Speed Smith Fry

Speed Smith Fry
Col. Speed S. Fry
Born	(1817-09-09)September 9, 1817 Mercer County, Kentucky (now Boyle County)
Died	August 1, 1892(1892-08-01) (aged 74) near Louisville, Kentucky
Place of burial	Bellevue Cemetery, Danville, Kentucky
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands held	4th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	Mexican-American War American Civil War

Speed Smith Fry (September 9, 1817 – August 1, 1892) was a lawyer, judge, and a United States Army officer during the Mexican-American War and American Civil War.

Fry was born in Mercer County, Kentucky (now Boyle County) near Danville. He graduated from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 1840 and returned to Danville to practice law under his uncle. He served as a captain in the 2nd Kentucky Volunteer Regiment during the Mexican-American War and saw action at the Battle of Buena Vista, where his company fired the last shots of the battle. After the war he returned home and was appointed a judge of Mercer County and served in that position until the Civil War.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Fry was immediately made a colonel of Kentucky Militia. He helped raise the 4th Kentucky Infantry at Camp Dick Robinson and on October 9, 1861 he was appointed colonel of the regiment.

Fry led his regiment into action at the Battle of Mill Springs on January 19, 1862. During the battle the fighting became disorganized and Confederate General Felix Zollicoffer rode up to Fry's regiment thinking they were Confederate troops, and addressing Colonel Fry, he ordered them to stop firing. Zollicoffer's aide came riding from the woods and, attempting to warn the general that he was in the midst of enemy soldiers, fired off a shot. Fry immediately raised his pistol and fired at Zollicoffer, who fell dead. But a debate exists over who actually killed the general. Fry never specifically claimed he was the one who killed Zollicoffer, but many reports and paintings at the time give full credit to him. However, there were members from three different Union regiments standing near Fry who also fired. Whether or not he was the sole person to shoot General Zollicoffer, the Confederates were so outraged that they accused Fry of murder.