The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-10-14
MORNING. OCTOBER s 1853.
HtA6esysf ne ssssenaas sf Cunber-
lnnA Cap II One Who was Insidc.

- fssS OgaeSuN4s ~ NUugo0Hs
hua Car ~ One who WIS Insfdc.
M1ior g. b Mcdowell, Of The 62d n.
g. reginent which VI. surrendered q
Cumberland Gap BY Gen. Frazier, pub.
fishes letter which is the first reliable
ac,0unt Of that affair. II appears that
on Monday, the 9th ult., about Q o'clock
A. H., the Yankee General, ShackelforJl
appeared about two miles firm the Gap
and demanded its surrender, which was
refussd by Gen. F., and on Tuesday again
made and again refused. The MAJORS
statement continues the narrative:
On Tuesday evening Col. DE Cosey,s COM
mAnd made their appearance ON the north
side cf the mountain. A portion Of h.s
command approached on the Harlin county
road, aud . portion ON the main Kentucky
road A heavy ekirmish soon began between
Captain Tnrpin's company sof my regiment,
tain Turpin, with his gallant boys, cfTectual-
y checked the advance Of the enemy until
late in the evening, when the Yankees disap-
peared, Captain Turpin holding his ground,
which was something near one mile in ad-
vance Of Onr line.
About 5 o'clock, Tuesday evening, Col. De
Cosey demanded the unconditional surren-
der Of Gen. Frazer and command Gen.
. Frazer replied under flag Of truce, asking OF
Dc Cosey the number Of forces to which he
was ordered to surrender. De Cosey replied
near II O'Clock at night, refusing to give the
number of forces under his command stating
that 1t was from motives entirely disconnect-
cd with the attack upon the gap that he did
40. Gen. Frazer then refused to surrender,
and it was understood that the fight would
open ut II O'Clock ON Monday. Twill state
int hi Ao<s <11A
Il council OF the commanding officers of regi
.nents was called, which resulted in the reiu-
sal of all to be surrendered. / will state fu--
ther that majority preferred the risk OF cut
ting their way through the Yankee lines than
to be surrendered on any terms A fight
was therefore confidently expected. Near
IL o'clock On Wednesday, the 95h, when all
was in anxious expectation for the fight to
open, Gen. Frazer received from Burnside,
under flag of truce, q dem and for. the uncon.
ditional surrender Of himself and command.
Very soon after its reception, one Of Gen.
Frazer's aid-de-camps came in great haste
down the mountain aud ordered me to take
down my battle flag and hoist a white flag
instead thereof Although many of us were
of opinion that we would be surrendered
sooner or later, you can imagine the aston
ishment which this struck the brave boys
that were so anXiOusly expecting an engage
ment.
Various statements have been made in re
gard to the conduct "f the troops composing
the command at Cumberland Gap. assert
most positively that have yet to see troops
in finer spirits or more determined to hold
their ground than the troops in the gap. l
have learned that an attempt is being made
to justify the surrender Of the gap upon the
ground that the troops in the gap would not
fight, and that some of them shouted when
the flag was ordered down. The last charge
was made against the CID North Carolina
regiment. The first is false, and the second
not only false. but is base and cowardly ef.
fort to protect those that may be guilty at
the expense OF the innocent, brave, patriotic,
and true. We were surrendered, then, to Gen.
Burnside on Wednesday, the 9th, at 4 O'Clock
T. M. Many made their escape after the
surrender, and among them was your un-
worthy correspondent. We had when we
were surrendered provisions upon which we
could have subsisted 80 days. We had all
the ammunition on hand that we had when
the gap was first invested. My regiment had
$50 rounds to the man, and presume other
regiments had the same. AS to the spiking
and throwing over the cliffs the artillery
mentioned in your issue Of the 7th, taken
from the Knoxville Register, know nothing,
save one piece that two men of my command
was picketing, which they spiked and threw
over the cliff near it on their own response
bility.
This l witnessed and know to be true. The
number Of forces investing the gap am not
by any means prepared to state 1t was re-
presented to be near 10, 600 on each side the
gap. If the surrender was a matter of ne
ccssity it was from causes other than q want of
provisions, ammunition, or willingness on
the part OF the men to do their duty.