Battle of Chickamauga

Overview

The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18–20, 1863, between the United States Army, or Union Army, and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a U.S. Army offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. It was the first major battle of the war fought in Georgia and the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater, and it involved the second-highest number of casualties after the Battle of Gettysburg.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 18–20, 1863, ended the Union's Chickamauga Campaign in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. It was the first major battle of the war fought in Georgia and stands as the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater. With combined casualties exceeding 34,000—second only to Gettysburg—the engagement halted the offensive momentum Rosecrans had built and forced Union forces back toward Chattanooga. The Confederate forces under Bragg, reinforced by Longstreet's corps, succeeded in breaking Union lines and driving the Army of the Cumberland from the field, though Thomas's stand prevented a complete rout. The defeat shifted the operational situation in the West, setting the stage for the subsequent siege of Chattanooga and the command changes that followed.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (8)