Private George Washington Witham served in Units M&C in the 13th Kentucky Cavalry for the Union Army during the Civil War.
The 13th Kentucky Cavalry was a volunteer regiment that was organized at Columbia, Kentucky and mustered in for one year on December 22, 1863 under the command of Colonel James W. Weatherford.
The 13th Kentucky Cavalry spent its entire service in active work, fighting in numerous skirmishes and some severe engagements.
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13th Kentucky Cavalry Headstone
Placed next to his Memorial Headstone |
This regiment was attached to District of South Central Kentucky, 1st Division, XXIII Corps, Department of the Ohio, to January 1864. District of Southwest Kentucky, Department of the Ohio, to April 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, District of Kentucky, Department of the Ohio, to July 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, District of Kentucky, to January 1865.
Their detail included duty at Lebanon and protecting country south of Lebanon until June 1864. Cumberland River, Ky., November 26, 1863. Creelsboro and Celina December 7. Cumberland River March 19, 1864. Obey's River March 28 (detachment). Expedition to Obey's River April 18–20. Wolf River May 18. Operations against Morgan May 31-June 30. Cynthiana June 12. Liberty June 17. Canton and Roaring Springs August 22. At Camp Burnside August 26-September 16. Ordered to Mt. Sterling September 16. Burbridge's Expedition into southwest Virginia September 20-October 17. Saltville, Va., October 2. At Mt. Sterling, Lexington and Crab Orchard, Ky., until December 17. At Camp Nelson, Ky., until January 10, 1865.
Remember that Kentucky was a border state of key importance in the Civil War. It was the site of fierce battles. President Abraham Lincoln recognized the importance of the Commonwealth when he declared "I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky." In a September 1861 letter to Orville Browning, Lincoln wrote "I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game. ... We would as well consent to separation at once, including the surrender of the capital." Kentucky was also the birthplace of President Lincoln, his wife, Mary Todd, and his Southern conterpart, President Jefferson Davis.
Being a border state, Kentucky was among the chief places where the "brother against brother" scenario was prevalent. Kentucky was officially neutral at the start of the war, but after a failed attempt by the confederacy to take the state of Kentucky, the legislature petitioned the Union for assistance, and thereafter fell under Union control.
The regiment lost a total of 94 men during service; 1 officer and 9 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 83 enlisted men died of disease.
The 13th Kentucky Cavalry mustered out of service at Camp Nelson on January 10, 1865.
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I was able to find the following accounts of a few of the encounters the 13th Kentucky Cavalry was involved with:
Rebel Guerrillas on Main Street
November 21, 1864
In the fall of 1864, Col. James W. Weatherford’s 13th Kentucky Cavalry force, USA, which guarded Campbellsville’s citizens from rebel activity, was reduced from 60 to 20 men.
Just before a heavy November snowfall, Henry C. Magruder’s rebel guerrilla band, about seventeen in number, came to the small settlement of Colesby in northern Taylor County. They captured and killed Cpl. Samuel Williams of Company L, 13th Kentucky Cavalry, who was visiting his uncle and then "pressed" a slave to guide them to Campbellsville.
They rode into town around sunset and shot two cavalrymen who were patrolling the streets, mortally wounding Pvt. James C. Blankenship and seriously wounding the other.
Up and down Main Street, the guerrillas fired their weapons, aiming at startled citizens, the Louisville Journal reported: They broke into the stores of Messrs. Gowdy, Turner & Co., and Chandler and Mourning, obtaining $75 in money from the former and nothing from the latter. Every citizen they met was relieved of pocketbooks and watches. In an incredibly short space of time, they robbed the citizens of at least $2,000 in money, watches, etc. Mr. [Ferdinand] Hiestand was robbed of $1,485, mostly Kentucky bank notes. James Blandford [saddler] lost a valuable gold watch and overcoat; Jeter & Haskins, $100; E.[Edward] Rice, $100; Frank Hackley, $15; Billy Marr, $15; John H. Chandler, gold watch, and $40 in money. Several other citizens were robbed....
News of the siege spread quickly to the residents of upper Main Street where a large stagecoach was pulling in from Lebanon. Unfortunately for the guerrillas, several discharged Federal artillerymen were among its passengers. When told of what was happening down the street, the discharged soldiers took cover in a house on this block, gathered some weapons, and prepared to protect the coach from the guerrillas.
Magruder’s men worked their way up the street, robbing citizens and stores. They surrounded the empty stagecoach and its valuable horses. The Federal soldiers opened fire, injuring one of the guerrillas. The rebels skedaddled. Later, they passed through Saloma on the old Lexington–Nashville Road, eating dinner and camping on the farm of southern sympathizer, Daniel Williams, who lived just over the Taylor County line in Green County.
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The Battle of Saltville (1 October – 3 October 1864) was fought near the town of Saltville, Virginia, during the Civil War.
Saltville was very important to the confederacy as salt was the primary means of preserving food and Saltville was the South's only significant source of salt. The confederacy wanted to hold Saltville and the Union wanted to capture it.
The battle was fought by both regular and homeguard Confederate units against regular Union troops, including one of the few black cavalry units, over an important saltworks in the town.
Union cavalry and infantry raiders led by Brig. Gen. Stephen Burbridge attempted to destroy the saltworks near Saltville. He was delayed at Clinch Mountain and Laurel Gap by a makeshift Confederate force, enabling Brig. Gen. Alfred E. Jackson to concentrate troops near Saltville to meet him. On the morning of October 1, the Federals attacked but made little headway. Confederate reinforcements continued to arrive during the day. After day-long fighting, Burbridge retired without accomplishing his objective. The battle was a Confederate victory, stained by the murders of captured and wounded white and black Union troops by irregular guerrilla forces under the notorious Champ Ferguson. Ferguson was tried after the war in Nashville, TN for these and other non-military killings, found guilty and executed. A second battle occurred two months later when Union General George Stoneman defeated Confederate defenders and burned the saltworks.
2 Civil War battles were fought in saltville. The first was Oct 2, 1864 and resulted in the defeat of a Union army of 5200 men. The 2nd battle was Dec 20, 1864 and resulted in the destruction of the Saltworks by the Union army.
2 future US presidents also fought in the saltworks campaign: Rutherford B Hayes, and William McKinley.
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Thank you to Becky for the 13th Kentucky Cavalry Headstone photo and to both Jack and Becky for the photo of GW Witham.
