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The
Ambush of the 4th Illinois Cavalry The
Battle of Coffeeville, Mississippi December
5, 1862. Ambush at approximately 5:15 pm. This page is dedicated to the men – both sides – who were killed
or wounded in this engagement. And especially
in memory of Lt. Col. William McCullough and his daughter, Fanny. |
Lt. Col. William McCullough
Killed in the night ambush leading the 4th Illinois rear guard.
***
McCullough biography:
Lt. Col. William McCullough was born in Kentucky in 1811, and moved to Illinois early in life and established himself there as a young man. He had married his school sweet heart, Mary Williams, and began as a farmer in the area. Later, he won military acclaim in the Black Hawk (Indian) war and in the battle of Stillman’s defeat in 1832.
Around
1840 McCullough was involved in a farming accident when a threshing machine
cost him one arm. He later lost the
sight in one eye. Although he was no longer able to
farm, he was well liked and a respected man in the community and was later elected Sheriff of McLean County, Illinois, serving six
years. Later, in 1852, he was elected court
clerk in Bloomington. When the Civil War broke out most people -- north and south -- believed the war would last a few months and all the men would soon return home to continue their lives. McCullough believed this also and never resigned his position as court clerk.
When the call for volunteers was made in Illinois, McCullough tried to enlist. However, by today standards he would have been considered a 4-F classification. He was forty-nine years old and disabled with the loss of an arm and had the sight in but one eye. He also had duties to tend to in his position as court clerk. But his patriotism for the Union led McCullough to try to enlist anyway. At first he was politely and tactfully excused, but he persisted. He finally contacted his old friend, Abraham Lincoln, and appealed for special permission to join the 4th Illinois cavalry. Lincoln consented, and McCullough joined the cavalry in August of 1861 and was immediately commissioned a lieutenant colonel.
***
During
the Confederate “Retreat From Abbeville” CSA General Price’s rear guard had
skirmished daily -- and almost hourly -- with Grant’s advance cavalry, throwing up
resistance to slow them, but not having the resources or assignment to stop
them. But as the rear guard caught up
with the other regiments near Coffeeville they made a stand on a ridge just
north of town to ambush the Federals and save the last of their lagging equipment wagons.
CSA Generals Lovell and Tilghman took advantage of the Federal
vulnerability -- their cavalry was strung out for two solid miles, confined to a narrow, muddy wagon road. Using favorable terrain and conditions perfectly, the Confederates surged to a
decisive victory -- the first meaningful victory in the west.
The fighting began around 2 pm and gained in strength with each Confederate charge. The last significant Union line broke at 4 pm, and from then it was a rapid retreat trying to save the Federal artillery, wagons, and men as the Confederates make strong flanking moves on each side, while pressing sharply in the front. As dusk began to fall the Federals pulled their two cannons off the field behind “last stand
hill,” as the men hurried over the ridge to find their horses and make their way back to Water Valley.
For
all practical purposes, the battle was over at 5 pm. The Federals were evacuating as quickly as possible, Confederate general Tilghman had ordered a cease fire, and it was nearly dark. Then an interesting natural phenominon began to occur. To the east, a full moon now began to rise eerily over the battle field.
As
the Confederates had charged forward since 4 pm, CSA Major Doss had moved to
the far east flank, adding to the extremely heavy Confederate fire as the
battle was closing. The cease fire by Tilghman had been generally ignored. Many of these Confederates had
been captured by Grant’s command at Fort Donnelson the previous February and
had spent many terrible months in northern prison camps. They had now been paroled and exchanged, sent to north Mississippi, and the tables had now turned. Even though most of the
Confederates at Coffeeville had camped – or stood – in the rain the previous
night, with little food the past few days, they refused to quit fighting once
they had the upper hand on Grant.
CSA
general Tilghman wrote in his official report:
“Having
already driven the enemy much farther than was ordered by a message from
General [M.] Lovell, I gave the order to halt and cease firing, very much to
the chagrin of both officers and men, who, notwithstanding the severe duties
and deprivations of the last week, seemed to forget everything but the desire
showed by all to repay the injuries suffered by them during their long and
barbarous imprisonment at the North.”
As
dusk fell, Doss had swung far to the east, out of the site of the Federals, and
now moved his men down a small road that led to another road that connected to
the battlefield. There was a ridge at this
intersection that effectively screened Doss’ movements. He followed the east side of this ridge and
then followed the terrain back to the west where the hollow divided into two valleys.
