Both armies suffered very heavy casualties at Chickamauga. Bragg was clearly overwhelmed by the massive losses suffered by his own army and reported even higher casualties that he actually suffered (up to 40% in his infantry). The next day (21 September) he had a very good chance to finish his victory. Thomas had formed a new line around Rossville, but his army was in a terrible state, with some units already at Chattanooga and others shattered by the battle.
Luckily for Thomas, Bragg did nothing. Nathan Forrest?s cavalry appeared in front of the Federal position, and Forrest was able to report just how vulnerable the Federal army was. He was so disgusted with Bragg?s performance after the battle that he took his command and left!
Thomas did not think that Missionary Ridge was a tenable position, and asked for permission to withdraw to Chattanooga. Rosecrans agreed, and overnight on 21 September the army pulled back to Chattanooga. Rather harder to explain is Rosecrans decision to abandon Lookout Mountain, where a small force could have held off any likely Confederate attack.
This decision was to lead to great hardship. On 23 September Bragg?s army finally appear in front of Chattanooga, and began a formal siege. With Lookout Mountain in his hands, he was able to almost entirely shut off the Federal supply lines into Chattanooga. Within the city, food was short, ammunition was short and morale was low. All the Union gains in Tennessee across the summer of 1863 looked to be under threat.
In the south, news of the victory at Chickamauga revived hopes that had been dashed by Gettysburg and the loss of Vicksburg. However, as the Union forces at Chattanooga continued to hold out more and more criticism started to appear. The great victory seemed to have produced very disappointing results.
In the north, news of Rosecrans?s defeat produced a flurry of activity. U.S. Grant was appointed to command all Federal forces in the west, and quickly reached Chattanooga, where he was soon able to save the situation. The great Confederate victory at Chickamauga eventually proved to have done nothing more than delay the Union advance into Georgia. Bragg?s failure to exploit his victory probably ended any hopes that the Confederacy could win her independence in battle.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
History is one of my favorite topics as well and today in history in the year 1759 the French were defeated by the British on the Plains of Abraham. An event which helped shape the continent we live on.
History is one of my favorite topics as well and today in history in the year 1759 the French were defeated by the British on the Plains of Abraham. An event which helped shape the continent we live on.
we sorta focus more on the French saving our bacon at Yorktown.
Quote:
Battle of Yorktown Summary:
In August 1781, General George Washington learned that Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis' army was encamped near Yorktown, VA. After discussing options with his French ally, Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Ponton de Rochambeau, Washington decided to quietly move his army away from New York City with the goal of crushing Cornwallis' isolated force. Departing on August 21, the Franco-American army began marching south. As any success would be dependent upon the French navy's ability to prevent Cornwallis being resupplied, this movement was supported by the fleet of Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse.
Arriving in the Chesapeake, de Grasse's ships assumed a blockading position. On September 5, a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves arrived and engaged the French. In the resulting Battle of the Chesapeake, de Grasse succeeded in defeating the British and leading them away from the bay. Disengaging, the French returned to the Chesapeake and resumed blockading Cornwallis' army. Arriving at Williamsburg, Washington met with de Grasse aboard his flagship Ville de Paris on September 17. After securing the admiral's promise to remain in the bay, Washington focused on concentrating his forces.
As troops from New York reached Williamsburg, they joined with the forces of the Marquis de Lafayette who had been shadowing Cornwallis' movements. With the army assembled, Washington and Rochambeau began the march to Yorktown on September 28. Arriving outside the town later that day, the two commanders deployed their forces with the Americans on the right and the French on the left. A mixed Franco-American force, led by the Comte de Choissey, was dispatched across the York River to oppose the British position on Gloucester Point.
In Yorktown, Cornwallis held out hope that a promised relief force of 5,000 men would arrive from New York. Outnumbered more than 2-to-1, he ordered his men to abandon the outer works around the town and fall back to the main line of fortifications. This was later criticized as it would have taken the allies several weeks to reduce these positions by regular siege methods. On the night of October 5/6, the French and Americans began construction of the first siege line. By dawn, a 2,000-yard long trench opposed the southeast side of the British works. Two days later, Washington personally fired the first gun.
For the next three days, French and American guns pounded the British lines around the clock. Feeling his position collapsing, Cornwallis wrote to Lieutenant General Henry Clinton on October 10 calling for aid. The British situation was made worse by a smallpox outbreak within the town. On the night of October 11, Washington's men began work on a second parallel, just 250 yards from the British lines. Progress on this work was impeded by two British fortifications, Redoubts #9 and #10, which prevented the line from reaching the river.
The capture of these positions was assigned to General Count William Deux-Ponts and Colonel Alexander Hamilton. After extensive planning, the attack moved forward on the night of October 14, with Deux-Pont's French troops seizing #9, while Hamilton's Americans captured #10. Immediately after the redoubts were captured, American sappers began extending the siege lines. With the enemy growing nearer, Cornwallis again wrote to Clinton for help and described his situation as "very critical." As the bombardment continued, Cornwallis was pressured into launching an attack against the allied lines on October 16.
Led by Colonel Robert Abercrombie the attack succeeded in taking some prisoners and spiking six guns, but was unable to breakthrough. That night, Cornwallis shifted 1,000 men and his wounded to Gloucester Point with the goal of transferring his army across the river and breaking out to the north. As the boats returned to Yorktown, they were scattered by a storm. Out of ammunition for his guns and unable to shift his army, Cornwallis decided to open negotiations with Washington. At 9:00 AM on October 17, a single drummer mounted the British works and beat the long roll as a lieutenant waved a white flag.
Naturally our History books low key the French effort. I think the world is ready for a book of historical realities. Stuff like the French & Indian Wars in Berks County PA. I think it was as much in Lebanon County too and the action straddled their borders.
Anyway, the local PA Dutch were livid about the Indians scalping folks. They called them savages and a few other less than charitable names.
The war ended with the score;
Indians 200
Dutchies 3 (all scalped)
One year in Berks would make anyone an Indian lover.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
On this day in 1915 Joseph Tremblay from Quebec was the First Canadian soldier to die at the French front in World War I.
On this day in 1971, FLQ terrorist Bernard Lortie was found guilty of the 1970 kidnapping of Qu?bec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte.
And on this day in 1985, Canadian performer Joni Mitchell played at the First Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois, joining Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, John Fogerty and John Mellencamp; to raise funds for distressed midwest farmers.
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