Chickamauga & Chattanooga – Death Knell of the Confederacy
"This…is the death-knell of the Confederacy."
– A Confederate soldier after the Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga.
The autumn of 1863 witnessed some of the most intensely brutal combat of the American Civil War as Union and Confederate forces clashed for control of Chattanooga, Tennessee. This strategically vital rail center, aptly nicknamed the "Gateway to the Deep South," was fiercely contested. While the Confederates initially triumphed at the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, in September, the resurgent Union forces secured a decisive victory in Chattanooga in November, seizing control of the city. The impact of these battles was so profound that a Confederate soldier somberly declared, "This…is the death knell of the Confederacy." The battles of Chickamauga & Chattanooga marked a crucial turning point in the war, setting the stage for the Union’s eventual triumph.
The Battle of Chickamauga: A Confederate Victory, Pyrrhic in Nature
In a series of calculated maneuvers, Union Major General William Rosecrans skillfully forced Confederate General Braxton Bragg to withdraw from Middle Tennessee and, critically, from Chattanooga. Bragg, however, was not routed. He established a defensive position, carefully guarding the Tennessee River crossings northeast of the city. Rosecrans, demonstrating his tactical prowess, outflanked Bragg by crossing the Tennessee River well below Chattanooga in early September, compelling Bragg to retreat southward.
Bragg, elusive in his retreat, strategically concentrated his forces at LaFayette, Georgia, approximately 26 miles south of Chattanooga. There, reinforcements swelled his ranks to over 66,000 men. He twice attempted to strike isolated segments of Rosecrans’s army, but failed to achieve a decisive blow. On September 18, 1863, Bragg, aiming to position his army between the Federals and Chattanooga, deployed his troops along the west bank of Chickamauga Creek. The stage was set for a bloody and protracted battle.
Preliminary Actions: Setting the Stage for Conflict
The preliminary skirmishes on September 18th foreshadowed the intense fighting to come. Three advanced brigades of Confederate General James Longstreet’s Corps, arriving from Virginia, reached Ringgold, Georgia. One brigade immediately joined Brigadier General Bushrod R. Johnson’s division, preparing to cross Chickamauga Creek at Reed’s Bridge. Union cavalry, under the command of Colonel Robert H. G. Minty and mounted infantry led by Colonel John T. Wilder, offered fierce resistance, guarding the bridges and delaying the Southern troops’ crossing for several crucial hours. Minty’s men dismantled Alexander’s Bridge during the skirmishing, forcing Walker to proceed to Lambert’s Ford, a half-mile downstream. Despite the Union efforts, the Confederates utilized other fords and crossings throughout the late afternoon and night, ultimately crossing the majority of their forces (excluding three divisions) to the west side of Chickamauga Creek.
The Union forces were not idle during this time. Rosecrans strategically repositioned Thomas’s corps northeastward, above and behind Crittenden, preventing Bragg from outflanking the Federal line. Negley’s Division remained near Crawfish Springs (now Chickamauga), Major General Joseph J. Reynolds’s Division near Widow Glenn’s, and Brigadier Generals Absalom Baird’s and John M. Brannan’s Divisions covered the roads leading to Reed’s and Alexander’s Bridges. General McCook’s Corps moved into position in McLemore’s Cove.
At dawn on September 19th, the two armies faced each other along several miles of Chickamauga Creek banks. Rosecrans had skillfully maneuvered the Army of the Cumberland into a position that interposed itself between Bragg and Chattanooga. His Reserve Corps, under General Granger, was stationed at McAfee’s Church near Rossville, Georgia. Thomas’s Fourteenth Army Corps formed the Union’s left flank a few miles south of Granger, extending in a southwesterly line to Crawfish Spring, where it connected with McCook, forming the right flank in McLemore’s Cove. Crittenden’s 21st Army Corps remained concentrated at Lee and Gordon’s Mills, slightly ahead of the other two corps, to protect the Union’s front.
