Bull's Gap TN033

supportedunresolved Gillem says he learned on the 8th that Breckinridge was advancing in superior force, and on the 10th that Vaughn was moving around to attack his rear; he says Ammen declined aid on the belief that only 1,200 were advancing. Breckinridge says the enemy had foolishly withdrawn his pickets, so his column passed Taylor's Gap without notice. Gillem says he saw enemy infantry arriving on the 13th.

Knowledge claimed by each commander; no message log inspected.

supportedunresolved Gillem says his men had no bread for two days by the 12th and fought four days without bread or salt, that his ammunition for artillery and small-arms was almost exhausted, and that forage near the gap was gone and the horses were failing; he blames Ammen for not sending supplies. The frozen description likewise says the Union forces were short on everything from ammunition to rations.

Supply statements from the Union commander and a summary; no return inspected. Gillem's blame of Ammen is his statement.

supportedunresolved The frozen description says Breckinridge expected Confederate sympathizers to join him in driving Union forces from East Tennessee; Breckinridge says he advanced because the enemy was too close to Bristol. Gillem says Breckinridge had avowed an intention of recovering the territory lost by Vaughn, and that he appealed for help to save the railroad to Knoxville.

Stated aims from a summary and the two commanders.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen and live results read Confederate victory. Gillem says the attacks of the 11th and 12th, including Vaughn's attack on his rear, were repulsed, and that he evacuated the gap on the night of the 13th for want of bread, ammunition and forage. Breckinridge says his force on the mountain carried a line of works but the assault as a whole did not succeed, and that on the evening of the 11th his opponent's rearguard had been driven into the gap. The frozen description dates the withdrawal 'after midnight on the 4th'.

Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit. The Union withdrawal, not a successful assault, ended the frozen interval; the result field is kept. The frozen description's '4th' is inconsistent with the frozen dates and is not adopted. Breckinridge's 'evening of the 11th' for driving the rearguard into the gap conflicts with Gillem's arrival at the gap at 7 a.m. on the 10th and the attack on the morning of the 11th (printed '10th [11th]'); it is kept and not reconciled.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty field reads 'Total unknown (US 241; CS unknown)'; the live field reads 424 (US 324; CS 100). For the frozen interval Gillem reports only enemy dead: 27 left in front of his lines on the 12th and 1 captain and 8 privates after Vaughn's rear attack. His loss in the retreat of the 14th (6 guns, 61 wagons read 'G1', 71 ambulances, about 300 horses and probably about 150 men) and Breckinridge's about 300 prisoners in the night attack belong to the context action.

Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. No inspected source gives the frozen Union 241 or the live figures; the retreat losses are outside the interval and are not added.

supportedunresolved The frozen commanders are Major General John C. Breckinridge and Brigadier General Alvan C. Gillem; the live page styles Gillem Major General. Breckinridge says an attack for the next morning (the 12th) was arranged, with the artillery and dismounted cavalry under Crittenden in front, Vaughn in the rear and himself to lead Duke's and other dismounted men on the mountain; Gillem says Breckinridge and Duke led the assault on his left, and that he himself determined to evacuate the gap on the night of the 13th.

Command roles from the two commanders; the listed commanders do not receive automatic sole credit, and the live rank is not adopted.

unknownunresolved

No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. Imported numerical estimates remain unchanged; this pass does not validate them as simultaneous opening forces.

disputedunresolved The frozen force field names Gillem's Governor's Guard brigade and gives the Confederate department force as approx. 2,400 (side bound 2,400); the live field reads '0 total (US ; CS ;)'. Breckinridge says he advanced with a miscellaneous force of about 1,800 men and six howitzers, later joined by Palmer's mixed force of some 600 (read 'GOO' in OCR), against an enemy of about 2,500 with six guns. Gillem says he learned Breckinridge was advancing with a force much superior to his, that Ammen told others the attackers were just 1,200, and that at Morristown on the 14th the enemy numbered probably 2,500 to 3,000.

Each commander's figure for his own side and estimates of the other, at different dates; Gillem gives no count of his own brigade in the selected report. None is adopted as a matched opening strength. The live blank is not measured absence.

supportedunresolved Gillem says he posted his troops at the gap for defense front and rear and strengthened the position with the few axes he had; the assault of the 12th reached the rude works on the ridges of his left. Breckinridge says his dismounted force ascended the mountain to move down on the enemy's left and carried a line of works, and that he later turned the gap through Taylor's Gap, two and a half miles below.

Ground and works described by the two commanders; no map verification. The works were thrown up on the 10th, so the phase is left unresolved.