Union and Confederate armies collided during the fall of 1863 in some of the hardest fighting of the Civil War. The prize was Chattanooga, vital rail center and gateway to the Confederacy. The campaign that brought the armies here began in June 1863 when General William S. Rosecrans' Army of the Cumberland, almost 60,000 strong, moved from Murfreesboro, Tennessee against General Braxton Bragg's 43,000 Confederates dug in 20 miles to the southwest defending the road to Chattanooga.
This reenactment video was filmed over two days in 1988 for the 125th anniversary of the battle. The battle action began around the Brotherton house on Saturday. On Sunday, the highlight of the assault, Longstreet's Breakthrough and the Defense of Snodgrass Hill were reenacted. Over 4,000 men and 50 artillery pieces participated.
About the Battle of Chickamauga:
After the Tullahoma Campaign, General William S. Rosecrans renewed his offensive, aiming to force the Confederates out of Chattanooga. Rosecrans' s army split and set out for Chattanooga by three separate routes. In early September, Rosecrans consolidated his troops, forced Bragg's army out of Chattanooga, and headed south. Bragg was determined to reoccupy Chattanooga and decided to meet a part of Rosecrans' army, defeat them, and then move back into the city. As Bragg marched north on the 18th, his cavalry and infantry fought with Union cavalry and mounted infantry that 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. On September 20th 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 Rebels launched determined assaults on these forces, they held until after dark. Thomas then led these men from the field leaving it to the Confederates. The Union retired to Chattanooga while the Rebels occupied the surrounding heights. Estimated Casualties: 34,624 total.
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| Chickamauga “The Battle for Chattanooga” | |