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On the morning of June 24, 1863, the Army of the Cumberland advanced from Murfreesboro toward Confederate positions near Tullahoma, aiming to force the narrow gaps of the Highland Rim. Gen. William S. Rosecrans used a feint toward Shelbyville while his main force moved east to seize Hoover’s Gap. Col. John T. Wilder’s mounted infantry struck first, scattering a small Confederate force with rapid Spencer rifle fire. Though ordered to hold, Wilder pushed through the entire gap and secured a strong position.

Confederate counterattacks under Brig. Gen. William Bate failed against heavy Union fire and artillery. By afternoon, Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas’s corps had secured the gap, turning the Confederate flank and forcing a retreat. Wilder’s bold move earned his men the name “Lightning Brigade.”