American History Central’s Historical Marker of the Day (HMOTD) is “Beech Grove Engagement.” This marker is in Beechgrove, Tennessee, in Coffee County.
Inscription
On June 24, 1863, Union forces under Rosecrans overpowered Confederate defenders on Hoover’s Gap, commanded by Stewart, Bate, and Bushrod Johnson. This was the beginning of Bragg’s withdrawal to Chattanooga. Unknown soldiers who fell in the battle are buried in the cemetery to the southeast.
Hoover’s Gap — the Decisive Engagement in Middle Tennessee
Fought from June 24 to 26, 1863, the Battle of Hoover’s Gap was the decisive engagement of Union General William Rosecrans’ brilliantly executed Tullahoma Campaign that drove the Confederates out of Middle Tennessee in 1863.
Prelude to the Battle
On October 24, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln relieved Major General Don Carlos Buell of his command of the Army of the Ohio and placed Major General William S. Rosecrans in charge of the newly formed Army of the Cumberland. Upon Rosecrans’ promotion, Union General-In-Chief Henry W. Halleck emphasized that “… the Government demands action, and if you cannot respond to that demand someone else will be tried.”
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