Appalachian History Series
Kentucky on the Brink
In late 1861 Kentucky stood in a dangerous middle ground. The Commonwealth had remained in the Union, yet communities were split in loyalty and both armies moved to control key valleys and roads. In the Big Sandy country of the eastern mountains, Confederate Brig. Gen. Humphrey Marshall crossed in from Virginia to recruit, while Union commanders rushed to push him back. Col. James A. Garfield, a thirty-year-old Ohioan who had helped raise the 42nd Ohio, received orders to take a small brigade up the Big Sandy Valley and clear Marshall’s force from the region.
Who Fought at Middle Creek
Garfield’s 18th Brigade numbered roughly fifteen hundred Ohio and Kentucky volunteers. His mixed command included the 40th and 42nd Ohio, the 14th and 22nd Kentucky, and small detachments of cavalry. Significantly, he marched without artillery, which left him at a disadvantage in a hill country fight.
Marshall gathered between eighteen hundred and two thousand men, among them the 5th Kentucky and 54th Virginia, plus local mounted companies. He held the stronger hand in firepower with Jeffress’ battery posted to command the valley.
From Paintsville to the Forks
Through early January 1862, Garfield pushed south through mud and flooded creeks toward Paintsville. Marshall declined to fight there and fell back about fifteen miles to a more defensible position near the Forks of Middle Creek, just west of Prestonsburg. The valley formed a bowl rimmed by steep ridges that favored defenders.
January 10, 1862: The Fight in the Hills
Before dawn Garfield roused his command and advanced toward the Forks. The column reached the mouth of Middle Creek around eight in the morning and skirmished with Confederate cavalry while moving into the narrow valley. Around midday the Federals deployed for battle and prodded the opposing line to reveal its shape. Garfield sent small detachments to feel out both flanks, then reinforced success. On his right, Kentucky companies worked along a ridgetop until the Confederate left recoiled. On his left, Ohio companies forded the icy creek and scrambled up a spur toward the heavier part of Marshall’s line.
Artillery boomed from the Confederate ridge. The rough ground and broken timber reduced its effect. Fighting settled into close-range volleys on wooded slopes where most men fought on foot. Sensing a threat to his own right, Garfield ordered Lt. Col. George Monroe with Kentuckians from the 14th and 22nd to cross downstream and strike the Confederate flank. That push, added to steady pressure on the left, began to pry the defenders off the heights.
By late afternoon the remainder of Garfield’s brigade arrived on the field, which stiffened Federal lines and discouraged a counterattack. As dusk closed in, Marshall’s men gave way and withdrew toward Virginia. Garfield held the ground and chose not to pursue in darkness.
Losses and Immediate Results
Casualties were modest by later Civil War standards. Union losses were reported as one killed and about twenty wounded, with higher totals in some later summaries. Confederate losses were several dozen overall, though estimates vary. Regardless of the exact tally, Marshall abandoned the valley that night and soon received orders to quit Kentucky.
Why Middle Creek Mattered
Middle Creek, combined with the Union victory at Mill Springs nine days later, secured eastern Kentucky for the United States in early 1862 and opened the door to deeper drives into Tennessee. The battle also carried symbolic weight for the mountains. It stiffened the resolve of Unionist communities in the Big Sandy and showed that a small, determined force could fight effectively in winter across Appalachian ground.
The fight launched the public reputation of James A. Garfield. He was promoted to brigadier general soon after the battle and later parlayed his wartime standing into a long career in Congress and, in 1881, the presidency. Many later writers called Middle Creek the battle that made a presidency.
Walking the Ground Today
Much of the landscape around the Forks of Middle Creek remains recognizable. Visitors can view the ridges, the Fitzpatrick family cemetery known as Graveyard Point, and interpretive waysides near Prestonsburg that explain the action and its stakes for the Big Sandy Valley.
Sources and Further Reading
Col. James A. Garfield, official report on the operations along the Big Sandy and the battle of January 10, 1862. The report was circulated in the press and reproduced in modern transcripts. ironbrigader.com
National Park Service battle summary and CWSAC materials for KY005 Middle Creek. National Park ServiceNPS History
American Battlefield Trust, “Middle Creek: Facts and Summary,” and site overview. American Battlefield Trust+1
Kentucky Historical Society, marker text and ExploreKYHistory entry for Middle Creek.