Battle of the Cumberland Gap (1863)
Encyclopedia
The September 7–9, 1863 fall of the Cumberland Gap was a victory for Union forces
under the command of Ambrose Burnside
during his campaign for Knoxville. The bloodless engagement cost the Confederates
an army of 2,300 and control of the Cumberland Gap
.
, began to advance against Knoxville, Tennessee
. Burnside left Cincinnati, Ohio
in mid-August 1863. The direct route ran through the Confederate-held Cumberland Gap. Burnside had been delayed in earlier attempts to move out against Knoxville and thus chose not to spend the time to force a passage of the gap. Instead he detached one brigade under Colonel John F. DeCourcy to pose a threat to Brigadier General John W. Frazer
's 2,300 man garrison, while the rest of the army bypassed to the south over 40 miles in rugged mountainous terrain. DeCourcy had previously led a brigade in the 1862 operations against the Cumberland Gap
under George W. Morgan
.
Despite this, Burnside made a rapid advance on Knoxville. Many of the Confederates in eastern Tennessee had been withdrawn for the upcoming Battle of Chickamauga
, leaving only two brigades under General Sam Jones (including Frazer's). Having successfully occupied Knoxville on September 2, Burnside could now return his attention to the Cumberland Gap.
. Shackelford approached from the south and, on September 7, asked for Frazer's surrender. There were still not enough Union troops to convince Frazer to surrender. Burnside personally left Knoxville with a brigade under Colonel Samuel A. Gilbert and marched 60 miles in just over a day. On September 8 both DeCourcy and Shackelford sent messages demanding surrender, all of which were rejected.
Around 10:00a.m. on September 9, Burnside sent a message to Frazer stating he now had a large enough force to carry the gap by storm. The large Union force, little combat experience and low morale (after news of Vicksburg and Gettysburg
) all factored into Frazer's decision to surrender. Around 3:00p.m. Frazer agreed to an unconditional surrender
of all the Confederates guarding the Cumberland Gap. Between 100-300 men managed to escape through DeCourcy's lines after the surrender had taken place, but the rest of the soldiers, arms, 14 pieces of artillery and the strategic location were now in Union control. This was the last major operation against the Cumberland Gap and it would remain in Union hands for the rest of the war.
- Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
under the command of Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
during his campaign for Knoxville. The bloodless engagement cost the Confederates
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
an army of 2,300 and control of the Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
.
Background
Major General Ambrose Burnside, commander of the Department and Army of the OhioArmy of the Ohio
The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.-History:...
, began to advance against Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. Burnside left Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
in mid-August 1863. The direct route ran through the Confederate-held Cumberland Gap. Burnside had been delayed in earlier attempts to move out against Knoxville and thus chose not to spend the time to force a passage of the gap. Instead he detached one brigade under Colonel John F. DeCourcy to pose a threat to Brigadier General John W. Frazer
John W. Frazer
John Wesley Frazer was an American soldier, planter, and businessman. He was a career officer in the United States Army, and then served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War....
's 2,300 man garrison, while the rest of the army bypassed to the south over 40 miles in rugged mountainous terrain. DeCourcy had previously led a brigade in the 1862 operations against the Cumberland Gap
Battle of the Cumberland Gap (June 1862)
The June 1862 capture of the Cumberland Gap was a Union victory during the American Civil War leading to Union occupation of the Cumberland Gap for three months.-Background:...
under George W. Morgan
George W. Morgan
George Washington Morgan was an American soldier, lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He fought in the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War, and was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
.
Despite this, Burnside made a rapid advance on Knoxville. Many of the Confederates in eastern Tennessee had been withdrawn for the upcoming Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
, leaving only two brigades under General Sam Jones (including Frazer's). Having successfully occupied Knoxville on September 2, Burnside could now return his attention to the Cumberland Gap.
