Battle of Mills Springs
There are several important battles that took place in Kentucky. However, the Battle of Mills Springs near Nancy and Somerset KY (Jan 1862) was the first battle of the Western Front. While the Eastern Front proved to be a shining point for the Confederacy, they struggled in the West. The Battle of Mills Springs moved the Confederacy out of Kentucky for a while. Furthermore, the Confederacy suffered a terrible setback early by losing Brigadier General Zollicoffer. In the latter months of 1861, he wrote and distributed literature in Southern Kentucky in hopes of stirring anti-union sentiment. Generally speaking, Zollicoffer failed both to stir up these feelings and to gain recruits from the area.
Map of Fortifications on the Cumberland River
This map comes from a great book about the Battle of Mills Springs. It's nice because it gives detail to the battle and talks about the future "Rock of Chickamauga." (Dr. Richard Reid. The Rock Riseth: George H. Thomas at Logan's Crossroads. West KY. Printing and Office Supply, Central City, KY 1988.)
List of Military Activity in KY in 1861
Same source as above. If you're interesting in either Thomas or battles in KY, I highly recommend this book. My grandfather Davis got a signed copy of this book for me in April 1995.
Kentucky Civil War Monument
This Kentucky Civil War monument is located at Chickamauga, Georiga.
