The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-10-24
Morsan's Mastery Retreat.

Gen Mcrsans evacuation of Cumberland
Gap and his retreat through kentucky, with
the enemy all around him. constitutes one of
The most difficult and heroic achievements
of the war. He flew down the mountain
cliffs into the ravine which he had held, and
made his rear secure and unapproaehable.
He then gathered together his trains, his
munitions of war, and his subsistence, and
started TO Join those VITO had neglected to
ioin him. One of his brilliant thoughts was
10 attack the enemy as he went along. He
had no idea of waiting for them to do so.
Massing his columns as he moved along, and
directing them with resisiless courage against
every portion of the enemy he found in his
way. he kept them continually Ola the defen-
siye. beat up tf.eir quarters. dashed al their
positions, and for sixteen DAYS fought them
every step a. he advanced, sometimes march
ing twenl,-four hours without stopping. He
came out Of the struggle victorious and un-
harmed, bringing off his 10000 men almost
without scratch, with all his war material
undiminlshvd.
F On the evening Of the 18th OF August the
confederate general Stevenson, with force
of twenty Thousand strong, arrived in front
of Cumberland Gap. and at the same time
General Kirby Smith passed through Rogers
and Big Creek Gap. with an additional force
of twenty-five thousand men. The advance
of Smith was rapid ard well executed, and in
a few DAYS TWO divisions of his army reached
Cumberland Ford, and thus we who held the
Gap were perfectly cut of from Lexington
and the North, and completed shut in. The
rebel Journals proclaimed, as apparently they
well might, that Morgan's whole Union ar
nv were already prisoners, ard as our sup
plies were cut off, orr surrender was looked
upon hy them as mere question OF days.
Indeed. the rebel general at that time inform
ed MS government that We could not ho.d
out a week. The week, however, passed
AWAY. and we still held out-so Smith was
compelled to march toward Lexington to OBJ
tain supplies for lis men.
After subsisting COZ month by raids up
on the enemy. the evacuation of Cumberland
Gap was commenced on the morning OF Sep
temh-r l.th. The same night all The diyi-
sons left al eleven O'Clock, except the pro-
vost guards ard a bl0ckaiirg squad, VINO
were lett behind to finish the W. TX OF de-
s.ruction I'D Distract the road SO as 10 re-
tarii anv movement ol the enemy against our
rear. \: abeut i've O'Clock the magazine
was blown III. and The flames OF the burning
commi>sary Bu;iuiag lii up the valley for
miles Cumberland Gal, was lei, . mass
of smouidering rains. The tents were all
DESTROYED. Nothing but ammunition and q
few of the most useful cooking utensils were
brought away. No officer brought away
any of his property save what he carried on
his back or his horse.
The guerrillas under John Morgan, har-
rassed US on our way through the mountains
; of Kentucky. He had with him his entire
t brigade, represented by his men to be FIVE
thousand strong, but probably not half that
number He reports that he killed or
wounded five hundred of our troops on the
march, but the truth is that our entire loss
: during the march, including the killed,
wounded and prisoners, did not amount to
eighty men. His loss was much greater, as
in one or two instances eur artillery raked
his columns. Our march from Cumberland
a Gap through eastern Kentucky to the Ohio
: lasted sixteen days and nights, and was over
, distance of more than two hundred and
fifty miles of hills and mountain and wild re-
IL giuns. We suffered enough, but the men
:. lil bore it heroicaly. During the march We
$. sometimes threaded "ur way over mountain
d ridges so narrow that solitary hOrseman
could not pass the wagon train; and at
other times through deep detiles, with tow
lie ering perpendicular cliffs on either side. and
these occupied by the enemy. Sometimes
e we drove HIM from his position by shell:
-. and sometimes by skirmisners. There were
~ intervals in the march of sixteen or eighteen
" miles without water, and for three days We
/ had TO drink from stagnant pools, and could
II find but few of them.
p The men made graters 10y punching hole'
in their tin plates, and thus powdered theil
- own corn, which they gathered on the march
e At every halt, day and night, you heard th'
d armstrong mills" as they were called. Th'
cannon were dragged the whole distance b,
oxen and mules.