Pushed Up The Hill

The Battle of Somerset or Dutton’s Hill was fought in central Kentucky March 31^st 1863.

Confederate Brigadier General John Pegream led a force of cavalry in 1863 into the Lexington, Kentucky area.  Aware of the movement Union Brigadier General Quincy A Gillmore, an engineer and artillerist serving in the Department of Ohio, sought permission to lead a cavalry and mounted infantry force against Pegream.  Before Gillmore could make his move the Confederates had rounded up a few hundred cattle to be used for supplying hungry troops.

Gillmore finally got his troops moving, catching up with Pegram’s force on March 31^st 1863 just outside of Somerset, Kentucky.  Union troops pushed Pegram’s men up Dutton’s Hill, where they made a stand. Union artillery was brought up, and the 45^th Ohio Mounted Infantry successfully charge the Confederates on the hill.

Pegram was forced to retreat.  They moved south of the Cumberland River, leaving behind most of the captured cattle.

Only Married Aout Three Weeks

The first former United States officer to be captured as a Confederate; Brigadier General John Pegram was killed February 6th 1865.

John Pegram was born January 24th 1832 in Petersburg, Virginia the son of John West and Virginia [Johnson] Pegram. His father died when he was still young, and his mother supported the family by running a girls school. Pegram received an appointment to the United State Military Academy at West Point. He graduated in 1854, and was assigned to the United State dragoons as a Second Lieutenant. After three years of garrison duty in the West, Pegram was appointed as Assistant Instructor of Cavalry at West Point. He took a leave in 1858-59 to go to Europe and observe the Austro - Sardinian War. After returning from Europe in 1860 Pegram was assigned on the frontier in New Mexico Territory.

Pegram received news in May 1861 that his home state of Virginia had seceded. He resigned his Untied State Lieutenant commission. In July of 1861 Pegram was assigned to the 20th Virginia Infantry and commissioned a Lieutenant Colonel. The 20th Virginia was part of Brigadier General Robert Selden Garnett’s brigade serving in western Virginia. In August 1861 Pegrem’s men were cut off from the brigade during the Battle of Rich Mountain on July 11th 1861, and Pegram surrendered his men to the Union forces. Making Pegram the first former United States Army officer to be captured as a Confederate, he spent six months imprisoned in Fort Monroe. Paroled on January 1862, Pegram was prompted to Colonel and made the Chief Engineer of the army of General Braxton Bragg. In November 1862 Pegram was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of a Cavalry Brigade. In November 1862 he reported to the Army of Northern Virginia, where he was given command of a brigade in Jubal A Early’s division. Pegram was wounded during the Battle of the Wilderness, but was back in time for Early’s Valley Campaign.

Pegram married Hetty Cary January 19th 1865 in Richmond, Virginia. The wedding was attended by Confederate President and Mrs Jefferson Davis. Pegram was killed in action February 6th 1865 at the Battle of Hatcher’s Run. His funeral would be held in the same church he was just married in. Pegram is buried in the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.

Turn The Right Flank

The Battle of Hatcher’s Run, part of the Siege of Petersburg was fought February 5th 1865.

Union Brigadier General David M Gregg’s Cavalry traveled west to Dinwiddie Court House on the Malone Road on February 5th 1865, looking to intercept Confederate supplies. The V Corps under command of Major General Gouverneur K Warren took a position to protect Gregg’s right flank on the Vaughen Road. Two divisions of the Second Corps under command of Major General Andrew A Humphreys moved from Hatcher’s Run to Armstrong’s Mill to cover Warren’s right flank. In the late afternoon Confederate Major General John B Gordon attacked Humphrey’s men near the Mill planning to turn their right flank. The Union troops held their line and repulsed Gordon’s men. During the night the Union Second Corps was reinforced by two divisions, extending the line south of Hatcher’s Run.

The movements here continued for two more days, with the line moving back and forth. On February 6th 1865 Confederate Brigadier General John Pegram was killed taking Hatcher’s Run. The next day February 7th 1865 Union forces recaptured the lines lost the day before. The two sides saw about 2,700 casualties in the three days of fighting.

Rise To Command

Union victory at the Battle of Rich Mountain on July 11th 1861 helped rise Major General George B McClellan to command.

On June 27th 1861 Major General George B McClellan who was then in command of the Union army in western Virginia, began moving troops south from Clarksburg VA. They reached the area around Rich Mountain in Randolph County Virginia [now West Virginia] on July 9th 1861 and come up against Confederate Lieutenant Colonel John Pegram. On July 11th 1861 Union Brigadier General William S Rosecrans took the Staunton Parkersburg Turnpike to Pegram’s rear. The next two hours of fighting split the Confederates forces. Pegram surrendered on July 13th 1861. About half of his men managed to escape.

On July 22nd 1861 McClellan was ordered to return to Washington DC, where he would be place in command of the Army of the Potomac. Rosecrans would be give the command of the army in western Virginia.

Further reading on this subject
The Battle of Rich Mountain: An Overview