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

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[79] of Palmer's and Van Cleve's divisions over Red House Bridge. Pegram's cavalry had captured, without firing a gun, on the Pea-Vine Creek, about fifty men belonging to Palmer's advance. It was evident that Crittenden's corps was in motion from Chattanooga toward Ringgold; beginning at the bridge, his left flank was exposed to attack by the Confederate army, which was between him and all the rest of the Union forces. The reports received in the evening from Wheeler's cavalry left no room for any doubt about this matter, since it was known that the Twentieth corps was at Alpine and the Fourteenth on the La Fayette road. Crittenden had only nine brigades under his orders, and but seven on the Ringgold road. By leaving on the left Buckner, Hindman, and Cleburne—that is to say, four divisions—Bragg might in one day concentrate against Crittenden thirteen brigades of infantry and two divisions of cavalry, Gordon's Mills being distant only eight miles and La Fayette about nineteen from Red House Bridge. The farther Crittenden advanced on the 11th toward Ringgold, the more certain would have been his defeat on the following morning. This defeat would have involved consequences far more decisive than that of the centre or of the right wing of the Federals; for Bragg, pursuing as a conqueror the Twenty-first corps, would then re-enter Chattanooga, take possession of the extremity of Lookout Mountain, the slope of which on the side of the city is accessible enough, and by Wauhatchie he would threaten to capture Rosecrans' bridges before the latter could have had time to recross the Tennessee River.

But the Confederate general, following his design of attacking the heads of column of Thomas' command, brought Cheatham from Gordon's Mills to Anderson's in order to get him nearer to Hindman, and himself repaired to La Fayette. Cleburne, always eager for the fray, had overcome his physical infirmities, and led, in the course of the day, his division to Dug Gap. Bragg is counting upon concentrating crushing forces against the two Federal divisions which are in McLemore's Cove, and upon attacking them from the north and from the east at the same time. Hindman will open the fight, while Buckner will be ready to support him. Cleburne, who has cleared the defiles of all obstructions, will come down from Pigeon Mountain as soon as he shall hear the cannon