Both led to the back door of the Federal
retreat. The Federals were aware that the Rebels had not quit their
pursuit, and Dickey ordered a detachment to serve as rear guard for his retreating cavalry, and sent Lt. Col. McCullough with a relatively small party back to the intersecting road.
P.
O. Avery of the 4th Illinois gave this account:
"It was now getting quite dark. There was now a call for volunteers to go
back toward the front and form another line.
About fifty of us went…”
The route of
Major Doss:
Aerial view of the battle. The red lines represent war era roads; the
black ones represent modern roads. Doss
followed the red line from the horse arena area (bottom, center), and then on
into the hollow, as shown.
The field road going to the left is the
road taken by Doss. It follows the
bottom of a ridge and connects with the east-west road to the battlefield.
This field is at the edge of the road the
Doss followed. The battle was ending to
the left of this shot on the hill, about 150-200 yards away. Doss crossed into this field and used a
ridge just to the left of this image to effectively screen his movement. He then cut back to the left about where the
cedar tree line is shown, which leads to the hollow a few yards away. The hollow branches into two valleys, and
Doss and his men occupied the north-eastern edge of both.
The McCullough Hollow. The 14th Mississippi was in the
woods in the foreground. The 4th
Illinois crossed from right to left here.
If you had an ancestor in this ambush, this is exactly where it took place.
***
P. O. Avery: "Shortly
afterwards everything was on the move to the rear and we were called in and
mounted. Our regiment, Lieutenant
Colonel McCullough commanding, was to be rear guard and was just moving out
when they ran into a force of the enemy's infantry that had been sent up along
our flank and had got across our road between the column and the rear guar.”
McCullough led his men down the slope of “last
stand hill” to the main road and then moved somewhat to the east to serve as rear
guard to follow the retreating Federals away from the battle field. McCullough then turned his column and rode back
up the hill, over the crest, and down into the hollow. In the night, Doss’s men hid behind trees and
watched McCullough and his party as they rode perpendicular to them in the
woods. When McCullough was within
twenty paces of Doss’ men, one of the Rebels called out “halt.” McCullough, thinking he had run across other
Federal soldiers, stopped his horse.
Most likely, his detachment walked their horses up and clustered around
him to see what was happening. At this
point the 14th Mississippi infantry fired into the Federal column. One of the first shots wounded McCullough in
the right leg. McCullough dismounted
his horse – probably in an effort to use the horse as a shield against the Confederate
gunfire -- but was then shot twice more, killing him. Doss men then surrounded and captured seventeen of McCullough’s
escort, along with their horses and accoutrements. The prisoners were marched back toward Coffeeville and
McCullough’s body was left on the field.
From the
diary of William Lyman of the Seventh Kansas Cavalry:
“Among those killed was Lieut. Col. McCullough of
the 4th Illinois Cavalry, who had but one arm.
His escort of about 25 men were made prisoners at the same time.”
CSA
Tilghman: December 6, 1862. From CSA General Lloyd Tilghman’s offical
report:
“The
Fourteenth Mississippi, Major Doss commanding, toward the close became too far
separated from the main command, but was abundantly able to take care of
itself, and drove back the enemy in their front, killing and wounding a number,
among them Lieutenant-Colonel [William] McCullough, who was shot dead within twenty
paces of our line. This regiment also
captured 17 prisoners, with all their horses, arms, and accouterments. The body of Lieutenant-Colonel McCullough
was not secured. “
From Union
Colonel T. Lyle Dickey’s report:
“Lieutenant-Colonel
McCullough, of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, fell while covering the retreat of
our column with the mounted companies of his regiment. He was at first reported
wounded and a prisoner, but it is now ascertained that he was instantly killed.
A better or braver man never fought or fell. He died with his face to the foe,
at the head of his command, thus nobly sacrificing his life for the safety of
his fellows. His loss is a severe one to the country and the service.”
Pvt. John Lansing, Company I.
The colonel’s orderly. Crippled for life by the fall of his horse.
Dwight Allen Brown,
Company M.
Shot alongside Col.
McCullough. The bullet entered his
right thigh and exited near the inside of his knee, lodging in his saddle holster. Brown managed to escape capture and returned to Water Valley that
night where his wounds were dressed. He
was later sent to the 124th Illinois field hospital near Oxford and eventually
returned home to recover. Brown later told his family that the conditions in
Coffeeville were very muddy and the brush and undergrowth terribly thick. He reported that all the men riding white horses were either killed or
wounded – they were the most visible in the moonlight. He also reported that his horse was wounded -- shot in the
face, from right to left. Amazingly, Dwight
managed to escape on his horse and was later placed in an ambulance and taken to
Water Valley with the rest of the force.
