Lieutenant George Alexander, Dr. J. S. Harrison (afterward Lieutenant) and R. Davenport rejoined Allison's company. They had been home on a visit.
Our battalion moved about three miles and encamped at Flat Lick, within eight miles of Camp Buckner, at Cumberland Ford, where we remained for several days.
As Cumberland Gap was naturally a strong position, and as the three Log Mountains between Camp Buckner and the Gap would soon be almost impassable, General Zollicoffer therefore believed that the Federals would attempt to enter East Tennessee at some point west of the Gap, and for this reason he decided to abandon his position at Camp Buckner. I shall now let our General explain his contemplated movement as follows:
BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS,
CAMP BUCKNER, CUMBERLAND FORD, October 29, 1861.
Lieutenant-Colonel Mackall, Assistant Adjutant-General, Bowling Green, Kentucky:
Sir: My pickets at Laurel Ridge yesterday drove back a small cavalry picket of the enemy and took three prisoners, who represented that a portion of the enemy's force has advanced to London. Their force at and on this side of Rockcastle River (Wildcat) is reported at nine thousand.
There are three main roads by which, if an invasion of East Tennessee is contemplated, an enemy might approach. On this, by Cumberland Gap, we have heretofore concentrated nearly our whole force, and we now have seven guns in position at Cumberland Gap. The most westernly road is by Monticello, in Kentucky, and Jamestown, in Tennessee. The counties of Fentress, Scott, Morgan, and Anderson are poor, mountainous, and disaffected. Should a force select that route of invasion, I could meet them at the mountain passes near Clinton, and between Kingston and Morgan Court-house, and keep them on that broad, sterile region until it would be practicable for General Buckner to throw a force in their rear and cut them off.
In view of this danger they may select
the middle route, by Williamsburg, Ky., and Jacksborough, Tenn. The road over
the Log Mountains will soon become almost impassable between here and
Cumberland Gap. The Gap is a much stronger position than this. While I am
watching the road from here to Laurel River, the enemy might be advancing on
the Jacksborough or the Jamestown road without my knowledge. For these reasons
I send four cavalry companies to scout on the roads from the neighborhood of
Jacksborough into Kentucky, and I have ordered one infantry regiment to
Jacksborough, one six miles east to Big Creek Gap, two about half-way between
Jacksborough and Cumberland Gap, while four will remain at present at
Cumberland Gap. I leave six cavalry companies to observe this road. One cavalry
company is posted on the road from William[s]burg, Ky., to Huntsville, Tenn.,
and six cavalry companies, McClellan's Battalion, and I suppose Colonel
Murray's Regiment of infantry, are in the neighborhood of Jamestown.1
It is currently reported that an invading force from twenty thousand to thirty thousand is on the road from Cincinnati to East Tennessee, but I have no means of knowing any thing of the accuracy of the rumor.2
Except cavalry scouts, my force will be withdrawn from this post to-morrow. Acting upon my best judgment, I have supposed the disposition of my forces I have described the very best under the circumstances. Had I a military engineer in whose judgment I could rely, to reconnoiter the mountain roads, gaps and passes from Cumberland Gap to Jamestown I would feel much more capable of making a judicious disposition of troops.
I have had rumors that reinforcements of Confederate troops were to be thrown upon this part of the border, but as I have no official information I take it for granted the rumors are erroneous.
Very respectfully,
F. K. ZOLLICOFFER,
1 Colonels Murray and Stanton had, according to orders from A. S. Johrston, broken up a Federal camp at Burkesville, Ky., and on the same day that Zollicoffer wrote the above they were at Albany, Ky., on their way back to Overton County, Tenn. Captain Bledsoe's company was at Camp McGinnis between Jamestown, Tenn., and Albany, Ky.
2 It appears that General Geo. H. Thomas, who commanded the Second Division of Sherman's army, and was now in front of Zollicoffer, had, subject to his orders, twenty-nine regiments and three batteries of artillery, though some of the regiments were not fully organized and equipped at this time. See Rebellion Records, Vol. IV., pp. 334, 315.
3 Brigadier-General L. P. Walker had been (October 22d) ordered by General A. S. Johnston to move his brigade from Huntsville, Ala., via Knoxville, to the support of Zollicoffer, and General W. H. Carroll, at Memphis, had been (October 26th) ordered by Secretary of War to join Zollicoffer with three regiments, but neither one of them could obey the order, because their men were not armed. See Rebellion Records, Vol. IV., pp. 470, 476, 486.
