Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-11-03
TJistory of the SURRENDER OumUerIanu Gap
by one who was inside.

Uistory of the SURRENDER OumUerIanG Gap
by one who was inside. -
which yas-Sprrensered at Cumberland Gap By Gen.
FrazeT 5liShes letter which is the first reliable
account Of that affair. 1t appears that on Monday,
the 9Th ut., about o'clock A. NJ, the Yankee Gen
eral Shackleford, appeared about two miles from the
Gap and demanded its surrender, which was refused
by Gen. Frazer, ard on Tuesday again made, and
again refused. The Majors statement continues:
On Tuesday evening Col. DeCoSey's command
made their appearance on the north side of the
mountain. A.portiSn Of his command approached on
the Harn county road. and portion on the main
Kentucky road. A heavy skrmish soon began be.
tween Captain Turpin's company, Of my regiment
and the advance of the Abolitonists. Capt Turpin
with his gallant boys, efectually checked the al.
vance Of the enemy until late in the evening" when
the Yankees disappeared, Captain Turpin holding
his ground which was something near one mile in
advance Of our line.
About o'clock, Tuesday evening, Col DeCosey
demanded the unconditional surrender of Gen. Fra
zier and command. General Frazier replied under
flag of truce, asking of De Cosey the number of
forces to which he was ordered to surrender. De
Cosey replied near II o'clock refusing 10 give the
number of forces under his command, stating that
it was from motives entirely disconnected with the
attack upon the gap that he did so. Gen. Frazier
then refused to surrender, and it understood
that the fight would open at II o'clock on Monday.
will state in this connection, that on Tuesday even
ing council of the commanding officers of the regi.
ments was called which resulted in the refusal of
all to be surrendered. will state further that
majority preferred the risk of cutting their way
through the Yankee lines than to be surrendered on
any terms.
fight was therefore confidently expected. Near
II o'clock on Wednesday the 9th, when all was in
anxious expectation for the fight to open, Gen.
Frazier received from Burnside, under flag of truce,
demand for the unconditional surrender Of himself
and command Very soon after its reception, one
of Gen. Fraziers aid de camps came in great haste
down the mountain and ordered me to take down
my battle flag and hoist white one instead thereof
Although many Of US were Of opinion that we would
L. eurendered sooner or later, you can imagine the
astonishment with which this struck the brave BOYS
th1 TeTe SO aRxlSISly :1R sXR9TSS SseS D.J
the conduct of the troops composing the command
at Cumberland Gap assert most positively that
have yet to see troops in finer spirits deter
mined to hold their ground than the troops in the
Gap. 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 62d
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 ex-
pense of the innocent brave patriotic and true
We were surrendered then, to Gen. Burnside on
Wednesday, the 9th, at 4 o'clock, p. m Many
made their escape after the surrender and among
them was your unworthy 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 100 rounds to the
man, and presume other regiments had the same
As to the spklng and throwing over the cliffs the
artillery mentioned in your issue of the 7h taken
from the Knoxville Register know nothing, save
one piece that two men of my command were pick.
citing, which they spiked and threw over the cliff
near it on their own responsibility.
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 represented to be
near 10000 on each side of the gap If the surren-
der was matter Of necessity, it was from causes
other than willingness on the part of the men to
do their duty