Fourth Kentucky
Cavalry
Contributed by Timothy
Downey, SUVCW, Dept. of KY
Recruiting for this regiment
began in September, 1861, under the call of Col.
Jesse Bayles, who organized
the regiment at the fair grounds at Louisville. Associated with him
were Lieut.
Col. Jacob Ruckstul, Capt. John F. Duncan and James O’Donnell, who
afterward
became captain and was also active in the first week of organization
and
remained with the regiment during its entire career, though sometimes
serving
on brigade staff. The companies came from Louisville and Jefferson
county, and
from Spencer and Bullitt. The regiment was first sworn in by Maj. John
W. Barr,
and first paid off in its camp at the fair grounds by R. J. Menefee, of
Louisville. It was held at Louisville until January 6, 1862, when it
marched to
Bardstown and went into a camp of instruction, being in the brigade
commanded
by Gen. Wm. H. Lytle.
On the 26th of March it
left
Bardstown and proceeded to Nashville. From thence it went to Wartrace,
Tenn.,
April 8th. It remained in that part of the state during the
summer of 1862. In
May, 1862, Col. Green Clay Smith became colonel of the regiment, but in
the
same month he was promoted to brigadier general. While he was in command
the
4th was in several engagements with the Confederate cavalry in
Tennessee:
particularly one at
Lebanon with Morgan, and for gallant service there Col.
Green Clay Smith was made brigadier-general. July 13th the regiment
marched to
Tullahoma, where it remained until August. It was then sent to
Manchester, and
from thence to Murfeesboro, being all the time actively engaged in
scouting and
reconnoitering. While at Murfreesboro Gen. Bragg’s movement
to Kentucky began,
and the 4th was employed to cover the movement of Buell’s army in
pursuit as
far as Bowling Green. It was held at that place with other troops for
the
protection of the railroad and that section of the
country, while the main army
proceeded on to Louisville. After the expulsion of Bragg from Kentucky
the 4th
continued in service along the southern border of the state until
February,
1863. During this period it was at Bowling Green, Glasgow,
Russellville,
Hopkinsville and many other points, and was in the division commanded
by Gen.
Dumont, the regiment being under Col. Bayles.
February 9, 1863, the 4th
moved from Bowling Green to Nashville; from thence to Murfreesboro. At
that
time it was in Col. Minty’s brigade, Stanley’s division.
February 27th, it marched to
Franklin, being employed with other troops to guard the right flank of
Rosecran’s
army, then lying at Murfreesboro. In March it was engaged in several
spirited
contests with Van Doren’s and Forrest’s troops. Among these may be
mentioned
the fight at Thompson’s
Station, March 5th; the expedition to Columbia under
Gen. Green Clay
Smith, March 19th, and the fight at Brentwood,
March 25th.
April 14, 1863, Col. Bayles
resigned and was succeeded by Col. Wickliffe Cooper, who had been a
lieutenant
in the 20th Ky. Infantry, and had been lieutenant-colonel of the 4th
Cavalry.
Being now made colonel of this regiment he proved himself a most
gallant and
efficient cavalry officer.
June 7th, the 4th engaged
with the enemy at Franklin, when in a charge made by the regiment Col.
Cooper
was severely wounded and one man was killed. June 11th it was again
engaged at
Triune,
with loss. June 23d it was engaged at Unionville. In the organization
of Rosecrans’ army, June 30th 1863, the 4th was in the 1st Brigade
(Col. Campbell),
Mitchell’s division, Stanley’s cavalry corps.
August, 1863, the 4th
advanced with the army of the Cumberland, under Gen. Rosecrans, in the
movement
upon Chattanooga, which resulted in the battle of
Chickamauga. It would be
impossible to enumerate all the experiences of this active
campaign. From the
last of July until August 9th it was encamped at Gum Springs. From
thence it
moved by way of Fayetteville, Tenn., and
Huntsville, Ala., to Maysville, Ala.
August 27th marched to Caperton’s Ferry; crossed the Tennessee river to
Valley
Head, September 1st. On the 3d crossed Lookout Mountain, marched
through Alpine
to Summerville, Ga., returned to Valley Head, September 15th. On the 19th,
the
day the great battle of Chicamauga opened, the 4th marched to Crawfish
Springs,
when it was fiercely engaged with Confederate cavalry under Gen.
