The Big Sandy Expedition was an early campaign of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

that began in mid-September 1861 when

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Brig. Gen. Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

William "Bull" Nelson William "Bull" Nelson (September 27, 1824 – September 29, 1862) was a United States naval officer who became a Union general during the American Civil War. As a Kentuckian, Nelson could have sympathized with the Confederates but, like his st ...

received orders to organize a new brigade at

Maysville, Kentucky Maysville is a home rule-class city in Mason County, Kentucky, United States and is the seat of Mason County. The population was 8,782 as of 2019, making it the 51st-largest city in Kentucky by population. Maysville is on the Ohio River, north ...

and conduct an expedition into the Big Sandy Valley region of Eastern Kentucky and stop the build-up of

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

forces under Col. John S. Williams. This was done in three phases. From September 21 to October 20, 1861, Nelson assembled a brigade of 5,500 Union volunteers from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and Kentucky. On October 23, the southern prong secured Hazel Green and the northern prong West Liberty. The two prongs were consolidated at Salyersville (Licking Station) and they began the final phase on October 31. This led to the Battle of Ivy Mountain on November 8 and the withdrawal of Confederate forces from Pikeville (Piketon) on November 9, 1861.

Background

During the first week of September 1861, all pretense of neutrality in Kentucky ended when

Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Leonidas Polk Lieutenant-General Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and founder of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America, which separated from the Episcopal Chur ...

ordered

Gideon Pillow Gideon Johnson Pillow (June 8, 1806 – October 8, 1878) was an American lawyer, politician, speculator, slaveowner, United States Army major general of volunteers during the Mexican–American War and Confederate brigadier general in the Americ ...

advance Confederate troops up to

Hickman, Kentucky Hickman is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County, Kentucky, United States. Located on the Mississippi River, the city had a population of 2,365 at the 2020 U.S. census and is classified as a home rule-class city. Hickman is part of the ...

. On September 18, Kentucky legislature approved the introduction of Federal troops from outside the state, the pro-Confederate legislators staying away. The next day,

Simon Bolivar Buckner Simon Bolivar Buckner ( ; April 1, 1823 – January 8, 1914) was an American soldier, Confederate combatant, and politician. He fought in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War. He later fought in the Confederate States Army ...

, former commander of the Kentucky State Guard, established a Confederate headquarters at

Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Warren County, Kentucky, United States. Founded by pioneers in 1798, Bowling Green was the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the American Civil War. As of the 2 ...

, while troops under

Felix K. Zollicoffer Felix Kirk Zollicoffer (May 19, 1812 – January 19, 1862) was an American newspaperman, slave owner, politician, and soldier. A three-term United States Congressman from Tennessee, an officer in the United States Army, and a Confederate States ...

seized Barbourville. Shortly afterwards, Zollicoffer arrived at Cumberland Ford with approximately 3,200 men, consisting of four infantry regiments, a field battery of six guns, and four cavalry companies. This posed an imminent threat to Union control of central Kentucky, at a time when increasing numbers of Confederates in the Big Sandy Valley of eastern Kentucky appeared about to enter the Bluegrass region through McCormack's Gap ( Frenchburg). In response, Brig. Gen.

George H. Thomas George Henry Thomas (July 31, 1816March 28, 1870) was an American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater. Thomas served in the Mexican–American War and later chose ...

ordered troops from

Camp Dick Robinson In mid-May 1861, U. S. Navy lieutenant William "Bull" Nelson armed Kentuckians loyal to the Union and that soon became the foundation for his receiving authority to enlist 10,000 troops for a campaign into East Tennessee. On August 6, 1861, those r ...

to southeast Kentucky to halt any movement toward Big Hill,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

and Lexington. Former

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became the 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States. Serving ...

and his ally, Col.

Humphrey Marshall Humphrey Marshall may refer to: *Humphry Marshall (1722–1801), botanist *Humphrey Marshall (general) (1812–1872), Confederate general in the American Civil War *Humphrey Marshall (politician) Humphrey Marshall (1760 – July 3, 1841) wa ...

