Hey everyone, welcome to episode 88 of our Civil War podcast.

My name is Rich.

I'm Tracy. Hello y'all. Thanks for tuning into the podcast.

Last week we set the stage for the Battle of Mills Springs, which was an early engagement

in the struggle to control the border state of Kentucky. As y'all recall, by the end of

last week's episode, Confederate Brigadier General Felix Zollekoffer had advanced from

Tennessee through the Cumberland Gap and into Southern Kentucky where he set up at Winter

Camp. Zollekoffer decided to site the camp at Beach Grove on the north side of the

Cumberland River. And it was there that he was joined by his worried superior officer,

Major General George B. Crichtenden.

Crichtenden was worried because he realized that Zollekoffer's force was in a dangerous

position with its back to the Cumberland. Brigadier General George H. Thomas' federal

troops had just arrived at Logan's Crossroads about 10 miles north of the rebel camp. And

they are Thomas weighted their arrival of reinforcements under Brigadier General Albin

Shep from nearby Somerset.

Crichtenden wanted to seize the initiative and attack the Yankees before Thomas and Shep

could unite while the Federals were still divided by the high waters of Fishing Creek.

But unknown to Crichtenden, Shep had already managed to get three regiments of infantry

and some artillery across the flooded stream to reinforce Thomas at Logan's Crossroads,

bringing the federal numbers there up to about 4,400 men.

The 5,000 or so Confederate soldiers started to march out of Beach Grove at midnight on

January 18, 1862. One of the rebel officers later recalled that, quote,

...