First Day of Battle: A Confused and Bloody Clash
The opening shots of the Battle of Chickamauga were fired early on September 19th. Major General George H. Thomas ordered Brigadier General John M. Brannan to reconnoiter the Confederate forces crossing Chickamauga Creek. In the course of this reconnaissance, Colonel John T. Croxton’s infantry brigade unexpectedly encountered Confederate General Nathan B. Forrest’s cavalry, dismounted and serving as infantry, at Jay’s Mill near Reed’s Bridge. This accidental encounter ignited the full-scale battle.
Croxton initially drove Forrest and his men back, but Confederate reinforcements quickly arrived, forcing Croxton to yield ground. Realizing that a major conflict was underway, the commanding generals on both sides rapidly committed troops to the fight. The battle lines shifted constantly as first one side, then the other, gained a temporary advantage. Rosecrans rushed his troops from Crawfish Springs by rapid and forced marches. Bragg ordered his left-wing divisions to cross to the west side of Chickamauga Creek. By mid-afternoon, heavy fighting had spread along a jagged line approximately three miles long. With the exception of Union Major General Gordon Granger’s reserve force, all of the Union divisions became involved. The Confederate troops were also largely engaged, with the exception of Generals T.C. Hindman and J.C. Breckinridge, who crossed over late in the afternoon and night.
The first day of battle ended with little decisive progress. Bragg’s troops had reached the LaFayette-Chattanooga Road but were unable to hold the position. Neither side could claim a clear victory. Bragg had failed to crush the Union left, and Rosecrans still controlled the roads to Chattanooga. The losses on both sides were severe, a grim testament to the ferocity of the fighting.
As darkness fell, the fighting ceased, but there was little respite for the exhausted soldiers. Rosecrans consolidated the Army of the Cumberland into a more compact defensive line. Thomas’s Corps, heavily reinforced, formed the left flank in a bulge east of the LaFayette Road at Kelly’s Field. The Confederates could hear the sound of axes throughout the night as the Union troops felled trees and constructed breastworks to strengthen their defenses. In the center, General Alexander McCook’s Corps faced Lafayette Road, while Major General Thomas L. Crittenden’s Corps on the right was positioned slightly withdrawn west of the road.
Longstreet arrived with two more brigades during the night, ready for action. Bragg reorganized the Army of Tennessee into two wings for offensive action the next day, placing Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk in command of the right wing and Longstreet in command of the left. The Confederate Army, facing west between Chickamauga Creek and the LaFayette Road, formed a line roughly parallel with the road.
Second Day of Battle: A Decisive Breakthrough and a Heroic Stand
On September 20th, Bragg renewed his efforts to drive a wedge between the Union force and Chattanooga, but initially failed to dislodge Rosecrans’s line. However, a sudden and devastating gap opened in the Federal ranks due to a misinterpreted order. Confederate forces exploited this opening, smashing through and routing Rosecrans and nearly half his army. In the face of this disaster, General George H. Thomas rallied the remaining Federal troops, establishing a new defensive line on Snodgrass Hill. His men, displaying remarkable courage and tenacity, held their ground against repeated Confederate assaults, earning Thomas the enduring nickname "The Rock of Chickamauga."
After dark, Thomas’s forces withdrew from the field to the defenses of Chattanooga, effectively ceding the battlefield to the Confederates. Bragg’s army pursued and besieged the city. The Southerners prevented Federal supplies from entering the city by positioning artillery on the heights overlooking the river and blocking roads and rail lines, creating a critical supply shortage for the Union troops. The Battle of Chickamauga & Chattanooga were difficult to win.
Union Reinforcements and the Tide Turns
Aware of Rosecrans’s desperate situation, Union authorities in Washington ordered reinforcements to his relief. General Joseph Hooker arrived from Virginia in late October, and General William T. Sherman brought reinforcements from Mississippi in mid-November. Thomas replaced Rosecrans as head of the Army of the Cumberland, and General Ulysses S. Grant assumed overall command of the Western Theater.
Within days of Grant’s arrival in October, the situation began to improve dramatically. Federal troops opened a supply route, nicknamed the “Cracker Line,” from Bridgeport, Alabama, alleviating the severe food shortages within Chattanooga.
