on the 19-20th
of September 1863, between the Federal army of the Cumberland under
Major-General W.S. Rosecrans and the Confederate army under General
Braxton Bragg. For the general operations of Rosecrans' army in 1863 see
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. A successful war of manoeuvre had brought the army
of the Cumberland from Murfreesboro to Decherd, Tenn., and Bragg's army
lay on the Tennessee at and above Chattanooga. Rosecrans was expected by
the enemy to manoeuvre so as to gain touch with the Union forces in
the upper Tennessee valley, but he formed an entirely different plan of
operations. One part of the army demonstrated in front of Chattanooga,
and the main body secretly crossed the river about Stevenson and
Bridgeport (September 4th). The country was mountainous, the roads few
and poor, and the Federals had to take full supplies of food, forage and
ammunition with them, but Rosecrans was an able commander, his troops
were in good hands, and he accepted the risks involved. These were
intensified by the want of good maps, and, in the event, at one moment
the army was placed in a position of great danger. A corps under A. McD.
McCook moved south-eastward across the ridges to Alpine, another under
Thomas marched via Trenton on McLemore's Cove. The presence of Federal
masses in Lookout Valley caused Bragg to abandon Chattanooga at once,
and the object of the manoeuvre was thus accomplished; but owing to
the want of good maps the Union army was at the same time exposed to
great danger. The head of Thomas's column was engaged at Dug Gap, on the
11th, against the flank guard of Bragg's army, and at the time McCook
was far away to the south, and Crittenden's corps, which had occupied
Chattanooga on the 9th, was also at a distance. Thomas was isolated, but
Rosecrans, like every other commander under whom he served, placed
unbounded confidence in his tenacity, and if Bragg was wrong in
neglecting to attack him on the 14th, subsequent events went far to
disarm criticism. By the 18th of September Rosecrans had at last
collected his army on Chickamauga Creek covering Chattanooga. But Bragg
had now received heavy reinforcements, and lay, concentrated for battle,
on the other side of the Creek.

[Illustration: CHICKAMAUGA]

The terrain of the battle of Chickamauga (19th-20th of September) had
little influence on its course. Both armies lay in the plain, the two
lines roughly parallel. Bragg's intention was to force his attack home
on