During the four years of the Civil War, the border between eastern
Kentucky and southwestern Virginia was highly contested territory,
alternately occupied by both the Confederacy and the Union. Though this
territory was sparsely populated, the geography of the region made it a
desirable stronghold for future tactical maneuvers. As the war
progressed, the Cumberland Gap quickly became the target of invasion and
occupation efforts of both armies, creating a chaos that would strain
not only the sol