On August 16th, Buell had ordered Nelson to assume command in Kentucky, and to make such dispositions of his troops as would resist any movement by Kirby Smith, then threatening Cumberland Gap.The plan of the rebels in their campaign, which was intended to free the soil of the South from the Northern armies by carrying the war into the North, was for Kirby Smith to move through Eastern Kentucky to Lexington and thence to Cincinnati, and for Bragg to push through Central Kentucky to Louisville.With these two cities in the possession of their armies it would be a short step to enter upon the rich fields of the Northern States, and with the large number of new recruits gained en route their armies could resist any Northern troops that would be brought against them.This had been Sidney Johnston's plan to be worked out after he had achieved the victory he contemplated at Shiloh, and Bragg as his successor endeavored to carry out Johnston's plan of campaign.One was as much a success as the other, and in both the hour of defeat trod so quickly on their apparent victory that the campaign in each instance ultimately resulted in failure.So far as the advance of Bragg and Kirby Smith into Kentucky was concerned, by it the South suffered a loss instead of a gain, and was compelled from that time on to act upon a steadily lessening line of defence.Bragg's report shows he took a smaller command out than he took into the State.
On the same day that Nelson's orders were dated, Stevenson appeared with his division before Cumberland Gap.George W.Morgan in command there immediately sent out cavalry to the adjoining gaps to watch for further movements of the enemy.When a short distance from Roger's Gap the cavalry struck the head of Kirby Smith's army on its advance to Kentucky.Smith's forces were those of his own command in East Tennessee, re-enforced by the divisions of McCown from Mississippi, sent him by Bragg, and also the two fine brigades of Cleburne and Preston Smith, ordered to report to him from Chattanooga.Kirby Smith moved with his main command to Barboursville, and ordered McCown to Cumberland Ford with a large force, which cut off Morgan, in the Gap, from his base of supplies in that direction.
Leaving Stevenson in Morgan's front to engage his attention, Kirby Smith with his entire force advanced into Kentucky, thus entirely cutting off re-enforcements and supplies to Morgan's command.The latter failing in his efforts to bring on an engagement, placed his command on half rations, and after a council of war abandoned the Gap, dismounting his siege guns and destroying what stores and ammunition he could not remove, marched out with his entire command, to the east of Kirby Smith's force, to the Ohio River.John Morgan's cavalry annoyed the command for some days, without inflicting any material loss.
When Nelson reached Kentucky he found that a new department had been created, with General H.G.Wright in command, embracing that part of the State east of Louisville and the line of the Nashville Railroad, taken from under Buell's command.Wright ordered Nelson to proceed to Lexington and assume command of all the troops in that locality, nearly all of them new regiments, principally from Ohio and Kentucky, hastily gathered together, without drill or discipline.Nelson concentrated these troops at Lexington, and organized them into a division with Generals M.D.Manson, J.S.
Jackson, and Charles Cruft as brigade commanders.On August 23d, Nelson sent a detachment of the Seventh Kentucky cavalry and Colonel Child's battalion of Tennessee cavalry, under Colonel Metcalfe's command, to Big Hill to resist the advance of the enemy.These troops being attacked by a greatly superior force the Seventh Kentucky broke and fled, leaving, however, about one-fourth of the command with the Tennessee battalion, which, after fighting bravely, was compelled to retire.Metcalfe rallied his men, but on the approach of the enemy they again broke and ran, leaving the Tennesseeans to resist the attack, which they so far succeeded in doing as to secure a safe retreat to Richmond.The enemy pushed forward and demanded the surrender of the town, but learning that re-enforcements had arrived, retired.Nelson then ordered Manson's and Cruft's brigades, under the command of the former, to proceed to Richmond.
On arriving there Manson went into camp south of the town and threw out his pickets.The cavalry, on the 29th, reported an advance of the enemy in large numbers, and that a heavy force of infantry was driving in the pickets.Manson advanced to their support with his own brigade, leaving Cruft with his command at Richmond.
Moving forward with his troops he drove the attacking party back and formed his line of battle on each side of the road some two miles from the town.The enemy attacked with infantry, artillery, and cavalry, but was driven back with the loss of one field piece and several men captured.Manson then occupied Rogersville, where he remained in camp all night.In the morning he ordered Cruft to join him, and moved out beyond the town to meet the enemy's advance.
After heavy fighting for over an hour the left of Manson's command was fiercely assaulted, which being re-enforced, the right began to give way in confusion.
