The Battle Of Paducah Essay, Research Paper

THE BATTLE OF PADUCAH

& # 8220 ; More than merely a skirmish & # 8221 ;

by Scott Bradley

For many old ages & # 8220 ; The Battle of Paducah & # 8221 ; has been grossly under-stated. There is no reference of the conflict in most history books. The latest Kentucky History book has no reference of the conflict at all. Without a uncertainty, Paducah has been overshadowed by the slaughter at Fort Pillow on April 12, 1864, some 18 yearss subsequently. In fact, if the Battle of Paducah had non turned out the manner it did, the Massacre at Fort Pillow may hold ne’er taken topographic point. With over thirty-thousand unit of ammunitions exchanged between the Union and Confederate forces, and the decease of one of the South & # 8217 ; s foremost Colonels, the & # 8220 ; skirmish & # 8221 ; at Paducah & # 8217 ; s significance should non be overlooked. .

On March 1, 1864, a adult male with a conflict record that few could conceive of began be aftering to enroll military personnels and saddle horses from West Kentucky. This adult male fought at conflicts such as Fort Donelson and Shiloh. He besides served under General Bragg and General Sooy Smith. He is none other than General Nathan Bedford Forrest. ( herein referred to as Forrest ) .

On March 1, 1864 three Kentucky regiments received orders from General Forrest inquiring them to fall in his force around Columbus, Mississippi. The Third, Seventh, and Eighth Regiments instantly went up the Tombigbee River and joined Forrest & # 8217 ; s forces. These Kentucky regiments had been severely damaged in the many difficult fought conflicts they had already experienced. Word that they were traveling back to their place province of Kentucky came as a great comfort. Upon geting, some of the work forces found that they would hold to walk because of the deficiency of saddle horses ; non a ailment could be heard. One may inquire why Forrest would desire such a worn and tatterdemalion regiment. To set it merely, he wanted to progress into West Kentucky and who knew the land better than those who have lived at that place.

Immediately, Forrest split his bid into four brigades, dwelling of approximately seven 1000s entire work forces. The first commanded by Colonel J. J. Neely, the 2nd by Colonel Robert McCullock, the 3rd by Colonel A. P. Thompson, and 4th by Colonel T. H. Bell. The majority of the combat brigade would be that of Colonel A. P. Thompson with the Third, Seventh, Eighth and Twelfth Kentucky regiments, along with The Jeffrey Forrest regiment. The Twelfth Kentucky had been under General Forrest for some clip. General Buford would command the divisions of Thompson and Bell.

Meanwhile, it was no secret what Forrest planned. A study from Major General S. A. Hurlbut of the Headquarters Fourth Division, District of West Tennessee provinces: & # 8220 ; It is reported that Forrest with about seven-thousand work forces was at Tupelo last dark or the dark before, edge for West Tennessee. & # 8221 ; He adds: & # 8220 ; I think he means Columbus or Paducah. & # 8221 ;

On the forenoon of March 15, Forrest readied his full bid in Columbus Mississippi, and set out for Jackson, Tennessee. Forrest arrived at Jackson with approximately 14 100 riders on March 20. The balance of his force would shortly follow. On March 22 Forrest decided to go forth General Buford at Jackson, and take about 800 work forces of the Seventh Tennessee and Twelfth Kentucky to Trenton, Tennessee. After roll uping supplies, enrolling and beat uping with Buford and his other military personnels, Forrest left for West Kentucky. Then, hearing of a federal bid at Union City, Tennessee, Forrest ordered Colonel Duckworth to take the Seventh Tennessee, and the Twelfth Kentucky and seek to take the town. Thinking that Forrest & # 8217 ; s full force was nearing the town, a newspaper reported, that Forrest, with over seven 1000s work forces and heavy heavy weapon, were about to progress on the town.

