On June 1, 1863, Captain Peter M. Everett was in Abingdon, Virginia, finalizing his preparations for his upcoming raid. His force was relatively small and numbered between 200 to 250 men. It consisted of detachments from companies B, C, D, E & F, 1st and 2nd Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles. Elements of Clay's Battalion were also present. Officers serving under him were Captain George W. Jackson, Co. B, 2nd Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles and Captain James White, Co. F, 1st. Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles. Also accompanying Everett was Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn, who served as volunteer aid on General William Preston's staff. After the war, he served as member of the United States House of Representatives and U.S. Senator, as well as Governor of the Panama Canal Zone.
Others who may have been participants on this raid were Robert J. Breckinridge, Jr., a cousin of General John C. Breckinridge as well as Colonel Ezekiel Clay. Like Everett, the majority of his men knew the country well they would be traversing. Most of them had been recruited in Morgan, Wolfe, Bath, Fleming, Montgomery, Mason and Rowan Counties. Their local knowledge would serve them well during the raid.
As the 14th Kentucky Cavalry was traveling up Mudlick Hill toward Olympian Springs, the road "was cut in the side of a slate hill for 75 yards, the bluff overlooking it on the left, and a grove of small pines was on the right."
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| Joseph C. S. Blackburn, Library of Congress |
Everett left Southwest Virginia on June 2, 1863. Everett's timing for the raid could not have been better. There was a larger than average Union presence in the Big Sandy Valley since the beginning of June 1863. However, the troops were busy organizing for an expedition into Western Virginia. Burnside had ordered General Julius White, commander of the Eastern Kentucky Military District, to move with his troops at about the same time as Colonel Sanders' expedition into Tennessee. General S. P. Carter was directed to cross the Cumberland and move in the direction of Monticello, designed to draw the attention of the enemy from Colonel Sanders' movements - all of which were precursors to Burnside's upcoming Knoxville campaign. The heightened activity of General White's troops in preparing for the upcoming expedition seemed to have worked to Everett's advantage. His column managed to escape the watchful eyes of Union authorities. He quietly slipped through Pound Gap and into Eastern Kentucky virtually undetected. Everett's force remained under the radar for more than a week. It is entirely possible that his men utilized their time by visiting with family and friends along the way.
There was no sign of their presence until Friday, June 12, 1863, when two men of Everett's party, Benjamin F. Cassidy (also appears as B. Q. Cassada in records) and David F. Steele, were captured in Magoffin County, Kentucky. Later that day, it was reported that three hundred rebels under Peter Everett had taken possession of Owingsville. That same evening at Mt. Sterling, First Lieutenant Mason C. Miller, Company B, 14th Kentucky Cavalry, received orders to detail 35 men from Company A, and 20 men from Company B, to be ready to move by 7 o'clock the following morning. Accordingly, on Saturday morning, Lieutenant Miller and Second Lieutenant William P. Schooler, Company A, left town with their men and started for West Liberty, 50 miles east of Mt. Sterling.
Lieutenant Miller reported, "After marching some 10 miles in the direction of Mud Lick Springs (aka Olympian Springs) I met with James Crouch some four miles from the place, and inquired of him if he had seen or heard of any rebels. He informed me that he had met 15 or 20 going towards the Springs. We then struck out in a brisk trot, hoping that we would capture the party."
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State Road, about 4 miles from Olympian Springs |
The men James Crouch had encountered were in all likelihood Everett's advance guard. His forces had arrived at Olympian Springs around noon where he permitted his men "to wind and feed the horses." The command rested up for about an hour. As a precaution, he positioned an advance guard of 30 "pistol men" on the state road leading from Olympian Springs to Mt. Sterling, about 1 1/2 miles from his position.
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| Olympian Springs |
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| State Road at Mudlick Hill |
Everett's advance guard were hidden on both sides of the road in shape of a U. As a precaution, Lieutenant Miller had sent out 20 men under command of Lieutenant Schooler "and of these he had four men out as videttes, and when these came in range of the Rebels they were fired on." The vedettes fell back on Schooler who reported back to Miller and received orders to charge. Schooler's men advanced as ordered. When well in the trap, they were fired on with fatal effect. Aaron Sarver and Milton Anderson of Co. B and Owry Steele of Co. D were killed outright. As soon as Miller heard the shots, he left his position and ordered his men "in double quick to the spot."
