The 11th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, Historical Data

File provided by:
A Captain David L. Payne Camp, 
Sons of Union Veterans, Project.
Walt Cross wcross@okway.okstate.edu

Source: "Union Regiments of Kentucky" Capt. Thomas Speed
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The 11th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry was recruited in the fall of 1861 by Col. Pierce
Butler Hawkins, of Bowling Green, Kentucky. The companies were formed from the Green
river counties of Muhlenberg, Butler, Warren, Logan, and Edmonson, and went into camp
at Calhoun, Kentucky where several regiments were raised at the same time. The
Confederates were in camp at Bowling Green, Russelville, Hopkinsville and other
places. Skirmishing between the rival groups went on during December of 1861 and
January of 1862. In February, after the fall of Fort Donelson, the Confederates
retreated and the Union army followed them into Tennessee. The 11th marched with
Buell's army to Pittsburg Landing and after crossing the river the night of April 6th,
it participated in the Battle of Shiloh. Col. Smith, commanding the 14th Brigade of
which the 11th was a part, stated "The 13th Ohio, 11th Kentucky, and the 26th Kentucky
seemed to vie with each other in determined valor."

Col. Hawkins in his report on this battle stated "...engaging the enemy, who were
drawn up in considerable numbers in the brush and playing upon us from their
batteries,...we were compelled to fall back to the original line of battle. I then by
your order charged the enemy, and succeeded in driving him, found and captured one
piece of artillery...holding it until the engagement ceased." 

This statement shows the courage of the men, which seemed to rise with the danger, in
the first battle they were in, and it continued to be displayed by them throughout
their service. Col. Hawkins specially mentions for gallantry, Lt Col S.P. Love and Maj
E.H. Mottley, officers who showed the same gallantry in many a future battle. The
11th's casualties were five killed and forty-six wounded. After Shiloh the 11th shadow
boxed with Confederate General Bragg's army until it joined with it in the Battle of
Perryville where they were involved in some brisk skirmishes before Bragg retired from
the state back to Tennessee, his mission unfullfilled. The 11th was in the army
dogging Bragg, and took part in the Battle of Stone's River. Of that battle MAJ
Mottley says: "I ordered my regiment forward under the most terrific storm of shot and
shell and musketry it has ever been my lot to witness. I advanced about one hundred
yards when I ordered a halt and commenced firing. I broke their ranks more than once.
Their colors were shot down several times, but their broken ranks were speedily filled
with fresh troops." Effecting a crossing of the river under steady fire, the 11th
Infantry Regiment with other elements of the brigade "...succeeded in putting the
enemy to flight, capturing four pieces of the celebrated Washington Artillery".
Casualties were seven killed and eighty five wounded. COL Beatty, commanding the
brigade, stated: "The reserve, consisting of the 19th Ohio and 9th and 11th Kentucky,
advanced most gallantly toward the crest of the hill and poured a destructive fire
upon the enemy, whose first column was by this time almost annihilated." After the
battle, General Rosecrans wrote in a communication to General Wright "I propose to
send up the 9th and 11th Kentucky to Bowling Green (two first rate fighting regiments
raised in that neighborhood) to replenish their thinned ranks." After spending the
months of February to July in Bowling Green, patroling and engaging Confederate
guerillas, the 11th was mounted and operated with the cavalry on the campaign to East
Tennessee. 

Under the command of General Manson, the 11th rode to Knoxville, Tennessee where they
became a part of General Burnside's army, making frequent scouts toward and beyond
Loudon and Sevierville, fighting and winning a battle at Rockford. At Lenoir Station
they made contact with General Longstreet's army and fought a rearguard action as
Burnside retreated into Knoxville, the 11th being the last regiment to enter the city
ahead of the rebels. For three weeks the 11th found itself bottled up in Knoxville and
engaged in numerous hand to hand clashes around the periphery of the the Union lines.
When the rebels finally raised their siege, the 11th pursued the retreating rebels and
engaged them at Bean's Station as Longstreet turned and tried to capture them.
Longstreet suffered more loss than he inflicted on the stubborn 11th. The 11th was
joined by the 27th Kentucky and combined under the command of Col. Love and they
returned to Kentucky. Upon reaching Mount Sterling however, the 11th was dismounted
and ordered to march back to East Tennessee, an order that couldn't have been received
very favorably as the men were looking forward to seeing home. Col Love now had a
brigade of three regiments and an artillery battery under his command. Reaching
Knoxville his command boarded trains to join the main army around Atlanta. Flanking
with the rest of Sherman's army, his command struck the railroad at Rough and Ready,
then fought at Jonesboro and Lovejoy.

After the surrender of Atlanta to General William Thomas Ward, a fellow Kentuckian and
division commander under Sherman, the 11th joined in the pursuit of Hood, marching
through Northern Georgia all through the month of October 1864. Unexpectedly, the 11th
received orders to return to Kentucky, and on the 16th of December 1864, the 11th
Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment was mustered out of service at Bowling Green,
Kentucky. The 11th had done its duty, as had my great great grandfather, Pvt Benjamin
F. Westray.


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