Upon geting at Union City, Colonel Duckworth saw he was non strong plenty to ramp the garrison. Duckworth so resorted to an old Confederate fast one which made his Numberss seem larger than they really were. After doing a considerable sum of noise and concentrating fire on the garrison, Duckworth sent Colonel Hawkins ( commanding officer of the Union City garrison ) , a missive demanding resignation. Hawkins wasted small clip in accepting the resignation. Little did he cognize that when he surrendered, supports by manner of General Brayman of Cairo, were merely six stat mis off. Brayman writes: & # 8220 ; Arriving at a station six stat mis this side of Union City, I learned with great hurting and surprise that Colonel Hawkins had surrendered, & # 8221 ; He continues to state, & # 8220 ; The force of the enemy does non look to hold been more than a 4th represented, and without artillery. & # 8221 ; After taking the town, Duckworth was able to procure 60 thousand dollars in money, saddle horses, and assorted supplies.

While Duckworth was making his harm in Union City, Forrest had crossed over into Kentucky. Forrest entered Kentucky by manner of Dukedom and proceeded into Pilot Oak, up Old Dukedom Road and into Mayfield on what is now Tenth Street. Here, Forrest told his military personnels of a leave they would have to see their households, cod supplies, and saddle horses. First, nevertheless, they were to travel on Paducah.

In Paducah they would happen the 2nd largest earthen garrison in the war, 2nd merely to Fort Fisher in Petersburg Virginia. It was built by Union forces after General Grant occupied the town in 1861. The exact location is where an abandoned Life Care Center nursing place now stands, merely in forepart of the Executive Inn. It was named for the Union hero of Fort Sumter, Major Robert Anderson. Until Forrest, no 1 had of all time attempted to assail the garrison. Fort Anderson stood as & # 8220 ; a symbol of Union might in a unquestionably pro-Southern region. & # 8221 ; Western Kentucky, or the & # 8220 ; Jackson Purchase & # 8221 ; became known as & # 8220 ; Kentucky & # 8217 ; s South Carolina and Paducah its Charleston & # 8221 ; The garrison, all but inviolable, had a castle-like fosse over 50 pess broad wholly environing it. The garrison had eight mounted cannons and an impressive sum of heavy weapon. The star shaped garrison measured four 100 pess in length and over one hundred 60 pess broad.

On the forenoon of March 25th, ( Good Friday ) before dawn, Captain H.A. Tyler and a company of the Twelfth Kentucky set out to examine the outstation of Paducah. In 1864 Colonel S.G. Hicks commanded the garrison. Forrest hoped he might surprise Hicks, but did non worry about whether he did or non. Hicks, cognizing that Forrest was coming, but non cognizing when, sent out lookouts to watch The Old Mayfield Road and the other roads that led into the town. Hicks besides readied the garrison & # 8217 ; s nine hundred work forces. In the garrison were the First Battalion, Sixteenth Kentucky Cavalry, several companies of the Eighth U.S. Colored Artillery, and a twosome of independent work forces who had been separated from their regiments.

About noon on March 25, the lookouts that Hicks had sent out unwisely returned to the garrison to describe they had seen nil. Hicks rapidly sent them back with a austere warning & # 8220 ; non to go forth once more until ordered to make so. & # 8221 ; Within about three stat mis of the garrison, at 2:10 p.m. , on Eden & # 8217 ; s Hill, Union soldiers made contact with Forrest & # 8217 ; s force. Rebel, Otto Rosecranz, saw the Union lookout coming up the other side of the hill. Rosecranz fired his handgun at the lookout, and without returning fire, they ran for the metropolis. J.V. Greif saw this and wrote & # 8220 ; Two of the work forces throwing off their sabers and as many losing their chapeaus in the stampede. & # 8221 ; Captain Tyler & # 8217 ; s work forces, who had been sent out early that forenoon, went in hot chase after the fleeing lookouts. Hearing the gunfires, Hicks ordered his work forces to the protection of the garrison. Hicks reportedly said, & # 8220 ; such was the impetuousness of the onslaught, that their rear was being fired upon by the enemy. & # 8221 ; The Battle of Paducah had begun.

