Overview
The Battle of Munfordville took place from September 14–17, 1862, during General Braxton Bragg’s Confederate Heartland Offensive. Munfordville, Kentucky, contained an important Louisville and Nashville Railroad bridge across the Green River. Federal troops protected the bridge with a network of fortifications.
On September 13, Colonel John Scott approached the town with Confederate cavalry and demanded that Colonel John T. Wilder surrender his 2,600-man garrison. Wilder refused. Brigadier General James R. Chalmers reinforced Scott and attacked the Federal defenses on September 14. Union troops held their positions, and Chalmers withdrew during the night.
Colonel Cyrus L. Dunham took command after the fighting, and Federal reinforcements increased the garrison to more than 4,000 soldiers. General Braxton Bragg then moved his army toward Munfordville. General William J. Hardee positioned his wing south of the bridge, while General Leonidas Polk crossed the Green River and moved behind the Union defenses.
After Major General Charles C. Gilbert replaced Dunham with Wilder, Wilder met with Bragg. General Simon B. Buckner showed Wilder the Confederate positions on September 16, convincing him that continued resistance was hopeless. At 6 a.m. on September 17, Wilder surrendered approximately 4,000 soldiers. Bragg abandoned Munfordville on September 20 as his supplies declined and Major General Don Carlos Buell’s army approached.
Essential Facts
- Also Known As: Battle of Green River and Battle of the Green River Bridge.
- Date: September 14–17, 1862.
- Location: Hart County, Kentucky.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: John T. Wilder and Cyrus L. Dunham.
- CSA Commanders: Braxton Bragg, William J. Hardee, Leonidas Polk, Simon B. Buckner, James R. Chalmers, and John Scott.
- Who Won: The Confederate States won the Battle of Munfordville.
- Campaign: Confederate Heartland Offensive.
- Campaign: Confederate Heartland Campaign (Bragg’s Invasion of Kentucky).
- Era: Civil War, July–December, 1862.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 15 killed, 57 wounded, and 4,133 captured.
- Forces Engaged: The garrison defending the Green River railroad bridge and Federal reinforcements.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 4,000 soldiers.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: 35 killed and 253 wounded.
- Forces Engaged: Army of the Mississippi.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 34,000 soldiers.
Significance
The Battle of Munfordville was important to American History because it gave the Confederacy a major victory during the Confederate Heartland Campaign. General Braxton Bragg’s army surrounded a fortified Union garrison and captured 4,133 Federal soldiers, along with an important railroad bridge across the Green River. The surrender removed a Union position on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and supported Bragg’s effort to strengthen Confederate influence in Kentucky. However, the victory produced only temporary results. Bragg held Munfordville for three days before low supplies and the approach of General Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio forced him to move northeast toward Bardstown.
History
On June 27, 1862, Confederate President Jefferson Davis relieved General P. G. T. Beauregard of command of the Army of the Mississippi and replaced him with General Braxton Bragg. Hoping to end the string of Federal successes in the West, Bragg devised a plan to shift the focus of the war in the Western Theater by invading Kentucky. Bragg believed that most residents in that border state supported the Confederacy and that many of them would join the Southern army if given the opportunity.
General Braxton Bragg Invades Kentucky
Leaving 32,000 soldiers in Mississippi to deal with Grant, Bragg moved his remaining 34,000 men to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to launch his invasion of Kentucky. Once in Kentucky, Bragg planned to combine forces with Lieutenant General Edmund Kirby Smith and his 18,000 soldiers, stationed near Knoxville, Tennessee, and move against the Union Army of the Ohio, commanded by Major General Don Carlos Buell.
Bragg is Successful Initially
Initially, events went well for the Confederates. Smith left Knoxville on August 14, 1862, and he defeated a Union garrison at Richmond, Kentucky on August 30. Bragg’s army left Chattanooga in late August. By mid-September, he had moved nearly unopposed to Glasgow, Kentucky, approximately thirty-five miles east of Bowling Green and twenty-five miles south of Munfordville, the hometown of Confederate General Simon Bolivar Buckner and Union General Thomas John Wood.
