Staff Ride Handbook For The Battle Of Chickamauga, 18-20 September 1863 [Illustrated Edition]

By William Glenn Robertson

Includes 39 maps and plans
The Campaign and Battle of Chickamauga, Aug.-Sep. 1863, is an excellent vehicle for a Staff Ride. Because of the size of the forces involved and the difficulty of the terrain encountered, it represents an opportunity to raise many challenging teaching points relevant to today’s officer. Second, the nation has wisely preserved most of the primary battle area in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and has marked most unit positions for detailed study by visitors. These markers are linked by an extensive trail network that permits access to all significant areas of the field. Thus, the park is an excellent physical laboratory for the study of conflict at the tactical and human level.
The Staff Ride Handbook for the Battle of Chickamauga, 18-20 Sep. 1863, provides a systematic approach to the analysis of this great Civil War battle.
Part I describes the organization of the Federal and Confederate Armies, detailing their weapons, tactics, and logistical, engineer, communications, and medical support.
In part II, the Chickamauga campaign is discussed, placing the battle in historical perspective and illustrating how the battle fits into the overall context of the Chickamauga campaign.
Part III furnishes a suggested route to follow in order to get a firsthand, concrete view of how the battle developed. By following this route, various phases of the battle can be discussed and significant points made concerning the evolving battle. Also in part III are various vignettes by participants in the battle that describe the fight and offer insights into the emotional disposition of the combatants.
Part IV furnishes current information on the Chickamauga site, sources of assistance, and logistical data for conducting a Staff Ride. In addition, appendixes give order of battle information for the two armies, meteorological data, and a list of Medal of Honor recipients in the battle. A bibliography is also provided.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Golden Springs Publishing
• Release date: Aug 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781782895275

William Glenn Robertson

William Glenn Robertson retired as director of the Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2011.

Book preview

Staff Ride Handbook for the Battle of Chickamauga, 18—20 September 1863

by

Dr. William Glenn Robertson

Lieutenant Colonel Edward P. Shanahan

Lieutenant Colonel John I. Boxberger

Major George E. Knapp

Combat Studies Institute

 This edition is published by PICKLE PARTNERS PUBLISHING—www.picklepartnerspublishing.com

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Text originally published in 1992 under the same title.

© Pickle Partners Publishing 2013, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