Wheeler. In
the report of Col. Watkins he says that when he discovered the enemy he
drew up
the 4th, 5th and 6th Ky. Cavalry in line, then advanced to the
Chattanooga
road. Then Capt. O’Donnell, of his staff, reported the enemy advancing.
In the
fight that ensued he was flanked and fell back. The 4th formed across
the road
at Lookout church, the 6th passing on. Then “the 4th fell back slowly,
fighting
with desperation, and rallied on the 6th, when the two regiments held
the enemy
in check fully 20 minutes. Then they were again flanked:” retreating
again,
they again rallied and repulsed the enemy. In this desperate fighting
the 4th
lost four officers, Capts. Rodgers and Lewis,
Lieuts. Cohen and Curtis, and
over 90 men wounded and missing. It continued to
cover the retreat to
Chattanooga, arriving there September 22d. On the 25th, it marched to
Bellefonte, October 2d, for Caperton’s Ferry, where it remained till
December
2d. It then marched by way of Chattanooga to Rossville, Ga., arriving
Dec. 5th,
and constituted the extreme outpost of the army. It remained at
Rossville until
January 6, 1864, when it re-enlisted in the veteran organization.
Up to this time the 4th
Cavalry had been in numerous engagements and its service had been
unusually
active.
In the veteran organization
the field and staff were: Col. Wickliffe Cooper; Lieut.-Cols. Llewellyn
Gwynne,
George Welling; Majs. Sidney S. Lyon, John F. Weston, John M. Bacon;
Adjutant
J.B. Boatgerman; Quartermaster Charles H. Swift; Surgeon Charles H.
Butler.
After the furlough
incident
to the veteran organization the regiment rendezvoused at Lexington,
Ky., and
immediately went to Nashville, and from thence marched on
foot to Chattanooga,
when it was mounted and camped in Wauhatchie valley. During the career
of the
regiment from this time to the end it was commanded by Cols. Cooper,
Gwynne and
Welling successively, and also at times by Majs. Weston and Bacon. It
was in
the brigade of Col. L. D. Watkins, Gen. Ed
McCook’s division of Gen. Elliott’s
cavalry, in Sherman’s army.
On the 24th of June,
1864, a
part of the 4th cavalry, under command of Capt. John M. Bacon, had a
remarkable
experience at Lafayette,
Ga. The detachment was at that place with similar
detachments of the 6th and 7th Ky. Cavalry regiments, all under Col.
Watkins,
the whole numbering 450 men. Col. Watkins, in his report, says this
force of
450 was attacked by Gen. Pillow with a force of 3,000. Gen. Pillow, in
his
report, says he attacked with 1,600 men. The
fight took place in the town about
3 o’clock a.m. As soon as the firing began Capt. Bacon, with his men,
took
possession of the court house and jail, and barricaded the windows and
doors
with sacks of corn. During the fight all of Col. Watkins’ men occupied
these
buildings and successfully fought off their assailants, who withdrew
from the
contest and the 4th Ky. Mounted Infantry coming up, under Cols. Croxton
and
Kelly, the withdrawal became precipitate even to a panic, as reported
by Gen.
Pillow.
The 4th Ky. Cavalry then took
part in all the cavalry operations of the Atlanta campaign,
and was repeatedly
complimented by Gen. Sherman for its efficiency. It was engaged at Resaca and
other places in this campaign.
After the capture of Atlanta
the regiment accompanied Sherman’s army in its operations in Northern
Georgia,
in October, 1864, and when the march
to the sea began it was ordered to
Nashville to take part under Gen. Thomas in the campaign against Gen.
Hood. It
was then in the cavalry command of Gen. J. H. Wilson, and bore its part
in the
operations in Middle Tennessee, resulting in the battles of
Franklin and
Nashville.
Just preceding the battle of Nashville the 4th Cavalry was sent with a strong cavalry force under Gen. Ed McCook to oppose Gen. Lyon, who had moved into Kentucky. This command proceeded to Hopkinsville and other places in Southern Kentucky, and forced Lyon to withdraw from the state. After the battle of Nashville, December 16, 1864, the regiment was sent to Waterloo, Ala. It then took part in Wilson’s celebrated expedition through Alabama and Georgia. It was in the advance at Montgomery and captured the place and held it until supporting troops came up. It went through Georgia to Tallahassee, Fla., and returned to Macon, Ga., when it was mustered out of service, August 21, 1865, having served four years.
