Davis' Cross Roads

Davis' Cross Roads. A Squandered Opportunity. As Union Major General William S. Rosecrans' “Army of the Cumberland” entered Georgia in early September 1863, its three infantry corps were dangerously divided over a fifty mile radius. Most endangered was Major General George H. Thomas' 14th Corps, especially Major General James S. Negley's 4,000-man division. They moved through Steven's Gap on September 9th into McLemore's Cove believing no enemy was ahead. Learning of Negley's isolation and sensing an opportunity to defeat the Federal army in detail, Confederate “Army of Tennessee” General Braxton Bragg ordered Major General Patrick R. Cleburne's 5,000-man division to attack Negley's division “in front” through Dug Gap in Pigeon Mountain. Meanwhile, Major General Thomas C. Hindman's 6,000-man division, supported by two additional divisions, would enter McLemore's Cove from the north, moving against Negley's exposed left flank. , On Thursday, September 10th, General Negley's division moved east across McLemore's Cove until encountering skirmishers from General Cleburne's division near Dug Gap. Negley made his headquarters at Davis' Cross Roads in the home of a forty year old widow, Julia Davis, and her six children. "I learned from a Union sympathizer [at 1:30 pm] that a large force of the enemy was approaching from my left," Negley reported, “[therefore] at sundown I made a strong demonstration in the direction of Dug Gap.", Had General Hindman attacked as ordered on the 10th, or early on the 11th, there might have been a great Confederate success. But Hindman repeatedly delayed, convinced he was outnumbered or that he himself would be flanked. In reality, with the two supporting divisions Hindman had three times Negley's number. By 8:00 am on the 11th, Union Brigadier General Absalom Baird's 4,600-man division arrived to reinforce Negley. Baird reported, "We were [soon] informed that firing had commenced in the front and we at once rode to the spot. About half a mile [east of] the Widow Davis House...our line of infantry and artillery was formed." Nearer the firing line, Surgeon Roswell G. Bogue of the 19th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, stated, “[A] severe skirmish or small battle ensued[, d]uring which nine men were killed and twenty-two wounded.” After the Federal line withdrew, Bogue continued, “the wounded were moved back first to a point called Bailey's Cross Roads, then to the foot of the mountain to Steven's [Gap].", Realizing their position was becoming increasingly difficult, Generals Baird's and Negley's divisions began retreating west toward Steven's Gap. When General Hindman finally advanced at 4:00 pm the Federals were largely gone. "The extrication of our division from the environment of Dug Gap by General Negley was to my mind the most masterly piece of generalship I saw during the war," wrote Union Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Blakeley, 78th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment., Timid generalship squandered an opportunity for the Confederates to severely damage the Federal army. General Rosecrans subsequently decided to consolidate his divided army. General Bragg would try again to strike the Federal army before it united at Chickamauga, but he had perhaps lost his best chance.