July 9, 1862

July 9, 1862:  Battle of Tomkinsville, Kentucky:  Col. John Hunt Morgan and his light brigade of Kentucky, Georgia, and Texas cavalry approach this town in Kentucky, garrisoned by a battalion of the 9^th Pennsylvania Cavalry regiment, there to guard railroads lines and supply routes for the Army of the Ohio (Buell).  The blue cavalry are under the command of Major Thomas Jefferson Jordon.  The previous night, Morgan’s troops cross the Cumberland River below the Tennessee state line, and attack at 5 AM on this date, sending part of his force around the town to close off Jordon’s escape.  Morgan’s two guns fire a few shells into the Union camp, but he does not charge right away.  Jordon’s troopers have been caught by surprise and cannot saddle their mounts, but engage in a firefight with the Rebels on foot with their carbines.  However, with only 230 men, Jordon is outnumbered more than 3 to 1.  Morgan’s men begin to wrap around his flanks.  By this time, the Yankee have prepared their mounts, and they ride hard toward the rear, north out of town.  As they do, they were surprised by the other half of Morgan’s men sent to close off the Federals’ escape.  Jordon and his troopers fight their way through the Rebel cordion, and he leaves a rear guard to hold back the Rebel pursuit.  Having sent his battalion safely down the road, Maj. Jordon rides back to check on his rear guard, but finds them completely overwhelmed---either killed or captures---by Morgan’s men.  Jordon himself is surrounded and captured, too.  Morgan’s report counted 22 Federal dead, and “30 to 40 wounded”.  They had also captured 30 prisoners, including Maj. Jordon.  Morgan also bags “a valuable baggage train, consisting of some 20 wagons and 50 mules . . . some 40 cavalry horses, and supplies of sugar, coffee, etc.”  In the scrap, four Rebels are wounded, but one of them is Col. Hunt, the commander of the regiment of Georgia mounted rangers.  He is left behind, but within a few days is dead.  Meanwhile, across Kentucky and Northern Tennessee, Yankee reports about Rebel raiders are inflated to the point that as many as 7,000 Confederates are supposed to be raiding in a number of locations.  Of course, only Morgan and his 900+ are the source of all the rumors.

---In Virginia, McClellan discovers (two days after it happened) that Lee has pulled back from Harrison’s Landing, since it is obvious that he cannot attack McClellan there.  Lee deploys his troops in new positions around Richmond and leaves Stuart’s cavalry to keep on eye on the Yankees.  McClellan includes in his report that “I am now confident that the enemy is in full retreat. . . .”  Meanwhile, Lee considers a new series of operations that the Confederate army might undertake while McClellan is pre-occupied with making his “change of base” secure.

---Belle Boyd, a 17-year old Virginia girl in Front Royal, Virginia, was one of the most effective spies for the Confederacy during the war, and had already helped Stonewall Jackson materially during the Valley Campaign.  On this date, a young Union officer of the 102^nd New York Infantry Regiment inscribes this tender love poem in Belle’s autograph album:

Lewie to Belle

Laden with the roses perfume

Ever will my thoughts return

With the pleasure of your welcome

In your cozy pleasant home

Ever with July’s returns!

Tender, loving be thy heart

O’er it richest joy impart

Belle, think of me, when gone,

Even as I shall think of thee,

Lovingly, with friendly heart.

Lovingly, must think of me,

Even through warfare’s fiercest dart

Lewis R. Stegman

Capt. Co E. 102nd Reg’t, N.Y.S.V.
Front Royal, Va,
July 9th 1862

Captain Stegman here unwittingly demonstrates just why Miss Boyd proved to be such an effective spy for the South.

Some of the crew of the U.S.S. Monitor lounging on deck, on this date, July 9, 1862