c ements . ▁Bra xt on ▁B rag g ▁hoped ▁to ▁trap ▁Neg ley ▁by ▁attack ing ▁through ▁the ▁c ove ▁from ▁the ▁n ortheast , ▁forcing ▁the ▁Union ▁division ▁to ▁its ▁destruction ▁at ▁the ▁cul - de - s ac ▁at ▁the ▁south west ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁valley . ▁Early ▁on ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁September ▁ 1 0 , ▁B rag g ▁ordered ▁Pol k ' s ▁division ▁under ▁Maj . ▁Gen . ▁Thomas ▁C . ▁H ind man ▁to ▁march ▁ 1 3 ▁miles ▁south west ▁into ▁the ▁c ove ▁and ▁strike ▁Neg ley ' s ▁fl ank . ▁He ▁also ▁ordered ▁D . H . ▁Hill ▁to ▁send ▁Cle bur ne ' s ▁division ▁from ▁La F ay ette ▁through ▁D ug ▁G ap ▁to ▁strike ▁Neg ley ' s ▁front , ▁making ▁sure ▁the ▁movement ▁was ▁coordin ated ▁with ▁H ind man ' s . ▁ ▁Enter ing ▁the ▁c ove ▁with ▁ 4 , 6 0 0 ▁men , ▁Neg ley ' s ▁division ▁encountered ▁Confeder ate ▁sk irm ish ers , ▁but ▁pressed ▁forward ▁to ▁Davis ' s ▁Cross ▁Ro ads . ▁Inform ed ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁large ▁Confeder ate ▁force ▁approaching ▁on ▁his ▁left , ▁Neg ley ▁took ▁up ▁a ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁the ▁c ove ▁and ▁remained ▁there ▁until ▁ 3 ▁a . m . ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 1 . ▁Hill ▁claimed ▁that ▁B rag g ' s ▁orders ▁reached ▁him ▁very ▁late ▁and ▁began ▁offering ▁exc uses ▁for ▁why ▁he