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BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA18-20 September 1863
Dr Mark Gerges and Dr Greg Hospodor
Department of Military HistoryUS Army Command and General Staff College
Situation, summer 1863
Three victorious Union armiesGrant at Vicksburg,4 July 1863Meade at Gettysburg, 1-3 July 1863Rosecrans in Tullahoma Campaign, 24
June- 3 July
Why Tennessee?
MG George ThomasXIV Corps
MG William Rosecrans
Army of the Cumberland
MG Thomas CrittendenXXI Corps
MG Alexander McCookXX Corps
MG Gordon GrangerReserve Corps
LTG Leonidas PolkPolk’s Corps
Army of Tennessee19 September 1863
MG W.H. WalkerReserve Corps
LTG DH HillHill’s Corps
GEN Braxton Bragg
MG Simon B. BucknerBuckner’s Corps
Crossing the Tennessee and movement into Georgia
Nature of north Georgia: meandering stream, heavily wooded, etc
18 September
Confederates fight to cross the
Chickamauga stream
19 September
Confederates attack
19 September
By evening, Confederate attacks shift from north to
center of Union line
LTG Leonidas PolkRight Wing
Army of TennesseeMorning of 20 September
MG W.H. WalkerReserve Corps
LTG DH HillHill’s Corps
GEN Braxton Bragg
MG Simon B. BucknerBuckner’s Corps
MG John B. HoodLongstreet’s Corps
LTG James LongstreetLeft Wing
20 September
Morning- CSA attack resumes—but 4 hours late.
LTG Leonidas PolkRight Wing
BG Thomas Wood
20 September
11:00 a.m.:Union disaster!
MG William Rosecrans
MG George ThomasXIV Corps
20 September
Evening:
“Thomas is standing like a rock.”
BG James Garfield, chief of staff to Rosecrans
Results of the Battle
Rosecrans is "confused and stunned like a duck hit on the head.”
A. Lincoln
Union Army surrounded in Chattanooga
(on three sides)
and a new general set to arrive on the scene
BUT. . . Army of the Cumberland defeated, not destroyed.
Results of the Battle
Longstreet corps detached to Knoxville
Didn’t destroy the Army of the Cumberland.
Didn’t liberate any territory lost that summer.
Did stop advance towards Atlanta.
And a morale boost after a terrible summer. . .
Why did they fight in lines? Were they stupid?
Deployment
Theoretically there were around 100 men in each of 10 companies— around 1000 men. In reality, there were usually much less.
Flags played a key role in the regiment.
The “Flanks”
Model 1842 Smoothbore Musket—Buck and Ball Projectiles and Cartridge
Enfield Rifled Musket—Minie Projectiles and Cartridge
Bayonet
Small Arms
The Theoretical Arithmetic of Logistics
requires 3 pounds of food per day (not incl. water).
The daily individual ration for a Union soldier:20 ounces of fresh or salt beef or 12 ounces of pork or bacon1 pound of hard bread or 18 ounces of flour or 20 of cornmeal.
Additionally per every 100 men: 15 pounds of beans or peas10 pounds of rice or hominy10 pounds of green coffee or 1.5 pounds of tea15 pounds of sugar4 quarts of vinegar3.75 pounds of salt4 ounces of pepper30 pounds of potatoeswhen practicable, 1 quart of molasses.
Approximately: 3,000 calories.
Water and railroad supply allowed your army to look like this …
100,000 men rather than
this!
10,000 men
There are roughly 9,500 miles of rail lines in the Confederacy.
Advantages:
CAPACITY
A Civil War-era railcar could carry as much as 15 tons. One 10-car train could carry as many supplies as 150 wagons.
SPEED
A train traveled 5 times faster than a wagon train, which meant more round trips and that fewer resources needed to be devoted to supply services.
DEPENDABILITY
Anyone who has ever dealt with mules will tell you they have a mind of their own. Enough said!
AVAILABILITY
More rolling stock and locomotives could be produced on demand and in different models. This doesn’t apply to mules and horses!
As far as a logistician is concerned the advantages of
railroads are legion.
Can you think of any?
SECURITY
“We are much obliged to the Tennessee [River] which has favored us most opportunely, for I am never easy with a railroad which takes a whole army to guard, each foot of rail is essential to the whole; whereas, they can’t stop the Tennessee … .”
General William Tecumseh Sherman, “Sinews of War”
CAPACITY
An ordinary Ohio River steamboat of 500 tons carried enough supplies to supply an army of 40,000 men and 18,000 horses for nearly two days. This was the equivalent of five 10-car freight trains.
As good as railroads were for supply, knowledgeable commanders,
especially Union ones, preferred supply lines based on water transport.
Can you think of two reasons why?
The past is a foreign country . . .
Document based research and questions: Defend or refute Bragg’s statement that if it were not for the loss of
these four hours (on 20 Sept), "our independence might have been won.”
Why use military history?
Tactics: critical thinking, relationship between technology and tactics
Personalities: politics, leadership, irony
Battle: critical thinking, results– battle the arbiter
Battle analysis: Students assigned role of commanders
Discuss what they knew, what they thought they knew, and their decisions on a map.
Suggested Sources
The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, a.k.a the O.R. Steven E. Woodworth
Six Armies in Tennessee: The Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns.A Deep Steady Thunder: The Battle of Chickamauga
Robertson, William GlennThe Battle of Chickamauga: National Park Civil War Series.
"The Chickamauga Campaign: The Fall of Chattanooga." Blue & Gray Magazine, Fall 2006."The Chickamauga Campaign: McLemore's Cove." Blue & Gray Magazine, Spring 2007."The Chickamauga Campaign: The Armies Collide.” Blue & Gray Magazine, Fall 2007."The Chickamauga Campaign: The Battle of Chickamauga, Day 1." Blue & Gray Magazine, Spring 2008."The Chickamauga Campaign: The Battle of Chickamauga, Day 2." Blue & Gray Magazine, Summer 2008.
Some really good websites to start:National parks—www.nps.govNational Archives (NARA)—www.archives.gov
Questions?
MarkMark.gerges@us.army.mil
GregGregory.hospodor@us.army.mil
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