A History of the Daniel Boone National Forest 1770 - 1970

From the completion of its original construction in the fall of 1796, the Wilderness Road has played a key part in all development in eastern Kentucky. With the outbreak of the Civil War, the Wilderness Road and Cumberland Gap became key strategic features in eastern Kentucky. One of the first major actions of the war occurred within the boundary of the present Daniel Boone National Forest, in the London Ranger District — The Battle of Wildcat Mountain.

In the fall of 1861, the entrance of Confederate forces into the western part of Kentucky dissolved Kentucky's early stand of neutrality. Union regiments formed in Kentucky had been reinforced by regiments from states north of the Ohio River, principally from Indiana and Ohio. Union dispositions in eastern Kentucky were under the command of Union General Albin Schoepf as District Commander. These Union forces were concentrated largely at Camp Dick Robinson on the Kentucky River, the 33rd Indiana Infantry stationed at Big Hill near the present site of Berea, and a single regiment, the 7th Kentucky Infantry, stationed at Camp Wildcat on the Rockcastle River in Laurel County.

Confederate Brigadier General Felix Zollicoffer, commanding a force of approximately 7,000 men, had invaded Kentucky from Tennessee through Cumberland Gap. It is generally believed that his objective was to move eastward through the Kentucky mountains into the Bluegrass area, somewhere in the vicinity of the present site of Berea, with the objective of securing this area for the Confederacy and of influencing Kentuckians in the Bluegrass to the support of the Confederate cause. He moved from Cumberland Gap, with a force consisting of six regiments of infantry and one regiment of calvary, sacking the towns of Barbourville and London enroute. His initial objective was to cut off the single Union regiment stationed at Camp Wildcat on the Rockcastle River.

The advance of this Confederate force from Cumberland Gap was promptly reported to the Union district commander, General Schoepf, who dispatched the 33rd Indiana Infantry from Big Hill, with instructions to support Colonel Gerrard at Camp Wildcat, and to initially occupy a position, known as Wildcat Mountain.

The 7th Kentucky and four companies of the 33rd Indiana disposed themselves in a defensive position along the ridge of Wildcat Mountain, with special attention to the low point in the ridge, where the old Boone Stagecoach Road crossed the ridge. Here, they dug entrenchments and rifle pits, and awaited the advance of the Confederate force.

As additional support, General Schoepf dispatched two regiments, the 1st Tennessee and the 2nd Tennessee infantry, Union, and Colonel Woodford's Regiment, the 1st Kentucky Calvary, from Camp Dick Robinson to further reinforce Union forces on Wildcat Mountain. General Schoepf and his staff also moved from Camp Dick Robinson to the defense position.

General Zollicoffer's force, fresh from their triumph in sacking the towns of Barbourville and London, and believing they would be opposed only by the small force reported at Camp Wildcat, expected an easy victory. The battle opened at approximately 8:00 a.m. on October 21, 1861, when the advance guard of the Confederate force attacked units of the 7th Kentucky Infantry near the saddle of Wildcat Mountain and along the route of the old Boone Road. The men of the 7th Kentucky were not caught napping and, although outnumbered, drove back the initial attack with deadly accurate musket fire. The Confederate Advance Guard retired to await the arrival of the main body of troops before renewing the attack. It was at this point in the battle that Colonel Coburn arrived with four companies of the 33rd Indiana Infantry from Big Hill, and deployed their approximately 350 men as skirmishers along the military crest of Wildcat Mountain.

At this time, the Confederates, reinforced by the main body, formed a line of battle along the stream in Happy Hollow, approximately one-half mile to the east of the Union position. This Confederate force started to advance and to fire on the Union position.

At this point, Colonel Woodford's 1st Kentucky Cavalry arrived and the troopers reinforced the lines of the 7th Kentucky and 33rd Indiana.

The Confederate force charged the ridge line and were repulsed with heavy fire from the Union force. The Confederates maintained their attack for approximately one hour, after which they withdrew in the face of continuing heavy and accurate fire from the Union force, leaving their dead and wounded on a field.

At this time, following the repulse of the Confederate attack, General Schoepf and four companies of the 17th Ohio Infantry arrived together with Company C of the 14th Ohio Infantry, all of which reinforced the Union line on the military crest of Wildcat Mountain.

At 1400 hours, the Confederate force renewed the attack with even greater fury, General Zollicoffer committing the great part of his force in the major attack. Despite the greatly superior number of the Confederate forces and the fury of their assault, the now-reinforced Union line, under the personal command of General Schoepf, held its position along the military crest of Wildcat Mountain. Despite the persistence and fury of the repeated Confederate attack, the well-directed infantry fire of the Union forces, supported by artillery of Battery B, 1st Ohio, resulted in a total rout and dispersion of General Zollicoffer's force. With the approach of nightfall, the Confederate attack ceased and, during the night, the entire force was withdrawn to the east by General Zollicoffer, in the direction of Cumberland Gap, where he subsequently reinforced and heavily fortified the Cumberland Gap area.

While this battle was not particularly significant from the numbers engaged and the casualties, it did have a great morale effect. This was the first battle of the War for Southern Independence to be fought on Kentucky soil. It stopped the first major Confederate invasion of Kentucky from the east by Confederate forces and prevented their entrance into the Bluegrass at that time. In these early days of the war, there was great doubt as to whether Kentucky would be predominantly Union or predominantly Confederate. It appears that the decisive Union victory at Wildcat Mountain may very well have influenced the predominance of Union sympathy and support in Kentucky during the remaining years of the war.

Casualties of this battle were: Federal KIA — 4, Federal WIA — 21, Confederate KIA — 30, and Confederate WIA — 100.

Units engaged were: 1st Kentucky Cavalry, 7th Kentucky Infantry, 14th Ohio Infantry, 17th Ohio Infantry, 33rd Indiana Infantry and Battery B, 1st Ohio Artillery.

The two Union regiments dispatched from Camp Dick Robinson on the morning of the 21st, the 1st Tennessee Infantry and the 2nd Tennessee Infantry, marched the entire 45 miles that day, arriving at Wildcat Mountain at evening, just after the last Confederate attack had been repulsed.

The site of this significant battle today is heavily wooded and lies several miles from the nearest improved road. A small stone marker, located in the saddle of Wildcat Mountain where the old Boone Stagecoach Road crossed it is the only marker or designation for this important battle. Unfortunately, few Kentuckians have even heard of this first significant battle on Kentucky soil of the great War for Southern Independence.

The site of the Battle of Wildcat Mountain is located completely within the proclamation boundary of the Daniel Boone National Forest but, unfortunately, is still in private ownership. Several attempts have been made to purchase this area and to develop it as a historic site. Physical conditions at the site would lend themselves to such development. Still wooded and undeveloped, the trenches and rifle pits constructed during the battle are still visible and could readily be restored to their original condition. In view of the key significance of this battle to the Union cause in Kentucky, it appears most desirable that the entire battlefield be acquired by the U.S. Forest Service and developed as one of the important historic sites of the national forest.

The Battle of Wildcat Mountain is the only formal engagement which occurred within the area now included within the proclamation boundary of the Daniel Boone National Forest. The entire area abounded in guerrilla activity throughout the Civil War. Both Confederate and Union forces crossed and recrossed the Forest. The Battle of Mill Spring, sometimes known as Logan's Crossroads, was fought on January 19, 1862, in Wayne County, adjacent to the Somerset Ranger District. The Battle of Richmond, fought on August 29 and 30, 1862, in Madison County, adjacent to the Berea Ranger District. No historical sites on the present National Forest resulted from these battles.