During this time, the 16th Ohio, having endured a fierce and costly battle at Tazewell, Tennesee, on August 6, remained in camp at Cumberland Gap. The regiment bore the brunt of the massive Rebel attack and deserved a rest. Meanwhile, Gen. George W. Morgan's Cumberland Gap garrison was now completely cut off from all supply lines. Morgan's repeated requests for additional troops over the past two months went unanswered. With additional troops Morgan could have kept his supply lines open and had sufficient force to make excursions for additional forage and keep the large Rebel force at Knoxville in check. Now, Morgan's four brigades at Cumberland Gap were on their own, facing Confederate General Kirby Smith's large force. Cumberland Gap and perhaps the entire state of Kentucky seemed now at the mercy of the Rebels.