ford.  There were 4 Union dead and 18 wounded.  The Confederates lost 11, with 42 wounded or missing.

He Went With His State

Confederate Brigadier General Felix Kirk Zollicoffer was killed January 19th 1862 during the Battle of Mill Springs in Kentucky.

Felix Kirk Zollicoffer was born May 19th 1812 on the family plantation in Bigbyville, Maury, Tennessee, the son of John Jacob and Martha [Kirk] Zollicoffer. He attended local schools and spent one year at Jackson College in Columbia Tennessee. Zollicoffer had left school to apprentice as a printer by the time he was sixteen. He was the editor and part owner of the “Columbia Observer” by 1834, and the editor of the “Mercury” of Huntsville, Alabama. Zollicoffer volunteered for the army in 1836 during the Second Seminole War. When the war was over he returned to home and his newspapers. He took up politics serving as the Comptroller of the State Treasury, and United States Congress.

Although Zollicoffer believed in states rights, he was not in favor of Tennessee seceding, and was a member of the Peace Convention of 1861. However when Tennessee seceded Zollicoffer joined the Confederate Army and was appointed Brigadier General in the District of East Tennessee. He and 4,000 new recruits were sent to Knoxville, Tennessee July 26th 1861 to suppress an East Tennessee resistance to the secession. Zollicoffer’s orders were to guard the Cumberland Gap, and he moved West into southeastern Kentucky, set up winter quarters at Mill Springs, Kentucky. On December 8th 1861 Zollicoffer was replaced by Confederate Major General George B Crittenden, who placed Zollicoffer in command of the First Brigade.

Union Brigadier General George Henry Thomas was ordered to break up Crittenden’s Army and on January 19th 1862 they attacked the Confederate force at Mill Springs. Zollicoffer had moved his troops to the north bank of river which proved to be indefensible, he could not however move the men do an insufficient number of boats. His men were routed. As the battle began to wined down Zollicoffer was shot by Union Colonel Speed S Fry, after wandering into a Union position thinking they were Confederate. He died January 19th 1862. Zollicoffer’s body was embalmed by a Union surgeon and returned to Tennessee where he was buried in the Old City Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.