Breckinridge County KyArchives Biographies.....Cummings, Capt. John P. July 20, 1830 - April 28, 1865 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ky/kyfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Dana Brown http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00005.html#0001067 and Bettie A. Cook June 10, 2007, 7:47 pm Author: Bettie A. Cook, CG JOHN P. CUMMINGS CAPTAIN OF COMPANY L, 3RD KY CAVALRY AND GREEN RIVER BATTALION Union Army, Breckinridge County, Kentucky Compiled by Bettie Cummings Cook CG JOHN P. CUMMINGS was mustered in as Captain of Company L of the Third Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry USA on October 12, 1861 at Calhoon, Kentucky. Company L was composed entirely of eighty eight men from Breckinridge County most of whom were mustered in about the same time and served under Captain John P. Cummings during the Civil War. He, and the men of his company, was mustered out December 31, 1864 at Louisville, Kentucky after three years and two months of active service. (Adjutant General Report For State Of Kentucky, Union Troops, Volume I, 1861-1866, page 77.) Immediately after the organization of the unit they served as scouts in Southwestern Kentucky, a section of the State over which the Confederates held control. In March of 1862, they marched to Nashville, Tennessee in advance of the Army of the Cumberland, through Tennessee to Pittsburg Landing, and participated in the Battle of Shiloh, from there to Corinth and Luka, Mississippi; to Florence, Alabama; and then to Athens, Alabama, where they remained during the summer of 1862. From Athens, Alabama they were sent to Tennessee to pursue Bragg, who had advanced into Kentucky. At New Haven, Kentucky they participated in the engagement in which the 3rd Georgia Cavalry was captured. They pursued Bragg out of Kentucky, returning to Nashville and Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In January of 1863, as part of the Stone River Campaign, Colonel Eli Murray, commanding officer of the Third Kentucky Cavalry, reported from Murfreesborough, Tennessee that "in pursuit on the Manchester road, moving with the brigade about one mile from Murfreesborough, Captain Cummings, with a squadron, was sent out and discovered the enemy just before us. As the brigade moved, he was in advance and engaged the enemy all along. My command carried the right of the pike and had several engagements, exposed several times to the fire of the artillery, capturing 4 prisoners. The casualties during the whole engagement were 1 killed, 6 wounded, and one missing. Seven horses killed and 15 wounded. I make no mention of one officer above the other. All did their duty, and led their men nobly into the action. All acted bravely. We captured 87 prisoners. (War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume LXX, page 628.) Minty said in his report: "Col. Murray, with a handful of men, performed service that would do honor to a full regiment." Other reports speak of the splendid fighting of the 3rd Cavalry in this great battle. After the engagement at Mufreesborough, the 3rd was sent back to Kentucky. During the winter and spring of 1863 it was stationed at Russellville and Hopkinsville. On December 21, 1863, General Boyle reported to General Grant that he had "ordered the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry to report to General W. S. Smith, at Nashville, as you ordered." In March of 1864, a letter from Thomas H. Bates to his brother stated "the Small Pox is said to be very bad in Nashville and that is in sight of our Camp. One hospital for that purpose not far from our camp. But one of our Regiment that I know of have ever had it since we came here and died. He was James Cunningham in Captain John P. Cummings' Co. L." In May 1864, the Third Kentucky Cavalry was at Lay's Ferry, Gideon's Crossing, Adairsville, and Kingston. On 27 July 1864, a telegraph reported: Head-quarters Chief of Cavalry Department of the Cumberland By Telegraph from Cartersville To David F. How, A.A.C. Col. Murray telegraphs that Capt Cummings 3rd Kentucky Cavy routed Jordan's Guerillas yesterday. Killed Capt. McElroy, wounding Jordan and quite a number of his party. He is still in pursuit. A scouting party has just returned from Stylebook having met a party of 20 or 25 rebels, they captured horses and equipment but failed to take any