ILLUSTRATIONS 5

Figures 5

Maps 5

TABLES 5

INTRODUCTION 7

I. CIVIL WAR ARMIES 9

Organization 9

The U.S. Army in 1861 9

Raising the Armies 10

The Leaders 13

Civil War Staffs 14

The Armies at Chickamauga 15

Weapons 17

Infantry 17

Cavalry 22

Field Artillery 22

Weapons at Chickamauga 24

Tactics 26

Tactical Doctrine in 1861 26

Early War Tactics 27

Later War Tactics 29

Summary 32

Tactics at Chickamauga 32

Logistical Support 34

Logistics at Chickamauga 37

Engineer Support 38

Engineers at Chickamauga 40

Communications Support 41

Communications at Chickamauga 42

Medical Support 43

Medical Support at Chickamauga 44

II. CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW 47

III. SUGGESTED ROUTE AND VIGNETTES 55

Introduction 55

DAY 1 (19 SEPTEMBER 1863) 56

Stand 1 — Initial Orientation 56

Stand 2 — Jay’s Mill 59

Stand 3 — Croxton’s Brigade 59

Stand 4 — King’s Brigade 60

Stand 5 — Starkweather’s Brigade 62

Stand 6 — Scribner’s Brigade 63

Stand 7 — Van Pelt’s Battery 64

Stand 8 — Colonel Philemon P. Baldwin 65

Stand 9 — Baldwin’s Brigade 66

Stand 10 — Cleburne’s Night Attack 67

Stand 11 — Willich’s Brigade 68

Stand 12 — Battle Casualties 68

Stand 13 — Obsolete Weapons 69

Stand 14 — Maney’s Brigade 70

Stand 15 — Cleburne’s Night Attack 70

Stand 16 — Hazen’s and Turchin’s Brigades 72

Stand 17 — A, P. Stewart’s Division 72

Stand 18 — Carnes’ Tennessee Battery 75

Stand 19 — E. A. King’s Brigade 75

Stand 20 — Johnson’s (Fulton’s) Brigade 76

Stand 21 — McNair’s Brigade 77

Stand 22 — 18th Indiana Battery 78

Stand 23 — Wilder’s Brigade 79

Stand 24 — Heg’s Brigade 80

Stand 25 — Viniard Field 80

Stand 26 — General Braxton Bragg’s Headquarters 82

Stand 27 — 18th Indiana Battery 84

Stand 28 — Leonidas Polk’s Headquarters 84

DAY 2 (20 SEPTEMBER 1863) 86

Stand 1 — Breckinridge’s Division 86

Stand 2 — Headquarters, Major General W. H. T. Walker’s Reserve Corps 88

Stand 3 — Helm’s Brigade (the Orphan Brigade) 89

Stand 4 — Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk’s Headquarters 90

Stand 5 — Colquitt’s (Gist’s) Brigade 91

Stand 6 — John Beatty’s Brigade 92

Stand 7 — Reserve Corps 93

Stand 8 — Slocomb’s Battery 93

Stand 9 — Bridges’ Illinois Battery 94

Stand 10 — Stovall’s Brigade 95

Stand 11 — Dodge’s Brigade 96

Stand 12 —John King’s Brigade 96

Stand 13 — Thomas’ Defensive Line 97

Stand 14 — Deshler’s Brigade 98

Stand 15 — Edward King’s Brigade 100

Stand 16 — S. A. M. Wood’s Brigade 100

Stand 17 — Longstreet’s Grand Column 101

Stand 18 — Stewart’s Division and Benning’s Brigade 102

Stand 19 — Brannan’s Division 104

Stand 20 — Wood’s Division 105

Stand 21  Bushrod Johnson’s Division 106

Stand 22 — Dees’ Brigade 106

Stand 23 — Manigault’s Brigade 107

Stand 24 — Rosecrans’ Headquarters 108

Stand 25 — Laiboldt’s Brigade 110

Stand 26 — Lytle’s Brigade 111

Stand 27 — Field Headquarters, Army of the Cumberland 112

Stand 28 — Longstreet’s Left Wing 113

Stand 29 — Harker’s Brigade 114

Stand 30 — Kershaw’s Brigade 116

Stand 31 — Gracie’s Brigade 116

Stand 32 — Thomas’ Headquarters and Negley’s Mission 117

Stand 33 — Defense of Snodgrass Hill 118

Stand 34 — Van Derveer’s Brigade 119

Stand 35 — Preston’s Division 120

Stand 36 — Johnson’s (Fulton’s) Brigade 121

Stand 37 — Steed man’s Division 121

Stand 38 — The Lost Regiments 122

Stand 39 — End of the Battle 123

IV. SUPPORT FOR A STAFF RIDE TO CHICKAMAUGA 125

1. Information and Assistance. 125

2. Logistics. 125

3. Medical. 126

4. Other Considerations. 126

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 128

APPENDIX A — Order of Battle: Army of the Cumberland 129

General Headquarters 129

XIV ARMY CORPS — Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas 129

1ST DIVISION — Brig. Gen. Absalom Baird 129

2D DIVISION — Maj. Gen. James S. Negley 130

3D DIVISION — Brig. Gen. John M. Brannan 131

4TH DIVISION — Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Reynolds 131

XX ARMY CORPS — Maj. Gen. Alexander M. McCook 132

1ST DIVISION — Brig. Gen. Jefferson C. Davis 132

2D DIVISION — Brig. Gen. Richard W. Johnson 133

3D DIVISION — Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan 134

XXI ARMY CORPS 135

1ST DIVISION — Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Wood 135

2D DIVISION — Maj. Gen. John M. Palmer 136

3D DIVISION — Brig. Gen. Horatio P. Van Cleve 137

RESERVE CORPS 138

1ST DIVISION — Brig. Gen. James B. Steedman 138

2D DIVISION — Brig. Gen. James D. Morgan 138

CAVALRY CORPS 138

1ST DIVISION — Col. Edward M. McCook 139

2D DIVISION — Brig. Gen. George Crook 139

APPENDIX B — Order of Battle: Army of Tennessee 141

RIGHT WING — Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk 141

CHEATHAM’S DIVISION (of Polk’s Corps) — Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham 141

