The Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky, fought on January 19, 1862 near Nancy, Kentucky led to the first significant Union victory of the Civil War. Here at Mill Springs, Union forces under the command of George H. Thomas defeated Confederate forces under the command of George B. Crittenden and Felix Zollicoffer. Zollicoffer, conducting a reconnaissance in front of his forces, was shot and killed by Union soldiers during the battle. The Federal victory at Mill Springs, not only helped bolster sagging Northern morale, but it also helped to keep Kentucky and its population more solidly within the control of the Union.