124 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



a rugged pass ; three miles farther is Dag Gap, 

 affording a good passage for an army. This 

 was easily defended, and held by Gen. Bragg. 

 Two and a half miles farther is Catlet's, through 

 which runs a mountain stream and a good 

 road ; this was also held by Gen. Bragg. Two 

 miles farther is Worthing, a rough road over 

 the mountain, and impassable for artillery. 

 Wicker is a good wagon road, where the moun- 

 tain has diminished to a hill ; a mile and a half 

 beyond, an undulating country commences. The 

 country lying between Pigeon and Lookout 

 mountains is called McLemore's Cove, as above 

 stated, about twenty miles long and eight 

 broad. West of Pigeon mountain is Chicka- 

 mauga valley, which separates it from Mission- 

 ary ridge, a mere range of hills, and west of 

 which is another valley separating the latter 

 from Lookout mountain. This last range runs 

 up within two miles of Chattanooga, and ter- 

 minates abruptly at the Tennessee river, with 

 a bluff two thousand feet high. 



At the time of the repulse of Gen. Negley 

 was the most favorable moment for Gen. Bragg 

 to attack Gen. Rosecrans. The corps of Gen. 

 McOook was separated from Gen. Thomas by a 

 march of nearly three days. Gen. Crittenden 

 could not reSnforce Gen. Thomas without ex- 

 posing Chattanooga, and Gen. Thomas could 

 not move to Gen. Crittenden's position without 

 exposing Gen. McCook. Slow as Gen. Bragg 

 was in collecting his forces and advancing, the 

 great battle which followed was begun be- 

 fore Gen. Rosecrans had recovered from the 

 results of the position of his forces. Gen. Mc- 

 Cook joined Gen. Thomas on the 17th, with 

 his weary troops, and as heavy clouds of dust 

 were discovered on Pigeon mountain by the 

 signal officers, his corps and the right of the 

 centre were formed into line of battle, which 

 was maintained all the afternoon in McLe- 

 more's Cove. As the morning of the 18th broke, 

 gray and chilly, the troops were ordered on the 

 tnareh. Gen. Thomas's corps pressed on to- 

 ward Gordon's Mills, and Gen. McCook's moved 

 up directly in his rear. At Gordon's Mills, Gen. 

 Ward was stationed with two brigades. Dur- 

 ing the forenoon of this day, Gen. Granger, situ- 

 ated on the left of Gen. Ward, made a reconnois- 

 aance across the Chickamauga at Reid's bridge, 

 with two brigades, and ascertained beyond a 

 doubt that Gen. Longstreet's corps had joined 

 Gen. Bragg. Cols. Minty and Wilder were 

 sent with their commands, the former to watch 

 Ringgold road crossing, and the latter to re- 

 sist any advance from Napier Gap. Early in 

 the afternoon the enemy made an attack from 

 the two roads. Heavy cannonading ensued, 

 but Qols. Minty and Wilder held their ground 

 gallantly until a body of the enemy's infantry, 

 having crossed at one of the several fords in 

 the river, was fast gaining their rear, whe*n they 

 were compelled to retire. This proved to be 

 the extreme left of the enemy. 



Toward evening, Gen. McCook's corps pitch- 

 ed their tents at Lee's Mills, in McLemore's 



Cove ; but hardly was this done before an or- 

 der from Gen. Rosecrans directed them to 

 move northward to Pond Spring, seventeen 

 miles south of Chattanooga. Wearied as were 

 the men, they marched silently and without 

 straggling. All night there was a constant 

 rumbling of wagons, and a ceaseless tread of 

 troops. Gen. Crittenden being ahead of Gen. 

 Thomas, had thrown Gen. Van Cleve's divis- 

 ion on the left of Gen. Wood at Gordon's 

 Mills, and Gen. Palmer's on his right, Gen. 

 Thomas pushed still farther to the left. Gen. 

 Johnson's two brigades were given to Gen. 

 Thomas, and posted on Gen. Van Cleve's left, 

 while Gen. Negley, who was already in posi- 

 tion at Owen's Gap, a short distance south of 

 Crawfish Spring, thirteen miles from Chatta- 

 nooga, was ordered to remain there, and tem- 

 porarily attached to Gen. McCook's corps. 



The operations of the Confederate army up 

 to this time had been as follows: In conse- 

 quence of the flank movement of Gen. Rose- 

 crans on the right of Gen. Bragg, in the month 

 of June, the latter retreated from Shelbyville 

 and Tullahoma toward Chattanooga, which was 

 occupied in the first week of July. The brigade 

 of Gen. Anderson, of Gen. Polk's corps, was 

 ordered to Bridgeport for purposes of observa- 

 tion. The remainder of the corps of Gen. Polk 

 was retained in and around Chattanooga; and 

 Gen. Hardee's corps was distributed along the 

 line of the railroad to Knoxville, with Tyner's 

 Station, nine miles from Chattanooga, as the 

 centre. The headquarters of Gen. Bragg were 

 at Chattanooga. On the 21st of August the 

 corps of Gen. Crittenden succeeded in reaching 

 the town with artillery, from the heights over- 

 looking the Tennessee river and the town. This 

 bombardment was regarded by the enemy as 

 announcing that Gen. Rosecrans's plans were 

 completed and about to be executed. The 

 effect was to cause the removal of Gen. Bragg's 

 headquarters beyond the range of fire, and the 

 removal of stores to points of convenience on 

 the railroad in the rear, and the withdrawal 

 of Gen. Anderson from Bridgeport. In conse- 

 quence of the advance of Gen. Burnside into 

 East Tennessee, the Confederate Gen. Buckner 

 was now ordered to evacuate Knoxville and 

 occupy Loudon ; and in consequence of a de- 

 monstration reported to have Seen made by 

 Gen. Rosecrans at Blythe's Ferry, on the Ten- 

 nessee river, opposite the mouth of theHiawas- 

 see, he was further ordered to fall back from 

 Loudon to Charleston, and, soon after, to the 

 vicinity of Chattanooga. On the 1st of Sep- 

 tember, Gen. Bragg was informed of the cross- 

 ing of Gen. Rosecrans at Caperton's Ferry for 

 three days, and that he was moving across Sand 

 mountain, in the direction of Wills's valley and 

 Trenton. This report was regarded by him as 

 incredible, but soon after confirmed by the oc- 

 cupation of Trenton by Federal cavalry and 

 by its advance up the Wills's valley railroad 

 in the direction of Chattanooga as far as Wau- 

 hatchee, within seven miles, as a covering 



