In honor of Pvt. Nathan R. Oakes, CSA

150 years ago, my great grandfather, Nathan Richardson Oakes, served as a private in Company D of the distinguished 32nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment in the Army of Tennessee. He participated in the great Civil War campaigns, including the battles of Perryville, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Atlanta, Franklin, Nashville, and Bentonville. I am writing about his engagements as well as some details about fighting for the Lost Cause. I hope to honor him and commemorate the events and individuals that contributed to making this a renowned unit in the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Capture of Frankfort, Kentucky, 1862

On today's date in 1862, fresh from their complete victory at Richmond on September 3, Confederate forces under Gen. Edmond Kirby Smith capture Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky. Frankfort will be the only Union state capital captured in the war, earning Smith the "Thanks" of the Confederate congress. Generals Smith's and Braxton Bragg's armies will continue their invasion of Kentucky in an attempt to outflank the Union army in a series of military movements to win that state for the Confederacy.

Kentucky's Capital Building Cir. 1862

 During Frankfort's occupation, Gen. Bragg installed a provisional Confederate government. However, he was only able to hold Frankfort for less than a month. Union Gen. Don Carlos Buell ambushed the inauguration ceremony on October 4, and drove the provisional government from the state. Frankfort, along with Kentucky, will continue to have strong sympathies for the Union, and the Confederate government will continue only in shadow until the end of the war.
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