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| Union refugees in East Tennessee.1 |
Sept. 11, 1863. |
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The authorities at Washington, at this time, were greatly perplexed by the military situation.
No logic seemed sufficiently subtle to penetrate the real designs of the Confederates in the field.
Spies and deserters from Lee's army, reported at the capital that he was receiving re-enforcements from Bragg, and from the Atlantic coast, to enable him to make another and more
successful invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The slight resistance offered to Burnside, and the abandonment of Chattanooga without a struggle, made the rumor appear plausible.
Halleck questioned the propriety of allowing Rosecrans to pursue Bragg, and telegraphed
to him to hold firmly the mountain-passes in the direction of Atlanta, to prevent the return of the Confederates until Burnside could connect with him, when it would be determined whether the Army of the Cumberland should penetrate farther into Georgia.
He also mentioned the reports that Bragg was sending troops to Lee. On the same day, he ordered Burnside to hold the mountain-passes in East Tennessee, to prevent access to or from Virginia, and to connect, with his cavalry at least, with Rosecrans.
In reply to Halleck, Rosecrans said he did not believe any troops had been sent to Lee by Bragg.
On the contrary, there were indications that Bragg himself was being re-enforced from Mississippi, and was preparing to turn the flanks of the Army of the Cumberland and cut its communications; and he suggested the propriety of ordering some of Grant's troops to cover the line of the Tennessee River, westward, to prevent a raid on Nashville.
This was followed by an electrograph from General Foster, at Fortress
1 this is a careful copy of a photograph presented to the author, at Knoxville, in which is delineated a group of the returned refugees, at the time we are considering. They consisted,in a large degree, of young men belonging to the best families in East Tennessee. Their sufferings had been dreadful. Their clothing, as the picture shows, was in tatters, and at times they had been nearly starved. Yet they held fast to hope, and resolved to save their country if possible.
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