cliffs, so as to prevent my column from being annoyed on its march by the army of Stevenson. This was well done. We had mounted thirty-two guns, and I determined to withdraw all but four

30-pounders, for which there was no possible means of transportation. Captain Tidd, a skillful and ingenious mechanic of the telegraph corps, was instructed to spike the 30-pounders, cut off their trunnions, wedge the bores with shot and spikes, and then hurl them over the cliffs. This was all effectually done.

On the night of the 16th of September a large train was sent toward Manchester, under the convey of the Thirty-third Indiana and two companies of the Third Kentucky and the Ninth Ohio Battery, under the command of Colonel Coburn, and able and intelligent officer. The entire night of the 16th and the day of the 17th were occupied in busy preparation. At dark on the latter day the regular picket guards were withdrawn,and Lieutenant-Colonel Gallup,provost-marshal of the post, aided by Captain McNeish, with 200 chosen men, assumed the delicate and dangerous duty of holding the enemy in check during the night. Late in the day Lieutenant-Colonel Gallup bore three letters, under a flag of truce, to the enemy's lines, and, while well employed in an hour's chat with the officer accompanying the enemy's flag, some indiscreet person set fire to a portion of the quartermaster's establishments. The red flame and smoke soon curled over the mountains, and seemed like a proclamation to the enemy of what then going forward. But, thanks to the tact of Gallup, for whose many valuable services I here make acknowledgment, the fire and smoke were ascribed to the burning of brush upon the mountain-sides. About 10 p.m. a breathless courier came in to announce the desertion of a sentinel, as we supposed, to the enemy. It was a moment of intense suspense. All of the guns but of one battery had been withdrawn from the fortifications and sent northward through the Gap, which was masked from the enemy's view by a mountain ridge 1 1/4 miles to the south of the Gap. The fire had spread from building to building, and the little valley, encircled by the mountains at the foot of the Gap, was one sea of flame. Captain Patterson now commenced to explode his mines, and the enemy seemed to be startled into a knowledge of what was going on. His pickets advanced by the Cottrell and Tazewell roads, but were driven back by a well-directed fire from Gallup's pickets. Spears had been ordered to form his brigade in line of battle at the foot of the mountain on the north side of the Gap, with a section of Foster's battery in the intervals between the regiments. Thus the approaches from Baptist Gap were commanded. At midnight Carter descended the mountain, followed by Baird. The descent was slow, difficult, and dangerous. Had the enemy boldly attacked he could have done much harm. But he was taken by surprise and evidently feared our mines. Gallup kept out his pickets till nearly dawn, when he caused the remaining buildings containing Government property to be destroyed, and with his own hands fired the train which blew up the principal magazine. The night was dark and the difficult march was continued until the advance brigade reached Flat Lick, a distance of 20 miles from the Gap. From this point we advanced by two parallel roads along Goose and Stinking Creeks, and reached the vicinity of Manchester on the night of September 19. At this place I halted one day to perfect the organization for the march, which was resumed on the 21st ultimo. The enemy's cavalry now appeared on our rear and endeavored to cut off one of our trains, but was gallantly repulsed by the Sixth Tennessee, under Colonel Cooper, who had before rendered good service in attacking the enemy's