ble road passing through Hoover's Gap, a narrow way 3 miles in length between high hills, and then through Matt's Hollow, a gorge 2 miles long, with scarce room anywhere for wagons to pass each other. These passes, were occupied by the enemy but 8 miles from Hardee's headquarters, not more in than 16 miles from their left at Shelbyville.

The plan was, therefore, to move General Granger's command to Triune, and thus create the impression of our intention to advance on them by the Shelbyville and Triune pikes, while cavalry movements and an infantry advance toward Woodbury would seem to be feints designed by us to deceive Bragg and conceal our supposed real designs on their left, where the topography and the roads presented comparatively slight obstacles and afforded great facilities for moving in force.

Events proved that this had the desired effect; and, accordingly, Bragg called forward Buckner and all the spare troops at his command from East Tennessee and the lines of the railroads, the last of them arriving on the very evening they began their retreat from their position in front of Duck River. The operations which followed these successful preliminaries were as follows:

On the 23rd of June, Major-General Granger, under orders, sent General Mitchell, with his cavalry division, on the Eagleville and Shelbyville pike, to make a furious attack on the enemy's cavalry and drive in their infantry guards on their main line, while General Granger, with his own troops and Brannan's, division, moved, with ten days' rations, to Salem, sending his sick and baggage to the camps at Murfreesborough. On the same day, Palmer's division and a brigade of cavalry were ordered to move, via Cripple Creek and Readyville, to the vicinity of Bradyville; his advance to seize the head of the defile leading up to the "Barrnes" by an obscure road leading them to Manchester, by Lumley's Station. All the other troops were ordered to be in readiness to march, with twelve days' rations of bread, coffee, sugar and salt; six days' meat on hood, and six days' pork or bacon. General Mitchell accomplished his work, after a sharp and gallant fight, for the details of which I must refer you to his own report. General Granger arrived and took position at Salem, in pursuance of orders.

The corps commanders met at headquarters in the evening, when the plan of the movement was explained to them, and each received written orders for his part, as follows:

Major-General McCook's corps was to advance on the Shelbyville road, turn to the left, move two divisions by Millersburg, and, advancing on the Wartrace, road, seize and hold Liberty Gap. The third division was to advance on Fosterville and cover the crossing of General Granger's command from the Middleton road, and then move by Christiana to join the rest of the corps.

General G. Granger was to advance on the Middleton road, threatening that place, and cover the passing of General Brannan's division of the Fourteenth Corps, which was to pass by Christiana and bivouac with the rear division of the Twentieth Corps.

The Fourteenth Corps, Major-General Thomas, was to advance on the Manchester pike, seize and hold with its advance, if practicable, Hoover's Gap, and bivouac so as to command and cover that and the Millersburg road, so that McCook and himself could be within supporting distance of each other.

Major-General Crittenden was to leave Van Cleve's division, of the Twenty-first Army Corps, at Murfreesborough, concentrate at Bradyville with the other two, and await orders.

The cavalry-one brigade-under General Turchin, was sent with the