第58章

On July 1st, Thomas, hearing from a citizen that the enemy were evacuating Tullahoma, ordered Steedman with his brigade, supported by two regiments of Reynolds's division on the left, to advance cautiously and ascertain if the report was true.Pushing forward his advance, Steedman, meeting with no opposition, entered the place at noon, capturing a few prisoners.Rosecrans being at once notified of this, immediately ordered Rousseau's and Negley's divisions in pursuit.Pressing forward with all possible haste by Spring Creek, these divisions overtook the rear guard of the enemy late in the afternoon at Bethpage Bridge, two miles above the railroad crossing, where, after a sharp skirmish, in which a good many of our men were wounded, the rebels were driven steadily back, until darkness prevented further pursuit.The enemy, occupying the heights south of the river, commanded the bridge with their artillery, which they had placed behind epaulements.

On the 2d, the ammunition was brought forward, and McCook, with Sheridan's and Davis's divisions, was ordered in pursuit on the roads west of the railroad.Sheridan, on arriving at Rock Creek Ford, found Elk River so swollen with the heavy rains of the past week as to be barely fordable for cavalry.On the south bank of the river the enemy had posted a force of cavalry to resist the crossing.Sheridan opened fire at once on them, drove them away, and occupied the ford.During the night the enemy burned the bridge on the line of advance of Thomas, who found equal difficulty in crossing.Here the river was very deep, and he ordered Rousseau's, Brannan's, and Reynolds's divisions up the river to Jones's Ford.

Hambright's brigade was thrown across the river, and the other troops went into camp on the north bank.Hambright captured several rebel prisoners, who told him that Bragg's army was in full retreat by way of Pelham and Cowan, across the Cumberland Mountains.Turchin, with a small brigade of cavalry, moved forward from Hillsboro on the Dechard road.On reaching the fords of Elk River at Morris Ferry he found the rebel cavalry strongly posted.He attacked them at once, re-enforced by Mitchell's command, and forced a passage of the river after a sharp fight.Night closed the pursuit.

On the 3d, Sheridan succeeded in crossing Elk River, supported by Davis's division, and pursued the enemy to Cowan, where he learned that Bragg had crossed the mountains with part of his artillery and infantry by the University and Sweden's Cove, sending Hardee's corps into Sequatchie Valley, and covering his retreat with his cavalry.Thomas crossed Rousseau's and Brannan's divisions at Jones's Ford and ordered them to take position on the Winchester and Hillsboro road.He directed Negley and Reynolds to cross their divisions at the ford on the Winchester and Manchester pike.On the 4th, Rousseau was ordered to march to the Dechard and Pelham roads, and to take up position at Brackenfield's Point toward the University.Reynolds encamped at Penningtown, and Brannan's division at Taite's.The cavalry sent from Sheridan's position, and by Stanley from the main column, developed the fact that the enemy was entirely across the mountains, and the troops were now ordered into camp to await supplies from the depot at Murfreesboro.

Bragg's army reached Chattanooga the first week in July.Here he established his headquarters with Polk's corps retained in and around town for the purposes of observation, with the exception of Anderson's brigade of Withers's division, which was ordered to Bridgeport, at the crossing of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad over the Tennessee River.Hardee's corps was distributed along the line of the Knoxville Railroad, with Tyner's Station as the centre.At Chattanooga Bragg at once commenced fortifying his position, which work he steadily prosecuted for some weeks, awaiting the development of Rosecrans's plans.He also threw up defensive works at each of the crossings of the Tennessee as far north as Blyth's Ferry.Forrest was sent to Kingston, on the north bank of the Tennessee River, with orders to picket the approaches to the river from Sequatchie Valley, as well as the various crossings of the river, and to maintain a watchful observation of Burnside's movements in East Tennessee.