Episode 52: SGT William J. McMurray and the 20th Tennessee at the Battle of Mill Springs

At the Battle of Mill Springs, 19 January 1862, SGT McMurray and the 20th Tennessee marched through the night in a persistent rain to attack a Union Division encamped approximately 10 miles to the north. Armed with flintlock muskets, SGT McMurray and the Tennesseans formed on the right flank of the Confederate battle line and were soon flanked by a brigade with men from their own state: the 1st and 2nd Tennessee (Union) Regiments.

McMurray, William J. History of the Twentieth Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. The Publication Committee, 1904. https://archive.org/details/histtwenttennreg00mcmurich/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater.

Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 7. Government Printing Office, 1882. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079609545&view=1up&seq=3.

Transcript

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The federals kept extending their line to the left by bringing their reinforcements into action. The Mississippians moving to their right to keep from being flanked. And the 20th Tennessee. Trying to keep in touch with the Mississippians left a gap in the left of the 20th Tennessee and res guns in the road. And in the dense mist of the rainy morning general Zoff odent to this gap on the right to the road up to the fourth Kentucky, whom he mistook for the 20th Tennessee. As that regiment was the only regiment between the Mississippians and Cockrell battery, and was fired on by a portion of Fry's regiment, and he and his aide were both killed. hi, my name is Bill Coghlan and host the first person Civil War podcast. While the generals of both sides get most of the recognition, the Civil War was fought by the men in the ranks, and they told their stories during and after the war. Follow me as I reveal what these men witnessed in the battles of the Civil War. Episode 52 is entitled Sergeant William j McMurray and the 20th Tennessee at the Battle of Mill Springs and relies on his book history of the 20th Tennessee Regiment, volunteer Infantry CSA, which he published in 1904. William Joseph McMurray was born on 22 September, 1842 in Williamson County, Tennessee, and lived in that county until the beginning of the war with his family. Due to his upbringing. When the Civil War began william McMurray was eager to enlist. This young soldier said that when he was a child, he often heard his father speak of the war that was soon to take place between the north and the south. So when the first bugle blast swept over the hills of Williamson County, this country boy was among the first to respond to its call. William McMurray traveled to the town of Nolansville, where men from his county formed a company of infantry in April of 1861. He enlisted as a private, and the men were organized as company B of the 20th Tennessee, commanded by Colonel Joel. A battle. By late 1861 Private McMurray and the 20th Tennessee were assigned to Brigadier General Felix k Zla coffers brigade and guarded the region around the Cumberland Gap, which is a pass through the Appalachian Mountains and the vicinity of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. Guarding the Cumberland Gap would deny the pro-Union East Tennessee, a connection by land to the North and was also part of a larger defensive line devised by General Albert S. Johnston that stretched further west across Tennessee. Brigadier General Zopher eventually determined that defenses were sufficient around the gap. And decided to march further east into Kentucky to link up with more confederate forces. By December, william McMurray was a corporal, and the 20th Tennessee found themselves at Mill Springs, Kentucky along the Northern Bank of the Cumberland River. That same month, brigadier General Zoff offer's brigade fell under the command of Major General George b Crittenden's, district of East Tennessee, who arrived in person with his second brigade to Mill Springs in early January of 1862. With the Union Army. Aware of the Confederates position, Brigadier General George H. Thomas. Headquartered in Lebanon, Kentucky. Received orders to march his division toward Mill Springs. Link up with a nearby brigade in Somerset and push the Confederates back across the Cumberland River. After marching through the rain, brigadier General Thomas's division arrived at Logan's Crossroads on 17 January and affected a linkup with the 12th brigade from Somerset as Brigadier General Thomas consolidated his command, he placed a strong guard on the road leading south down to the Confederate camp whose pickets skirmished that night. For two days, Brigadier General Thomas's division remained at Logan's crossroads while he detailed two regiments to March on a suspected Confederate camp, but nothing was found. Aware of the union presence Major General Crittenden sent a letter on 18 January, general Johnston of his intent to attack the enemy. I am threatened by a superior force of the enemy in front and finding it impossible to cross the river. I will have to make the fight on the ground I now occupy. The Confederates left their camp at approximately midnight on 19 January to make the 10 mile march up the Mill Springs Road toward Logan's Crossroads The lead was Brigadier General Zla Hoffer's Brigade, who threw his two cavalry