HILL’S CORPS — Lt. Gen. Daniel H. Hill 143

CLEBURNE’S DIVISION — Maj. Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne 143

BRECKINRIDGE’S DIVISION — Maj. Gen. John C, Breckinridge 144

RESERVE CORPS — Maj. Gen. William H. T. Walker 145

WALKER’S DIVISION — Brig. Gen. States R. Gist 145

LIDDELL’S DIVISION — Brig. Gen. St John R. Liddell 146

LEFT WING — Lt Gen. James Longstreet 146

HINDMAN’S DIVISION (of Polk’s Corps) — Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman 146

BUCKNER’S CORPS — Maj. Gen. Simon B. Buckner 147

STEWART’S DIVISION — Maj. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart 147

PRESTON’S DIVISION — Brig. Gen. William Preston 149

RESERVE CORPS ARTILLERY — Maj. Samuel C. Williams 149

JOHNSON’S DIVISION — Brig. Gen. Bushrod R. Johnson. 150

McNair’s Brigade — Brig. Gen. Evander McNair 150

LONGSTREET’S CORPS — Maj. Gen. John B. Hood 150

McLAWS’ DIVISION — Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws 151

HOOD’S DIVISION — Maj. Gen. John B. Hood 151

RESERVE ARTILLERY — Maj. Felix H. Robertson 152

CAVALRY — Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler 152

WHARTON’S DIVISION — Brig. Gen. John A. Wharton 152

MARTIN’S DIVISION — Brig. Gen. William T. Martin 153

FORREST’S CORPS — Brig. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest 153

