A Masterful Retreat: The Story of the 7th Divisions Retreat Across Eastern Kentucky

During August 1862, the Confederates launched the feared invasion into Kentucky through two adjacent passes, by-passing the Gap. The invasion cut off the Seventh Division from all of their supplies. Facing capture or starvation, General George Morgan made a controversial decision to abandon the Gap and withdrawal through eastern Kentucky eventually ending up at Greenup, Kentucky. During the historical withdrawal, General Kirby Smith dispatched General John Hunt Morgan of Morgan's Raiders with 900 cavalrymen to impede the withdrawal until additional Confederate troops could intercept and annihilate them. This book recounts the long arduous journey by the Seventh Division, examines the military decisions and leadership style of General George Morgan, and reaches some surprising conclusions