The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-09-25
GEN. BURNSlDE'S EAST TENNEs-
y ',5aa SEE CAMPAIGN. Il
The Triumphant Occupation of
the Country without a Fight.
LOYALTY OF THE PEOPLE,
THE SURRENDER OF CUMBER-
LAND GAP.
INCIDENTS, ETC., ETC., ETC
From the Cincinnati Commercial. 18th.

General Burnside left Camp Nelson on
the 10th of August, for East Tennessee
He left Grab Orchard on the Oath. hav-
ing completed his preparations, his COL
umns having been in motion for several
days. He reached Mount Vernon, twenty
miles distant, on the same day. He left
Mount Vernon on the 29d, and reached
London, twenty-five miles. On the oath
he reached Williamsburg, thirty miles
from London. On the 25th he reached
Chitwood, Tennessee, twenty-eight miles
southwest Of Williamsburg, where he
came up with Major General Hartsuff.
commanding the 29d Army Corps. Major
Emory here made cavalry reconnois-
sance toward Jacksboro, encountered two
regiments of rebel cavalry, and routed
them, taking forty-ive prisoners. Gen.
Burnside, with the main body of his army,
left Chitwood on the 2Sth, and reached
Montgomery, the county-seat of Morgan
county, Tennessee, forty-twc miles from
Chitwood on the 3Oth. Here another COL
umn of infantry, under General julius
White, came in, having marched from
Central Kentucky by way of Albany,
Monticello and jamestown. Col. Burt.
commanding the cavalry advance, sent
word that the rebel General Pegram was
holding the gap in the mountains, near
the Emery Iron Works, with two thousand
men. The position was very strong one,
and the gap was the gate to the Clinch
River Valley. A battle was expected, as
there was not better place in the coun-
try to check our forces. But in the MORN
ing Of the 91st, it was discovered the
enemy had fled in the night.
At Emery River, nine miles east of
Montgomery, General Burnside ordered
Col. Foster to march directly on Knox
vile, where he arrived and took the
town without any opposition on the 1st
September. Gen; Burnside proceeded to
Kingston, where his scouts encountered
the cavalry pickets of General Rosecrans,
and communicated with a splendid body
of cavalry of the Army of the Cumber-
land, uhder Colonel Minty. Burnsides
object in moving to Kingston was to make
a push for the great Loudon bridge, over
the Holston River This was twenty
miles from Kingston. General Shackle-
ford was sent to Loudon. On his ap-
proach the rebels retreated across the
bridge, which they had barricaded, and
fred it. Turpentine had been poured on
the planks, and it was soon mass of
flames. Our troops fred across the river
with artillery and musketry, and the peo-
pie in the neighborhood said several rebels
were killed and wounded. General Burn
side left Kingston on the I'd and entered
Knoxville on the Sd. The reception of
our troops at this place was most crafty
ing. General Buckner with his rear-guard
had left the day before Colonel Fosters
arrival, for Chattanooga There is rea-
son to believe Rosecrans had in front of
him, at Chattanooga, the whole force of
Buckner, Bragg and Johnston The peo-
pie about Knoxville say the flight of the
rebels, when Burnside's approach was an
nounced, was something wonderful.
They had among them a report that
Burnside had an army of from sixty to one
hundred thousand men, and were of the
opinion that their safety depended upon
their speed. They left behind a consid-
cradle quantity of Quartermaster's stores,
in pretty good order, and they had several
valuable shops which they did not disman-
tie. Two million rations salt were among
the spoils. The secesh had story that
LOngstreet was coming from Virginia
with twenty thousand men but it was one
Of their vain imaginings. A meeting of
the Union citizens of Knoxville was held
and addressed by General Burnside and
General Carter. 1t was attended by about
five hundred men, and large number of
women and children. The demonstra-
tons were not bosterous, but there was
intent quiet rejoicing. Men who had
been hidden for months, came in, full of
gratitude for their deliverance.
Intelligence was received that the rebels
were prepared to make stand at Cum
berland Gap. Burnside was not afraid of
their standing but of their running, and,
on the 10Th. dispatched Gen. Shackelford
from Knoxville to cut off all means of es-
cape. On the 7th, Gen. Burnside left
Knoxville with force of cavalry and ar
tillery, and arrived at Shackelfords head
quarters early on the morning of the 9th.
General De Courcey, who had advanced
upon the Gap direct from Loudon, Ken
lucky, was hemming the rebels IN on the
north side. The rebel force was COM
ilduuSU Wy NCuCI al VI hlSSlSSlDDl.
He had, when ruInors of Burnside's move
ments reached Buckner, been ordered by
that General to fall back to Knoxville,
but the order was countermanded by Gen.
Johnston, and Frazer's instructions were
to hold the Gap to the last extremity.
When Burnside arrived, Frazer had been
summoned to surrender by both De Cour-
cey and Shackelford, and had returned a
firm refusal. Burnside sent an officer
with flag of truce, demanding an uncon-
ditional surrender, instructing the officer
to wait for an answer at the picket line
one hour only. At the expiration of the
hour, no answer having been given, the
officer withdrew. Preparations for an i'm
mediate attack were made, but in fifteen
minutes General Frazer sent flag of
truce, offering to surrender the position,
provided he and his men were paroled on
the spot. General Burnside responded