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

In the afternoon of the same day Mitchell, advancing from Versailles upon Middleton, has encountered the bulk of Wheeler's force and hotly pressed it, without being able to break its lines. Rosecrans, being informed of this resistance, has immediately sent Minty the order to quit the left and bring to Mitchell's aid the co-operation of his large brigade. Crittenden's and Granger's troops have taken, without encountering the enemy, the positions which had been assigned to them.

Even as early as the first day of the campaign Rosecrans has thus made sure of the pass which is the most important to his army. The latter is massed and confronts the right wing of the enemy. There is nothing left but to continue the movement so well begun. The fight at Hoover's Gap, and also that at Liberty Gap, preclude from Bragg's mind any doubt as to the intentions of his adversaries. He is aware of their numerical superiority, and knows that he cannot long dispute with them the right bank of the Tennessee River. But before abandoning it some resistance must be made, as much to cover the retreat if it become inevitable as to seize upon the occasion, if it present itself, of suddenly attacking one of the enemy's columns in the midst of the country, beset with difficulty, through which they are going to pass. It is necessary, above all, to cause the left wing to fall back on Tullahoma, while the right shall check the advance of the enemy. On the 25th, Forrest receives orders to abandon Spring Hill and bring his division by Columbia below Duck River. Polk sets out for Tullahoma, leaving at Shelbyville only his rearguard covered by Wheeler, who still holds the defile at Guy's Gap. Hardee, who has before him the whole Federal army, has tried to impede its advance. His right is posted at Beech Grove to protect against Reynolds the passes of Garrison Creek. Although the latter has been reinforced by two brigades of the Fourteenth corps, he confines himself, on the 25th, to the extension of his left, so as to command the Manchester route, and waits until the rest of that corps, retarded by the narrowness of the route, has passed through Hoover's Gap. Hardee, leaving his right well