It had been mizzling rain all twenty-four hours, and the streets were filled with clay. In the port of Paducah floated two gunboats ready to support the garrison at all costs. The Peosta and PawPaw were told to & # 8220 ; non save the town & # 8221 ; in the event of an onslaught. These boats were to a great extent armored and carried huge sums of heavy weapon. They were in a perfect place to blast the town and protect the garrison.

In a little grove of trees, where the Katterjohn Building now stands, Forrest laid out his programs for the attack.. The Third and Seventh would be under the bid of A. P. Thompson and sent to the garrison. The Eighth Kentucky was ordered to cover their wing. The Twelfth Kentucky and the Seventh Tennessee were to bust the & # 8220 ; Yankee Warehouses & # 8221 ; on the waterfront to acquire supplies and Equus caballuss.

The Third and Seventh Kentucky regiments were foremost to progress on the town. They held a tight formation until making the densest portion of the metropolis. There they had to disband, and the progress had to be made in smaller columns. When within rifle shooting, the Confederates took shelter in back streets and behind edifices. Colonel A. P. Thompson sent word to Forrest that he was in place and would expect farther orders. It is non known whether Forrest gave an order to trap down the garrison or to ramp it. One soldier said & # 8220 ; Forrest told Thompson to assail the garrison, call for its resignation, and if the resignation was refused, to ramp the plants, doing certain your wings are good protected. & # 8221 ;

In any instance, at 3:00 p.m. , Thompson proceeded to order his work forces to ramp the plants. Once Thompson and his work forces reached the glade, which separated the town from the garrison, Hicks and his work forces opened fire. Continuing to progress, Thompson & # 8217 ; s work forces shortly learned of the deep H2O filled fosse which encompassed the full garrison. A retreat was ordered. Thompson noticed the tall edifices in the locality of the garrison. He so ordered his sharpshooters to take elevated places in these edifices and set down a bombardment of fire inside the plants. This proved to be one of the most effectual tactics against this monolithic topographic point. Major J. F. Chapman said:

& # 8220 ; They filled all the houses in range of the garrison, and opened a heavy fire from behind every obstruction that would afford them protection. & # 8221 ; he added, & # 8220 ; From the clip they began to travel into the houses until they were repulsed, the fire of firearms was about incessant. & # 8221 ;

After much sparatic combat, Forrest rode up and ordered a flag of armistice to be sent to the Union Army. Charles Reed, John Brooks, Rufe Stevens, and John Garret were among the six work forces sent by Forrest. He sent those six work forces because they were indigens of Paducah and hopefully they would be good received within the garrison. Sing this, Hicks ordered the cease fire and sent his ain flag of armistice to run into the work forces. In Forrest manner the demand of resignation was addressed to Colonel Hicks and read:

Having a force amply sufficient to transport your plants and cut down the topographic point, and in order to avoid the unneeded gush of blood, I demand the resignation of the garrison and military personnels, with all public belongings. If you surrender, you shall be treated as captives of war ; but if I have to ramp your plants, you may anticipate no one-fourth.

Yokels replied by authorship:

I have this minute received yours of this blink of an eye, in which you demand the unconditioned resignation of the forces under my bid. I can reply that I have been placed here by my Government to support this station, and in this, every bit good as all other orders from my higher-ups. I feel it to be my responsibility as an honest officer to obey. I must, hence, respectfully decline surrendering as you may necessitate.

It is reported that upon having this answer from Hicks, General Forrest wadded the note up, shoved it in his pocket and ordered an all out onslaught on the chief fort of the garrison.

So, one time once more the Rebels attacked. Some made it every bit far as the fosse environing the garrison. Many met their destiny. Upon seeing this onslaught, the gunboats Peosta and Paw Paw opened fire on Paducah. The fire became particularly heavy on Trimble Street. An old maple tree on Trimble Street was pierced by a cannon ball coming from one of the gunboats. For old ages it was one of the reminders of the conflict.

