this as a feint, and anticipating a movement of Zollicoffer's
troops to cross the river, ordered two companies of cavalry under
Captain Dillon to guard the ford and to give timely notice of any
attempt to effect a crossing. He also ordered the Seventeenth Ohio
with three pieces of artillery and another company of cavalry, all
under the command of Colonel Connell, to support the cavalry under
Dillon. The latter proved wholly incompetent, and failed to comply
with his orders in any particular. He went into camp two miles
in the rear from where he was ordered, and neglected even to post
his men to guard the ford, whereby Zollicoffer was enabled to occupy
the north bank of the Cumberland without opposition and without
Dillon's even knowing that the movement had been made. This was
only discovered on the 4th, when the rebels drove back the Federal
cavalry and attacked Connell, who was advancing on a reconnoissance.
Connell, in ignorance of the movement of the enemy, had reached
the vicinity of the ford and found himself confronted by a strong
force of rebels, who had crossed the river, and who being rapidly
re-enforced rendered his situation one of extreme peril. He
withdrew under cover of the night beyond Fishing Creek, without
being molested. Schoepff, finding that the advance of the rebels
was supported by reinforcements and that Zollicoffer's entire
force was slowly crossing, which would make the enemy's force in
his front largely exceed his own, asked General Carter at London to
reinforce him. He also ordered Colonel Coburn with the Thirty-third
Indiana to move from Crab Orchard to his support; and on the 6th
established his camp in a strong position three miles north of
Somerset, where he was able to command both the Stanford and the
Crab Orchard roads. Here Carter reported with two regiments on
the 9th, Colonel Van Deveer's regiment, the Thirty-fifth Ohio, with
Captain Hewitt's battery having already arrived. On the 8th, the