Worthen's Gap was one of the natural wagon-road passes through Pigeon Mountain into McLemore's Cove in Walker County, and although it was less used than the three Pigeon Mountain gaps to the south, it was important to local civilians and saw significant troop movements during the war. In the summer of 1863, Confederate cavalry maintained a strong presence on the roads in McLemore's Cove, and by early September a major Federal army was known to be just beyond Lookout Mountain and expected to cross soon. On September 9, Confederate cavalry discovered General James Negley's Federal division at Bailey's Crossroads and believed it would move toward Davis Crossroads, leading General Braxton Bragg to see an opportunity for a surprise attack and to order Major-General Thomas Hindman to prepare his division for action with support expected from Lieutenant-General Daniel H. Hill's command at LaFayette. Hindman moved during the night of September 9 through Pigeon Mountain and by dawn reached the house of J. J. Morgan on Cove Road near the road to Catlett's Gap, where many of his soldiers got water from nearby West Chickamauga Creek, perhaps at Gower's Ford, before he moved farther along Cove Road and established headquarters at the H. J. Conley house near a spring. When Bragg learned that coordinating Hill's troops would be difficult, he changed the plan and ordered General Simon Buckner to march his corps through the gap on September 10 to support Hindman while awaiting an attack by General Patrick Cleburne from Hill's Corps. Bragg then went to Dug Gap to direct that part of the attack. Cleburne attacked the Federals at Davis Crossroads and pushed them back toward the base of the mountain, but Hindman's attack from the right came too late to trap them, and because the action was poorly coordinated, the Battle at Davis Crossroads produced no significant conclusion.

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington