Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 9.djvu/158



HE dispositions for the retreat were soon made, and on the morning of October 13th the movement began, General Polk's and General Hardee's corps moving by way of Lancaster, Crab Orchard and Mount Vernon, and General Smith's column by way of Lancaster and Big Hill to London, where he reunited with General Bragg. The pursuit of General Bragg's column was pressed with vigor by General Buell as far as Mount Vernon; but the retreat was so well covered by Wheeler's cavalry that it was without results. Fortunately General Smith was not vigorously pressed, or he could scarcely have saved his artillery and trains, which were carried over Big Hill only with the greatest difficulty, requiring the assistance of the infantry for several days. Col. John H. Morgan lingered in the vicinity of Lexington, covering approaches from that direction, and finally retired with a large increase of his force from recruits, in the direction of Lebanon and Nashville.