The Battle of Bull's Gap was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring from November 11 to November 13, 1864, in Hamblen County and Greene County, Tennessee. In November 1864, Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge undertook an expedition into East Tennessee from Virginia to secure the countryside for food and forage and to drive the Federals from the area. A Federal force under the command of Brig. Gen. Alvan C. Gillem had advanced beyond Greeneville, but retired in front of the larger Confederate force moving out of Jonesborough towards Greeneville. In the hopes of protecting the rail lines to Knoxville, the Federals fell back to Bull's Gap east-southeast of Whitesburg on the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad.