"This American Gibraltar"

Cumberland Gap was regarded as an exceptionally strong fortified position; after viewing the fortifications around the Gap, Union General George W. Morgan said it was the strongest position he had ever seen except Gibraltar. On June 19, 1862, he wrote to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton that the enemy had evacuated it that morning and that DeCourcy's brigade had taken possession. In honor of the capture, the Stars and Stripes were raised from the pinnacle of the mountain in a proud ceremony. Three months later, Union troops withdrew. The same qualities that made the forts around the Gap difficult to attack also made them difficult to resupply, so it was easier for the war to go around them.

Kentucky · United States