ARMSTRONG’S DIVISION — Brig. Gen. Frank C. Armstrong 153

PEGRAM’S DIVISION — Brig. Gen. John Pegram 154

APPENDIX C — Chickamauga Medal of Honor Recipients 155

Carson, William J. 155

Myers, George S. 155

Reed, Axel H. 155

Richey, William E. 155

Chamberlain, Orville T. 156

Cilley, Clinton A. 156

Porter, Horace 156

Taylor, Anthony 157

Whitney, William G. 157

APPENDIX D 158

BIBLIOGRAPHY 159

I. Conduction a Staff Ride. 159

II. Campaign. 159

III. The Battle. 159

IV. Weapons and Tactics. 160

V. Combat Support and Combat Service Support. 160

VI. Biographies (Federal). 161

Rosecrans 161

Thomas 161

VII. Biographies (Confederate). 161

Bragg 162

Bruckner 162

Cleburne 162

Forrest 162

VIII. Films 162

VIII. Maps. 163

THE AUTHORS OF THE HANDBOOK 164

COMBAT STUDIES INSTITUTE 166

MISSIONS 166

Chickamauga Campaign And Battle Maps 167

Chickamauga – 19th & 20th September 1863 167

Chickamauga Campaign – Davis’s Crossroads – 11th September 1863 168

Chickamauga Campaign – 18th September 1863 After Dark 169

Battle of Chickamauga – 19th September 1863 Morning 170

Battle of Chickamauga – 19th September 1863 Early Afternoon 171

Battle of Chickamauga – 19th September 1863 Early Afternoon 172

Battle of Chickamauga – 20th September 1863 9 A.M. to 11 A.M. 173

Battle of Chickamauga – 20th September 1863 11 A.M. to Mid-Afternoon 174

Battle of Chickamauga – 20th September 1863 Mid-Afternoon to Dark 175

Battle of Chickamauga – 20th September 1863 Brigade Details 176

Route of Hood’s Division to Chickamauga 177

Johnson’s Movements – Morning of 18 September 1863 178

Advance of Hood’s Column – General Situation 18 September 1863 179

Hood’s Corps – General Situation 0700, 19 September 1863 180

Array of Hood’s Division 1400, 19 September 1863 181

Hood’s Division – Begins the Assault 1500, 19 September 182

Viniard Field – 1600 19 September 1863 184

Hood’s Division General Situation – 1630, 19 September 185

Array of Hood’s Division – 1100, 20 September 1863 186

The Break Through – 1110-1130 20 September 1863 187

Hood’s Division – 1300, 20 September 1863 188

Hood’s Division - 1330, 20 September 1863 189

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figures

1.—Organization of the Army of the Cumberland, 31 August-20 September 1863

2.—Organization of the Army of Tennessee, 1-19 September 1863

3.—Reorganization of the Army of Tennessee, 19-20 September 1863

4.—Regimental line of battle from march column

5.—Maneuvering brigades at Chickamauga, 20 September 1863

6.—The grand column

Maps

1. —Sites of maps 2 through 5 in relation to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park for day 1

2. —Day 1, stands 1 through 16.

3. —Day 1, stands 17 through 20

4. —Day 1, stands 21 through 25

5. —Day 1, stands 26 through 28

6. —Sites of maps 7 through 10 in relation to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park for day 2

7. —Day 2, stands 1 through 15

8. —Day 2, stands 16 through 22

9. —Day 2, stands 23 through 28

10. —Day 2, stands 29 through 39

TABLES

1. —Federal and Confederate organized forces

2. —Typical staffs

3. —Rosecrans' and Bragg's effective strengths

4. —Types of artillery available at the Battle of Chickamauga

5. —Variety of weapons in Wilder's brigade, 30 September 1863

6. —Sample of Federal logistical data

7. —Casualties of the battle

INTRODUCTION

Ad bellum Pace Parati: prepared in peace for war. This sentiment was much on the mind of Captain Arthur L. Wagner as he contemplated the quality of military education at the Infantry and Cavalry School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, during the 1890s. Wagner believed that the school’s curricula during the long years of peace had become too far removed from the reality of war, and he cast about for ways to make the study of conflict more real to officers who had no experience in combat. Eventually, he arrived at a concept he called the Staff Ride, which consisted of detailed classroom study of an actual campaign followed by a visit to the sites associated with that campaign. Although Wagner never lived to see the Staff Ride added to the Leavenworth curricula, an associate of his, Major Eben Swift, implemented the Staff Ride at the General Service and Staff School in 1906. In July of that year, Swift led a contingent of twelve students to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to begin a two-week study of the Atlanta campaign of 1864.

The Staff Ride concept pioneered at Leavenworth in the early years of the twentieth century remains a vital part of officer professional development today. At the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Army War College, ROTC detachments, and units throughout the world, U.S. Army officers are studying war vicariously in peacetime through the Staff Ride methodology. That methodology (in-depth preliminary study, rigorous field study, and integration of the two) need not be tied to a formal schoolhouse environment. Units stationed near historic battlefields can experience the intellectual and emotional stimulation provided by standing on the hallowed ground where soldiers once contended for their respective causes. Yet units may find themselves without many of the sources of information on a particular campaign that are readily available in an academic environment. For that reason, the Combat Studies Institute has begun a series of handbooks on significant campaigns that will provide practical information to assist officers to conduct Staff Rides to these campaigns on their own. These handbooks are not intended to be used as a substitute for serious study by Staff Ride leaders or participants. Instead, they represent an effort to assist officers in locating sources, identifying teaching points, and designing meaningful field study phases. As such, they represent a starting point from which a more meaningful professional development experience may be crafted.

The campaign and Battle of Chickamauga, August—September 1863, is an excellent vehicle for a Staff Ride. Because of the size of the forces involved and the difficulty of the terrain encountered, it represents an opportunity to raise many challenging teaching points relevant to today’s officer. Second, the nation has wisely preserved most of the primary battle area in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and has marked most unit positions for detailed study by visitors. These markers are linked by an extensive trail network that permits access to all significant areas of the field. Thus, the park is an excellent physical laboratory for the study of conflict at the tactical and human level. Finally, because of its proximity to the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the battle site is easily supportable Logistically for Staff Ride groups of any size. In sum, this campaign offers a great opportunity for study by the professional officer, as generations of American soldiers have already discovered.

