Chickamauga, Georgia

After Gettysburg, both armies maneuvered for position. Lincoln wanted to maintain pressure and pressed Rosecrans to advance with the Army of the Cumberland. Although slow to act, “Old Rosy,” as his troops called him, executed a masterful campaign and forced …

1863-09-19

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After Gettysburg, both armies maneuvered for position. Lincoln wanted to maintain pressure and pressed Rosecrans to advance with the Army of the Cumberland. Although slow to act, “Old Rosy,” as his troops called him, executed a masterful campaign and forced Bragg to abandon Chattanooga. Meanwhile, Bragg received reinforcements under the command of Longstreet from the Army of Northern Virginia. Bragg planned to drive the Union from Chattanooga and ordered Polk to attack the Union left at Chickamauga, while Longstreet would advance on the Union center. Rosecrans ordered a division from the center to move to support Thomas, who was being pressed by Polk. The move created a gap in the Union battle line, and it was at this point that Longstreet launched his attack and smashed through the Union center. Rosecrans and his army, except for Thomas, raced back to Chattanooga. Thomas, despite repeated attacks, held fast, earning him the nickname “Rock of Chickamauga.” Although the battle had been a Confederate victory, Bragg had failed to regain Chattanooga for the Confederacy.

Chickamauga, Georgia

The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18 – 20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. It was the first major battle of the war fought in Georgia, the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater, and involved the second-highest number of casualties after the Battle of Gettysburg.

Wikipedia: Battle of Chickamauga

the Confederacy

the Union