Chickamauga - Tennessee Historic Site
Where is Chickamauga?
Did you know: The Battle of Chickamauga which generated roughly 34,500 casualties was named for nearby Chickamauga Creek, which Cherokee Indian legend says was nicknamed the “river of death”.
BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA
When thinking about epic battles of the Civil War, Gettysburg comes to mind first to many people, but one lesser known conflict ranks second to that event in terms of total casualties. The Battle of Chickamauga occurred on September 19th- 20th, 1863- less than three months after the Battle of Gettysburg and marked the most significant Union defeat in the western theatre of the war.
Fought between the Union Army of the Cumberland led by General William Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg, the conflict was named for the nearby Chickamauga Creek which meanders through northwest Georgia and eventually flows into the Tennessee River near Chattanooga. After his successful Tullahoma Campaign, Rosecrans attempted to drive Bragg’s forces out of the strategic crossroads city of Chattanooga, rallying Union forces scattered in Tennessee and Georgia to push the rebels southward. Bragg was determined to reoccupy the city and headed north on September 17, 1863, skirmishing the next day with Union cavalry armed with Spencer repeating rifles. Bragg led his men in a major assault against Union troops on September 19th, but could not break the Federal line.
A mistake in intelligence caused the defeat of Rosecrans’ Army. The next day, he got word that there was a gap in his fortifications and he redeployed troops to fill the perceived space. This move allowed Confederate troops under General Longstreet to push forward, forcing one third of the Union Army including Rosecrans himself from the field of battle. Although Union reinforcements under General George Thomas did arrive to stem the offensive, their efforts were met with ferocious resistance by the rebels, causing Rosecrans to retreat. Confederate troops occupied the high ground and later besieged the city of Chattanooga in an embarrassing defeat for the North.
Today the Battle of Chickamauga is remembered at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park which spans across both Georgia and Tennessee. More about Chickamauga...