, added to Thomas's concerns with a call for "Peace Men" and "States' Rights Men" to assemble in Lexington for drill. However, both Breckinridge and Marshall instead rode to Mt. Sterling to join the Confederate forces in western Virginia, where Marshall took command of the Army of Eastern Kentucky posted at Piketon ( Pikeville). Several days later, "Bull" Nelson publicly announced he had established his headquarters at Camp Kenton near

Washington, Kentucky Washington is a neighborhood of the city of Maysville located near the Ohio River in Mason County in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is one of the earliest settlements in Kentucky and also one of the earliest American settlements west of the Appal ...

and would arm and equip volunteers "to end treason" in Kentucky. The ''Philadelphia Press'' wrote that the Big Sandy expedition would prevent the Confederates from taking control of the mouth of the Big Sandy River, where it entered the Ohio River. This would protect the rear and right flank of Brig. Gen.

William S. Rosecrans William Starke Rosecrans (September 6, 1819March 11, 1898) was an American inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and U.S. Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War. He was ...

in western Virginia, allowing Nelson to reinforce Wildcat Mountain and to push Zollicoffer back to Knoxville. Nelson made Olympia Springs (Mud Lick Springs) in Bath County the staging area. He named it Camp Gill on honor of Harrison Gill, owner of the renowned spa eight miles south of Owingsville and twenty miles east of Mount Sterling. The Mt. Sterling-Pound Gap Road (Rt. 460) ran through McCormick's Gap ( Frenchburg), the gateway to the

Bluegrass Region The Bluegrass region is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It makes up the central and northern part of the state, roughly bounded by the cities of Frankfort, Paris, Richmond and Stanford. The Bluegrass region is characterized ...

from Prestonsburg. On September 29, 1861, Maj. John Smith Hurt occupied the vital mountain pass with three militia companies. Col. Lewis Braxton Grigsby added his 300 men to Hurt's 200 on October 8. Col. James Perry Fyffe had the 59th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment march to Camp Kenton, and Col. Leonard A. Harris arrived in Olympian Springs with the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Col. Jesse S. Norton came forward from Nicholasville with the 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and during the next two weeks, Nelson's forces grew to about 5,500 men, 3,700 from Ohio and 1,800 from Kentucky. At a farm near Prestonsburg, Confederate captains

Andrew Jackson May Andrew Jackson May (June 24, 1875 – September 6, 1959) was a Kentucky attorney, an influential New Deal-era politician, and chairman of the United States House Committee on Military Affairs, House Military Affairs Committee during World War II, ...

and John Ficklin assisted "Cerro Gordo" John S. Williams with the organization the 5th Kentucky Infantry. The 1,010-man unit was badly clothed some called the hard-nosed group the "Ragamuffin Regiment." The nine companies of infantry and five mounted companies had two pieces of artillery and they carried an assortment of personal weapons that were ill-suited for warfare.

West Liberty and Hazel Green

On Monday, October 21, 1861, troops that Nelson had assembled

became engaged in a protracted fight with Zollicoffer's Confederates along the

Wilderness Road The Wilderness Road was one of two principal routes used by colonial and early national era settlers to reach Kentucky from the East. Although this road goes through the Cumberland Gap into southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, the other (mo ...

at Wildcat Mountain. The next morning Nelson was unaware of this when he ordered 1,600 men under Col. Leonard Harris to advance to West Liberty with two artillery pieces. At dawn Wednesday, Nelson was in front of Hazel Green with about 3,500 men and artillery. Thirty-eight of the 200 Confederates surrendered after a brief fight. Twelve miles (19 km) north at West Liberty 500-700 Confederates suffered a loss of 21 dead, 40 wounded, and 34 captured. The Federal loss was two wounded. While Nelson waited for his wagon trains to catch up, he consolidated his forces at Licking Station (Salyersville). The operation resumed on October 31 and on reaching Prestonsburg they found the supposed "Gibraltar of Eastern Kentucky" abandoned.