He told of what a miserable ride it was -- and that the most painful part of the wound
was when a nurse cleaned it -- part of the fabric from his uniform
that had lodged inside and had to be scraped out.
P.
O. Avery: “The rebels fired into the
head of our column, killing Lieutenant Colonel McCullough and wounding several
others. John Lansing of Company I, who
was the Colonel's orderly, is crippled for life by a fall from his horse. Wm. Stillhamer, another orderly from Company
G, was shot in both thighs. I took the
latter off the field on my horse and after going several miles in this way I
got him into an ambulance."
|
William Stillhammer |
***
The next morning (Saturday,
December 6) the Confederates sent a burial detail out to the battle-field to
bury the dead. Soon, a detachment of Federal soldiers, under a flag of truce,
arrived seeking permission to recover their dead. They met on the Tennessee Road, just south of town to discuss the arrangements.
William Lyman, 7th Kansas Cavalry:
“While at Water Valley a party from
the 7th Kansas was sent out under flag of truce to recover the bodies of some
of those killed in that engagement. I was one of that party. We went down below
Coffeyville and met a party of the Confederates and the matter was duly
arranged. The rebels were drawn up across the road, and we matched their
formation while the officers of the two forces were conferring. If we looked as grim as the Johnnies, there
was no love lost between us.”
The
Rebels were only interested in moving to Grenada, ten miles south, to begin
digging in with Pemberton at the Yalobusha River. The Federals were granted permission to search the battlefield,
however the dead had already been buried -- including Lt. Col. William
McCullough.
McCullough’s
young son had followed his father into war and was with Grant’s main army in
Oxford. Colonel Dickey requested an
escort for McCullough’s body and this was approved by Grant. From Oxford, McCullough’s son, along with
this escort, accompanied his father’s remains back to Bloomington where Lt. Col
William McCullough was buried on December 18, 1862.
December 10th,
2 pm. Excerpts from letter from Col.
Lyle Dickey to General Grant.
“…the flag
of truce party sent to recover the body of Lt. Col McCullough has not
returned — His little son in charge of his effects is at the hospital at Oxford
with Dr. Luce of the 4th Illinois Cav — by my direction awaiting the
return of the party from Coffeeville — I wish very much to be allowed to detail a
small party to take charge of the lad & effects & the body if recovered
& take them to Bloomington — I expect the party this evening.”
December 10th,
Grant’s headquarters, Oxford. Excerpt
of letter from Grant to Dickey.
“The
detail to accompany Col. McCullough’s remains and effects may be made.”
December 11,
Dickey, Springdale, Miss., telegraphed to Lt. Col John A. Rawlins.
“Remains
of Col McCullough are here & go forward at once. Notify Lt Hyde who stays with Capt Osband to have McCullough’s
son & effects ready. Enimines killed
at Coffeeville estimated by the Enemy at 30 to 75.”
From the P. O. Avery diary:
” The body of Colonel McCullough was brought in on the eleventh and
Lieutenant Hyde started north with it.”
(Lieutenant Hyde was the older brother of Elliott Hyde -- the man who
had been killed trying to save P.O. Avery’s life during a Confederate charge.)
***
Special order
by Major Commanding R. M. Wallace
Water Valley,
Mississippi
December 19,
1862
Head Quarters
4th Ill Cavalry
Water Valley
Miss Dec 19/62
No 2
In pursuance
of orders from Brigade Head Quarters, I hereby assume Command of the 4th
Regiment Illinois Vol. Cavalry. All
orders now in force will remain in full force until further orders from these
Head Quarters.
It is not I
hope inappropriate at this time for me to day to the Officers and men of this
Regiment that the occasion of this order is one of sadness and deep regret to
us all, one long to be felt and mourned, the death of our late Commander and
kind friend Lieut Col. William McCullough.
He died a glorious death in the brave action and earnest discharge of
his duty fighting for the integrity of his and our beloved Country.
Let us then
show our appreciation of his noble qualities and the cause in which he was
fighting by imitating his virtues following his worthy example and carrying on
his good designs. We also send out
united Condolence to his afflicted family and friends and pledge ourselves to
maintain the reputation he has bequeathed to us.
