The Civil War In Breathitt County

(Editor's Note: As did most Of Kentucky, Breathitt County saw much action during the dark years of the American Civil War. While this is true that the forces and battles were small when compared to the likes of Shiloh or Bull Run, the troubles in Breathitt County were deadly, nevertheless, to the scattered rural population. Especially harmful were the foul deeds of the Home Guards and guerrilla bands which roamed the hills killing and plundering a defenseless people and their land. In fact, after the Civil War many of Breathitt County's bloody feuds resulted from acts which took place during the war years of 1851-65. In future issues, The Journal will present interesting glimpses of this era, now long forgotten by most of our residents. To begin this column we present a rare Union letter which plainly about one battle that took place just south of Jackson, near the community of Haddix In a report to his commanding officer, a Union soldier details the Battle of Troublesome Creek as it happened here in our county some 134 years ago. I think our readers will be surprised to learn of all of the Civil War action which took place in Breathitt County.)

The Battle of Troublesome Creek

(Report of Col. John M. Brown, 45th Kentucky Infantry, Commanding Brigader. Headquarters, First Brig., Lexington, Ky., April 29, 1864.)

Captain: Lieut. Col. L. M. Clark, commanding Forty-fifth Kentucky Mounted Infantry, at Irvine, reports by courier that Captain Adams with four companies of the Forty-fifth Kentucky overtook a rebel force near the mouth of Troublesome Creek in Breathitt County. He attacked and succeeded in killing 4 and capturing 16 prisoners, together with 24 horses and 28 stands of arms. Lieutenant-Colonel Clark endorses the report as reliable and accurate.

Lieutenant-Colonel Clark has also unofficial information that Captain Adams with his force, after the fight above mentioned, pursued Peter Everett and Weed Gay, who fled with 65 men. Adams ran them down, killed Gay, and captured 35 men.

I have the honor to be, Captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Jon. Mason Brown Colonel, Commanding Fourth Brigade.

(No doubt many of these Rebel soldiers led by Peter Everett and Weed Gay were Breathitt Countians. Since slain soldiers were usually buried on the field where they fell, somewhere near the present day community of Haddix there are probably several unmarked graves, attesting to the Battle of Troublesome Creek.)