George H Thomas |
After the
Battle of Stones River, Confederate General Braxton Bragg established a line
from Shelbyville to Wartrace along the Duck River, this included holding the
Bellbuckle, Hoover’s and Liberty Gaps.
Union leaders fearing that Bragg would go to the support of Vicksburg
pushed Major General William Rosecrans to attack Bragg’s position.
Rosecrans
made a move towards Shelbyville on June 23rd 1863 to get Bragg’s
attention, while the mass of his troops headed for the Gaps. On June 24th 1863 Union Major
General George H Thomas attacked Hoover’s Gap.
Thomas used Colonel John T Wilder’s mounted infantry known as the “Lightning
Brigade” armed with Spencer Rifles to spearhead the attack. They met Confederate Colonel J Russell
Butler’s 1st Kentucky Cavalry, and pushed them back 7 miles, before
Wilder’s men came up against Brigadier General William B Bate’s brigade. Wilder entrenched on the hills to the south
of the gap and held throughout several Confederate attacks. More units arrived on both sides and everyone
settled down hold their position.
On June 26th
1863 the Confederate force began pulling back.
Although rain made moving slow Rosecrans pushed Bragg’s men until they
fell back to a defensive line at Tullahoma.
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