The railroad at Bulls Gap  Photo credit: Cyndy Cox

Hawkins County in the Civil War

 

 

Engagements:

1863

8/1/1863 Hawkins County

10/27/1863 Clinch Mountain

11/6/1863 Rogersville area
12/6/1863 Clinch Mountain

1864

8/21/1864 Rogersville
10/1/1864 Clinch Mountain & Laurel Creek Gap

10/8/1864 Rogersville
10/18/1864 Clinch Mountain
12/12/1864 Rogersville area, Big Creek

CSA training camp
(1862) Hawkins County

Rogersville Post
(1863), Rogersville
A Union garrison post was here, attacked by Confederates in November 1863 (Big Creek Skirmish), capturing several guns and other supplies.

Bulls Gap Earthworks Traces of Union earthworks still remain in the area, mostly in Greene County. Site of battle in November 1864.

Rogersville

The isolation of Garrard, who is stationed with only two regiments at Rogersville and is separated from Willcox by several mountain ranges, has not escaped the attention of the Southerners who are burning to wreak vengeance upon Garrard for the repulse experienced at Blue Springs. General WE Jones and Colonel Giltner, successor to Williams, are designated to wreak this vengeance. Their two brigades together make up about two thousand five hundred men. Jones after having crossed the Watauga and menaced Jonesborough will cross the Holston at Rogersville so as to make a flank attack on Garrard's command, which is encamped somewhat to the eastward on the Big Creek. Giltner will cross the North Holston at Kingsport in order to attack the Federals in front. They will make a simultaneous assault on the enemy on the 6th of November. But this plan which did not allow them to concert their movements was promptly modified. Jones finds that the fording place indicated to him is too near Garrard's camp and decides in the evening of the 5th, to cross the Holston higher up, so as to turn this camp on the north side. He has the good fortune to meet during the night Giltner's column, and thus is enabled to concert with him. Still the two commanders, after having taken their positions, the one in front of the Federals and the other between their camp and Rogersville, each waited until the other should give the signal for the attack. Meanwhile Garrard who was surprised by Giltner's presence was preparing to fight when he perceived Jones behind him. He immediately falls back on the ford, which according to his first project, Jones should have crossed and occupied. The dilatoriness of the Southerners allows a portion of the Federal column sufficient time to cross the river, but the detachment is soon dispersed almost without fighting. The Confederates capture four pieces of artillery, together with Garrard's wagons, and about seven hundred prisoners, five hundred fugitives, carry the alarm to Morristown, and Greenville. Willcox's troops that occupy this last town, evacuate it in haste, fearing lest Jones who is master of the situation at Rogersville should get ahead of them at the pass in Bull's Gap. Their retreat, which was rather disorderly, ended only beyond the pass, while Jones, without profiting by his easy advantage, brings the two brigades back to the banks of the Watauga. The issue of the Rogersville combat mitigates the bitterness of the defeat which the Southerners had experienced on the same day not far away at Droop Mountain in West Virginia and deceived the Federal Government who fancied they saw in this coup de main the prelude to important operations. (231-232)

 

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Saving America's Civil War Battlefields