Ivy Mountain

Thursday, November 7, Col.

Joshua W. Sill Joshua Woodrow Sill (December 6, 1831 – December 31, 1862) was a career officer in the United States Army and brigadier general during the American Civil War. He was killed at the Battle of Stones River in Tennessee. Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was lat ...

started the northern prong of the Big Sandy expedition toward John's Creek. From there he was to veer south for about forty miles and gain the rear of the enemy at Pikeville. The following morning, Nelson took the main column of 3,600 men toward Pikeville on the Old State Road (Rt. 460). Heavy rain fell in torrents as they neared Ivy Mountain, a hogback, hill about long. The West Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River restricted movement on the right the seven-foot wide path and knee-deep mud forced the artillery to unlimber their guns and rig them so they could follow the infantry forward in a single file. About west of Pikeville, the advance guard disappeared in the elbow of the path as it turned down toward the crossing at Ivy Creek. Directly to their front, there were 250 Confederates some up the hill and hidden behind rocks, trees, and bushes. About 1:00 p.m., that hillside exploded with blue smoke from the doubled-barreled shotguns and old muskets carried by the Confederates. In the next instant, four Union soldiers were dead and another 13 lay on the ground wounded. Nelson rushed forward with his saber drawn, climbed up on a conspicuously located rock, and told his men "that if the Rebels could not hit him they could not hit any of them." He ordered the 2nd Ohio Infantry and 21st Ohio Infantry to push up side of the mountain and flank the enemy position from the north. At the same, Nelson had two light artillery pieces take a position near mouth of Ivy Creek and West Levisa Fork and fire directly into the enemy breastworks. About 2:20 p.m., the 21st Ohio Infantry arrived at the top of hill. They rolled large boulders down on the Confederates who ran off in every direction. One half-hour later, Captain May had his men felling trees and burning bridges to retard pursuit. The Battle of Ivy Mountain (Ivy Narrows) was a clear victory for the Union force under Nelson who had gained full control of the field at a loss of six killed and 24 wounded. The opposing Confederates had 10 dead, 15 wounded, and 50 missing or taken prisoner. Nelson ended the pursuit beyond a burned bridge at Coldwater Creek and near the home of Unionist Lindsay Layne. Williams continued on to Pikeville where he posted a rear guard of 400 men to cover a withdrawal to Pound Gap with the remainder of his force. At 3:00 a.m. Saturday, November 9, Nelson had his troops back in pursuit. Terrible road conditions retarded movement and by nightfall, he remained from Pikeville. Early Sunday, November 10, Nelson had come to within several miles of the objective when a detachment from Joshua Sill's northern prong rode forward to advise they had secured the town at 4:00 p.m. Saturday. In Pound Gap, Colonel Williams reported that Nelson had dispersed an "unorganized and half-armed, barefooted squad" that lacked everything, but the will to fight. The ''Cincinnati Commercial'' noted that Nelson had shown how "troops could be moved across unforgiving terrain without adequate transportation." That determination had truly surprised Williams who believed that Nelson would continue into

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

with the intent of destroying the

Virginia & Tennessee Railroad The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad was an historic gauge railroad in the Southern United States, much of which is incorporated into the modern Norfolk Southern Railway. It played a strategic role in supplying the Confederacy during the American ...

, a line that connected the Confederate capital at

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

with the

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

and the

Mississippi Valley The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

at Knoxville. In the first accounts of the fighting at Ivy Mountain, Northern news correspondents grossly misrepresented events because their Northern audience wanted a quick conclusion to the war. Those mistakes led the ''Cincinnati Gazette'' to conclude that while a great victory had been attained, the "campaign in Eastern Kentucky has no more permanent effect than the passage of a showman's caravan. Five hundred rebel guerrilla cavalry will undo in a week the ornamental work . . . done at so great an expenditure of money and of most precious time." The latter issues were of great concern and the reason why Brig. Gen.

