Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[40] and Reynolds leave Tullahoma in the morning, and rejoin, beyond Spring Creek, the rest of the Fourteenth corps, which then descends to Bethpage Bridge. But, finding the bridge destroyed by fire, the water high over the ford, and the enemy well posted on the left bank, Thomas is constrained to go up as far as Jones' Ford, where he halts with three divisions, while Negley proceeds to seek higher up the crossing used for the road from Manchester to Winchester. This last point is occupied by a detachment from the enemy's troops. Jones' Ford, on the contrary, is without any protection, but the crossing is so difficult that one brigade only is able to clear it before dark. On the right, McCook, following with two divisions the route from Tullahoma to Winchester, has arrived at Rock Creek Ford, where he has met with the same difficulties encountered by Thomas. He has not been able, on the 2d, to set foot upon the left bank, that was defended only by a small body of cavalry, but on which it was hard to land on account of the rise in Elk River. It was only near to the source of this stream that the Federals have been enabled to surmount this difficulty. Turchin's Federal brigade of cavalry, proceeding on the road from Hillsborough to Hookersville, has found the ford at Morris' Ferry protected by a part of Forrest's troops. Mitchell, with his division, soon joins Turchin's command, and after a brisk engagement the former compels the Confederates to beat a hasty retreat. But this movement occurs too late for Bragg to be seriously concerned about it.

Indeed, his columns attain on the 3d the gorges the access to which can be closed with a simple rearguard to the whole army of the enemy, while the latter is yet engaged in executing, amid untold difficulties, the passage of Elk River. Brannan clears this stream at Jones' Ford, with the vain hope of capturing the enemy's cavalry posted near Bethpage. Negley restores the bridge at this point, and the Fourteenth corps advances toward the mountains; McCook, having crossed at Rock Creek Ford, follows up in a parallel direction. But the Federals, although there is left before them only a curtain, as it were, of cavalry, do not arrive at the entrance to the defiles before the 4th, owing to the bad condition of the roads. Worn out with fatigue and short of provisions, they cannot think of entering the passes. The Confederate