19th Tennessee Infantry - Chickamauga

Chickamauga

During the winter of 1863, a Christian movement of "big revivals" developed among the Army of Tennessee, along with a great deal of dissension against Gen. Braxton Bragg. Bragg was a fairly good military strategist, but his personality was strongly detested by his commanders and ranks. Thus, his campaigns tended to be well planned, but poorly executed by his commanders.

Bragg's army entered Chattanooga on July 7, 1863. By this time, Vicksburg and Middle Tennessee had fallen, and Lee had been defeated at Gettysburg. The 19th Tennessee dug in on a hill above the town's landing and awaited the federals. Federal artillery soon began to bombard the town on soldiers and civilians alike. On September 8, Bragg realized that Rosecran's army was behind him and that the Army of Tennessee would have to abandon its fortifications or be cut off, and so his forces abandoned Chattanooga and marched toward Rome, Georgia.

By this time, Federal troops occupied much of East Tennessee and with Unionist guerrillas anxious to punish the region's Rebels and their families, desertions from the army rose dramatically, taking their toll on on all units, including the 19th. However, some "deserters" were actually decoys sent by Bragg to make the Confederate Army of Tennessee's dilemma appear worse than it actually was in an attempt to bolster overconfidence and force the Union army into careless acts that Bragg could exploit.

On September 12, Bragg ordered Gen. Leonidas Polk to take a division and attack the Yankees, but Polk ignored the order. By the next day, an entire Union corps was positioned on the opposite bank of Chickamauga Creek. Even after Bragg sent reinforcements, Polk was still overly cautious and did not move until 9 AM. A brief skirmish ensued with Polk attempting to draw the Yankees out, but they didn't take the bait.

The 19th Tennessee, tired, hungry, and apprehensive, did not join the fighting until September 18. By that time, Bragg's army had crossed the creek around 7 AM. The dense brush and undergrowth made advancing difficult and commanders had to pause to straighten their lines. Passing near the 19th, Gen. Benjamin Cheatham yelled, "Give them hell, boys, give them hell!" Gen. Polk, a bishop in the Episcopal church, yelled, "Give them what General Cheatham says, we will pay off old chores today." About that time, a shell crashed nearby wounding two men. Within minutes, the Rebels and Yankees were heavily engaged.

The Confederates managed to force the Federals back into their breastworks, but the attack stalled as ammunition ran low. Reinforced by reserve units, the Rebels pressed again with the 19th on the extreme right of the line. In fifteen minutes, 75 of the unit's 242 men were struck down, but the steady nerve of Colonel Francis Walker held them together. A number of Company level officers were cut down.

The Confederate lines began to buckle as the Federals advanced, but a Rebel artillery barrage of canister and grapeshot, effective turning the big guns into shotguns, forced the Yankees to retreat. The 19th lost 40% of its total strength, with 8 killed, 66 men wounded, and 20 missing, but the Tennesseans held their ground. The Rebels attacked again at dusk, but the attack sputtered in the darkness. Temperatures that night fell to near freezing, but the proximity of enemy forces prevented the use of campfires. Meanwhile, the Federals spent the night fortifying their earthworks. The battle resumed about 9:30 the next morning and about 11 AM, a mix up in orders caused the Federals to pull a division out of the center just as the Rebels came screaming in. The Yankees panicked and their lines splintered. The Army of Tennessee had its victory.

Bragg received word that the Federals had abandoned Chattanooga, but arrived there to find them entrenched. He decided to lay siege to the town and it worked, with the deprivation of the Federals soon matching that of the Confederates. Two divisions, including the 19th Tennessee were sent to Sweetwater to prevent Rosecrans from being reinforced, but there was little for them to do. This was the last time that the East Tennessee Confederates would see home until the end of the war.