On September 18th, 19th, and 20th, in 1863, the biggest battle ever fought in Georgia took place, The Battle of Chickamauga. Marked as the end of a Union offense the Battle of Chickamauga was fought between Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War, the Chickamauga Campaign, in Southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia brought Union and Confederate troops to Chickamauga. The Battle of Chickamauga was the first crucial battle of the Civil War that was fought in Georgia, it is considerably the most significant Union defeat, and involved the second highest total amount of casualties after the Battle of Gettysburg. The Chickamauga Campaign, beginning in late June of 1863, as the Union troops of Cumberland under Major General …show more content…
Alternatively, on August 29, 1863, the Union troops cut across the Tennessee River at many acess spots west and southwest of Chattanooga. The troops of the Cumberland, with almost 60,000 men, advanced southeastward in three separated groups over the mountain and valley of northeast Alabama and northwest Georgia to threaten Bragg’s railroad supply line. As Bragg learned of the enemy behind him, he became worried, he then deserted Chattanooga and fell back towards the south, even though Confederate reinforcements arrived from Mississippi and East …show more content…
Braggs plan was to attack the Confederates right side of troops and begin toward the south to get Union troops away from Chattanooga. Union reinforcements began to help and pushed back the Southerners, even though Confederates were still attacking. Union soldiers stayed alive, bloodily and protected the rest from attacks by Polk’s troops. Mid-day of September 20, Rosecrans assumed that Union troops created a divide and moved the Confederates out of position. Rosecrans ordered Brigadier General Thomas J. Wood to fill the divide, to fix the situation. With hundreds of Southerners moving in the gap still open from the plan made by Wood, but a huge Confederate attack led by Longstreet began at the same time. Rosecrans, several troops, and principal subordinates retreated north toward Chattanooga, due to disaster with the center and right sides of the Union troops. On Snodgrass Hill or also known as Horseshoe Ridge some Northern troops formed a line. Confederates tried to attack Snodgrass Hill and the Union troops on the hill but were unable to capture that position. Later that evening, Union general Thomas withdrew his troops and headed back toward Chickamauga to safety in Missionary Ridge. The name “Rock of Chickamauga” was given to General Thomas for his courage that