By order of
R. M. Wallace
Maj
Commanding
4th
Ill Cavalry
I. H. Parker
Adjutant
***
***
The
Bloomington Pantagraph, McCullough’s home town newspaper, printed the
following. There are several
inaccuracies, most notably the contradictory mentions of the location of the
ambush, and the casualty numbers. Also,
several names on the casualty list are mis-spelled, in particular Sgt. Nathan
Hinsdale whose name is mis-spelled “Hernsadale.”
Taken From
the Bloomington Daily Pantagraph:
Wednesday
Morning, December 10, 1862
Col.
McCullough Killed. Partial List of Killed and Wounded. Private Dispatch.
To Judge
Davis and Hon. L. Swett:
Colonel
McCullough was killed in battle and buried by the enemy. A flag of truce has gone for the body.
T. Lyle
Dickey
Colonel Chief
of Cavalry.
Oxford,
Miss., December 8 (1862)
Special to
Journal:
The cavalry
under Col Dickey, pursued and attacked the retreating rebel army near
Coffeeville on Friday evening, an engagement of two hours ensued, which was
ended by night.
The rebels
were in force not less than 6,000 with artillery and cavalry.
There was two
hours’ severe fighting. The federal
loss was about 9 killed and 50 wounded and 60 missing. The rebel loss was 300 killed and wounded.
Lt. Col.
McCullough, of the 4th Illinois cavalry was killed.
The following
are among the federal wounded:
B. McLean,
Corporal Company A Second Iowa.
James
Fickle, Orderly Sgt, Company K.
Perry L.
Reed, 2nd Lieutenant.
John Slather,
Killed.
(No first
name given) Lawrence, Private Company A.
Jno.
Sullivan, private Company F, mortally, 7th Illinois.
Henry Gunnell
Company M.
S. Shell.
W. G. Bone.
Corporal
Allen.
M. Davis.
Sgt. Cobb,
arm fractured.
W. H. Bevens,
Company B, Third Michigan, flesh wound in the arm.
G. M. Gibson,
Sgt, Company B, 2nd Iowa, flesh wound in hand and breast.
G. B.
Harrington, in the knee.
C. W. Ford,
Company A, Seventh Kansas, flesh wound.
Price Keith.
John Herr.
P. Johnson.
J. E. Hurst.
A Bates
W. Carmichael,
Company I, 2nd Iowa.
A C. Foulk,
Company D, 7th Kansas.
J. A. Brown.
M. D.
Needham, Company D, 2nd Iowa.
G. Fairly,
Sgt. Company K, 7th Illinois.
Calvins
Williams, Company M, 4th Illinois, badly wounded and left on the
field.
N. B.
Hersdale, Sgt. Company D, 7th Kansas, killed.
***
December 11,
1862:
Colonel
McCullough’s Death:
Under the
date of November 30th, 1862, Captain Bloomfield writes a friend of
ours as follows: “Our cavalry under
Colonel Lee, of the 7th Kansas, and Colonel McCullough of the 4th
Illinois are fighting in our front, boom on boom comes the hoarse cannons
sound, while riderless horses and gory men pouring to the rear tells too
plainly that war is gathering in her victums, and that we have work ahead.
Under date of
December 3rd, 1862 he writes:
“I am just told of the death of Colonel McCullough. He was shot while making a reconnaissance on
the banks of the Tallahatchie or rather on Spring Creek, a branch of the
Tallahatchie three miles from Oxford.
Thus another of the “bravest of the brave” has given up his life and
become a martyr to our glorious cause.
My time may be the next to come.
I am ready.
“I saw
Captain Palmer today also Lts. Evans and Leper, Captains Campion and
Denison. They are well. Our boys are in glorious spirits and are
“eager for the fray.” Colonel
McCullough commanded the 4th Illinois, Colonel Dickson is Chief of
cavalry in this Corps. Colonel
McCullough died in the hands of the rebels, and they having fled, the body has
not been found, hence a flag of truce to the rebels have gone for the body.
***
The
Bloomington Daily Pantagraph:
Friday,
December 12, 1862
Lieutenant
Colonel William McCullough, of the 4th Regiment Illinois cavalry,
the clerk of this court, was killed in a skirmish with the rebels near Oxford,
in the State of Mississippi on the ___ day of December, 1862.
