AKMY OPERATIONS. 



119 



followed by Gen. Reynolds with the remainder 

 of his division. After some hours, Gens. Neg- 

 ley and Rousseau folio wed in the same direction. 

 The instructions to Col. Wilder were to ad- 

 vance within a few miles of Hoover's Gap, and 

 there halt until the infantry came up, and then 

 to carry the works. Learning, however, that 

 the works commanding the Gap were not oc- 

 cupied, he moved forward and took possession 

 of them, before the enemy were sufficiently 

 aware of his approach to make any serious re- 

 sistance. At the same time he pushed forward 

 to the other extremity of the Gap, and took up 

 a position commanding the road and the ene- 

 my's camp. In this movement he captured a 

 train of nine wagons and a drove of beef cat- 

 tle. The enemy immediately prepared for an 

 attack, and came on in such overwhelming 

 numbers that they would have been successful, 

 had not reinforcements arrived to the aid of Col. 

 "Wilder. The fighting continued for two hours, 

 during which the loss of the command was 

 sixty-three killed and wounded. The loss of 

 the enemy was represented by prisoners as ex- 

 ceeding five hundred. 



Meanwhile, the portion of the corps of Gen. 

 McCook which took the road to Liberty Gap, 

 encountered a force of the enemy near the en- 

 trance of the Gap. Gen. Willich, whose brigade 

 led the column, was ordered by Gen. Johnson 

 to drive- the enemy. This was done so prompt- 

 ly that their tents, baggage, and supplies were 

 captured. Col. Baldwin was then sent for- 

 ward to clear the upper end of the Gap, where 

 the enemy were soon found, in a force con- 

 sisting of a brigade of infantry and a battery 

 of artillery. After a sharp and short combat 

 they were driven out, and their position occu- 

 pied. On the next day, Gen. Johnson held 

 the position which his command had won, 

 in order to continue the delusion of the en- 

 emy as to the real designs of Gen. Rosecrans. 

 Skirmishing was kept up by the enemy along 

 the front, and, between three and four o'clock 

 in the afternoon, a formal attack in line of 

 battle was made. A sharp struggle ensued, 

 but after two hours the enemy abandoned 

 the contest. The occupation of these gaps 

 gave to Gen. Rosecrans the command of 

 the position, and as soon as he advanced 

 through them to Manchester and Winchester, 

 he flanked Gen. Bragg at Tullahoma, and 

 obliged him to retreat. This was commenced 

 at once ; and on the first of July, Gen. Rose- 

 crans, learning of the retreat of Gen. Bragg, 

 rapidly advanced his forces. Gen. Thomas 

 moved on the Manchester road, and Gen. 

 McCook on the one from Tullahoma. Gen. 

 Thomas moved rapidly, in order to strike the 

 enemy, who were moving directly east to 

 the military road, five miles east of the 

 railroad, and parallel with it. The enemy 

 however, reached the crossing of Elk river 

 before he was overtaken by the advance of 

 Gen. Thomas. The division of Gen. Negley 

 encountered the rear of Gen. Hardee at a point 



four miles north of Elk river. The resistance 

 made here by Gen. Wheeler was so stubborn, 

 that Gen. Negley was delayed until the trains 

 of the enemy had crossed the river. During the 

 night, their reserve of artillery, consisting of 

 twenty-six pieces, crossed the river at Estelle 

 Springs, and reached Tin Mountain. After 

 crossing, the rear of the enemy burned the 

 bridges, and took up positions in works hastily 

 thrown up on the opposite side, in order to de- 

 lay the crossing of Gen. Thomas as long as 

 possible, and to enable their infantry and trains 

 to get into the mountains. At the same time 

 heavy rains commenced, and the river rose 

 very high. Gen. Crittenden took possession of 

 the road from Dechard through Tracy City to 

 Chattanooga, and thus forced Gen. Bragg to 

 take the roads across the mountains. On the 

 2d, Gen. McCook moved so as to flank the road 

 to Winchester and the mountains. At the same 

 time, Gens. Rosecrans and Brannan moved to 

 the upper crossing of Rock creek, to strike the 

 rear of the enemy, who were to be detained 

 by Gen. Negley. But Gen. Negley, mistaking 

 the firing of a cavalry brigade on the right 

 flank of the enemy for that of Gen. Rosecrans, 

 opened with two batteries, and caused them 

 to retreat precipitately to the mountains. On 

 the morning of July 4th, the whole Federal 

 force advanced to the foot of the mountains at 

 Cowan, and found the enemy in full retreat 

 upon Chattanooga. At the same time, Shel- 

 byville was occupied by Gens. Stanley and 

 Granger, and the former pushed on as far as 

 Huntsville in Alabama. 



This retreat of Gen. Bragg from Tennessee 

 had a demoralizing effect upon his forces, and 

 discouraged the friends of the Confederacy in 

 Tennessee. The result of these operations of 

 Gen. Rosecrans thus far was to recover Mid- 

 dle Tennessee, and to preserve Kentucky from 

 an invasion. His losses in these operations 

 were 85 killed, 462 wounded, and 13 missing. 

 The loss of the enemy in killed and wounded 

 is unknown, but 1,634 were made prisoners, 

 and six pieces of artillery, many small arms, 

 much camp equipage, and large quantities of 

 commissary and quartermaster's stores were 

 taken. 



Gen. Bragg, having returned to Chattanooga 

 on the south side of the Tennessee river, now 

 fortified his position, and threw up defensive 

 works at the crossing of the river and as far up 

 as Blythe's Ferry. 



The first object of Gen. Rosecrans was to 

 repair the railroad from Nashville to Stevenson 

 in Alabama. At Stevenson the Nashville rail- 

 road unites with the Memphis and Charleston 

 road. Stevenson is thirty-seven miles west of 

 Chattanooga, on the line of the latter road. 

 Having completed his preparations, Gen. Rose- 

 crans commenced his movement on Chatta- 

 nooga and its covering mountain ridges on the 

 southeast, on the 16th of August. On that day, 

 Gen. Thomas moved from Decherd, with the 

 division of Gen. Payne in advance. This divis- 



