THE GREAT BATTLE IN GEORGIA: Desperate Fighting on Both Sides; The Losses Estimated at Thirty Thousand (9/22/1863)

New York Times - Times Machine | 9/22/1863

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4183933/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Great Battle in Georgia: Desperate Fighting on Both Sides – 2
The Mississippi River: An Attack by Guerrillas – 2
From Missouri and Kansas: Soldiers Shot by Guerrillas – 2
The War in Louisiana: A Successful Expedition to Alexandria – 2-3
The Late Fight Near Knoxville – 3
The Battle of Antietam: Its Anniversary in the Army of the Potomac – 3-4
News from Washington: Our Special Washington Dispatches – 4
Base Ball: Daily Times vs. Sunday Mercury – 4
Editorial: The Battle in Georgia – 5
Editorial: The Anglo-Rebel Rams – 5
Editorial: Trouble in Missouri – 5-6
Progress of Unionism in Tennessee – 6
Editorial: Delays in the Prize Courts – 6

[FreedomPoster]

The Great Battle in Georgia, AKA The Battle of Chickamauga. Less than 90 minutes from where I sit.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Less than 90 minutes from where I sit.

Slightly longer by mule.

[FreedomPoster]

I have about 350 of them. Well, horses. That’s how I can do it in 90m.

😜

[FreedomPoster]

And it has been literally decades since I’ve been to the battlefield proper. I should probably put that on the “make a day trip” list.

[dangus]

Tbe Battle of Chickamauga. The subtle, valid propaganda is interesting: the headline is “The Great Battle in Georgia,” emphasizing that the Union has now breached the core of the confederacy. East Tennessee was anti-slavery; it was dragged by the rest of Tennessee into seceding, and was almost severed, like West Virginia, except the Union couldn’t occupy it, so it defaulted to confederate control. Therefore, “capturing” East Tennessee wasn’t a big deal. (To this day, Tennessee is divided into three governmental regions, including East Tennessee.) To be in Georgia, on the other hand!

Deaths and casualties ended up beng fairly similar, with more Union troops being captured, but more Confederate troops being injured without capture.

Taken as a single battle, Chickamauga would go down in history as a confederate victory, because the Confederates repulsed the Northern attack. But Bragg was unable to claim most of the equipment briefly left by the Union, nor capitalize on the gains made possible by retreat. The Union was quickly able to regroup and, boosted by increasing numbers, take Chattanooga. Once the confederate seige of Chattanooga was lifted, the Union was quickly able to consolidate East Tennessee by winning the Battle of Knoxville. Once Spring came, the Atlanta campaign would begin.

[dangus]

To be clear, before the history buffs jump all over me: The Confederacy fought HARD for East Tennessee; Chickamauga was the second bloodies battle of the war by some measures, and the Battle of Knoxville was a key victory almost three years into the war. And East Tennessee was the spine that united the Confederacy! I meant only that from a political perspective, East Tennessee wasn’t core Confederacy

[Yardstick]

(To this day, Tennessee is divided into three governmental regions, including East Tennessee.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I guess each region has its “capital city” — Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville.

[ReformedBeckite]

...Deaths and casualties ended up being fairly similar, with more Union troops being captured, but more Confederate troops being injured without capture.

I wonder if the confederate injuries/casualties were a result of some or many of the Union troops having Spencer Rifles. I know some units had Spencer rifles, but I have no concept of how many of the total union troops had Spencer rifles (% wise).

Also did the Union Side have more cannons then the Confederate Side, or was this more of a battle of rifles.

[dangus]

About Spencer rifles: Probably? Google says that Rosencranz (who led the Union army at Chickamauga) used them heavily in the June, 1863 Battle of Hoover’s Gap, part of the Tullahoma campaign.

[dangus]

They’re called the Grand Divisions of Tennessee. Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville are absolutely the economic capitals of each Division, there’s not much in law to maintain the three Divisions; they’re each sorta the natural result of geography. The main legal affect is in representation to non-elective offices: for some examples, no more than two of five Supreme Court justices can come from the same region; the state textbook committee includes one non-teacher from each region; the Public Services Commission required each of the three commissioners to be from a different Division.

Most of the continuing effects of the Divisions simply come spontaneously from the cultural differences.

[Bull Snipe]

vast majority of Spencer rifles were carbines and issued to cavalry units. The long version of the Spencer was not widely issued to infantry units.

[ReformedBeckite]

I'm not positively sure but I think Col John T. Wilder (In charge of the Lightning Brigade) bought those rifles and/or his troops bought them but I think at that time they were trying to get the military department involved in getting them for the various troops involved. So I do not know if by the time of the Battle of Hoovers Gap whether the military had reimbursed the troops assuming they bought them first.
---But to keep that battle in perspective, the Confederates were pretty spread out across middle Tennessee probably so much so that I wouldn't doubt if the Union outnumbered the Confederates by a four to one at Hoover's gap, either way at that point in the Tullahoma Campaign Gen Bragg realized his the lost at Hoover's Gap was going to cause the Union army to get around his Right and at that point it was a foot chase to get across the ?Duck River in ?Manchester before the Union army could block him.

[Hiddigeigei]

"The Great Battle in Georgia, AKA The Battle of Chickamauga. Less than 90 minutes from where I sit."
A letter to my great grandfather:
Dear Uncle

I have a little time and I thought I would write you a short letter.

We have had a hard battle and Mungo is among the missing.

We fought the 19th and 20th, and on the 20th our regiment was overpowered and our regiment fell back in some confusion, and was re-lined again, and was drove back again, and when we were going back the regiment scattered, and he has not been seen since.

That is all I can tell you about him but I think likely he has been taken prisoner. Though I can tell you something else ... He fought like a man that had the good of his country at stake.

Louis Baird was wounded in the thigh; but not bad. S. H. Henry was wounded in the same place, but not bad. Buarcad Bennett was wounded in the lungs; I dont think he will live. Jefferson Wilson was wounded and in the hands of the enemy. I do not know how bad he is. There were one killed, 14 wounded and 9 missing out of our company (Company K, 31st Ohio Volunteer Infantry). We went in with 48. They were over-powered and had to fall back to this place but we were not whiped (sic). The enemy lost more men than we did and we lost a great many but how many I do not know. There were 200 lost in our regiment, killed wounded and missing. We are expecting a fight here tomorrow. We are well fortified and can whip two to our one.

We are looking for reinforcements; probably they will be here tomorrow. I will have to close, for I am tired. I have been hard at work all day on the fortifications. I have written most of this by moonlight, so you will have to excuse me. Probably you can read it.

I hope Mungo is alive and well, and I think probably he is but a prisoner.

I will close by bidding you goodbye. I will write in a few days and give you all the news I cannot write tonight. You must write.

As ever
S. A. Heriman

I got a couple of letters for Mungo today. My love to all.

S. A. Heriman

[Hiddigeigei]

Actually, “Dear Uncle” was my great great grandfather. Mungo was my Grandmother’s Uncle.