the army of the cumberland-第7节

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phis　and　Charleston　Railroads；　and　directed　Turchin　with　his　command　to　move　west　and　take　possession　of　Decatur　and　Tuscumbia。　This　was　successfully　done；　and　Mitchel　was　in　possession　of　over　one　hundred　miles　of　this　important　link　connecting　Corinth　with　Richmond　in　the　heart　of　the　enemy's　territory。　　He　then　posted　his　troops　at　the　more　prominent　points；　ready　to　move　to　any　place　threatened　by　the　enemy。

On　April　29th；　Mitchel；　hearing　of　the　advance　of　the　force　under　Kirby　Smith　from　Bridgeport　against　the　command　beyond　Stevenson；　moved　as　rapidly　as　possible　by　rail　from　Huntsville　to　resist　him。　He　found　the　enemy　had　attacked　the　detachment　posted　five　miles　west　of　Bridgeport；　and　that　his　troops　had　driven　the　enemy's　advance　back　across　Widow's　Creek。　　The　bridge　over　this　creek　had　been　burned　by　the　enemy　on　their　retreat。　　Mitchel　strengthened　the　detachment　and　engaged　the　attention　of　the　enemy　by　an　apparent　effort　to　cross　this　creek；　while　with　his　main　force　he　advanced　on　Bridgeport　by　a　detour　by　the　left　and　drove　that　portion　of　the　enemy　in　the　town　across　the　Tennessee　River。　　In　their　retreat　the　enemy　set　fire　to　the　bridge　reaching　from　the　west　bank　of　the　river　to　the　Island。　　This　bridge　Mitchel　succeeded　in　saving；　but　the　bridge　east　of　the　Island　was　completely　destroyed。　　General　Mitchel　then　turned　his　attention　to　that　part　of　the　enemy's　force　at　Widow's　Creek；　which　he　succeeded　in　capturing；　taking　in　all　some　three　hundred　and　fifty　prisoners。　　Early　in　May；　Mitchel；　who　had　been　placed　in　command　of　all　the　troops　between　Nashville　and　Huntsville；　ordered　General　Negley　with　the　Seventh　Brigade；　belonging　to　McCook's　divisionwho　had　been　left　at　Columbia　on　the　advance　of　the　main　army　upon　Savannahto　make　an　advance　against　General　Adams　with　a　brigade　of　troops　at　Rogersville；　Ala。　At　the　same　time　Mitchel　sent　Colonel　Lytle　from　Athens；　Ala。；　to　cooperate　with　Negley。　　On　the　13th；　the　enemy　learning　of　the　approach　of　the　Federal　forces；　retreated　across　the　Tennessee　River。　　This　placed　Mitchel　in　complete　position　of　that　portion　of　Alabama　north　of　that　river。　　On　May　29th；　Mitchel　concentrated　Negley's　command　from　Columbia；　Turchin's　brigade　from　Huntsville；　and　the　Eighteenth　Ohio　under　T。　R。　Stanley　from　Athens　at　Fayetteville　for　an　expedition　against　Chattanooga　under　the　command　of　Negley。　These　troops　passed　through　Winchester；　Cowen；　and　University　Place　to　Jasper。　　Advancing　upon　the　latter　place；　the　head　of　his　column；　under　Colonel　Hambright；　encountered　a　brigade　of　the　enemy's　troops　under　General　Adams。　　The　enemy　was　driven　from　the　place　after　a　sharp　engagement；　leaving　his　supply　and　ammunition　trains。　　His　loss　was　18　killed；　20　wounded；　and　12　prisoners。　　Leaving　Jasper；　Negley　arrived　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Tennessee；　opposite　Chattanooga；　on　the　7th。　　Negley；　on　the　evening　of　that　day　and　the　morning　of　the　next；　bombarded　Chattanooga；　and　made　a　demonstration　of　crossing　the　river　and　attacking　the　town。　　General　Duke　says：　〃The　commandant　of　the　place；　General　Leadbetter；　had　two　or　three　guns　in　battery　and　replied；　when　the　gunners；　who　were　the　most　independent　fellows　I　ever　saw；　chose　to　work　the　guns。　　The　defence　of　the　place　was　left　entirely　to　the　individual　efforts　of　those　who　chose　to　defend　it；　and　nothing　prevented　its　capture　but　the　fact　that　the　enemy　could　not　cross　the　river。〃

