George Right Smith - The Tennessee Campaign

The Tennessee Campaign

Battle of Chickamauga – In September 1863, Longstreet's Corps left the armies of northern Virginia by rail to join the Battle of Chickamauga in northwest Georgia, near Dalton. The corps bolstered the forces of General Bragg's Army of Tennessee. He used these reinforcements in a vicious two day battle, September 19 and 20, gaining one of the few confederate victories in the southwest. But, the 18th Georgia Regiment did not participate since they only arrived on the field the day after the battle. The Union forces, under the command of General Rosencrans, fell back into Chattanooga, Tennessee. Instead of vigorously pursuing Rosencrans and pressing the siege of Chattanooga, General Bragg encircled the city hoping to starve the Union commander into surrendering. But, by Oct 23rd, General Grant had arrived and the river route to Bridgeport was opened, the threat of starvation ended. Longstreet wrote after the war, "Our last opportunity was lost when we failed to follow the success at Chickamauga and capture or disperse the Union army."

October 28 and 29, 1863 found the 18th Georgia Regiment engaged in battles around Wauhatchie, Tennessee.

Siege of Knoxville – Bragg sent Longstreet's Corps off in a futile attempt to capture Knoxville on November 5. The 18th Georgia Regiment found itself in a small skirmish on November 15 at Little River, Tennessee. On November 27 and 28, 1863, two brigades of cavalry from Virginia joined Longstreet and 3500 men from Bragg's Army. On the 29th, Longstreet attacked Fort Loudon, but his troops were slaughtered in the ditches around the fort. He withdrew, and on December 3 started northward. By December 12, his forces arrived at Rogersville, and on the 15th he attempted to capture three brigades of Federal cavalry at Beans Station. The attempt failed.

January 16 and 17, the 18th Georgia was engaged in operations around Dandridge, Tennessee, east of Knoxville.

Mar 25, 1864, George Right Smith was promoted to the grade of 1st Lieutenant. On April 11, Longstreet received orders to return to the Army of Northern Virginia just before the violent Atlanta Campaign by the Union began. By the 5th of May he was back in the lines with the Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.