Back at Olympian Springs, Everett's men were in the process of remounting when they heard the brisk firing from the direction of Mudlick Hill. He immediately ordered his men to charge the enemy. "Little Pete, as we called him, rode to the front on his big gray horse and gave the command: 'Charge! go for them, boys.' The charge was made, Capt. Everett, J. C. S. Blackburn, Tom Furman, Jasen Mark, John Wright, Sam Crook, and a dozen other fiery warriors on fiery steeds led the van."
According to Lieutenant Miller, "we kept up a sharp firing for a few minutes, when I saw the enemy increase rapidly both on my right and left." Miller ordered a retreat, but not until he had received a bullet in his shoulder, and was the last one getting out of the trap. "Seeing that they had a superior force to that of mine, and a great advantage in the ground, I ordered my little party to fall back, which they did, fighting as they went, some seven or eight miles. As soon as I ordered my men to fall back they charged upon me with 150 mounted men, who were on their horses in ambush."
Lieutenant Schooler fell into the hands of the enemy and was shot in the thigh after surrendering. He was paroled by Joe Blackburn. Several others were wounded and captured as were others whose horses were killed under them. Not over half a mile from the scene of the conflict the horse of Ben Willoughby fell under him and stunned him into unconsciousness, Tom Greenwade came upon him, and not being on friendly terms with him personally, dismounted, took Willoughby's sword from its scabbard and killed him with it. Knowing the fate of some of his comrades, Lieutenant Miller tried to avoid capture at all cost. "After I found I was wounded I was determined that I would not fall into their hands, although I was very weak from the loss of blood. I hung on to my saddle and luckily was not captured."
Everett continued to pursue the Federals towards Mt. Sterling. The Confederates claimed that, "For five miles the road was strewn with dead and wounded Yankees, twenty or thirty were killed and wounded, and as many captured." Meanwhile, a fleet courier had been sent back to camp at Mt. Sterling to report the attack. Major R. T. Williams, 14th Kentucky Cavalry, immediately gathered a few men and hurried out to reinforce Miller's men. He met the Rebels beyond Howard's Mill where a short but fierce fight ensued. "Williams and a Rebel named James T. Rogers had a hand to hand duel with pistols, both emptying their weapons. Williams was wounded in the left shoulder, and when he had shot all the loads out of his pistol he threw it at Rogers and turned and rode off. Geo. Connoy of Co. B was killed here, and a young man of Co. D named Ulery was shot through the bowels after he had surrendered, and was taken to his home near Owingsville where he died a day or so later."
Williams' men soon broke and scattered, and could not again be rallied. It was reported that "Major Williams behaved with great gallantry, and was exceedingly mortified at his failure to rally his men when they broke." The Federals fell back to Mt. Sterling, and were pursued by the rebels to near Robert Harvey Gatewood's place, within a few miles of the town. (Gatewood's wife Mary A. Stoner was a sister of Lt. Colonel Robert Stoner, 9th Kentucky Cavalry (CSA). Her sister Minerva Tribble Stoner was married to Gen. Richard S. "Dick" Williams, brother of CSA General John S. "Cerro Gordo" Williams.)
Major Robert T. Williams' men came into Mount Sterling "on the run, with 'a thousand guerrillas' close behind them, advancing on the town, and 'If you don't surrender they'll take no prisoners.'"
One local at Mt. Sterling noted, "we were fortunate to have in our town Colonel John DeCourcy, who was immediately ordered to take command of the troops here, consisting of a small portion of the 14th Kentucky Cavalry and the 21st Massachusetts, which order inspired a feeling of safety, that we have not felt heretofore when threatened by these desperate gangs." Accordingly, DeCourcy took charge and gave orders for the 21st Massachusetts to be ready to move. The regiment consisted of seasoned veterans who had fought in several of the largest battles of the Civil War, including the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Fredericksburg. Everett did not pose much of a threat to them. One of the 21st Massachusetts soldiers noted, "The people were fearfully excited; as they had been under Union care so long, they dreaded the rebel raiders more than ever before." When the alarm was given, Lt. Col. George P. Hawkes called out his men and they marched down Main Street with their band playing Yankee Doodle. "Prayers and blessings went with the sturdy 21st as they marched out to cover the town," noted one participant. "They divided on the Owingsville and Spencer roads and waited Everett's coming, but he never came. The guerrillas ... had no idea of having a real fight, and, as the regiment moved forward, their advance, which had shown itself on the hills about a mile east of the town, disappeared."