of the party. J. Kilpatrick, Brig. Genl. From Calhoun, Georgia, on July 31, 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign, Col. Eli Murray, commanding officer of the Third Brigade of Cavalry Volunteers, submitted Capt. John P. Cummings report of the same incident: "Sir: I have the honor to report to you that the expedition sent under my command to Pickens, Georgia has been entirely successful. The result was that we killed 8 of Jordan's men, wounded 4, and took 5 prisoners. Among the killed was a man by the name of Muckelroy. He was formerly a captain in Michigan regiment, U.S. Volunteers, but had been dismissed the service and turned traitor. Among the wounded was the guerrilla chief, B.F. Jordan, slightly in the shoulder. I captured 20 guns and 8 pistols, also 8 horses, 12 mules, and 1 wagon. I also organized a home guard company of 125 men in Jasper, and on my return brought out with me a large number of families, who willingly gave up all they had to escape rebellion. The officers and men of my command behaved most gallantly during the entire expedition." (War of the Rebellion, Union Troops, Series 1, Volume LII, page 106.) In August, the Third Cavalry left Sandtown for an expedition southward. They fought at Camp Creek and Stevens crossroads, the crossing of the Atlantic and West Point Railroads, on the McDonough road, Lovejoys, and Fosterville, where a charge was made which reports say was "terrible and magnificent." It was over infantry and artillery "with the saber and horse's hoof." From there to McDonough, to Cotton Indian Creek, Lithonia, Decatur, and back to Sandtown, having made a complete circuit of Atlanta and the rebel Army. From Sandtown, Georgia on August 25, 1864, a report of Major Albert Woodcock from the headquarters of the 92ed Illinois Mounted Infantry stated that "At McDonough 100 men of my regiment, under command of Captain Van Buskirk, were ordered to proceed, with a like number of men from the Third Kentucky, under Captain Cummings, to South River bridge, and hold the same. Captain Van Buskirk with fifty men took the advance. After preceding a mile the captain ran into a body of rebels, charged them for three miles, driving and scattering then from the road, took possession of the bridge at 9 p.m., and held the same till he was joined by Captain Cummings at 2 a.m. on the 22ed instant." (War of the Rebellion, Union Troops, Series 1, Volume XXXIII, page 897.) The last report found of the actions of the Third Kentucky Cavalry, which included Breckinridge County Company L, was made by their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert H. King, from the headquarters of the Third Kentucky Cavalry in Mount Gilead, Georgia on September 9, 1864. It described at length the movements and engagements from August 26 to September 8. Toward the end of the report he stated "we marched to Flint River, crossing that stream at Anthony's Bridge; camped near the river until the 7th, when we moved in the direction of Red Oak, on the West Point Railroad, which road we reached during the evening, camping near it. During this day's march one battalion of the regiment, under Captain Cummings, forming the rear guard of the brigade was annoyed slightly by a small party of the enemy. They did no damage. On the morning of the 8th we moved to our present encampment near Mt. Gilead Church." (War of the Rebellion, Union Troops, Series 1, Volume XXXVIII, page 901.) Company L of the Third Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry returned to Louisville, Kentucky to muster out in December 1864, having participated in the battles of Sacramento, Kentucky; Pea Ridge, Mississippi; Corinth, and Luka, Mississippi; New Market, Alabama; Kinderhook, Tennessee; Chaplin Hills, Shiloh, Stone River, and Chickamauga, Georgia. (Adjutant General's Report For The State Of Kentucky, Union Troops, Volume I, 1861-1866, page 80.) Captain JOHN P. CUMMINGS did not see action the last two months of his Company's enlistment because he was in the hospital. Head Quarters 3rd Kentucky Cal Marietta, Ga Nov 11, 1864 I certify that I have carefully examined Capt. J. P. CUMMINGS, Co L, 3rd Kentucky Cal and fine him unfit for' field service' by reason of "opthalmia." And he will report to the Surgeon in charge of the Hospital (Officers) at Nashville, Tenn. He has been unfit for 'field duty' for the past sixty