Tag: Wauhatchie

The Relief Column At Brown’s Ferry the sound of the battle to the south alerted Hooker that his rear may be in trouble. MG Oliver Howard, commanding XI Corps, was ordered to double quick his nearest division to Geary’s aid. MG Carl Shurz got his two divisions ready for the rescue mission. The division of […]

Battle Joined Bratton’s efforts to get into position continued for two hours after the appointed attack time. The nearly full moon was obscured by clouds and the darkness made it impossible, according to Geary, “to see a body of men only 100 yards distant.” Bratton’s skirmishers finally made contact with the Federal pickets about 0030 […]

Geary Deploys BG John Geary took his responsibility seriously although he felt he was operating under difficult circumstances. On the 25th he had reached Bridgeport with only one regiment and 2 sections of artillery because his command was stretched from “Tullahoma to Murfreesboro guarding the railroad.” By the 27th he had gathered four regiments ( […]

Introduction The autumn of 1863 found Union forces in southern Tennessee in a very difficult position. The post-Chickamauga retreat into Chattanooga left the commander, MG William Rosecrans, in an impossible political/military predicament. Nearly every entry into the city was covered by the Confederates making adequate logistical support for his army impossible. Unfortunately, abandonment of the […]