Negley　then　withdrew　and　encamped　his　command　at　Shelbyville。

General　G。　W。　Morgan；　under　orders　from　Buell；　assumed　command　of　the　forces　in　Eastern　Kentucky　early　in　April。　　Acting　under　his　orders　he　proceeded　to　Cumberland　Ford　and　commenced　operations　at　once　against　Cumberland　Gap。　　This　gap　is　situated　in　the　Cumberland　range　on　the　boundary　line　between　Kentucky　and　Tennessee；　near　the　Western　Virginia　line；　is　a　deep　depression　in　the　mountain　range；　making　a　natural　roadway　through　it；　and　is　the　centre　of　all　the　roads　in　that　section　of　country。　　It　is　a　stronghold　protected　by　nature　with　abrupt　slopes　on　the　mountains；　frequently　so　steep　as　to　be　almost　perpendicular；　with　the　ranges　much　broken　by　spurs；　knobs；　and　ravines；　protected　by　parallel　ranges　of　less　height　in　close　proximity　on　the　east　and　west。　　Morgan；　after　encountering　the　enemy　in　several　skirmishes；　determined　either　to　compel　him　to　fight　or　retreat。　　He　sent　General　Spears　with　three　brigades　to　Pine　Mountain；　on　the　road　to　Big　Creek　Gap。　　General　Kirby　Smith；　commanding　the　enemy's　forces　in　East　Tennessee；　placed　General　Barton's　command　of　two　brigades　of　infantry　in　Big　Creek　Gap；　and　then　advanced　with　some　eight　thousand　men　under　his　immediate　command　to　cut　Spears　off；　and　to　threaten　the　Federal　forces　at　Cumberland　Ford。　　Morgan；　under　orders；　withdrew　Spears；　but　learning　a　few　days　later　from　Buell　of　the　operations　of　Negley's　command　before　Chattanooga；　and　that　Kirby　Smith　had　proceeded　with　a　part　of　his　command　to　the　relief　of　that　place；　resumed　the　advance。　Negley's　movements　had　caused　Smith　to　suspend　his　operations；　but　when　he　heard　of　Negley's　withdrawal　he　proceeded　at　once　to　execute　his　plans　against　Morgan。　　On　June　18th；　the　latter；　finding　that　Kirby　Smith　had　taken　his　entire　command　away　from　Cumberland　Gap；　marched　his　troops　up　Powell's　Valley　and　late　in　the　evening　of　that　day　reached　the　fortifications；　found　the　Gap　empty；　and　took　possession。　　This　natural　stronghold　had　been　extensively　fortified　by　the　rebels；　who　regarded　the　position　of　their　troops　such　as　to　prevent　the　success　of　any　attempt　on　the　part　of　the　Federal　forces　to　obtain　possession　without　a　battle。　　The　enemy　were　completely　out…maneuvred；　and　General　Morgan　had　the　satisfaction　of　occupying　this　fortress　without　the　loss　of　any　of　his　command。