Lieutenant
Colonel McCullough was forty-nine years of age, he was born in the State of
Kentucky and for thirty-six years of his life was a citizen of this
county. He was a private soldier in the
Black Hawk war, and was distinguished for his courage in the battle of
Stillman’s defeat in 1832. He was
Sheriff of this county six years, and in 1852 was elected clerk to this court
and remained in office up to the time of his death, and was a most obliging and
efficient officer. He entered the
military service of the United States in August, 1861, and was immediately
commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 4th Illinois cavalry. From that time he gave his whole heart to
the cause of his country, and put all his energy to the suppression of the
foulest rebellion that ever disgraced the pages of history. He was present with his regiment at the
operation which resulted in the capture of Fort Henry, and in the taking of
Fort Donelson he rendered such efficient and valuable service that he attracted
the attention of his commanding officer (the lamented General Wallace) whose
official report acknowledges and commends his gallant conduct. He was also in the Battle of Shiloh and in
all the movements of the army that led to the evacuation of Corinth by the
rebels under General Beauregard, and from that time until his death he was
always present where danger was to be met, or laurels won, and was ever a
brave, faithful, energetic, and accomplished soldier.
In
consideration of the service he has rendered the country, and inasmuch as he
was long officially connected with this court, the members of this bar in
perpetuation of his memory, pray that this paper together with the following
resolutions be spread upon the records of this court:
(Resolved)
That, we the members of this Bar, have heard with the deepest regret of the
death of Lieutenant Colonel William McCullough, the clerk of this court, who
fell in battle, bravely contending for the liberty and laws of his country,
against a causeless and most wicked rebellion:
Resolved. That in the death of Lieutenant Colonel
McCullough, we feel that we have lost a warm hearted, faithful friend, but our
greatest regret is that the Government has lost a brave, accomplished and
patriotic soldier, and liberty a valiant champion.
Resolved: That we take this solemn occasion to renew,
with a firmer purpose, our (?) attachment to the Constitution, and (?) to again
pledge to the Government our unswerving support and warmest sympathy in all it
efforts to suppress this internal rebellion.
Resolved: That the clerk of this court forward to the family of Lieutenant
Colonel McCullough a copy of these resolutions.
(?) then
addressed the meeting, referring to his long acquaintance and intimacy with the
deceased, touching upon many tender incidents of his life, demonstrating the
kind and social feelings, the (?) integrity and true bravery of the man. That he was not ambitious, yet always by the
choice of the people filling (?)
positions of trust. He spoke eloquently
and feelingly of the great cause of our country to which Colonel McCullough had
so unhesitatingly given up his life.
His Honor, Judge Scott, also spoke to the same effect
testifying from his long and intimate acquaintance, to his goodness and
nobleness of heart, and of the kindness he had received, both from him and his
family, when some years ago he made his home with them, and of the many
endearing remininasces that crowded upon his mind in this sad hour of
bereavement.
Honorable
Leonard Swett commencing by saying: “At
a time like this silence seems most eloquent,” referred to our many brave and
good citizens that had before fallen by the hands of this terrible
rebellion. He spoke particularly and at
some length of the history of Colonel McCullough in connection with this war,
of his bravery and noble bearing upon the battle-field and of the loss this
community and the country have sustained in his death, and that “those gaps
that death makes are not easily filled.”
He spoke most feelingly and tenderly of the family of the deceased, of
his bearing to them the sad message of death.
***
Union President Abraham
Lincoln
Long time friend to Lt.
Colonel William McCullough
Shortly after the defeat in Coffeeville, word was
received at the White House concerning the battle. Not only was it a political and military setback, President Lincoln
had lost his good friend, William McCullough.
And it was Lincoln who had granted special permission for the forty-nine
year old McCullough to join the cavalry.
McCullough’s young daughter, Fanny, was so grief stricken over the loss
of her father that word of this also reached Lincoln. Two
days before Christmas the president wrote this letter:
Executive Mansion
Washington, December 23, 1862
Dear Fanny,
It is with deep grief that I learn of the death of your kind
and brave Father; and, especially, that it is affecting your young heart beyond
what is common in such cases. In this
sad world of ours, sorrow comes to all;
and, to the young, it comes with bitterest agony, because it takes
them unawares. The older have learned
to ever expect it. I am anxious to
afford some alleviation of your present distress. Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You can not now realize that you will ever
feel better. Is not this so? And yet it is a mistake. You are sure to be happy again. To know this, which is certainly true, will
make you some less miserable now. I
have had experience enough to know what I say;
and you need only to believe it, to feel better at once. The memory of your dear Father, instead of
an agony, will yet be a sad sweet feeling in your heart, of a purer, and holier
sort than you have known before.
Please present my kind regards to your afflicted mother.
Miss Fanny McCullough.
The original Lincoln letter to Fanny McCullough
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