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[Jack Tatum's Family Tree PURE.FTW] Two of Hickman Counties Bushwhacker leaders, most feared by the Jay Hawkers were Commodore Cotham of Cane Creek and David Miller of Andersons Bend. Cotham had served in the he Calvary. under Forrest, and Miller was the leader of a group of independent Confederate scouts. Spence's History of Hickman county states, that a group of Federal troops learned that Cotham was at Miller's home. When the federal troops arrived at Miller's home, Cotham and Miller were cleaning out a well, Miller was in the well and Cotham was operating the windlass, Being unarmed and out numbered , they surrendered- but their captors made the mistake of allowing them to go into the house. When they got in the house they seized their guns and changed their minds about surrendering. They came out with their guns drawn and and their reputation was such that the troops allowed their escape without a shot being fired. A few months later Cotham was indicated by the grand jury for killing a strong Union man. When the officer arrived at his home to arrest him. he forced the officer to eat the warrant. A few days late a deputy sheriff deputized a posse to go back and arrest Cotham, but when they arrived at his home they were advised that he had left the state. The deputy later stated the the was glad he had left the county. He probably didn't want the have to eat the warrant. In the coloring months of the war Miller was causing a great deal of trouble for the Federal troops in the area from Swan Creek to Columbia , Jack Sullivan, an ardent Union man who live on Mill Creek, became the captain of ta group of about 50 men the men by the people as "Homemade Yankees", Sullivan made it his business to lead his band ove the county, run down, catch and kill every returning Confederate soldier or Bushwhacker they could locate, with the murder of Miller being high on their list. One night Capt. Henson Cross who was operating in the Centerville area, met with Miller in Totty's Bend to plan strategy in dealing with Sullivan's Yankee forces. When they arrived for their meeting, they learned that Sullivan's men had passed through Tottys Bend the day headed toward Little Lot. The next day, Miller , Cross and nine other men crossed Duck River at Baird's Ferry on their way to Little Lot. They were looking in every direction for evidence of Sullivans location as they knew his was not far away. Before they reached the top of the hill, they noticed dust rising for the other side of the hill. They now felt certain the Yankees were on their way to Centerville, and if so, the would soon meet. Miller and his men were in no mood to avoid a fight with Sullivan as they knew his main objective was to kill Miller. Miller stationed his men in the woods about 00 feet below the top of the hill. Cross then rode in the direction of the approaching horsemen. When Sullivan's troops came over the top of the hill, Cross fired his pistols at them and wheeled his horse around and at full speed rode back by his concealed friends. With no thought of impending danger the Yankees rode down the hill only to be met with a volley of bullets from Miller's guns, accompanied by wild yells, which were a part of Bushwhackers close warfare. The sudden attack threw the troops in to a state of confusion and most of their firing was over the heads of Miller's men. Not knowing how many men Miller had, and whit many of their own men wounded and many having their horses shot, t he rest of Sullivan's men turned and fled, not stopping until they reached Columbia.
Robert \\\\
Crowe