companies out front with the 15th Mississippi and the 20th Tennessee. With now Sergeant McMurray as the lead infantry regiments. Through the early morning hours. The rain was persistent and at approximately 6:30 AM the lead elements of Brigadier General Zla Hoffer's Brigade found the union pickets and opened Fire. Sergeant McMurray now formed in line of battle with the 20th Tennessee. The Battle of Mill Springs had begun. At daylight. Our cavalry advance came upon the enemy's pickets two miles from their camps. The skirmishing began and a line of battle was formed, A cold winter's rain pouring down at the time the enemy was not taken by surprise, and besides, they had affected a junction, ZLA. Kafer formed his line of battle by throwing the 15th Mississippi and the 20th Tennessee to the right of the road. The 10th, Indiana was drawing up in line of battle waiting, the Confederate attack. Lieutenant Colonel William c CAEs, commander of the 10th Indiana, receive the alert from his picketts, and quickly formed his regiment to meet the Confederate attack. When I got within 75 yards of the three companies, then hotly engaged, I formed the regiment and line of battle and rapidly disposed it for fighting five companies extended through the woods on the right of the road, and the remaining companies on the left. A regiment of rebels were advancing in line of battle, and their treasonable colors were seen flaunting in the breeze. Having selected as good a position as practicable. I took a stand and ordered the regiment to fire. Which order was instantly obeyed. The 10th, and Deanna, though initially pushed back was eventually re reinforced by two regiments of Kentucky Cavalry on their left flank. Advancing upon the Kentuckians with Sergeant McMurray and the 20th Tennessee. The 15th. Mississippi moved forward on the 10th Indiana, which was stationed in the heavy woods and was pressing them back when Colonel Mason ordered the fourth Kentucky Regiment on our Colonel Speed S fry to his support at about this juncture battle's regiment, the 20th Tennessee of Zola Coff's Brigade engaged the fourth Kentucky and attempted to flank them, but was checked by Carter's brigade of East Tennesseans. When the first and second Tennessee Union regiments opened upon the flank of the 20th Tennessee Confederate, these men were witness to one of the rarest instances of the Civil War. Men from the same state under opposing flags firing at each other. It was not the first occurrence, nor would it be the last. The first and second Tennessee Union regiments belonged to Colonel Samuel Perry Carter's 12th Brigade, which also included the 12th Kentucky and the first Kentucky Cavalry. Save for the first Kentucky, which extended the fourth Kentucky's line. The rest of the brigade approached the battlefield from the north and linked with the union line, but instead of facing East, they faced South Colonel Carter's Tennessean, and Kentuckians opened with a flanking fire. Soon after these positions were taken by the Tennessee and 12th Kentucky regiments I received from one of your aide's information that the enemy was advancing through the woods and not on the road. We were guarding. The brigade was immediately advanced to meet him. After reaching the woods, the three regiments were closed in on the enemy's right, the first Tennessee deployed into the field, pressing the enemy's right up the hill, firing at him, and capturing some prisoners, among whom was Lieutenant Colonel Carter of the 20th Rebel Regiment of Tennessee. In this advance, the 12th Kentucky, which was on the extreme left of the line, had a brisk skirmish with a part of the enemy's forces, and captured several prisoners. Second East Tennessee Regiment also came up with and captured several of the enemy. Though almost evenly matched in terms of manpower, major General Thomas was able to bring more of his regiments into line faster than the Confederates could while brigadier general Zla coffer strove to extend his own line, sergeant McMurray in the 20th Tennessee faced insurmountable odds to the north of the road. Colonel McCook with the ninth Ohio and second Minnesota was ordered up to the support of the 10th Indiana, a section of Kenny's battery and the fourth Kentucky. Which made eight regiments and one section of artillery that the 15th Mississippi and 20th Tennessee were fighting. Zla Cfer attempted to form his line on the left of the road with the 19th Tennessee and the 25th Tennessee regiments while he placed the only artillery that he had in the road. This section of two guns were under the immediate command of Lieutenant Rell and was the only artillery that was fired by the Confederates. Sergeant McMurray recounts it was at this critical moment while striving to form his brigade on heavily wooded and uneven terrain that brigadier General Zla coffer was killed. The federals kept extending their line to the left by bringing their reinforcements into action. The Mississippians moving to their right to keep from being flanked and the 20th Tennessee. Trying to keep in touch with the Mississippians. Left, a gap between the left of the 20th Tennessee and re's guns and the road. And in the dense mist of the rainy morning general Zla Cfer rode into this gap on the right of the road up to the fourth Kentucky, whom he mistook for the 20th, Tennessee, as that regiment was the only regiment between