In　the　early　part　of　May；　the　rebel　Colonel　John　H。　Morgan's　command　of　some　five　hundred　men；　in　the　neighborhood　of　Pulaski；　Tenn。；　captured　a　wagon　train　with　about　four　hundred　Federal　troops；　mostly　convalescents　going　to　Columbia。　　On　the　night　of　the　5th；　Morgan　reached　Lebanon　and　quartered　his　entire　force　in　houses　in　the　town。　　On　the　evening　of　the　6th；　Dumont　with　his　command　from　Nashville；　joined　by　that　of　Duffield　from　Murfreesboro；　surprised　and　attacked　Morgan's　troopers；　completely　routing　them　after　a　severe　engagement。　　Morgan　with　a　few　men　under　his　immediate　command　escaped　after　a　chase　of　twenty…one　miles　from　Lebanon；　crossing　the　Cumberland　River　on　a　ferry。　　Dumont　had　with　him　detachments　of　Wynkoop's　Seventh　Pennsylvania　cavalry；　of　Wolford's　First　Kentucky　cavalry　and　of　Green　Clay　Smith's　regiment　of　Kentucky　cavalry。　　Morgan's　loss　was　150　men　captured；　with　the　same　number　of　horses。　　The　balance　of　his　command　was　dispersed。　　Wolford　and　Smith　were　both　wounded；　and　the　Federals　lost　6　killed　and　25　wounded。　　On　the　11th；　Morgan　with　his　men　that　had　escaped；　and　two　new　companies；　made　a　raid　on　the　Louisville　and　Nashville　Railroad　at　Cave　City；　captured　a　freight　train　of　forty…eight　cars　and　burned　it。　　He　also　captured　a　passenger　train；　which　had　a　few　Federal　officers　on　it。　　His　object　was　to　rescue　the　men　of　his　command　taken　prisoners　at　Lebanon；　but　in　this　he　failed；　as　they　had　been　sent　North　by　boat。

From　this　place　Morgan　reported　with　his　command　at　Chattanooga　to　refit；　prepatory　to　his　first　extended　raid　into　Kentucky。　　Here　he　was　joined　by　two　full　companies　of　Texan　cavalry　under　Captains　R。　M。　Gano　and　John　Huffman；　both　native　Kentuckians；　who；　on　reporting　at　Corinth；　had　asked　to　be　ordered　on　duty　with　Morgan　and　his　command；　enlarged　from　a　squadron　to　a　full　regiment。　　After　he　had　obtained　all　the　recruits　he　could　at　Chattanooga　he　set　out　for　Knoxville；　to　further　increase　his　command　and　to　re…arm。　It　was　at　this　place　that　he　received　the　two　mountain　howitzers　which　were　used　so　effectively　in　the　first　raid　into　Kentucky；　and　which　just　before　his　command　started　on　the　Ohio　raid　were　taken　from　it　by　Bragg's　ordnance　officers。　　This　came　near　raising　a　mutiny；　and　the　only　consolation　that　Morgan's　men　had　was　that　Bragg　lost　the　guns　within　two　weeks　after　they　were　taken　away　from　them。　　In　the　latter　part　of　June；　Colonel　Hunt；　of　Georgia；　reported　at　Knoxville　with　a　regiment　of　〃Partisan　Rangers；〃　nearly　four　hundred　strong；　ordered　to　accompany　Morgan　on　his　contemplated　raid；　making　the　strength　of　his　entire　command　876　effective　men。

Morgan　set　out　from　Knoxville　on　the　morning　of　July　4；　1862；　taking　the　road　to　Sparta；　one　hundred　and　four　miles　due　west　from　Knoxville；　which　was　reached　on　the　evening　of　the　third　day　of　this　march。　　The　Union　men　of　East　Tennessee　frequently　gave　these　raiders　medicine　of　their　own　prescription；　lying　in　wait　for　them　and　firing　upon　them　from　the　bushes。　　This　was　a　new　experience　for　these　freebooting　troopers；　who　wherever　they　went　in　the　South　were　generally　made　welcome　to　the　best　of　everything；　being　regarded　as　the　beau…ideals　of　Southern　chivalry。　　On　the　8th；　Morgan's　command　reached　the　Cumberland　River　at　the　ford　near　the　small　village　of　Celina；　eighteen　miles　from　Tompkinsville；　where　a　detachment　of　the　Ninth　Pennsylvania；　250　strong；　was　encamped　under　command　of　Major