Don Carlos Buell Don Carlos Buell (March 23, 1818November 19, 1898) was a United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles— Shiloh and Perr ...

replaced Brig. Gen.

William T. Sherman William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

. Nelson received orders to report there and his brigade followed on Sunday afternoon, November 24. As predicted, the Confederates returned and that brought

Col. Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881 until his death six months latertwo months after he was shot by an assassin. A lawyer and Civil War gene ...

into the region to resume the unfinished task of subduing them.

References

This article was derived from chapter six of Donald A. Clark's, ''The Notorious "Bull" Nelson: Murdered Civil War General''. Carbondale: University of Southern Illinois Press, 2011.The bibliography for, "A Showman's Caravan": 63-78, follows: ;Federal and state publications *Federal Writers Project. ''Military History of Kentucky''. Frankfort, 1939. *Ohio Historical Society. Correspondence to the Governor and Adjutant General 1861–66, Vols. 1A-34 of Series 147 *United States. War Department. ''The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.'' Series 1, 2, 3. 70 vols. 128 serials. Washington: 1880–1901. *__________. War Department .''The War of the Rebellion: Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies''. Edited by Janet B. Hewett et al. 100 volumes. Wilmington, N. C.: Broadfoot's Publishing Co., 1994–2006. ;Published diaries, personal papers, reminiscences, memoirs, speeches, and other original narratives *Beatty, William Thacker. "William Thacker Beatty, Journals 1-4" in the ''Buffalo County Beacon'', Gibbon, Nebraska, February 9, 1883. *Bowling Green State University, Center for Archival Collections, Bowling Green, Ohio.Loyal B. Wort Correspondence 1861–1864, MS 700; Robert H. Caldwell Papers 1861–1863, MS 623; Robert S. Dilworth Papers, MS 800. * Fyffe, James Perry, Letters (Civil War) MS 220. Chattanooga Public Library. Chattanooga, Tennessee. *Guerrant, Rev. Edward O. "Marshall and Garfield in Eastern Kentucky." Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Robert U. Johnson and Clarence C. Buel. eds. 4 vols. New York: "Century Magazine", 1887. 1: 393-97. *Joyce, John A. ''A Checkered Life''. Chicago: S. P. Rounds Jr.: 1883. *Moore, Frank. ed., ''The Rebellion Record: A Diary of American Events with Documents, Narratives, Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, etc.'' 12 vols. New York. G.P. Putnam, 1861–68. *Lafferty, W. T. ed. "The Civil War Reminiscences of John Acker Lafferty." ''Register of the Kentucky Historical Society'' 59 (January 1961). *Parsons, Thomas W. Frank F. Mathias, ed. ''Incidents & Experiences in the Life of Thomas W. Parsons from 1826 to 1900.'' Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1975. *Spafford, Ara C. 1st Sergeant, C Company, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Letter to the Perrysburg (Oh.) ''Journal''. November 14, 1861. *Rudy, Winchester Byron. Civil War Diary. October 17, 1861 – June 17, 1864. University of Kentucky Special Collections. Lexington, Kentucky. *Scheets, George. "Memoir of Adjutant George Scheets, C Company, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry" A Special Report: War Reminiscences," a paper read at the regular meeting of Ford Post, East Toledo, Ohio, December 1883. *Stevenson, Daniel. "General Nelson, Kentucky, and Lincoln Guns." ''Magazine of American History'' 10 (August 1883): 115-39. *Thompson, Robert Means and Richard Wainwright, eds., ''Confidential Correspondence of Gustavus Vasa Fox Assistant Secretary of the Navy 1861–1865''. vol. 1. New York: De Vinne Press, 1918. *Tremewan, Paul, ed., ''As Near Hell as I Ever Expect to Be.: The Civil War Letters of Lieutenant John V. Patterson of the 21st Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry''. Xlibris, 