In this, the 3rd and concluding stage of the conflict, Forrest suffered a great loss, that of A. P. Thompson. Sometime around twilight Tho

mpson was in an back street between Hospital and Trimble Streets. Today, Hospital Street is Martin Luther King Boulevard and Trimble Street is Park Avenue. There is an back street that is formed by Fourth and Fifth Streets. Thompson, a indigen of Paducah, is reported to hold been in this back street, sitting on his Equus caballus discoursing with two of his staff members, one of which was Lieutenant Hickenberry.

In Hickenberry & # 8217 ; s diary, he reports that Thompson was on his Equus caballus, looking through a brace of field spectacless. While looking upon the action at the garrison, which was no more than one 100 paces off, without warning Thompson wheeled his Equus caballus about as if he was trying to travel. As he wheeled his Equus caballus, a cannon ball fired by Sgt. Tom Hayes of the 15th Kentucky Cavalry cut through the cervix of Thompson & # 8217 ; s Equus caballus, hit the pommel of the saddle, sprang up and cut his caput and the top of his shoulders wholly off. The scene was seeable from the garrison, and one Union veteran said he saw the Colonel autumn backward off of the saddle with his pess still in the stirrups. The Equus caballus so bolted, drawing Thompson out of the stirrups. This caused his anchor to fall to the street & # 8220 ; and gyrate up like a serpent, & # 8221 ; merely a few blocks from the house in which he grew up. Legend has it that a missive of committee for Brigadier General was subsequently found in his coat pocket. After hearing of their leader & # 8217 ; s decease, the Confederates retreated and reorganized under the hurt Colonel Ed Crossland.

Meanwhile, across town, Colonel Bell, who had been sent to bust the town for supplies, was making his occupation with great hastiness, busting depots and rounding up Equus caballuss. They besides burned 60 bales of cotton, a river wharf, and the steamboat & # 8220 ; Decotah & # 8221 ; .

Forrest & # 8217 ; s work forces where carry throughing about every nonsubjective given. However, bad intelligence shortly reached the proud General. A civilian lady from the town, presumptively of Confederate Sentiment, brought intelligence of an effusion of variola in Paducah. Forrest, cognizing variola could be damaging, ordered his work forces to go forth Paducah and travel back to Mayfield by the manner they came. In his study on the conflict, Forrest said: & # 8220 ; I drove the enemy to their gunboats and munition, held the town for 10 hours, and could hold held it longer, but found the variola was ramping and evacuated the place. & # 8221 ;

The twenty-four hours after the conflict, a Confederate soldier was found dead by some Unions soldiers looking over the town. He was tilting with his dorsum against a tree hold oning an & # 8220 ; ambrotype similitude of two children. & # 8221 ; The hardened Union soldiers were reduced to cryings as they dug his grave and laid him to rest, still keeping the images of his kids. Over the grave they carved in a maple tree, & # 8220 ; Somebody & # 8217 ; s Father. March 25, 1864. & # 8221 ;

Not cognizing if Forrest would return, Hicks, on the forenoon of the 26th, ordered the 16th Kentucky Cavalry to fire the houses where the Rebels had rained down their fire on the garrison. However, because of the heavy air current that twenty-four hours, the fire was carried into other wooden constructions and some 60 places burned. Some of these place proprietors demanded reparations for the loss of their places. Many were declined, but some stayed wrapped up in Congress until 1985, over 120 old ages subsequently.

While these houses were firing, General Forrest sent a missive of communicating. The missive read:

I understand you hold in your ownership in the guard house at Paducah a figure of Confederate soldiers as captives of war. I have in my ownership about 35 to 40 Federal soldiers who were captured here yesterday, and about 500 who were captured at Union City. I propose to interchange adult male for adult male, harmonizing to rank, so far as you my hold Confederate Soldiers.