days. Robert S. McNary Appt Surgeon 3rd Kentucky Cay in charge Approved R.M. Fairleigh, Chief Surgeon of Brigade, 3rd Dist. Cay. Approved by B. F. Wise, Chief Surgeon 3rd Cavalry Division. Due to the hospital stay, he returned home on a different date from the rest of his men and was mustered out on an Individual Muster-Out Roll on January 12, 1865, at age 35 years. Within the first two months of 1865, following their mustering out of active service, 102 men, all from Cloverport, Kentucky again enrolled under Captain John P. Cummings to serve in Company A of the Green River Battalion, a veteran's unit raised under the militia law of the State. The Green River Battalion served in the counties between the Ohio River and Green River with headquarters at Calhoon, Kentucky. They performed a valuable service against rebels and guerrillas whose barbarous acts were terrorizing the area. (Adjutant General's Report For The State Of Kentucky, Union Troops, Volume II, 1861-1866, page 799 and 826.) In late January, a guerrilla gang consisting of William Clark Quantrill, Marcellus Jerome Clark (alias Sue Munday), Bill Marion, and Henry McGruder, joined by an equally brutal force of men passing themselves off first as Confederate, then Union, troops rode into western Kentucky. Through February and March the home guards endeavored to rid the area of Ohio, Hancock, Meade, and Breckinridge Counties of this group as they stole, plundered, murdered, and frightened the neighborhood. On March 12, 1865 McGruder and Clark (alias Sue Munday), were captured and taken to Louisville. Sue Munday was hanged three days later, McGruder six months later. Quantrill and Marion, with their remaining men, continued terrorizing the county-side. On April 9 Marion was shot and on April 28, fourteen more of the gang were captured at Big Springs, Kentucky. It was in this encounter that Captain Cummings, a little in advance of his men, was leading the charge of the Green River Veteran's Battalion against the desperadoes. He was attended by three or four of his men when the guerrillas fired a volley at him, wounding him and killing his horse at the same time. He fell under his horse, wounded in three places. He was brought home to Cloverport. He was sensible to the last and spoke with great composure about his long and faithful service in the cause of his county. He said he had fought a good fight and was now willing to lay down his life for his county. He died at 7 o'clock on April 28, 1865 and was buried with military honors in what is now known as the Johnson cemetery. (Louisville Journal, May 2, page 1, column 2 and 3.) The rifle, pistol, and sword carried by Capt. John P. Cummings are in the possession of his descendants. The sword, broken in the fall from his horse, bears the inscription "Presented to Captain John P. Cummings, his Co. L, 3rd Regiment Kentucky Cavalry." On 7 February 1867, Louisa, the widow of John P. Cummings, filed for an Army Pension Claim. In her claim she named her children and their birthdates. Each child under sixteen years was entitled to $2 a month. At her death, a title deed to the Cummings sons was filed to establish their ownership. Breckinridge County, Kentucky Deed Book 23, page 260: Deed of Conveyance made and entered 29 day of January in the year 1880 between John P. Cummings and Louisa Cummings, parties of the first part, and Robert C. Cummings, John L. Cummings, and Alexander Cummings, parties of the second part witness: That said parties of the first part in consideration of the sum of $300 cash sell and convey to the parties of the second part property to wit: Beginning at Benjamin Bates corner to a beech at Miller's corner containing 29 acres more or less, this part conveyed to Robert C. Cummings; a share of 29 acres more of less conveyed to John L. Cummings; to a stone in Burditt's field, this being Alexander Cummings part of the parcel. The first parties being dead and this being the property inherited from their parents, the heirs do sign this deed themselves instead of the parents in order to make good to each individual. Recorded 29 January 1880. Shortly after this deed all three sons sold their parcels to Samuel Johnson. Although the cemetery is presently known as the Johnson Cemetery, there is proof that burials took place in it before Johnson owned it. 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