Battle
Frazer and his 2,300-man garrison had little combat experience, yet they had the benefit of a strong natural defense. Frazer's men supplemented this by digging their own trenches. General Simon B. Buckner had given Frazer orders to hold the gap at all cost, yet when Buckner and all his troops were redeployed, no contingency had been formulated for retreat and therefore Frazer continued following his orders from Buckner to hold the gap. DeCourcy's brigade threatened the Confederates from the north, but his brigade alone was not enough to force Frazer out of the gap. Burnside dispatched a second brigade under Brigadier General James M. ShackelfordJames M. Shackelford
James Murrell Shackelford was a lawyer, judge, and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
. Shackelford approached from the south and, on September 7, asked for Frazer's surrender. There were still not enough Union troops to convince Frazer to surrender. Burnside personally left Knoxville with a brigade under Colonel Samuel A. Gilbert and marched 60 miles in just over a day. On September 8 both DeCourcy and Shackelford sent messages demanding surrender, all of which were rejected.
Around 10:00a.m. on September 9, Burnside sent a message to Frazer stating he now had a large enough force to carry the gap by storm. The large Union force, little combat experience and low morale (after news of Vicksburg and Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
) all factored into Frazer's decision to surrender. Around 3:00p.m. Frazer agreed to an unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender is a surrender without conditions, in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. In modern times unconditional surrenders most often include guarantees provided by international law. Announcing that only unconditional surrender is acceptable puts psychological...
of all the Confederates guarding the Cumberland Gap. Between 100-300 men managed to escape through DeCourcy's lines after the surrender had taken place, but the rest of the soldiers, arms, 14 pieces of artillery and the strategic location were now in Union control. This was the last major operation against the Cumberland Gap and it would remain in Union hands for the rest of the war.
Union
Department of the OhioDepartment of the Ohio
The Department of the Ohio was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Northern states near the Ohio River.General Orders No...
- Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside
- Independent Brigade, IX Corps - Colonel John F. DeCourcy
- 86th Ohio Infantry86th Ohio InfantryThe 86th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Three-months regiment:...
- 129th Ohio Infantry129th Ohio InfantryThe 129th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 129th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Taylor near Cleveland, Ohio and mustered in August 10, 1863 for six months service under the command of Colonel Howard D...
- 22nd Ohio Battery
- 8th Tennessee Cavalry
- 9th Tennessee Cavalry
- 11th Tennessee Cavalry
- 86th Ohio Infantry
- 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, XXIII Corps - Brig. Gen. James M. ShackelfordJames M. ShackelfordJames Murrell Shackelford was a lawyer, judge, and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
- 9th Michigan Cavalry
- 2nd Ohio Cavalry2nd Ohio CavalryThe 2nd Ohio Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 2nd Ohio Cavalry was organized in Cleveland, Ohio and at Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, Ohio from August to October 1861, and mustered in for a three years under the command of...
- 7th Ohio Cavalry7th Ohio CavalryThe 7th Regiment, Ohio Cavalry was a regiment of Union cavalry raised in southern Ohio for service during the American Civil War. Nicknamed the "River Regiment" as its men came from nine counties along the Ohio River, it served in the Western Theater in several major campaigns of the Army of the...
- 2nd Tennessee Mounted Infantry
- 11th Michigan Battery
- 1st Tennessee Battery
- 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XXIII Corps - Colonel Samuel A. Gilbert
- 44th Ohio Infantry44th Ohio InfantryThe 44th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 44th Ohio Infantry was organized in Springfield, Ohio September 12 through October 14, 1861 and mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel Samuel A...
- 100th Ohio Infantry100th Ohio InfantryThe 100th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 100th Ohio Infantry was organized in Toledo, Ohio July through September 1862 and mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel John C...
- 104th Ohio Infantry104th Ohio InfantryThe 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union army during the American Civil War. It played a conspicuous role at the Battle of Franklin during the 1864 Franklin-Nashville Campaign, where six members later received the Medal of Honor, most for capturing enemy...
- 44th Ohio Infantry
Confederate
- 5th Brigade, Army of Tennessee - Brig. Gen. John W. Frazer
- 62nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment - Major B. G. McDowell
- 64th North Carolina Infantry Regiment - Lieutenant Colonel Garrett
- 55th Georgia Infantry Regiment - Major Printup
- 64th Virginia Infantry Regiment64th Virginia Mounted InfantryThe 64th Virginia Mounted Infantry Regiment, raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, served as an infantry regiment, a cavalry regiment, and a mounted infantry unit...
- Colonel Slemp - 1st Tennessee Cavalry Regiment - Colonel Carte