Everett had initially contemplated a demand to surrender but in the end, thought better of it. "He would have taken the town, but it was filled with infantry." His friend Edward O. Guerrant later noted, "Infantry & art'y being at Mt. Sterling & a demand to surrender not having the desired effect, he thought proper to withdraw."
Casualties
The Confederates claimed that 23 men of the 14th Kentucky Cavalry were killed & 25 captured & 3 or 4 wounded (or 27 prisoners).
Union sources acknowledged 9 men killed, 3 mortally wounded, and 12 prisoners captured and paroled.
Regimental records of the 14th Kentucky Cavalry are, unfortunately, incomplete. Therefore, it is difficult to establish the exact number of losses the regiment sustained on June 13, 1863. The following list is based on regimental records when available, casualty lists published in newspapers, pension records and personal recollections.
KIA (7)
Jones Webber, Co. A, killed +
John (D.) Rankins, Co. A, killed ?? (no mention of death in records)
David Henderson, Co. A, wounded in action June 13, 1863, Mud Lick, died from wounds June 17, 1863.
Aaron Sarver, Co. B, killed +
Sgt. George W. Cannoy, Co. C, killed +
Owry Steel, Co. D, killed in action June 13, 1863, Mud Lick.
Milton Anderson, Co. B, killed + (Lt. Miller claimed he was killed after surrendering; wounds; widow's pension)
Killed/Mortally wounded after surrender (2)
Benjamin Willoby/Willoughby, Co. B, killed + (was killed after he surrendered; widow's Pension file)
Thomas Ulery, Co. D, wounded after he surrendered, June 13, 1863, Mud Lick; died June 15, 1863 from wounds.
Men who were reported mortally wounded but survived (4)
Lt. W. P. Schooler, Co. A, shot in the thigh after surrendering
James W. Woods, Co. A
John Kimes, Co. A
Sidney Kerr, Co. A, captured and paroled; reported at Camp Chase July 10, 1863; reported in Columbus, Ohio July 31, 1863 and sent to regiment the same day via Cincinnati.
Reported wounded
Major Robert T. Williams, (shot in shoulder, wound not noted in records, survived)
Lt. (Mason C.) Miller, Co. A, wounded in action June 13, 1863, Mud Lick, shot in shoulder, survived.
Missing in action
William B. Vaughn, Co. A
Harry Hamilton, Co. A
Dennis Hanrahan, Co. A
Reportedly, the paroles of the Federal prisoners were all signed by William Cabell Breckenridge. However, they were most likely signed by Robert J. Breckinridge, Jr. Several paroles also had Joseph C. S. Blackburn's signature.
Confederate losses were minimal. Everett had two horses shot under him, and James T. Rogers and Joseph C. S. Blackburn one horse each.
By late afternoon, Everett's forces had completely vanished. As DeCoury had no means available at Mt. Sterling to pursue the rebels any further, Everett made an easy escape. He passed unopposed through Owingsville, Wyoming, Hillsboro, Poplar Plains and entered Flemingsburg at 11 o'clock that night.
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| View of Flemingsburg |
In the usual fashion, Everett's men stole a large number of horses, and a considerable amount of other property, but in other respects, according to reports, behaved very well.
At the time of Everett's raid, 28 year old Captain Edwin W. Sutherland, former commander of the famous ram "Queen of the West," was staying in Flemingsburg, recovering from an illness. He was cared for by his wife Eudora, who the Louisville Journal characterized as "his better-half - the secession widow of Mississippi." Sutherland had made a name for himself by running the blockade of the rebel batteries at Vicksburg just four months earlier. However, Sutherland's marriage in early 1863 to Eudora Harris, the young and beautiful widow of Skipwith's Landing, Mississippi, in presence of Admiral Porter who gave the bride away, made headlines all across the US. Still a red-hot rebel, Eudora "waved her handkerchief for Jeff. Davis and his horse-thieving followers," despite Everett capturing and paroling her husband.
At one point during their stay, Everett's men were greatly alarmed by the report that the 10th Kentucky Cavalry was en route to Flemingsburg but it was soon discovered that it was a false alarm. They finally took their leave from town at 3 o'clock in the morning and quietly disappeared into the night.
Further Reading
Vicksburg River Romance or Plantation Widow’s Dowry - Captain James Sutherland's Marriage to Eudora Harris.
Researched, transcribed and written by Marlitta H. Perkins, June 2022. Copyright © 2022, All Rights Reserved.
