During this day it rained heavily and continuously; and General Brannan was, in consequence, prevented from joining the Fourteenth corps as soon as was necessary. Finally everything was in position; General Reynolds’ division advanced upon the heights toward Fairfield, but made no demonstration against the enemy. At Liberty Gap the enemy endeavored to regain possession, but were utterly routed, and compelled to leave it in possession of the Unionists. The greater part of the movements ordered on the 25th were completed on the 26th, notwithstanding the drenching rain which had continued day and night. The divisions of Generals Reynolds, Rousseau and Brannan, made a combined advance upon the enemy, and forced him to retreat toward Fairfield; Wilder’s cavalry seized Matt’s Hollow, and held it, thus securing the passage toward Manchester for Reynolds to move forward with his division, which the gallant General did during the same night. Headquarters were established in Manchester during the 27th; and in the course of the night all the remaining portion of General Thomas’ corps came in from the different directions in which they had been posted. All was now in readiness to prepare for the coming contest; rations were distributed to the troops, and the column was closed up around Manchester. While these preparations were going forward, General Rosecrans saw an opportunity for cutting off the railroad in the rebel rear, and thus accomplishing one of his main objects. He therefore sent forward Wilder’s brigade to burn the bridges across Elk river, and to destroy the railroad between Deckhard and Cowan. Brigadier-General John Beatty was sent to Hillsboro’ with a brigade of infantry, to cover, and if necessary, support the movements of Colonel Wilder. Upon reaching Elk river it was found to be so swollen, in consequence of the recent rains, that it was impossible to ford it. Nothing daunted, the brave Colonel proceeded upstream along the banks, till he came to a place where there seemed a possibility of swimming his horse across. A raft was hastily constructed from the ruins of an old sawmill, and he thus floated his mountain howitzer over, by towing it with ropes. The One hundred and twenty-third Illinois, Colonel Monroe, had been sent on to destroy the bridge, but on arriving there found that he was late by about ten minutes, as three regiments of the rebel Withers’ division of infantry had arrived there and were protecting the bridge. Colonel Monroe, therefore, returned from his fruitless errand; and with the rest of Wilder’s command, moved on to Deckhard during the same night. There they had a sharp skirmish with about eighty men of the garrison, but finally drove them out, and in the darkness the rebels effected their escape. Colonel Wilder then destroyed the telegraph wires, captured the instruments, set fire to the depot, and tore up about three hundred yards of the Chattanooga railroad track. From there Colonel Wilder took