Yokels rapidly replied to Forrest: & # 8220 ; I have no power to do the exchange. If I had, I would most cheerfully do it. & # 8221 ; In reading this, Forrest continued to Mayfield. He and his work forces camped at George Schmidts farm which was located about halfway between Paducah and Mayfield. Forrest tied his Equus caballus to a black oak tree in the front pace. The scene is described as follows:

The & # 8220 ; Death Wagon & # 8221 ; was parked under a little tree to the right of the front entryway, and the moans heard throughout the near & # 8211 ; swoon calls for aid like those of the dauntless guardians and unafraid attackers who after the Battle of Waterloo and while yet alive found a common grave in the well at the Chateau of Hougoumont.

Upon acquiring back to Mayfield, Forrest fulfilled his promise of a personal leave for his military personnels. He allowed his work forces from West Kentucky to travel place for a few yearss with orders to run into once more in Trenton, Tennessee. Not a individual adult male deserted.

An implicit in factor of this conflict was decidedly the African American military personnels that fought for the Union cause. The African American military personnels made up over one tierce of the garrison & # 8217 ; s guardians. One historian speculates, & # 8220 ; that if Kentucky Confederates had captured the garrison & # 8221 ; they would hold massacred the black soldiers as they did in the Fort Pillow incident. John Robertson said, & # 8220 ; A 2nd intent of Forrest & # 8217 ; s foray was to intentionally do an illustration of countries that were enrolling blacks. & # 8221 ; In Hicks & # 8217 ; sum-up of the conflict he states & # 8220 ; I have been one of those work forces who ne’er had much assurance in coloured military personnels contending, but those uncertainties are now all removed, for they fought every bit courageously as any military personnels in the fort. & # 8221 ;

With the aforesaid stuff being said, the significance of The Battle of Paducah becomes clear. Forrest, a future Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, was irritated by the studies that his onslaught on Paducah failed. The Louisville Journal said the Rebels had been & # 8220 ; gloriously rummy, and but small better than a mob. & # 8221 ; The Chicago Tribune reported that Forrest & # 8217 ; s work forces had been & # 8220 ; disgracefully beaten back by Black soldiers with clubbed muskets. & # 8221 ; With this boiling in his blood, Forrest turned his attending to Fort Pillow.

Fort Pillow recruited many African American military personnels for the Union cause. In short, Forrest surrounded Fort Pillow and demanded its resignation. General Bradford, commanding officer of the garrison, replied: & # 8220 ; My name is non Hawkins, & # 8221 ; touching to the resignation of Colonel Hawkins at Union City two hebdomads earlier. He continues, & # 8220 ; General ; I will non surrender. & # 8221 ; Forrest so gave the order of an all out assault.

With the lingering embarrassment from the Paducah foray, Forrest & # 8217 ; s work forces produced a deathly onslaught of vindictiveness. General William T. Sherman, ( non show at the conflict ) said: & # 8220 ; Forrest & # 8217 ; s work forces acted like a set of savages, hiting down the incapacitated Black fort after the garrison was in their possession. & # 8221 ; In his official study Forrest said:

The river was dyed with the blood of the slaughtered for two 100 paces. The approximative loss was upward of five 100s killed, but few of the officers get awaying. My loss was about 20 killed. It is hoped that these facts will show to the Northern people that negro soldiers can non get by with Southerners.

From the first to the last shooting, The Battle of Paducah lasted 12 hours. The entire Union dead totaled 46 to 50. The entire Confederate dead totaled 14 to 25. These Numberss are officially reported in the conflict records, but are thought to be much lower than existent. Both sides wanted to claim triumph, therefore the decease tolls were likely understated.

