The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-09-26
THE CAPTURES 1T KNOXVILLE
How the Army was Received.
The Captures at Gum
berland Gap.
Tie Retreat Of Bragg-RcLcl Deseners.


General NeeIcy's engagement II Dug Gap have
come in. From all that can he gathered the
casualties were light. General Nrglev retired
three miles to the foot of Lookout Mountain.
General Band's division was also engaged
Dug Gap is four miles north of New Lafayette,
where the main couSn of Bragg was at the
time of the engagement.
1t is thought that Bragg feared to lose control
over lis line OF retreat to Rome, and was rctlcat-
ing slowly 10 avoid IL repetition of the scenes of
the Iulahoma retreat and prevent struggling.
Nevertheless, large numbers of desertcrs come
in daily.
Three hundred of the 10Th Tennessee regiment
came in in body. At least one thousand
dcscrters have arrived here since the evacuation,
aud large number are said to be Oh Missionary
Ridge.
General Crittcnlen is reported to have occu-
pied Lafayette to-day, and the army is again
concentrated.
EuRNsIDE's NyovEMENT-uIs PLAN OF CAM
CINCGENATI, September 13-Srrgcon W. H.
Church, Medical Dircc~Dr of the Department II
lis Ohio, arrived here last night from Cumber-
l;~d Gap, having left General BurnSdc's head
quarters on the morning of the 10th. He fur
nishcs the following conrpIet" and trustworthy
account of tic remarkable operations Of our for
crs in East Tennessee:
Gen. Burnside left Camp Nelson on the Ken
lucky river, on the 10th His command was to
march in three columns, one Via London, under
himself; the second, consisting of the TWENTY
third Army Corps under Major Gen IartsHtf
via Somerset, and the other under Gen. Julius
White Via JAMESTOWN Gen. burnside march,
ing Via Duivillc and Stanford, reached Crab Or.
chard on the 2Uih. On the 22d he marched to
Mount Vernon, twenty miles and on the follow
ing day 10 London, twenty-five miles. On the
9th he made Williamsburg, thirty miles further
south. On the Goth lie WaS iuincd hy General
lmtsutf, with the TWcnty-third Corps, at Chct-
wood, twcnty-cight miles from Williamsburg
The enemy being reported near, he direct
ed cavalry regiment to rcconn"tre toward
Jackboro'. 1t met superior Rebel force
aud routed it, capturing forty five prisoners.
From Chestwood the march was continued
across New river up the Cumberland noun
tains to Montgomery. situatcd-A2 miles dist
ant on the summit Of the range, where the
column arrived on the 30th. Here it was
met by Gen. Whites command. Colonel
Burt having been sent forward with a cav.
airy brigade reported that Gen. pegram,
with 1000 cavalry, held a very strong posi-
ton ct the Gap near Emory Iron Works,
leading into Cfnch river valley. Additional
troops were sent forward with the cxpccta-
tion of q battle on the morning of the 3 LIST.
but with dnHliGht it was discovered that the
With the possession of this Gap, the rond
to Knoxville was open. Having reached
Emory river, seventeen miles from Mont
gomery, General Burnside ordered Colonel
Foster, with mounted brigade, to make n
forced march over direct road to Knox
Vile, while he advanced with the main force
to kingston six miles further. Being anx
ant bridge over the Tennessee at Loudon
twenty miles from Kingston, General Burn.
side directed General ShackeIlord, with his
cavalry brigade. to push on to it as rapidly
as possible. On arriving within three
miles of the bridge, regiment was dcpluy
eel IA skirmiShrrs, and quickly drove the
enemy beyond their ritlcpi covering the
.approaches to the bridge. They retreatcd
hastily across it. closing the gate behind
them. The entire structure being prepared
with turpcntine and shavings, for immediate
destruction, it was wrapped in flame in II
few seconds. General Shackeliord finding
it impossible to save it, moved off toward
Knoxville, after driving the enemy from the
opposite bank with shells and musketry.
Colonel Foster reached Knoxville on the
list. and General Burnside left Kingston on
the ID, and entered Knoxville on the 3D.
entrance. The town was decorated with
flags hidden for more than two years. and
cheering people lined the streets. y large
meeting was held on subsequent day, and
addressed by General Burnside and Several
leading citizens. The latter congratulated
themselves in the most enthusiastic terms
upon their dciiverancc from Rebel opprcs-
sion.
On the day after Colonel Foster arrival
q procession of women, whose husbands and
relatives were mostly in the Union service,
came in from the country. 1t was nearly n
mile long. All along the route Of cur troops
the same unmistakabc evidence Of all but
universal loyalty on the part of the popula-
ton, became manifest. Young men seemed
to be mostly absent, but old ones and
women by the hundreds received our troops
with flags and refreshments on the roads.
A great number Of men that had lived in
hiding places for months came forth and
joined their deivcrers. Very valuable
machine shops and founderies, belonging to
the Rebel Government, were found in Knox.
vile. Also two millions pounds of salt, n
large quantity of wheat (the fruits of the
tithetaX, } and many thousand bags. Three
locomotives, and Il number of cars, were
likewise captured. Gen. Burnside took for
his headquarters the residence Of a fugitive
Rebel leader,
Before leaving Kentucky, General Burn
side ordered Colonel De CourcE, with a
brigade of infantry, to march upon Cumbcr-
land Gap by the direct route. through Lou
don and Barboursvlle. Learning, on the
ith, that the Rebel force defending the Gap
was strong and likely to offer resistance,
he dispatched General Shackelford, with
his brigade. on the 9th, from Knoxville,
with instructions TO seize all avenues of
escape to the south. He followed himself,
with another body Of infantry and cavalry,
on the 18th, and arrived within four miles Of
the Gap on the 9th. after forced march of
sixty miles. De Courcs and Shackelford
had both made demands for surrender which
General Frazier declined. Upon his arrival,
Gcneral Burnside renewed it, when the
Rebel commander offered to surrender upon
condition that his officers and men were
parolcd An unconditional Surrender being
insisted upon, he yielded.
His force consisted ofthe ID North Carolina
LIST Virginia. lst Georgia regiments, and
several companies of artillery. The Georgia
regiment was eight hundred strong, and was
once before captured by General Burnside
at Roanoke Island. The prisoners crc now
on their way north. In explanation Of the
extraordinary isolation General Frazier was
left in, Rebel officers stated that General
Bragg peremtorily orderd him to remain.
On the night of the 7lh two companies OF
our troops stole their way through the Rebel
pickets, and burned mill that had supplied
| the Rebels with meal, i'll the very sight OF