Chickamauga, GA

[Battle of Chickamauga by Kurz and Allison - Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Date(s): September 18-20, 1863  

Location: Please click on link below for map.

Campaign: Chickamauga Campaign [August-September 1863]

Battles in Campaign:

• Chattanooga, TN II - August 21, 1863 D¹

• Davis' Cross Roads, GA - September 10-11, 1863 C¹

• Chickamauga, GA - September 18-20, 1863 A

Situation:

Commanders:

• Union:  Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans and Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas

• Confederate: Gen. Braxton Bragg and Lt. Gen. James Longstreet

Principal Forces:

• Union: The Army of the Cumberland

• Confederate: Army of Tennessee

Description:

• After the Tullahoma Campaign, Rosecrans renewed his offensive, aiming to force the Confederates out of Chattanooga. The three army corps comprising Rosecrans’ army split and set out for Chattanooga by separate routes.

• In early September, Rosecrans consolidated his forces scattered in Tennessee and Georgia and forced Bragg’s army out of Chattanooga, heading south.

• The Union troops followed it and brushed with it at Davis’ Cross Roads.

• Bragg was determined to reoccupy Chattanooga and decided to meet a part of Rosecrans’ army, defeat them, and then move back into the city. On the 17th he headed north, intending to meet and beat the XXI Army Corps.

• As Bragg marched north on the 18th, his cavalry and infantry fought with Union cavalry and mounted infantry which were armed with Spencer repeating rifles.

• Fighting began in earnest on the morning of the 19th, and Bragg’s men hammered but did not break the Union line.

• The next day, Bragg continued his assault on the Union line on the left, and in late morning, Rosecrans was informed that he had a gap in his line.

• In moving units to shore up the supposed gap, Rosecrans created one, and James Longstreet’s men promptly exploited it, driving one-third of the Union army, including Rosecrans himself, from the field.

• George H. Thomas took over command and began consolidating forces on Horseshoe Ridge and Snodgrass Hill.

• Although the Confederates launched determined assaults on these forces, the Union held until after dark. Thomas then led these men from the field leaving it to the Confederates.

• The Union retired to Chattanooga while the Confederates occupied the surrounding heights.

Photo Gallery:²

Chickamauga National Battlefield, GA	Chicago Board of Trade Battery	Horse Drawn Artillery Units Cassion with team (top) Supply wagon with team (bottom)	Horse Drawn Artillery Units Cannon with team (top) Supply wagon wit team (bottom)
Forces in Battle Army of the Cumberland Army of Tennessee	Officer's tent	Army blacksmiths working at traveling forge	Spencer rifle
Union soldier	Confederate soldier	James Longstreet	George Thomas - "The Rock of Chickamauga"
Battlefield diorama	12-pounder rifled James	10-pounder Napleon	10-pounder Parrott
6-pounder smoothbore gun	12-pounder howitzer	3-inch ordinance rifle	Confederate battery
	Florida Monument		Morning of the second day of battle
15th U.S. Infantry	16th U.S. Infantry	Tour Stop 2	10th Wisconsin Infantry
Ohio Infantry with acorn	33rd Ohio Infantry	94th Ohio Infantry	38th Regiment Indiana Infantry
4th Indiana Battery		1st Wisconsin Infantry	70th Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry
21st Wisconsin Infantry		6th Regiment Indiania Infantry	80th Ohio Infantry
Battery D - 1st Ohio Light Artillery	31st Regiment Indiania Infantry	Battery F - 1st Ohio - Light Artillery
Texas Unit	Texas Unit	Texas Unit	Ohio Infantry Unit
38th Ohio Infantry	Alabama Monument
Battery C - 1st Ohio - Light Artillery	14th Ohio Infantry		Kolb's Alabama Battery
Kolb's Alabama Battery
			Headquarters Marker Buckner's Corps
			Dick's Brigade
Castle Monument		Wielder's Defense
			Site of Widow Glenn's House
39th Regiment Indiana Mounted Infantry	Ohio Sharpshooters	1st Ohio Cavalry
1st Wisconsin Cavalry	5th Wisconsin Battery	2nd Regiment Indiana Cavalry	Illinois Chicago Board of Trade Battery
9th Pennsylvanian Veteran Cavalry	3rd Ohio Cavalry	Tour Stop 7	Rout of the Union Right
		Headquarters Marker for Longstreet's Corps
		2nd Regiment Minnesota Veteran Volunteer Infantry	2nd Regiment Minnesota Veteran Volunteer Infantry
9th Ohio Infantry	18th Ohio Infantry	Stanley's Brigade	Donnell's Brigade

Classification³: A

Casualties⁴:

• Union:  16,170

• Confederate: 18,454

Results: Confederate Victory

Battlefield Websites:

• Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park - National Park Service  

• Battle of Chickamauga - Answers.com

• Battle of Chickamauga - HistoryAnimated.com

• Battle of Chickamauga - Reenactment

• Battle of Chickamauga: 21st Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry and Their Colt's Revolving Rifles - Civil War Times article

• The Battle of Chickamauga - National Park Service Civil War Series

Recommended Resources:

¹ National Park Service summary.

² Please click on the image to enlarge it. You may copy the images if you include the following note and link with each image: "Courtesy of civil-war-journeys.org."

³ Classification:

• A - having a decisive influence on a campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war

• B - having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign

• C - having observable influence on the outcome of a campaign

• D - having a limited influence on the outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important local objectives

⁴ Casualties are someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.

Revised 07/24/2011