From Dyer's Compendium:
4th Regiment Cavalry
Organized at Louisville, Ky., December 24,
1861. Moved
to Bardstown, Ky., January 6, 1862, and duty there until March.
Unattached
Cavalry, Army of the Ohio, to September, 1862. 1st Brigade, Cavalry
Division,
Army Ohio, to October, 1862. District of Louisville, Ky., Dept. Ohio,
to
November, 1862. District of Western Kentucky, Dept. of the Ohio, to
January,
1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Army of the Cumberland, to
July, 1863.
3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to
November,
1864. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division
Mississippi,
to January, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Military
Division
Mississippi, to August, 1865.
SERVICE.--Moved from
Bardstown, Ky., to Nashville, Tenn., March 26, 1862, thence to
Wartrace, Tenn.,
April 8, and duty in that vicinity until July. Action at Lebanon May 5.
Readyville
June 7. Rankin's Ferry near Jasper June 18. Shell Mountain June 21.
Battle
Creek June 21 and July 5. Murfreesboro July 13 (4 Cos.). Moved to
Tullahoma
July 13, and duty there until August. Sparta August 4 (Detachment).
Raid on
Louisville & Nashville Railroad August 19-21 (Detachment). March to
Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 22-September 26. Pursuit of
Bragg
into Kentucky October 1-22. Near Perryville October 6-7. Near Mountain
Gap
October 14 and 16. Duty on southern, border of Kentucky until February,
1863.
Ordered to Nashville, Tenn., February 9, thence to Murfreesboro and
Franklin,
Tenn. Expedition to Spring Hill March 4-5. Franklin March 4. Thompson's
Station, Spring Hill, March 5. Expedition from Franklin to Columbia
March 8-12.
Thompson's Station March 9. Rutherford Creek March 10-11. Spring Hill
March 19.
Near Thompson's Station March 23. Little Harpeth March 25. Near
Franklin March
31. Thompson's Station May 2. Franklin June 4. Triune June 9. Middle
Tennessee
or Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Uniontown and Rover June 23.
Middleton
June 24. Fosterville, Guy's Gap and Shelbyville June 27. Expedition to
Huntsville July 13-22. Passage of Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee
River and
Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Maysville, Ala.,
August 21
and 28. Reconnaissance from Alpine, Ga., toward Summerville September
10.
Skirmishes at Summerville September 10 and 15. Battle of Chickamauga
September
19-21. Moved to Bellefonte, Ala., September 25-30. Operations against
Wheeler
and Roddy September 30-October 2. Moved to Caperton's Ferry October 2,
and duty
there until December 2. Moved to Rossville, Ga., December 2-5, and duty
there
until January 6, 1864. Scout toward Dalton December 12, 1863. Skirmish
at
Lafayette December 12. Scout to Lafayette December 21-23. Veterans on
furlough
January to March, 1864. Near Chattanooga until May. Atlanta (Ga.)
Campaign May
to September. Duty in rear of army covering and protecting railroad at
Wauhatchie, Lafayette, Calhoun, Dalton and Resaca. At Wauhatchie May 5
to June
18. (A detachment at Lexington, Ky., June 10, 1864.) At Lafayette until
August
4. Actions at Lafayette June 24 and 30. At Calhoun August 4 to October
12. Pine
Log Creek and near Fairmount August 14. Resaca October 12-13. Near
Summerville
October 18. Little River, Ala., October 20. Leesburg October 21.
Ladiga,
Terrapin Creek, October 28. Moved to Louisville, Ky., November 3-9.
Operations
against Lyon in Kentucky December 6-28. Hopkinsville, Ky., December 16.
At
Nashville, Tenn., until January 9, 1865. Moved to Gravelly Springs,
Ala., and
duty there until March. Wilson's Raid from Chickasaw, Ala., to Macon,
Ga.,
March 22-May 1. Six-Mile Creek March 31. Selma April 2. Montgomery
April 12.
Wetumpka April 13. Fort Tyler, West Point, April 16. Capture of Macon
April 20.
Duty at Macon and in the Dept. of Georgia until August. Mustered out
August 21,
1865.
Regiment lost during service
1 Officer and 30 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer
and 148
Enlisted men by disease. Total 180.
Copyright © 2000-2009, Robert M. Baker, Timothy
Downey, and
the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War,
Additional Resources:
4th
Kentucky
Cavalry (Rosters)
4th
Kentucky Veteran Cavalry (Rosters)