Federal Defenses Near Munfordville
Located nearly seventy-five miles south of Louisville, Munfordville was the site of a strategically important bridge spanning the Green River on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad line. Completed in 1859, the bridge was over 125 feet high and nearly 1,100 feet long. Confederate forces, commanded by Buckner, destroyed the south end of the bridge in late 1861, but Union soldiers repaired it by January 1862. While the repair work progressed, federal forces, commanded by Brigadier General Alexander McCook, constructed a network of fortifications on the southern end of the bridge to defend it against further Confederate marauding.
September 13, 1862 — Confederates Approach Munfordville
On September 13, 1862, a Confederate cavalry brigade, led by Colonel John Scott, approached Munfordville and its garrison of 2,600 federal soldiers, commanded by Colonel John T. Wilder. Believing that he held the upper hand, Scott demanded that Wilder surrender. After Wilder refused, Brigadier General James R. Chalmers’s infantry brigade reinforced Scott, increasing the number of Confederates threatening Munfordville to nearly 2,000 men.
September 14, 1862 — Confederates Assault the Federal Garrison at Munfordville
On Sunday morning, September 14, Chalmers launched an assault against the Union garrison. During the day, Colonel Cyrus L. Dunham arrived at Munfordville with approximately 500 federal reinforcements. Dunham was the senior officer, but he chose not to assume command until the events of the day ended. Although the Federals held their ground, Chalmers sent a note to Wilder that night, demanding an unconditional surrender. When Wilder refused, the two commanders negotiated a truce that enabled both sides to recover their dead and wounded. His bluff having been called, Chalmers withdrew during the night along with Scott.
September 14, 1862 — Federals Reinforce
On the Union side, Dunham had assumed command of the garrison after the fighting ended on September 14. The next day, Colonel Richard Owen led nearly 1,000 reinforcements to Munfordville, expanding Dunham’s command to a little over 4,000 soldiers. Dunham’s troops spent the day strengthening their fortifications.
Bragg Joins the Battle of Munfordville
While the Federals hastened to bolster their defenses, Bragg advanced his army toward Munfordville. Fearful of losing face in Kentucky, where he was trying to recruit volunteers, Bragg felt compelled to finish what Chalmers had started. The Confederate leader divided his force into two wings. He sent General William J. Hardee’s wing north to confront the Union defenses on the south side of the bridge.
Union Forces Surrounded at Munfordville
While Hardee was positioning his soldiers, General Leonidas Polk moved his wing east about ten miles, where he easily crossed the Green River at a ford that General Buckner recommended. Polk then swung his force around and stationed it at the unprotected rear of the Union garrison. With Munfordville surrounded, Bragg called for a truce and offered Dunham an opportunity to surrender. Dunham sent Wilder into the Confederate lines with his refusal, but when Wilder returned, he reported that the Federals were in a perilous situation. Based on Wilder’s observations, Dunham asked Bragg for some time to reconsider.
Wilder Replaces Dunham
When Bragg agreed, Dunham telegraphed his superior, Major General Charles C. Gilbert, in Louisville, informing him that unless reinforcements arrived soon, he would have to surrender the garrison. Skeptical of Dunham’s assessment, Gilbert wired Wilder, ordering him to take command of the garrison. When Dunham refused to serve under a junior officer, Gilbert ordered Wilder to arrest Dunham for insubordination and send him back to Louisville. Although Wilder complied with Gilbert’s order, he knew that refusing Bragg’s demand to surrender would be senseless. Yet, he also suspected that suggesting surrender would prompt Gilbert to arrest him too.
Wilder Meets with Bragg Again
Faced with a dicey situation, Wilder requested a meeting with Bragg, hoping to secure more evidence to support his inclination to surrender. Bragg agreed to meet Wilder again. When Wilder suggested that Bragg prove his assertion that an overwhelming force surrounded the Federals, Bragg ordered General Buckner to lead Wilder on a tour of the Confederate positions. The tour, on September 16, convinced Wilder that his situation was hopeless. He agreed to meet with Bragg to negotiate a surrender.
