Trion Factory

Trion Factory. Chickamauga Campaign Heritage Trail. In late August 1863, the Federal Army of the Cumberland began moving toward Georgia. On the extreme right of the Federal lines, the XX Army Corps, commanded by Major General Alexander M. McCook began advancing across Lookout Mountain with Alpine, Summerville, and Rome, Georgia as the objective line of march., Federal cavalry regiments commanded by Major General David S. Stanley reconnoitering far in front of the main body of the XX Army Corps, arrived in Chattooga County on September 1, 1863 and skirmished with Confederate cavalry commanded by Major General Joseph Wheeler at Tap's Gap (present-day Cloudland) and at Neal's Gap on Lookout Mountain. Over the next ten days as more Federal forces entered Chattooga County, there were cavalry skirmishes at Melville (present-day Lyerly), Alpine, Dirttown, and Summerville., On September 11th, Federal commander Major General Alexander M. McCook in Alpine orders aggressive reconnaissance "at all hazards" toward Lafayette on the Summerville-Lafayette road and the Broomtown road., On September 11th Confederate General Wheeler wrote this letter at this site to General Hill near Lafayette: , Hdqrs. Cavalry Corps, , near Trion Factory , Summerville and LaFayette Road, September 11, 1863 , Lieut. Gen. D.H. Hill, Commanding Corps:. General: After having ascertained that the force of the enemy reported to have gone toward Rome had not crossed the Coosa River or gone toward Rome, but had only crossed a short distance over the Chattooga River, I returned to this point., I left a picket at Dirt Town and one of the Melville and Rome road south of the Chattooga River with orders should they be pressed by the enemy to fall back on Rome, reporting to me and also to the commanding officer at Rome. I now have seven regiments of General Wharton's command with me, diminished, however, by various scouts, pickets, and other details. I have several scouts in among the enemy this side of the mountain. The scouts I sent out during last night had orders to report directly to you., This evening the enemy's cavalry was 4 miles the other side of Summerville. Scouts sent to Neal's Gap have not yet reported to me. As I do not know anything about the movements of our army, I shall have to depend upon you for such instructions as you see proper., Very respectfully, general, your obedient servant, , Jos. Wheeler, Major-General. September 12, 1863--Confederate forces withdraw from Trion toward Lafayette., September 13, 1863--Federal cavalry occupy Trion; the commander writes this letter:, Headquarters First Division , Trion Factory, September 13, 1863 10 o'clock. Major W. H. Sinclair, Assistant Adjutant-General , I drove their pickets from here this morning again, have made a move on this side of the river and sent the Fourth Indiana toward them soon and move from here by 1 o'clock to join your column, unless the regiment sent forward return sooner. I thought it better to send only this small force the other side of the river, because the country there is bad to handle a large force in, and the force in front of meas I stated in my last dispatch is larger them I could whip. One regiment can accomplish all that the whole division could., I will send you couriers as I head from the front. Send back by these instructions whether to join you at once or wait. I am still impressed with the belief that the enemy's infantry are in force the other side of the Coosa, at Lafayette, and their cavalry on this side. , E.M. McCook, Colonel, Commanding. , Captions (left to right): , . General Joe Wheeler , . From the map of Col. William E. Merrill, Chief Engineer, Army of the Cumberland , . Brigadier General John A. Wharton