d ' s ▁division ▁had ▁reached ▁Neg ley ' s , ▁and ▁Neg ley ▁had ▁with dra wn ▁his ▁division ▁to ▁a ▁def ensive ▁position ▁just ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁cross ro ads . ▁The ▁two ▁Union ▁divisions ▁then ▁with d rew ▁to ▁Stevens ▁G ap . ▁H ind man ' s ▁men ▁sk irm ished ▁with ▁B air d ' s ▁rear ▁guard , ▁but ▁could ▁not ▁prevent ▁the ▁withdraw al ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁force . ▁ ▁Final ▁man eu vers ▁ ▁Real izing ▁that ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁force ▁had ▁narrow ly ▁escaped ▁a ▁Confeder ate ▁trap , ▁Rose cr ans ▁abandoned ▁his ▁plans ▁for ▁a ▁purs uit ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁concent rate ▁his ▁scattered ▁forces . ▁As ▁he ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁official ▁report , ▁it ▁was ▁" a ▁matter ▁of ▁life ▁and ▁death ." ▁On ▁September ▁ 1 2 ▁he ▁ordered ▁McC ook ▁and ▁the ▁caval ry ▁to ▁move ▁n ortheast ▁to ▁Stevens ▁G ap ▁to ▁join ▁with ▁Thomas , ▁int ending ▁for ▁this ▁combined ▁force ▁to ▁continue ▁n ortheast ▁to ▁link ▁up ▁with ▁C ritt enden . ▁The ▁message ▁to ▁McC ook ▁took ▁a ▁full ▁day ▁to ▁reach ▁him ▁at ▁Al pine ▁and ▁the ▁route ▁he ▁selected ▁to ▁move ▁n ortheast ▁required ▁three ▁days ▁of ▁march ing ▁ 5 7 ▁miles , ▁ret rac ing ▁his ▁steps ▁over ▁Look out ▁Mountain . ▁ ▁C ritt enden ' s ▁corps ▁began ▁moving ▁from ▁Ring g old ▁toward ▁Lee ▁and ▁Gordon ' s ▁Mill . ▁For rest ' s ▁caval ry ▁reported ▁the