Wilder Surrenders to Bragg
Bragg and Wilder spent the night wrangling over the terms of capitulation before reaching an accord. At 6 a.m. on September 17, 1862, Wilder led approximately 4,000 soldiers under his command out of the Munfordville fortifications and surrendered to Bragg. The Confederate general’s terms were generous. Bragg paroled all the Federals and allowed them to march south toward Bowling Green and Buell’s Army of the Ohio.
Outcome
Bragg later boasted that his army subdued the Munfordville garrison and captured the bridge spanning the Green River “without our firing a gun.” Official reports, however, showed that the Confederacy suffered 288 casualties (thirty-five killed and 253 wounded) during the hostilities at Munfordville between September 13 and September 17. Aside from the 4,133 soldiers captured, the Union reported seventy-two casualties (fifteen killed and fifty-seven wounded).
Bragg held his prize for only three days. With his supplies running low and Buell’s Army of the Ohio bearing down on him, Bragg renewed his original course of action. On September 20, 1862, he abandoned Munfordville and moved his army northeast, toward Bardstown, to carry through his planned rendezvous with Kirby Smith.
Timeline
- 1859 — Workers completed the Louisville and Nashville Railroad bridge across the Green River at Munfordville.
- 1861, late — Confederate forces under Simon B. Buckner destroyed the southern end of the Green River bridge.
- 1862, January — Union soldiers completed repairs to the damaged bridge.
- 1862, June 27 — Confederate President Jefferson Davis removed General P. G. T. Beauregard from command of the Army of the Mississippi and replaced him with General Braxton Bragg.
- 1862, July 31 — Edmund Kirby Smith traveled to Chattanooga and met with Bragg to plan a two-part invasion of Kentucky.
- 1862, August 14 — Smith marched north from Knoxville with about 15,000 soldiers.
- 1862, August 16 — Smith passed through the Cumberland Gap into southern Kentucky.
- 1862, August 18 — Smith entered Barbourville and discovered that local residents offered little support or supplies.
- 1862, August 20 — Smith informed Bragg that he had decided to advance toward Lexington for supplies.
- 1862, August 29–30 — Smith led Confederate forces to victory in the Battle of Richmond.
- 1862, late August — Bragg’s army left Chattanooga, Tennessee, and advanced into Kentucky.
- 1862, mid-September — Bragg reached Glasgow, Kentucky, after advancing with little opposition.
- 1862, September 13 — John Scott approached Munfordville and demanded that John T. Wilder surrender.
- 1862, September 14
- James R. Chalmers attacked the Union garrison, but failed to break through.
- Cyrus L. Dunham arrived with about 500 Federal reinforcements.
- Chalmers and Wilder arranged a truce to recover their dead and wounded.
- 1862, September 15 — Richard Owen arrived with nearly 1,000 reinforcements, increasing the Union force to more than 4,000 soldiers.
- 1862, September 16
- Simon B. Buckner showed Wilder the Confederate positions surrounding Munfordville.
- Wilder concluded that continued resistance was hopeless and agreed to negotiate a surrender.
- 1862, September 17 — Wilder surrendered approximately 4,000 Union soldiers to Bragg at 6:00 a.m.
- 1862, September 20 — Bragg abandoned Munfordville and moved northeast toward Bardstown, Kentucky.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Munfordville (1862) — The Battle of Munfordville was a Confederate victory fought in Hart County, Kentucky, from September 14–17, 1862, during the Confederate Heartland Campaign. General James R. Chalmers first attacked the Federal garrison, but Union troops held their defenses. General Braxton Bragg then surrounded Munfordville by placing General William J. Hardee south of the Green River and General Leonidas Polk behind the garrison. After inspecting the Confederate positions, Colonel John T. Wilder surrendered approximately 4,000 Union soldiers.
Alignment
The Battle of Munfordville is part of the following AP US History sections:
