History of Mill Springs, (Wayne County) Kentucky United States of America

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Felix Kirk Zollocoffer, soldier, was born in Maury county, Tenn., May 19, 1812. His grandfather, Captain Zollicoffer, was a veteran of the American revolution, and his great-grandfather came to America from Switzerland. Felix Kirk Zollicoffer became a printer, conducted newspapers in Paris, and Knoxville, Tenn., and Huntsville, Ala., was a soldier in the Seminole Indian war; public printer of Tennessee, 1835; editor of the Nashville Banner, 1842; comptroller of the state treasury, 1845-49, and state senator, 1849-52. He was a Whig representative from Tennessee in the 33d-35th congresses, 1853-59, and a delegate to the peace conference in 1861. He was commissioned brigadier-general in the Confederate States army, July 9, 1861, commanded a camp of instruction at Forrestdale, Tenn., and was assigned to the command of the military district of Tennessee, Aug. 8, 1861. He was defeated at Camp Wild Cat, Ky., Oct. 2, 1861, and at Mill Springs, Ky., trusting to the disguise of a waterproof coat, rode in front of the Union line and requested Col. Speed Smith Fry of the 4th Kentucky Federal volunteers, not to fire on the troops at the left, representing that they were friendly. He started to return and would have escaped, but another Confederate officer, riding up, shot at Fry, wounding his horse, whereupon Fry fired at Zollicoffer and mortally wounded him. General Zollicoffer died at Mill Springs, Ky., Jan. 19, 1862.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Mill Springs, (Wayne County) Kentucky

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