A Masterful Retreat from Cumberland Gap
Greenup, Greenup County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
A Masterful Retreat. USA Brig. Gen. George W. Morgan with 8000 men reached here Oct. 3, 1862 on way to Camp Dennison, Ohio, after retreating over 200 miles from Cumberland Gap in sixteen days, harassed by CSA Morgan's Raiders. USA forces had held Gap but Confederate operations based in Barbourville, 24 miles north of Gap, had cut off Union supplies and made retreat necessary. Dedicated November 17, 1962.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
In the autumn of 1862, Union Brigadier General George W. Morgan led 8,000 men on a grueling sixteen-day, 200-mile retreat from Cumberland Gap to the Ohio River, reaching Greenup on October 3. Confederate operations based at Barbourville had cut his supply lines, forcing the withdrawal even though his troops had held the Gap itself. Harassed all the way by John Hunt Morgan's raiders, the retreat to Camp Dennison in Ohio was hailed as a feat of endurance and command.
Why it matters
The escape from Cumberland Gap stands as a testament to logistics and leadership in the Civil War, where holding a position meant nothing once the roads that fed it were severed.
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Related people
- · George W. Morgan
- · John Hunt Morgan
Related events
- · Retreat from Cumberland Gap
Themes & tags
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