The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-07-03

the Stars and Stripes were unfurled on
the highest pinnacle of the mountain.
In his report. Morgan says: "At ]
o'clock this morning my command took VI
| the line of march from our last position in
| front of Rogers's Gap to attack Gems. Ste.
vens0n and Barton at this place; but the
enemy commenced retreating on yesterday
afternoon, and his rear-guard left only
| four hours before our arrival. After two
weeks of manuvering we have taken the
American Gibraltar without the loss of a
man. To do it l had to abandon my base
Of supplies and depend upon foraging on
the enemy. In no country and in no age
were greater obstacles overcome by an
army marching with cannon"
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE CUMBERLAND GAP
REGION.
The Cumberland Range, an offshoot
from the Allegheny Mountains, constitutes
that series of high hills, rather than noun
| tains, which form the natural boundary
between the States of Kentucky and Ten
nessce. 1t is an elevated plateau, or high
range, cut here and there by deep chasms
| or channels. The range reaches mean
elevation Of 1900 feet from the lowland
and valleys ON either side, and trends from
northeast to southwest. Throughout its
entire extent the vast power of the up
| heaval force by which the chain was ele-
waited is displayed in u wonderful degree.
| 1t belongs in its formation to the car
| boniferous period of the geological era,
and presents strata Of sandstone hundreds
of feet in thickness, dislocated, rent and
| thrown into every imaginable angle and
| dip to the horizon.
The Gap is a cleft in the chain at a
point where the convuisiye action of the
| upheaval had left only narrow spinal
| ridge as a connecting isthmus between eX-
| banded bodies, and SO narrow that wagons
descending either way lock wheels on the
same level space. The chasm is 800 feet
below the point of highest elevation on
| the left, as one approaches it from the
north, and it converges to a width barely
sufficient for a roadway. The pinnacles
on either side, clearly defined and liz bold
relief, stand in bleak and barren grandeur
| and desolation, having been almost entire
| ly denuded of forest and shrub in obedi-
ence to military necessity. Huge masses
Of sandstone lie scattered in prorniscuous
confusion over the surrounding surface, and
| to the spectator it seemed as if the genii
of ruin had here fought out one of their
Titanic battles with great masses Of sand
stone wrenched from the mountain side as
missiles.
The roads from the valleys on either
side wind and zigzag their way up the
| 100 feet of elevation to reach the Gap,
and were commanded throughout by earth
| sitions on the nights above. To a tyro
| in military science it presented all the
| characteristics of an inyulnerable natural
fortress. Its strength was its weakness.
| Situated in the midst of a bleak, barren,
untitled mountain region, and requiring a
| heavy force TO man il, because of its vast
ness, and having to rely on a distant point
| for its subsistence, its armament and its
munitions of war, it was liable at any
| moment to have its communications
broken and its supplies cut off. when ii
must of necessity be abandoned or fall an
easy prey TO foe powerful enough to in
vest it.
| CONFEDERATE HUMoR.
| Roaming over the hills and through the
| abandoned camps of the enemy, in com
pany of q messmate, and before the com
| ing up of our troops, we found the follow
ing morcedu of rebel humor in one Of the
abandoned tents. The truth of its most
material allegation, our short supplies,
gave point to its wit:
FOR A YANKEE SURGEON.
| My Last Will and Testament.
Whereas, In the fortunes of war, it may
soon be necessary for me to bid adieu to
the climate, scenery and crystal fountains
Of Cumberland Gap; therefore, to the first
Yankee surgeon who plants his foot on the
threshold of my deserted quarters, l will,
devise and beQueatb:
Item /. All my interests and rights to
said premises, together with all and sin
gular the tenements, Entertainments, and
appurtenances thereunto belonging.
Item 2. l further desire and direct that
| the said Yankee surgeon shall have free
and unmolested control and use of all the
old clothes, bottles, blankets and medi-
cines left on the aforesaid premises.