The ridge north of the river at the gap is known as Laurel Mountain, and the road passes over a spur of it.

Garnett regarded the two positions at Rich Mountain and Laurel Mountain as the gates to all the region beyond and to the West.

A rough mountain road, barely passable, connected the Laurel Mountain position with Cheat River on the east, and it was possible to go by this way northward through St.George to the Northwestern turnpike, turning the mountain ranges.
[Illustration: COMBAT AT RICH MOUNTAIN.] Garnett thought the pass over Rich Mountain much the stronger and more easily held, and he therefore intrenched there about 1300 of his men and four cannon, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Pegram.
[Footnote: Official Records, vol.ii.p.

268.] The position chosen was on a spur of the mountain near its western base, and it was rudely fortified with breastworks of logs covered with an abatis of slashed timber along its front.

The remainder of his force he placed in a similar fortified position on the road at Laurel Mountain, where he also had four guns, of which one was rifled.