What did Felix Zollicoffer do during the civil war?

Answer 1

Zollicoffer did not live long enough to accomplish much. He was a lawyer before the war, without much, if any, military experience. But in those times, with trained officers very scarce for the huge armies being raised, lawyers - or any sensible, well educated person - were frequently elected by the men of new units to be their officers. Such was the case with Zollicoffer. Early in the war he was in charge in East Tennessee, which was a backwater of the war, usually neglected, with the government in Richmond unable to even decide whether it belonged in a Department with the rest of Tennessee or with North Carolina, so it was shifted back and forth several times, and went through many commanders. Zollicoffer realized the importance of the Cumberland Gap, as a possible route for invasion going either way, and gathered what force he had available and pushed on through the Gap into southeastern Kentucky. So far, so good. He came to a river, and his lack of training caused him to commit a grave error. He would have done well to hold a position on the east side of the river, on high ground, to resist any attempt to cross by the enemy. But Zollicoffer crossed over himself, which put him on the same side of the river with the enemy, with the river at his back, and the enemy was soon too close to attempt to cross back in their presence. Zollicoffer had to fight, in what is called the Battle of Mill Spring, In January 1862. In those early days uniforms and flags of both sides could be confusingly similar in appearance, and Zollicoffer was nearsighted as well. During the battle he mistook Union troops for Confederates, and rode to their position to order them to stop firing on their "friends". Realizing his mistake, Zollicoffer turned his horse and tried to gallop off. He was wearing a yellow rain slicker, so, if he had rode off slowly, he might have got away with it, but his sudden dash betrayed him and the Yankees shot him dead. His command was also defeated, and the Yankees were soon in possession of Cumberland Gap.

Answer 2

Felix Zollicoffer was a Confederate general who served during the American Civil War. He primarily served in the Western Theater and played a significant role in Kentucky's initial neutrality. Zollicoffer led Confederate forces in the Battle of Mill Springs in 1862, where he was killed while personally trying to rally his troops.