Battle of Chickamauga

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)