Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 9.djvu/43

CHAPTER III.

FIRST CONFEDERATE TROOPS FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY—CAMP BOONE—GENERAL S. B. BUCKNER— OFFER OF FEDERAL COMMAND DECLINED-GENERAL ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON—ASSIGNMENT TO COMMAND—OCCUPATION OF BOWLING GREEN BY GENERAL BUCKNER—GENERAL ZOLLICOFFER AT CUMBERLAND GAP—GENERAL POLK HOLDS LEFT WING AT COLUMBUS—FEDERAL ADVANCE FROM LOUISVILLE— JOHN H. MORGAN—GENERAL SHERMAN SUCCEEDS GENERAL ANDERSON—HIS VIEWS AS TO LARGE FORCE NEEDED CONDEMNED—REPORT OF ADJUTANT-GENERAL THOMAS ON THE SITUATION—WAR MUST BE CARRIED TO SOUTHERN FIRESIDES—GENERAL SHERMAN SUPERSEDED BY GENERAL BUELL—FIRST ENGAGEMENT IN KENTUCKY—OTHER MOVEMENTS—CONFEDERATE ORGANIZATION AT BOWLING GREEN—KENTUCKY COMMANDS—THEIR HISTORY IN DETAIL.

THE first Kentuckians to leave the State for service in the Confederate army were two companies from Louisville, under command of Capts. Ben Anderson and Fred Van Osten. They embarked on a steamer for New Orleans, April 20, 1861. At Columbus they were joined by Capt Jack Thompson's company, and became the Third Kentucky battalion, under command of Capt. Anderson, who was a graduate of West Point On the 25th of April a company under Capt Joseph Desha, from Harrison county, and three companies from Louisville under Capts. John D. Pope, J. B. Harvey and M. Lapielle, left Louisville for Nashville. They numbered about three hundred men. At Nashville they were joined by two companies from southwest Kentucky under Captains Edward Crossland and Brownson, and

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