he foot of the mountains to
the westward, covering and masking the real movement. Buell's
army, as we have stated, was concentrated in the neighborhood of
Dechard, Tennessee, with detachments of it still holding Huntsville,
Battle Creek, and Murfreesboro.

Numerous and generally unimportant skirmishes took place at Battle
Creek and other places. Murfreesboro was surprised and disgracefully
surrendered to Forrest's cavalry July 13th, and Morgan's forces
captured Gallatin, Tennessee, August 12th; but these places were
not held.

Bragg continued his march through Pikeville and Sparta, Tennessee,
crossing the Cumberland at Carthage and Gainesborough. Uniting
his army at Hopkinsville, Kentucky, he proceeded through Glasgow
to Munfordville, on Green River, where there was a considerable
fortification, occupied by Colonel J. T. Wilder with about 4000 men.

Buell, after having sent some of his divisions as far east into
the mountains as Jasper, Altamont, and McMinnville, with no results,
moved his army to Nashville, thence with the reinforcements from
Grant (two divisions), leaving two divisions and some detachments
under Thomas to hold that city, through Tyree Springs and Franklin
to Bowling Green, Kentucky, the advance arriving there September
11th.(16) Bragg was then at Glasgow. General James R. Chalmers
and Colonel Scott, each with a brigade, the former of infantry,
the other of cavalry, attacked, and Chalmers' brigade assaulted
Wilder's position September 14th. The assault was repelled with
much slaughter, Chalmers' loss being 3 officers and 32 men killed
and 28 officers and 225 men wounded.(17) Chalmers then retired to
Cave City, but returned with Bragg's main army on the 16th. Bragg
having his army up, and Polk's corps north of Munfordville and
Hardee's south of the river, opened negotiations for the surrender
of the place. Being completely surrounded, with heavy batteries
on all sides, Wilder capitulated, including 4133 officers and men.
Chalmers was designated to take possession of the surrendered works
on the morning of the 17th. Had Buell marched promptly on Munfordville
from Bowling Green he would have found Bragg with one half of his
army south of Green River and Polk with the other half north of
it, and Wilder still holding a position on the river between the
two.

Bragg, after the surrender, concentrated his army south of Green
River opposite Munfordville along a low crest of hills. He had
not y