Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-10-11
EVACUATION OF CUMBERLAND GAP.
A THRILLING DIARY.


The story Of the evacuation of Cumber-
land Gap by General Morgan, and the
march from thence to the Ohio, will live so
long as the record Of heroic deeds shall be
told. An officer of the expedition fur
nishes to the Commercial q thrilling diary
of the events preceding and succeeding the
evacuation, from which we quote. The
story of the terrible straits to which the
army were reduced, and the sufFerings
upon the march, is told with modest
pathos which speaks volumes for hebrave
men who participated in the memorable
campaign We quote the following:
CUMBERLAND GAP, Sept. 8, 1862.
write from what may be termed mil
itary prison. It is impossible to tell, or
even to guess, when the scrap 1 write will
meet the gaze of friends at home When
it does reach civilization, if at all, it viii,
perhaps, give better idea Of what has
been going on here, than has been formed
from the many uncertain and exaggerated
reports that have doubtless found their way
into the papers Of "the States
Few persons who have not been here,
seem to know where or what Cumberland
Gap is That is easily told. 1t lies lit
tie east Of south of Lexington, about one
hundred and forty miles, and is q natural
gap in mountain nearly eighty miles in
length. There are other places in this long
and evenly-formed mountain called gaps
such as Rogers Gap and Big Greek Gap
but the name is given more from the fact
that the summit at those places is more ca
sy Of access, on account of a gradual as
cent, than from the fact that there is any
material depression in the mountain. At
Rogers Gap, which next to this, is, per-
haps, the best crossing, there is no actual
gap, but the road, taking advantage of
succession of ridges on the northern side,
and running diagonally on the southern
side, is rendered passable by man and
beast, and may, by very great exertions,
be Travelled by wagons and cannon. The
distance from the beginning Of the ascent
on one side to the ending Of the descent on
the other, is a little over five miles. 1t
was at this Gap that most Of this division
crossed when it compelled the evacuation
Of this place by the rebels, nearly three
ulUutAA1 uEU- II AAD1 q -ALIE4 ALAAAII " I7A Va
this. Big Greek Gap is sixteen miles west
Of Rogers Gap and is nearly as good
place to cross. A force, having crossed
from the south at either Of these places,
could make its way by rough and unfre-
quented mountain roads, either 10 the
Ford, Barbourville, Williamsburg or Lou
don, thus interfering with our line of com
munication. with the North.
The mountain on either side Of this Gap
is about twelve hundred feet high. In the
Gap it is only four hundred feet high. So
there is a notch, and very nice and regu-
lar one it is, too-eight hundred feet deep.
The road through il is good one. On the
southern side, the mountain breaks off
abruptly, being in some places almost per-
pendicular, so that no human being, except
by running the greatest risk to his life,
could reach the summit by any other way
than up the Gap, and turning TO the right
or left as he might desire. The northern
side is more irregular, breaking of in a
succession Of smaller mountains and hills
to the valley lying between this and the
Ford; but the main mountain still tower
ing far above any Of its neighbors. Com
ing this way from Lexington, as far as
London, there are two roads. One Of these
passes through NicholasEille, Grab Orch
ard and Mount Vernon, and by the way Of
Wild Cat The other passes through Rich
mond and by the way Of Big Hill. From
London there is but one road here, which
is fanked on either side by q succession Of
hills and mountains, and passes through
Barbourville and Flat Lick, and crosses al
Cumberland Ford. To be sure there are
mountain passes and neighborhood roads
by travelling which, one could avoid the
main roads, and reach the States; but thi:
could only be done on foot or on horseback
Cannon or wagons could SCARCELY be trans
ported by any other route than the main
road
On Sunday morning the 18th Of August,
the enemy suddenly made his appearance
in our front, within three miles Of the up
per batteries, the thunders of which gave
most of the divisions an intimatiOn Of al
approaching enemy. Colonel Mundy'i
cavalry, which was eneamped some TIVE
miles out, in the valley, was attacked, anC
he was compelled 10 pull up stakes anC
leave, with loss of two or three killet
and wounded. But the enemy could no
touch his camp on account Of our guns OF
the mountain top. After getting the ben
eft Of few shells, the rebels fell back TO
ward Powell River, where they have eve
since been encamped. On two or three oc
casions since, they have shown themselve
in the valley, but have hastily fallen bacl
when our larger guns have been let loos
at them.
"On the same evening that we were me
-,rrn6 ~ Fvnraf inf ION ~
that large force had fallen in at Bar
bouryille and London, two days before
capturing all our supply trains nearly q
far back as Crab Orchard. Before sun
down an order was read, putting the troop
on half rations of everything save bean
and rice. It was known this was done t
husband our scanty stock Of provisions
and there was no complaint at the order
The soldiers seemed perfectly willing TO
anything TO foil the rebels in an attemI
to take the Gap, the first supposition bein
that the movement had been made for ou
sole benefit. 1t was supposed that the rel
els, guessing our supplies were small, ha
fallen into our rear to cut off communica
ton, and starve us out. It does not seeI
TO have occurred TO any one that they woul
try to push their way into the heart {
Kentucky. Thanks to good managemer
or to good luck, the rebels found but ittl
property either at BarbourEille or Londo1
and took no prisoners save those whie
were on the road between the two place
Butin two or three days We had an inklin
Of double object Of the enemy in the
movement into Kentucky. One to gai
and hold the productive Blue Grass Regio