The Siege of Chattanooga: A Struggle for Survival
Following the Union retreat to Chattanooga, Thomas established a defensive perimeter. The Tennessee River formed a natural barrier to the north, though pontoon bridges and ferries provided potential escape routes. Lookout Mountain dominated the west, while Missionary Ridge, now under Confederate control, completed the encirclement to the east and south.
Confederate troops established siege positions around Chattanooga, effectively dominating the Union lines. Bragg’s men controlled all railroads leading into the town, Confederate batteries and sharpshooters commanded the Tennessee River, halting river traffic, and they controlled the roads on the south side of the river, placing the sole road north of the river leading to Bridgeport, the nearest Union supply base, under fire. Only the road over Walden’s Ridge and down through the Sequatchie Valley to Bridgeport remained open to Rosecrans.
Reinforcing the Besieged: A Logistical Challenge
As early as September 13th, General in Chief Halleck ordered reinforcements sent to Rosecrans. These dispatches, however, were delayed, and the Battle of Chickamauga & Chattanooga was fought before Grant received the orders. Grant immediately instructed four divisions under Sherman to march to Chattanooga.
The War Department in Washington considered the situation so critical that President Abraham Lincoln was awakened late at night to attend a council meeting. The movement of the Eleventh and Twelfth Army Corps from the Army of the Potomac to Tennessee was a remarkable feat of logistics, showcasing the capabilities of the railroads and the War Department’s planning.
Opening the "Cracker Line": A Lifeline for the Union Army
Grant found a plan already in place to open a new supply line for the besieged army. The plan involved a coordinated operation utilizing pontoons to float troops down the river from Chattanooga while another force marched across Moccasin Point to support the landings. This successful operation opened a short line of communication between Chattanooga and Bridgeport, known as the “Cracker Line,” dramatically improving the supply situation for the Union troops.
Shifting Commands and Impending Battle
Command of the two armies underwent significant changes during the siege. Grant replaced Rosecrans, and the Union army was reorganized. In the Confederate camp, Polk was relieved of command, and Bragg reorganized his army into three corps.
The Battle of Chattanooga: Breaking the Siege
With the Confederate Army divided, Grant planned a coordinated assault. Sherman was to attack the north end of Missionary Ridge, while Hooker would take Lookout Mountain and then move against the Confederate left and rear. Thomas’s Army of the Cumberland was to support Sherman.
The stage was set for a final, decisive confrontation. The Battle of Chickamauga & Chattanooga was ready to resume.
Orchard Knob: A Preliminary Victory
On November 23rd, Thomas launched a demonstration to test the Confederate lines, resulting in the capture of Orchard Knob, a low hill in front of Missionary Ridge. This preliminary victory boosted Union morale and disrupted Confederate defensive plans.
Lookout Mountain: The "Battle Above the Clouds"
On November 24th, Hooker launched an attack on Lookout Mountain. The battle, fought amidst heavy fog and mist, became known as the "Battle Above the Clouds." Union forces steadily drove the Confederates from their positions on the mountain, securing a strategic victory.
Missionary Ridge: The Decisive Assault
On November 25th, Grant ordered a full-scale assault on Missionary Ridge. Sherman attacked the Confederate right, but was repulsed. In the center, Thomas’s troops, initially ordered only to take the rifle pits at the base of the ridge, spontaneously charged up the steep slopes, overwhelming the Confederate defenders in a stunning display of courage. The Confederate line collapsed, and Bragg’s troops retreated in disarray.
The Union victory at Missionary Ridge broke the siege of Chattanooga and opened the way for Sherman’s subsequent campaign through Georgia. The Battles of Chickamauga & Chattanooga were over, and a Union victory secured.
Legacy: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Today, the battle sites of Chickamauga and Chattanooga are preserved as part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, dedicated in 1895. The park features monuments, historical markers, hiking trails, and visitor centers, offering visitors a chance to learn about the history of these pivotal battles and to honor the soldiers who fought there. The park serves as a lasting tribute to the significance of Chickamauga & Chattanooga in the American Civil War.