264 The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War

tanooga, and with all the rest of his corps pursuethe enemy along the railroad to Ringgold andDalton. He sent Thomas’s corps through tworugged gaps in Lookout Mountain into McLe-more’s Cove; and he pushed forward McCookfrom Valley Head to Alpine and Summerville.Such movements were hardly justifiable exceptagainst a beaten and demoralized enemy. Theorders were issued on the 9th of September, and itwas not until the 12th that Rosecrans discoveredhis frightful mistake. No wonder if the suddennessof the discovery somewhat shook his nerves. Thesituation was appalling. The Union army wasseparated into three parts over a distance of fifty-seven miles from Ringgold to Alpine, for McCookhad luckily taken the alarm and gone no farther.These three corps numbered each scarcely 20,000men; and between them at Lafayette, close infront of the Union centre, was Bragg’s whole armyin excellent condition and reinforced by troopsfrom Mississippi , so that it numbered full 55,000 !It looked as if Rosecrans were going to end hisbrilliant campaign by seeing his army annihilatedcorps by corps, for he could not possibly draw ittogether in less than three or four days.

Things, however, did not come to such a passas that. If Lee or Stonewall Jackson had beenin Bragg’s place, the worst might have happened,