the Mississippians and Res battery and was fired on by a portion of Fry's regiment, and he and his aide were both killed. Colonel Speed s Fry's report after the battle says nothing about his regiment firing upon brigadier general Zla coffer. But interestingly enough, major General Thomas's report mentions Zla Z's death at the hands of Colonel Fry. Colonel, SR Fry fourth Kentucky was slightly wounded. Wilted regiment was gallantly resisting the advance of the enemy during which time General Zeffer fell from a shot from his Colonel Fry's pistol, which no doubt contributed materially to the discomfort of the enemy. With the death of Brigadier general Zla coffer, the cohesion of the first brigade began to unravel. But by this time, the second brigade under Brigadier General Carroll was deploying along the Mill Springs Road. To the Northeast. Sergeant McMurray and the 20th Tennessee were beginning to break under the concentrated union fire. The 19th, 25th and 29th Tennessee regiments that were on the other side of the road. Were being engaged. But not near so heavily as the 20th Tennessee and the 15th Mississippi, as Zla Hoffer's brigade began to be forced back. Carol's brigade was formed, but could not stem the tide of the confusion that was caused by the death of General Zla cer. Forcing back the 15th, Mississippi and 20th Tennessee, who had bravely borne the brunt of the battle up to this time, the 20th, Tennessee being armed with Flintlock muskets. Not one in five would fire on the account of the incessant rain. The Flintlock musket was by this time obsolete, but at this point in the war, it was still in use. While loading his musket, Sergeant McMurray had to pour a gunpowder in a flash pan and load his rifle. When he pulled the trigger, a piece of Flint struck the metal covering the flash pan to which sparks ignited the gunpowder and discharged the weapon. The East Tennesseans that faced Sergeant McMurray were most likely issued with modern percussion cap rifles, which replaced the flintlock mechanism with a weapon that could fire in any type of weather. Eventually, two regiments marched to the support of Sergeant McMurray and the 20th Tennessee, and for a time bolstered the right flank. The 29th Tennessee under Colonel Powell came to the rescue of the 20th Tennessee and 15th Mississippi, by pouring a galling fire into the enemy at close range. It was here, that its Gallant. Colonel was wounded the 16th, Alabama under Colonel WB Wood also rendered good service, but the battle was lost. Even with the second brigade deploying in line of battle, the Confederates eventually retreated back down the Mill Springs road. But the battle was not yet over for Sergeant McMurray and the 20th Tennessee. A combination of circumstances was against the Confederates, namely. the loss of their principal officer. At the opening of the engagement, the incessant reigns that rendered one third of the arms of the confederates useless and the superior arms of the enemy, a retreat was ordered back to Beach Grove and it did not take much ordering. And the federals followed up that evening and by dark we're throwing shells into our camp. Crittenden Recrossed his army that night on a little Steamboat named Noble Ellis. Leaving his camp Equipage. 12 pieces of artillery, about 1000 horses and mules, and a number of small arms and the worst of our wounded. The Battle of Mill Springs was one of the first significant victories for the union and brought the collapse of General Johnston's defensive plan for Eastern Kentucky. For the time being, the initiative was in the union's hands, which now had access to Eastern Tennessee. Mill Springs also marked the decline of major general Crittenden in the Confederate army, whose career was effectively finished by late 1862. Though, the District of East Tennessee disbanded in the wake of Mill Springs, the 20th, Tennessee shifted further west and fought at Shiloh Stones River, Chicka Maga, the Atlanta campaign, and finally Nashville. Following the war, William j McMurray became a doctor. Beginning in 1874. Survivors of the regiment held annual reunions around 19 September, the Battle of Chicka Maga. It was at one of these reunions that William McMurray was appointed to write the history of the 20th Tennessee. At the meeting in September, 1900 at Antioch, it was determined that the history of this command was worthy of perpetuation and by unanimous vote I was appointed to write the history and was made chairman of the publication committee. With these corrections and alterations, it is most respectfully submitted to a discriminating public with a statement that if the author is incorrect in his views, the same is chargeable to the 65 survivors of the regiment who rejoiced together in their hours of brilliant achievements and who mourned in unison in those times of joint trial, tribulation and trouble. Thank you for listening to the 52nd episode. The link to Sergeant McMurray's book is now available on the podcast website, first person Civil war podcast.com. On Facebook, Instagram, x and LinkedIn. This week you will find a picture of Sergeant McMurray sometime after the war. In two weeks time. Father Henry Clel of the Diocese of Savannah, provides next episodes first person account as he tends to the prisoners at Andersonville. My name is Bill Coghlan, and thank you for listening to First Person Civil War Podcast.