Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 2.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

[362] streets of the village were invaded, the houses attacked, and a large number of Federals either captured or killed before they had time to defend themselves. The others, however, soon rallied and attacked the invaders; Forrest's horsemen, being very much exposed in their turn, were for a moment staggered, when they were joined by a timely reinforcement, and the whole of the Ninth Michigan was captured. The other regiment, which was encamped at some distance, with a battery of artillery, was only feebly attacked; it was on the way to relieve Murfreesborough, when it received information that it would arrive too late. It could have retired, and would certainly have escaped the disaster, but its colonel became confused and surrendered, despite the protests of his officers. It was Forrest's only exploit, but for a time it seriously interrupted Buell's communications with Nashville, compelling him to scatter his troops along the railroads through which he obtained his supplies in order to protect them more effectually.

During this time Morgan had also put himself in motion. Leaving Knoxville on the 4th of July, he crossed the mountains which separate the Tennessee valley from that of the Cumberland, with only nine hundred horse; and marching directly east, he encountered the first Federal detachments at Tompkinsville, on the other side of the Cumberland, near the point where it emerges from the State of Kentucky. After driving them back with ease, he reached Glasgow on the evening of the 9th, where he found supplies, and the next day, his men having rested and being well fed and well armed, struck the important line of railway between Nashville and Louisville near the famous grottoes called the Mammoth Cave. They destroyed the bridge which spans Barren River, and Buell's communications with the North were thus interrupted. For a few days Morgan scoured this line and destroyed it entirely, avoiding the troops in pursuit of him, falling unexpectedly upon isolated posts and constantly deceiving his foes, thanks to the connivance of the majority of the inhabitants, his own daring and the admirable use he made of the telegraphic lines of the enemy. An agent skilful in handling this instrument accompanied him everywhere with a portable apparatus, and, whenever he found a wire, detached it and adjusted it to his own machine. In this way he intercepted all the signals