Maps of Chickamauga

Map Legend

The Battle
     The Campaign
     Sept. 18th, 1863
     Sept. 19th, 1863
     Sept. 20th, 1863

Then and Now

Order of Battle

Monuments

Wargaming Chickamauga

Conclusions

Bibliography

            The stage was set for the great Battle of Chickamauga by the early morning of September 19^th.  Three Confederate infantry corps and one cavalry corps were on the west side of Chickamauga Creek and ready to attack in Bragg’s effort to turn what he thought was the Union left flank.  The hope was to crush the Union left and force them south back into McLemore’s Cove, effectively trapping them and forcing them to surrender or be destroyed.

However, Thomas’s night march had brought the Union left wing far to the north at the Kelly farmstead along the Lafayette Road.  In addition, two brigades of the Reserve Corps had been marched down Reed’s Bridge Road to support Minty’s cavalry brigade in the actions of the day before.  They arrived just as the trailing end of Bushrod Johnson’s division was marching down the road, capturing several stragglers.  This action convinced Col. Dan McCook that he could potentially trap an isolated Rebel brigade on the west side of the river, unaware of the presence of the bulk of the Confederate army to the south, already on the west side.  His plan was to attack at daylight.  The ensuing action would throw Bragg off balance, as he did not expect a fight so far to the north of his current position.