I find much confusion regarding the roads defended by Vaughn's detachment under Bradford. Nor can I find period maps which accurately depict the area. Plate 142 of the OR Atlas is quite inaccurate.
George Martin
08 01 1864 [Monday]
Vaughn’s detachment was reported near Bull’s Gap,Tennessee and Abingdon, Virginia. [TninCW, Pt. 1, p. 270]
Abstract from tabular statement of troops serving in the Department of Western Virginia and East Tennessee, Brig. Gen. John H. Morgan commanding, August 1, 1864; headquarters Abingdon, Va.
Vaughn's brigade (detachment), Colonel Bradford. 504ETP 600AP 729APA
Near Bull's Gap, Tenn., and Abingdon, Va.
Vaughn's Brigade (detachment).
Col. WILLIAM M. BRADFORD.
16th Georgia Battalion, -- --.
1st Tennessee,-- --.
3d Tennessee (Provisional Army), -- --.
12th Tennessee Battalion, -- --.
16th Tennessee Battalion, -- --.
31st [39th] Tennessee, -- --.
43d Tennessee, -- --.
59th Tennessee, -- --.
Morgan's division (dismounted).
Osborne's scouts.
Vaughn's old brigade.
[OR V39, V2, p. 741]
09 03 1864 [Saturday]
That 3rd of September was one of the most delightful days of the autumn season. . . but towards sunset a sudden change occurred. The balmy breeze changed into a gale that whirled monster clouds through the air; the atmosphere became murky, vivid flashes of lightning seemed to dart hither and thither and peals of thunder rapidly succeeded each other. The men were hastily tearing rails from the neighboring fences and erecting “shebangs” and making such other preparations for a stormy night as their scanty means afforded. (274, p. 579)
Morgan is accused of carelessness in posting himself and command for the night, so near the enemy, and with so little precaution. The prime cause of the calamity to his command and death of himself was owing to the fact that he had ridden his troops very rapidly; they were worn out, and the pickets on the east side of this town fell asleep. (263, pp. 616/7)
In disposing his forces for the night, Morgan sent Smith and the remained of his regiment out southwest of town to bivouac along the Bull’s Gap road, Giltner’s 4th to the northwest on the Rogersville road, and Bradford’s Tennesseans to the fork of the Newport and Warrensburg roads. He thus had troops covering every main entrance to Greeneville. [Morgan’s Raiders, Brown,, p. 268)
At eleven o’clock that night, in the midst of a terrible thunder-storm, which fairly drenched the soldier, the Thirteenth Tennessee [Union] moved out toward Greenville, by way of the Arnett road. At midnight they were followed by the rest of the command making a total of about two thousand men, fifteen hundred of whom were Tennesseans. The storm increased, the rain fell in torrents, the heavens fairly shook with rolling thunder, while there was no light other than the flashes of lightening. But the dark column of horseman moved steadily on, and John Morgan slept his last sleep on earth. In so stormy and tempestuous a night he may have felt secure from intrusion, be the enemy ever so vigilant. Just before the first streak of dawn the advance swung around in rear of Morgan’s command, captured the pickets who were asleep, and virtually got between Morgan and his soldiers. (263, p. 617)
Giltner, Cantrill, & Everett were all encamped on the Rogersville road, Gilnter 3 miles from town. Col. Bradford with the Tenn. Troops on Blue Spring road, some two or more miles from town. Capt. Walters with a detachment of 16th Ga. (50) was on the Warrensburg road. Nobody was on the Newport road. (255, p. 519)
09 04 1864 [Sunday]
The enemy, who left Bull’s Gap before midnight, quitted the main road at Blue Springs, equ-distant from Greenville and Bull’s Gap, and marched by the Warrensburg road, until within one mile and a half of the town.
At this point, a by-road leads from the Warrensburg road. The pickets on the Warrensburg road were not stationed in sight of this point, while on the Newport road the base of the pickets was beyond the point where the by-road enters, and where there were no rear videttes between the base and town. The enemy (it is stated), took this little by-road, and turning off in front of one picket, came in behind the other. At any rate, about daylight, a body perhaps of one hundred cavalry dashed into Greenville and were followed in a short time by Gillems’s whole force. It was the party that came first which killed General Morgan. (253, p. 538)
We [Guerrant 4th Ky.] had just finished a palatable breakfast, & abusing the rain which poured ost unmercifully all night, & commiserating the situation of our soldiers, when walking to the door, I heard firing across the Blue Spring road, where Col. Bradford was encamped with Vaughn’s men. Calling attention to it, our Col, & the rest of us at first thought the soldiers were firing off their wet guns. The continuous & increased firing volley immediately at Greenville, discovered to us the most unpleasant fact that the enemy had surprised us and surrounded us. (255, p. 516)
Vaughn’s men under Col. William Bradford attempted to make a stand there, but Gillem drove them away. (70 OR V39, p.1, pp. 488-491) [273, p. 123]
All the soldiers expressed sorrow for Genl Morgan’s fate, as yet unknown, and were deeply chagrined & mortified at the issue of this affair, because they were not allowed to fight. They blamed Col. Smith & Col. Bradfore & Vaughn’s men. Were particularly severe on the latter. Said they had stampeded & run clear away.
Nobody could explain anything satisfactorily. Didn’t know how the Yankees got into Greenville—whether they ran over Vaughn’s men on the Blue Spring road or flanked him—how nobody went to Morgan’s relief—how everthing happened so. (255, pp. 517/8)
Falling back towards Jonesboro, Col. Bradford said he could only get 150 out of 500 men into action of Vaughn’s East Tenn. Troops, composed of straggling unworthy portions of 1st, 3rd. Tenn., 16th Geo., 61st Tenn. (255, p. 518)
Col. Brown was in command of the first party of Union troops that entered Greenville, it is thought. He told Mrs. Williams that they found all Vaughn’s pickets asleep on the Blue Spring road. (255, p. 521)
Sources:
(255) Davis, William C. & Swentor, Meredith L., Editors, The Headquarters Diary of Edward O. Guerrant, Bluegrass Confederate, Louisiana State University Press,
Baton Rouge, 1999
(263) Annals of the War, Written by Leading Participants, North and South, The Blue & Grey Press, 1996, Originally Published in the Philadephia Weekly Times,
ca 1879
(273) Gordon, Larry, The Last Confederate General, John C. Vaughn and his East Tennessee Cavalry, Zenith Press, MBI Publishing Co., Minneapolis, MN, 2009
(274) King, W. C. & W. R. Derby, Compilers, Camp Fire Sketches and Battlefield Echoes, King, Richardson & Co., Springfield, Mass. 1886