In drumhead, March 25, 1864 will likely ne’er be remembered in many text books. Today there is no hint of the conflict and those who died at that place. There is a plaque in the pavement where the garrison stood so diligently. There are a few markers that the citizens of Paducah thrust by, most without even cognizing what they say. If one was to walk around the downtown country today and inquire people if they knew the historical significance of their town, few would cognize. Few know, that had the Battle of Paducah non occurred, many history books would be changed everlastingly. The Massacre at Fort Pillow would be known as, & # 8220 ; The Battle of Fort Pillow. & # 8221 ; All of this, stimming from a conflict that many historiographers consider, & # 8220 ; a skirmish. & # 8221 ;

Bibliography

Jerry Wooten, interview by writer, tape recording, Paducah, Ky. , 26 October 2000.

Henry George, & # 8220 ; History of the 3D, 7th, 8th and 12th Kentucky C.S.A. & # 8221 ; ( Melber: Simmons Historical Publications, 1987 ) , 74.

Ibid.

Ibid.

U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, vol. 32, portion III ( Washington D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880 & # 8211 ; 1901 ) , 91.

George, Kentucky C.S.A. , 75.

Ibid.

Wooten, Interview.

Author Unknown, & # 8220 ; Rebel Advance in Tennessee, & # 8221 ; The New York Times, 25 March 1864.

George, Kentucky C.S.A. , 75.

U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, vol. 32, portion I ( Washington D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880 & # 8211 ; 1901 ) , 503.

George, Kentucky C.S.A. , 75.

Wooten, Interview.

Berry Craig, & # 8220 ; The Battle of Paducah: A Fierce Onslaught Met by a Sheet of Flame & # 8230 ; , & # 8221 ; Paducah Sun, 19 March 1989, E1.

Fred G. Neuman, Paducahans in History ( Paducah: Young Printing Company, 1922 ) , 57.

Hall Allen, Center of Conflict, ( Paducah: The Paducah Sun Democrat, 1961 ) , 162.

Ibid. , 163.

Allen, Center of Conflict, 163.

Neuman, Paducahans in History, 58.

Allen, Center of Conflict, 163.

Wooten, Interview.

U.S. Navy Department, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, vol. 26, series I ( Washington D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1894 & # 8211 ; 1922 ) , 198.

Craig, & # 8220 ; The Battle of Paducah & # 8221 ; E1.

Ibid.

George, Kentucky C.S.A. , 76.

Allen, Center of Conflict 163.

Ibid. , 164.

George, Kentucky C.S.A. , 76.

U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, vol. 32, portion I ( Washington D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880 & # 8211 ; 1901 ) , 551.

Neuman, Paducahans in History, 60.

Ibid.

U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, vol. 32, portion I ( Washington D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880 & # 8211 ; 1901 ) , 547.

Ibid.

Wooten, Interview.

Neuman, Paducahans in History, 61.

Ibid. , 62.

Wooten, Interview.

Craig, & # 8220 ; The Battle of Paducah & # 8221 ; , E3.

Wooten, Interview.

Neuman, Paducahans in History, 63.

A.M. Pennock, & # 8220 ; The Rebel Attack on Paducah, & # 8221 ; New York Times, 29 March 1864.

U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, vol. 32, portion I ( Washington D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880 & # 8211 ; 1901 ) , 607.

Fred G. Neuman, & # 8220 ; Paducah was Scene of Blood and Terror 68 Years Ago Today, As Battle of City Was Fought & # 8221 ; , Paducah Sun, 25 March 1932.

Ibid. , 548.

Wooten, Interview.

U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, vol. 32, portion I ( Washington D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880 & # 8211 ; 1901 ) , 548.

Ibid.

Neuman, Paducahans in History, 66.

Hall Allen, & # 8220 ; It has been 100 Long Old ages since the Battle of Paducah & # 8221 ; , Paducah Sun & # 8211 ; Democrat, 22 March 1964.

Wooten, Interview.

Craig, & # 8220 ; The Battle of Paducah & # 8221 ; E1.

U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, vol. 32, portion I ( Washington D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880 & # 8211 ; 1901 ) , 549.

Wooten, Interview.