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CHICKAMAUGA

Sept. 1863, in a heavily wooded area of north Georgia, south of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the makings of another day of battle was occurring during the night when both sides were shifting their troops' positions. In the Battle of Chickamauga, neither army really knew the exact position of the other in the thick woods and difficult terrain or even the positions of their own. The armies were spread out by about six miles. General Rosecrans' Union army prepared defensive positions, and General Bragg of the South planned an attack. The next day saw several errors on each side due to the conditions. Rosecrans retreated to Chattanooga to regroup and escape what he thought was complete defeat of his army. The scene of the battle was one where neither Bragg nor Rosecrans wanted to fight. The thick forest limited visibility to 150 feet, less than rifle range. Cannon were useless, real battle lines didn't exist, command level tactical decisions difficult, and fighting was often hand-to-hand. Both generals knew that neither would come out a winner under these conditions. The field on which they fought was not the choice of the generals, but the choice of fate.

The Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park at Fort Oglethorpe, GA is dedicated to both battles and is situated between the two cities of Chattanooga, TN and Chickamauga, GA.