Murray: The Frenchman and the affair of McLemore's Cove

photo Gen. Thomas Hindman

Before the battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, the Federal army commanded by Gen. William S. Rosecrans maneuvered the Confederate army of Gen. Braxton Bragg out of Chattanooga, the railroad gateway, and into northern Georgia.

Rosecrans believed the Confederates were fleeing south and wanted to cut them off before they could escape. To do this, he divided his Union army into three widely separated corps. One went into Chattanooga. Another went about 40 miles south toward Alpine, Ga. The middle corps, Gen. George Thomas' XIV, headed to Stevens Gap in Lookout Mountain, about 20 miles south of Chattanooga.

On Sept. 9, Thomas dispatched Gen. James Negley's lone division through Stevens Gap and into McLemore's Cove, a sheltered valley located between the long finger of Lookout Mountain and the thumb-like spur of Pigeon Mountain.

Unfortunately for the Federals, Bragg was not running away. He was coiling near LaFayette, Ga., aware of Negley's isolation in McLemore's Cove. Bragg saw a golden opportunity to destroy a portion of Rosecrans' Federal army.

Late on the 9th, Bragg ordered Gen. Thomas Hindman's division to enter McLemore's Cove from the north and to move south the next day, attacking Negley's lone division. Gen. Pat Cleburne's division would attack from the east via Dug Gap in support of Hindman. It would be a pincer maneuver and an almost certain Confederate success.

However, there was a flaw. Cleburne was not to attack until Hindman initiated the action. For a mysterious reason Hindman developed "cold feet." The day of Sept. 10 wore on, and no attack came from Hindman. To bolster Hindman's resolve, Bragg ordered the divisions under Gen. Simon B. Buckner into the cove as reinforcements.

It didn't help. No attack ensued. By the nightfall, Bragg was incensed.

Then around midnight, a messenger from Hindman and Buckner arrived. The message was that the two Confederate generals were afraid the Federals might be going to fall on their rear and/or possibly their flank. In short, the two didn't think the attack was a good plan.

As it turned out, Hindman and Buckner could not have sent a worse messenger. Maj. James Nocquet (pronounced No-Kay) was a Frenchman who spoke very poor English. At one time Nocquet had served as Bragg's chief engineer officer. Bragg had fired him for incompetence. Nocquet then went to Buckner and asked to be on his staff. Since Buckner and Nocquet were united in their dislike of Bragg, Buckner granted Nocquet the appointment.

A furious Bragg sent back a reply via Nocquet. Hindman was to attack at "day-dawn" on Sept. 11. He was to attack even if he risked losing his entire command. He was to attack regardless of whatever danger he perceived.

Unbelievably, Bragg had sent Nocquet with a "do or die" order. Unbelievably, because at this juncture, Bragg should have gone himself to Hindman's camp to be sure the order was carried out.

Apparently, Nocquet did deliver the order. But morning came, and Bragg, who was back at Dug Gap with Cleburne, heard no gunfire.

During the morning, Hindman and Buckner positioned and repositioned their troops. They sent out scouts but didn't move into attack mode until late in the afternoon. By that time, Negley's Federals, now reinforced by a portion of Gen. Absolom Baird's division, were aware of their peril and retreated toward Lookout Mountain and Stevens Gap.

An apoplectic Bragg lambasted Hindman and Buckner, all to no avail. The opportunity had been lost. The Confederates had waited too long. One week later, Bragg would take on Rosecrans' entire Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga.

Shortly thereafter, Nocquet disappeared from the Confederate army and from history. He didn't go empty handed. He left with the Confederate payroll of $150,000. It was never recovered. Possibly, Nocquet was bushwacked. If so, some bushwhacker lived well thereafter.

Or maybe, Nocquet made it to the French Riviera.

Dr. R. Smith Murray is a retired urologist. For more, contact LaVonne Jolley at 886-2090 or visit www.chattahistoricalassoc.org.

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