The Staff Ride Handbook for the Battle of Chickamauga, 18—20 September 1863, provides a systematic approach to the analysis of this great Civil War battle. Part I describes the organization of the Federal and Confederate Armies, detailing their weapons, tactics, and logistical, engineer, communications, and medical support.

In part II, the Chickamauga campaign is discussed, placing the battle in historical perspective and illustrating how the battle fits into the overall context of the Chickamauga campaign.

Part III furnishes a suggested route to follow in order to get a firsthand, concrete view of how the battle developed. By following this route, various phases of the battle can be discussed and significant points made concerning the evolving battle. Also in part III are various vignettes by participants in the battle that describe the fight and offer insights into the emotional disposition of the combatants.

Part IV furnishes current information on the Chickamauga site, sources of assistance, and logistical data for conducting a Staff Ride. In addition, appendixes give order of battle information for the two armies, meteorological data, and a list of Medal of Honor recipients in the battle. A bibliography is also provided.

I. CIVIL WAR ARMIES

Organization

The U.S. Army in 1861

The Regular Army of the United States on the eve of the Civil War was essentially a frontier constabulary whose 16,000 officers and men were organized into 198 companies scattered across the nation at 79 different posts. At the start of the war, 183 of these companies were either on frontier duty or in transit, while the remaining 15, mostly coastal artillery batteries, guarded the Canadian border and Atlantic coast or 1 of the 23 arsenals. In 1861, this Army was under the command of Lieutenant General Winfield Scott, the 75-year-old hero of the Mexican-American War. His position as general in chief was traditional, not statutory, because secretaries of war since 1821 had designated a general to be in charge of the field forces without formal congressional approval. The field forces themselves were controlled through a series of geographic departments, whose commanders reported directly to the general in chief. This department system, frequently modified, would be used by both sides throughout the Civil War for administering regions under Army control.

Army administration was handled by a system of bureaus whose senior officers were, by 1860, in the twilight of long careers in their technical fields. Six of the ten bureau chiefs were over seventy years old. These bureaus, modeled after the British system, answered directly to the War Department and were not subject to the orders of the general in chief. Predecessors of many of today’s combat support and combat service support branches, the following bureaus had been established by 1861:

Quartermaster

Ordnance

Subsistence

Engineer

Topographic Engineer{1}

Medical

Adjutant General

Paymaster

Inspector General

Judge Advocate General

During the war, Congress elevated the Office of the Provost Marshal and the Signal Corps to bureau status and created a Cavalry Bureau. Note that no operational planning or intelligence staff existed: American commanders before the Civil War had never required such a structure.

This system provided suitable civilian control and administrative support to the small field army prior to 1861. Ultimately, the bureau system would respond effectively, if not always efficiently, to the mass mobilization required over the next four years. Indeed, it would remain essentially intact until the early twentieth century. The Confederate government, forced to create an army and support organization from scratch, established a parallel structure to that of the U.S. Army. In fact, many important figures in Confederate bureaus had served in one of the prewar bureaus.

Raising the Armies

With the outbreak of war in April 1861, both sides faced the monumental task of organizing and equipping armies that far exceeded the prewar structure in size and complexity. The Federals maintained control of the Regular Army, and the Confederates initially created a regular force, mostly on paper. Almost immediately, the North lost many of its officers to the South, including some of exceptional quality. Of 1,108 Regular officers serving as of 1 January 1861, 270 ultimately resigned to join the South. Only a few hundred of 15,135 enlisted men, however, left the ranks.

The Federal government had two basic options for the use of the Regular Army. It could be divided into training and leadership cadre for newly formed volunteer regiments or be retained in units to provide a reliable nucleus for the Federal Army in coming battles. At the start, Scott envisioned a relatively small force to defeat the rebellion and therefore insisted that the Regulars fight as units. Although some Regular units fought well at the First Battle