The National tribune., 1895-01-31
CUMBERLAND GAP.
It's Final Capture in 1S63-Troops on the
North Side.

It's Final Capture in 1s63-Troops on the
North Side.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The cap
ture of Cumberland Gap in 1868 was an
important event, and rs one who was there
/ am glad to notice that some of the boys
still remember it. The burning of the old
mill by the 9th Mich. was one of the most
daring exploits of the war, and assisted
greatly in the capture of this stronghold.
Too much cannot be said in praise of those
who dashed into place so completely sur
rounded by batteries and infantry and
depended for their -four.
But in all that has been said of the cap
ture of the Gap / see little or no notice of
the force on the north side, composed of the
ODD Ohio battery, seth and 10th Ohio, and
two or three companies of the 9Th Tenn.
Cav, about $500 men in all, commanded by
Col John De Courcey, of the 10th Ohio, who
had been in the Gap when it was occupied
by Gen. George Morgan. The brigade had
been made up at Camp Nelson aud came
sight of the Gap, about seven miles distant,
where we could be seen by the rebels with
glassesl for q short distance.
them as to the number under his command,
and during the afternoon marched the cav
airy across the strip of road, sending them
first as infantry, then as cavalry, and having
them drag the running-gears of some
wagons to represent artillery, so completely
deceiviDg Gen. Frazer, commanding the
rebels, that he believed there were 10000
Yankees on the north side.
The infantry and battery left the road
and proceeded across the country to take
position in front of the Gap, climbing hills
crossing creeks, and dragging the battery
by hand through places where it seemed I'M
possible that artillery could be TAKEN
finally arriving directly opposite one of the
forts to the east of the Gap itself, and about
one mile distant.
Our approach was quickly noticed We
were sheiled from the fort, but no harm
done. De Courcey sent demand for q
surrender, but was told they were in nego-
tiation with Burnside on the south. He re-
fused to pay attention to the answer, and
lively skirmishing eifsued all that day and
the next, when he again sent demand for
surrender, which WIS acceded to, and ON
Sept. 8 the Seth Ohio marched into the Gap
and took possession, the other troops going
in on the following day Here were cap
tured 9, 400 rebels and IA pieces of artillery,
none escaping except the 55th Va, which
scattered and got away ih the mountains.
The prisoners were sent north under es-
cort of three companies Of the Seth Ohio,
three companies of the 10th Ohio, and
portion of the 9Th Tenn. Cav. De Courcey
was placed under arrest by Gen. Burnside
for insisting on surrender to him, and sent
back, never to return 10 his command.
The rebels were badly deceived as to the
strength of the Union force on the north
side, and this, with the burning of the mill,
were undoubtedly the main factors in caus-
ing their surrender. Excusng himself, Gen.
Frazer claimed that he feared they would be
starved out, not knowing that the troops ON
the north side had nothing whatever to eat
for two days before his surrender.
For nine days afterward we lived on what
we found there till the wagon-trains came
up, and it was a tough live indeed. The
Seth Ohio, 129h Ohio, and Odd Ohio bat
terry remained at the Gap as garrison. If
any other infantry regiments got into
the Tennessee Valley at the Gap at the
time of the surrender, they were not seen
by the writer, although it was known that
they were within a few miles. Never after
its surrender on Sept 8, 1863, was the Gap
in the possession of the rebels. II. CAR
Isle, Co. G, 10th Ohio, Princeton, Ind.