In an effort to prevent a Union Army incursion into east Tennessee, Zollicoffer took the initiative and occupied Cumberland Gap on September 14, 1861. Zollicoffer then was responsible for guarding the of Confederate line between Cumberland Gap and Tompkinsville, Kentucky. For 71 miles, this line crossed the Cumberland Mountains. On September 15, 1861, General Albert Sidney Johnston assumed command of Confederate forces in the Western Theater between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. He retained Zollicoffer as district commander in east Tennessee.