# Battle of Liberty Gap > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Battle_of_Liberty_Gap > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Battle_of_Liberty_Gap.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Liberty_Gap > Source revision: 1293333630 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Battle of the American Civil War Battle of Liberty Gap Part of the American Civil War Date June 24, 1863 (1863-06-24) – June 26, 1863 (1863-06-26) Location Bedford County, Tennessee Result Union victory Belligerents United States (Union) CSA (Confederacy) Commanders and leaders Alexander M. McCook St. John R. Liddell Units involved XX Corps Hardee's Corps Casualties and losses Unknown Unknown v t e Tullahoma campaign Hoover's Gap Liberty Gap The **Battle of Liberty Gap** was fought during the [Tullahoma Campaign](/source/Tullahoma_Campaign) of the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War). The battle was an early instance of [mounted infantry](/source/Mounted_infantry) using [Spencer repeating rifles](/source/Spencer_repeating_rifle) during the war similar to the concurrent [battle of Hoover's Gap](/source/Battle_of_Hoover's_Gap). General August Willich at the Battle of Liberty Gap by [Adolph Metzner](/source/Adolph_Metzner) ## Background Following the retreat after the [Battle of Stones River](/source/Battle_of_Stones_River), Gen. [Braxton Bragg](/source/Braxton_Bragg), commander of the [Army of Tennessee](/source/Army_of_Tennessee), established a fortified line along the Duck River from [Shelbyville](/source/Shelbyville%2C_Tennessee) to [Wartrace](/source/Wartrace%2C_Tennessee). On the Confederate right, infantry and artillery detachments guarded Liberty, Hoover's, and Bellbuckle gaps through the mountains. Maj. Gen. [William S. Rosecrans](/source/William_S._Rosecrans), commanding the [Army of the Cumberland](/source/Army_of_the_Cumberland), feigned an attack on Shelbyville but massed against Bragg's right. His troops struck out toward the gaps with [George H. Thomas](/source/George_H._Thomas) and the [XIV Corps](/source/XIV_Corps_(Union_Army)) moved against Hoover's Gap. Moving against Liberty Gap was [Alexander M. McCook](/source/Alexander_M._McCook) and the [XX Corps](/source/XX_Corps_(Union_Army)).[1] ## Battle On June 24 McCook sent a brigade under Colonel [Luther P. Bradley](/source/Luther_P._Bradley) against the Confederate pickets from General [St. John R. Liddell](/source/St._John_R._Liddell)'s brigade holding the crossroads at the gap. Bradley's men were screened by Colonel Thomas J. Harrison's [39th Indiana Mounted Infantry Regiment](/source/39th_Indiana_Infantry_Regiment) armed with [Spencer repeating rifles](/source/Spencer_repeating_rifle). Harrison's [mounted infantry](/source/Mounted_infantry) moved so quickly they captured the crossroad at a cost of only one man wounded. Hearing the gap was lightly defended, McCook wanted to take advantage of the situation and sent Brig. Gen. [August Willich](/source/August_Willich)'s [Horn Brigade](/source/Horn_Brigade) forward. Though the gap was held in fact only by two Arkansas infantry regiments and an artillery battery, Willich determined they were in a good defensible position. Willich attempted to flank the Confederates with the [32nd Indiana Infantry](/source/32nd_Indiana_Infantry_Regiment) on the left and Harrison's mounted infantry on the right. The Union and Confederate forces launched attacks and counter-attacks while McCook sent forward the 77th Pennsylvanian and 29th Indiana infantry regiments for support. Liddell saw the futility of attempting to hold the gap and withdrew his forces.[2] On June 25 Liddell planned to renew the fight by stalling the Union advance through the gap. Liddell's division commander, [Patrick R. Cleburne](/source/Patrick_R._Cleburne) sent forward reinforcements. Late in the morning Liddell opened the fight against Willich's Union brigade. A see-saw battle ensued as both sides brought forward reinforcements. During the fighting Colonel [John F. Miller](/source/John_Franklin_Miller_(senator)) of the 29th Indiana Infantry was seriously wounded, losing an eye.[3] Willich also had an opportunity to test a tactic he developed while a [prisoner of war](/source/Prisoner_of_war) he called “advanced firing”. Using the [49th Ohio Infantry](/source/49th_Ohio_Infantry) Willich deployed the men in four rows. The first row fired a volley while the fourth row moved forward between the men to fire another volley. Continuing this process allowed the soldiers to keep up a continuous line of fire while moving forward at the same time.[4] Liddell's brigade was finally forced from the field while [S.A.M. Wood](/source/S.A.M._Wood)'s neighboring brigade was brought forward but darkness ended the fighting before Wood's men could effectively be brought into action leaving the Federals in control of the gap. ## Aftermath Although slowed by rain, Rosecrans moved on, forcing Bragg to give up his defensive line and fall back to Tullahoma. Rosecrans sent a flying column (Wilder's Lightning Brigade, the same that had spearheaded the thrust through Hoover's Gap on the 24th) ahead to hit the railroad in Bragg's rear. Arriving too late to destroy the Elk River railroad bridge, the Federals tore up much track around Decherd. Bragg evacuated Middle Tennessee.[1] ## References - Eicher, John H., and [David J. Eicher](/source/David_J._Eicher). *Civil War High Commands*. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8047-3641-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8047-3641-3). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ABPP_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ABPP_1-1) [ABPP: Hoover's Gap](https://web.archive.org/web/20080516174306/http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/tn017.htm) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Battle of Liberty Gap](http://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/Battle_of_Liberty_Gap) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Eicher p.390 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [15th Ohio Volunteer Infantry](http://www.15thohio.4t.com/custom2.html) ## External links - [Map of the Skirmishes near Liberty Gap, Tenn. June 24-26, 1863](http://digitalcollections.baylor.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/tx-wotr/id/1825/rec/108) v t e Tennessee in the American Civil War Background Regions: East Tennessee Middle Tennessee West Tennessee Combatants: Confederacy Union Campaigns: Chattanooga campaign Battles 1862 Fort Henry Fort Donelson Island Number Ten Shiloh Lebanon Plum Point Bend First Battle of Memphis First Battle of Chattanooga First Battle of Murfreesboro Britton's Lane Riggins Hill Hatchie's Bridge Hartsville Lexington Jackson Parker's Cross Roads Stones River 1863 Dover Thompson's Station Vaught's Hill Brentwood First Battle of Franklin Hoover's Gap Liberty Gap Second Battle of Chattanooga Blountville Farmington Blue Springs Campbell's Station Third Battle of Chattanooga Brown's Ferry Wauhatchie Collierville Rogersville Knoxville Fort Sanders Bean's Station Mossy Creek 1864 Dandridge Fair Garden Fort Pillow Second Battle of Memphis Morristown Second Battle of Franklin Johnsonville Bull's Gap Columbia Spring Hill Third Battle of Murfreesboro Nashville Anthony's Hill Red Banks Involvement (by city or town) Chattanooga Nashville Leaders Confederate John Bell Isham G. Harris John Henninger Reagan Union Andrew Johnson Units Confederate Union Aftermath Confederate monuments and memorials Related topics 14th Amendment Category Commons --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Battle of Liberty Gap](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Liberty_Gap) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Liberty_Gap?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.