General G.W.Morgan, under orders from Buell, assumed command of the forces in Eastern Kentucky early in April.Acting under his orders he proceeded to Cumberland Ford and commenced operations at once against Cumberland Gap.This gap is situated in the Cumberland range on the boundary line between Kentucky and Tennessee, near the Western Virginia line, is a deep depression in the mountain range, making a natural roadway through it, and is the centre of all the roads in that section of country.It is a stronghold protected by nature with abrupt slopes on the mountains, frequently so steep as to be almost perpendicular, with the ranges much broken by spurs, knobs, and ravines, protected by parallel ranges of less height in close proximity on the east and west.Morgan, after encountering the enemy in several skirmishes, determined either to compel him to fight or retreat.He sent General Spears with three brigades to Pine Mountain, on the road to Big Creek Gap.General Kirby Smith, commanding the enemy's forces in East Tennessee, placed General Barton's command of two brigades of infantry in Big Creek Gap, and then advanced with some eight thousand men under his immediate command to cut Spears off, and to threaten the Federal forces at Cumberland Ford.Morgan, under orders, withdrew Spears, but learning a few days later from Buell of the operations of Negley's command before Chattanooga, and that Kirby Smith had proceeded with a part of his command to the relief of that place, resumed the advance.
Negley's movements had caused Smith to suspend his operations, but when he heard of Negley's withdrawal he proceeded at once to execute his plans against Morgan.On June 18th, the latter, finding that Kirby Smith had taken his entire command away from Cumberland Gap, marched his troops up Powell's Valley and late in the evening of that day reached the fortifications, found the Gap empty, and took possession.This natural stronghold had been extensively fortified by the rebels, who regarded the position of their troops such as to prevent the success of any attempt on the part of the Federal forces to obtain possession without a battle.The enemy were completely out-maneuvred, and General Morgan had the satisfaction of occupying this fortress without the loss of any of his command.
In the early part of May, the rebel Colonel John H.Morgan's command of some five hundred men, in the neighborhood of Pulaski, Tenn., captured a wagon train with about four hundred Federal troops, mostly convalescents going to Columbia.On the night of the 5th, Morgan reached Lebanon and quartered his entire force in houses in the town.On the evening of the 6th, Dumont with his command from Nashville, joined by that of Duffield from Murfreesboro, surprised and attacked Morgan's troopers, completely routing them after a severe engagement.Morgan with a few men under his immediate command escaped after a chase of twenty-one miles from Lebanon, crossing the Cumberland River on a ferry.Dumont had with him detachments of Wynkoop's Seventh Pennsylvania cavalry, of Wolford's First Kentucky cavalry and of Green Clay Smith's regiment of Kentucky cavalry.Morgan's loss was 150 men captured, with the same number of horses.The balance of his command was dispersed.Wolford and Smith were both wounded, and the Federals lost 6 killed and 25wounded.On the 11th, Morgan with his men that had escaped, and two new companies, made a raid on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad at Cave City, captured a freight train of forty-eight cars and burned it.He also captured a passenger train, which had a few Federal officers on it.His object was to rescue the men of his command taken prisoners at Lebanon, but in this he failed, as they had been sent North by boat.
From this place Morgan reported with his command at Chattanooga to refit, prepatory to his first extended raid into Kentucky.Here he was joined by two full companies of Texan cavalry under Captains R.M.Gano and John Huffman, both native Kentuckians, who, on reporting at Corinth, had asked to be ordered on duty with Morgan and his command, enlarged from a squadron to a full regiment.After he had obtained all the recruits he could at Chattanooga he set out for Knoxville, to further increase his command and to re-arm.
It was at this place that he received the two mountain howitzers which were used so effectively in the first raid into Kentucky, and which just before his command started on the Ohio raid were taken from it by Bragg's ordnance officers.This came near raising a mutiny, and the only consolation that Morgan's men had was that Bragg lost the guns within two weeks after they were taken away from them.In the latter part of June, Colonel Hunt, of Georgia, reported at Knoxville with a regiment of "Partisan Rangers," nearly four hundred strong, ordered to accompany Morgan on his contemplated raid, making the strength of his entire command 876 effective men.