2011. ;Regimental histories *Baumgartner, Richard. ''The Bully Boys: In Camp and Combat With the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, 1861-1864''. Blue Acorn Press, 2013. *Canfield, S. S. ''History of the 21st Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry''. Toledo: Vrooman, Sanders & Bateman Printers, 1893. *Hannaford, E. ''The Story of a Regiment: A History of the Campaigns and Association in the Field of the Sixth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry.''Cincinnati: Private Printing, 1868. *Nichol, Everett A. and Marie. ''Battered Destinies.'' Pasadena: 1996. Edited reprint of A Committee amuel Cordell Frey et al.''A Military Record of Battery D, First Ohio Veteran Volunteer Light Artillery''. Oil City: Derrick Publishing Company, 1906–08. *Quinlan, Bradley and Joshua Haugh. ''Duty Well Performed : The Twenty-First Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War''. Milford, Ohio: Little Miami Publishing, 2011. *Speed, Thomas, R. M. Kelly, and Alfred Pirtle. ''The Union Regiments of Kentucky''. Louisville: Courier-Journal, 1897. *Van Horne, Thomas B. ''History of the Army of the Cumberland: Its Organization, Campaigns, Battles, Written at the Request of General George H. Thomas''. 1875. Reprint. New York: Smithmark Publishers, 1996. ;Secondary sources *Clift, G. Glenn. ''History of Maysville and Mason County''. Lexington: Transylvania Printing,1936. *Collins, Richard H., and Collins, Lewis. ''History of Kentucky''. 2 vols. Covington, 1874. Reprint. Berea: Kentucky Imprints, 1976. *Harrison, Lowell H. ''The Civil War in Kentucky''. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1975. *Perkins, Marlitta H. ''The Most Brilliant Little Victory''. Lulu, 2014. *Perrin, William H., ed. ''History of Fayette County, Kentucky''. Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., 1882. *_____________. J. H. Battle, and G. C. Kniffin, eds. "Kentucky: A History of the State."Louisville: F. A. Battey and Company, 1887. Reprint. Southern Historical Press, 1979. *Perry, Robert. ''Jack May's War''. Johnson City, Tennessee: The Overmountain Press, 1998. *Preston, John David. ''The Civil War in the Big Sandy Valley of Kentucky''. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1984. *Speed, Thomas. ''The Union Cause in Kentucky, 1860–1865''. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1907. ;Articles *Scalf, Henry P. "The Battle of Ivy Mountain," "Register of the Kentucky Historical Society" 56 (January 1958). *"Beginning of the War in Kentucky," "The Scientific American", New Series 5 (October 5, 1861). ;Newspapers *''Cincinnati Commercial'', November 14, 1861. *''Cincinnati Gazette'', November 16, 18, 1861. *''Covington'' (Ky.) ''Journal'', November 9, September 21, 1861. *''New York Times'', November 4, 8, 17, 22, 25, 26, September 28, 1861. *''Lexington'' (Ky.) ''Herald'', June 7, 1908. *''Lexington Observer & Reporter'', October 19, 1861 *Paris (Ky.) ''Western Citizen'', November 1, 1861. *''Philadelphia Press'', October 29, November 22, 1861. *''Weekly Gazette and Free Press'' (Janesville, Wisconsin), November 22, 1861. Also see:
National Park Service battle description

CWSAC Report Update - Kentucky
* ww.bencaudill.com/documents_msc/5th.html* ivilwar.morganco.freeservers.com/ajmay.htm* ivilwar.morganco.freeservers.com/ivymountain.htm* ww.flickr.com/photos/kaintuckeean/6037289648/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Big Sandy Expedition Battles of the Operations in Eastern Kentucky of the American Civil War Battles of the Western Theater of the American Civil War Union victories of the American Civil War Floyd County, Kentucky 1861 in Kentucky 1861 in the American Civil War Battles of the American Civil War in Kentucky October 1861 events November 1861 events

Background

West Liberty and Hazel Green

Ivy Mountain

See also

References