Texas Rangers Overrun Taylorsville
The Fall of 1862 saw the invasion of Kentucky by the Confederate Army of the Missippi, under General Braxton Bragg. By late September, the Confederates were as close to Louisville as they would ever get. On September 27, 1862, Gen. Bragg ordered Colonel Wharton, First Cavalry Brigade, attached to the Right Wing of the Confederate Army of the Missippi, to station a regiment at Taylorsville. In response to that order, Col. Wharton dispatched 200 Texas Rangers to Taylorsville, later followed by another cavalry company. These troops were to guard the roads from Shelbyville and Louisville, along with some ?hominy? mills.
On October 2, 1862 Union forces under General Don Carlos Buell began to advance from Louisville. By 10 A. M. that day, Col. Wharton had reported to higher headquarters that his cavalry detachment had been attacked in force at Wilsonville. The Confederate troops were forced back to Taylorsville. Concentrating his cavalry force at Mount Washington due to a more serious threat, Col. Wharton pulled all but a picket force out of Taylorsville. That small picket force was soon pushed out of Taylorsville. As early as 2:30 A.M. Oct. 3, reports were sent to Confederate headquarters that Union troops had taken Taylorsville. By 4:30 P. M., Union forces had complete control of the town.
At least one story bears telling of this short period of Taylorsville?s being under Texas control. At least one of these Rangers was of Spencer County stock. A member of the 8th Texas Cavalry (better known as ?Terry?s Rangers?), ?Little Phil? Crume was the son of Philip D. Crume and Christianna Forman. Though they owned over 400 acres in Spencer County, the Crumes were early Texas settlers, and Phil was born there in 1840. After his parents died on the Red River in Texas in July 1844 during a cholera epedemic, Little Phil was sent back to Ky. along with his parents bodies in 1845. Little Phil lived with his grandfather William Forman in 1850, returning to Texas before the War.
Since he had knowledge of the area, Little Phil probably was in the lead unit of Rangers that entered Taylorsville. Regardless of his part in Bragg?s ?Invasion?, Little Phil Crume took some time to visit relatives, and conduct some business. He sold part of the land he?d inherited to his great-uncle Jesse Crume to build a road to his mill, probably one of the ?hominy? mills the Rangers were protecting. While he was with Jesse, Little Phil said the Rangers were going up to Louisville and clean out the Yankees. Jesse just laughed it off and dared them to go try. The remainder of the land (414 acres) Little Phil sold to his second cousin, James Montgomery Crume. Apparently Confederate money was pretty common in the county at the time, as James made a large portion of the land payment with it.
You have my full permission to post. Uley T. Washburn, Jr.
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