The Battles of Chattanooga and Chickamauga

Major General William Starke Rosecrans
Link: www.arlingtoncemetery.net

The Battles of Chattanooga and Chickamauga were two major battles of the Chattanooga Campaign. The Union army was led by General William Rosecrans, who took Chattanooga in August of 1863. In November, the Union troops
marched south into Georgia where they were met by Confederate forces at Chickamauga. The Union retreated in formation back to Chattanooga. From there, General-in-Cheif Ulysses S. Grant established a supply line to resource the upcoming Atlanta Campaign to be led by William T. Sherman.

It's important to note around this time, the Anaconda Plan (blockade of Southern ports) was begin inning to take a major toll on the Confederate forces. The Rebels were technologically set back, because they lacked the knowledge and resources to manufacture the repeater rifles that were now being mass produced in the Union. Some of these repeater rifles could hold up to 16 rounds per magazine, so the Confederacy was essentially fighting against early machine guns with muskets.

Map of the Battle of Chattanooga
Link: http://www.posix.com/CWmaps/

Hooker at Lookout Mountain (Chattanooga)
James Walker
Link: americancivilwar.com

Around this time, blacks began fighting in the Union military. In Georgia, the 54th Massachusetts, a regiment made up entirely of Northern free, black volunteers, successfully raided the town of Darien. These brave soldiers fought to prove themselves to the rest of the world. Chickamauga was the first major battle in which African-Americans were incorporated.

54th Regiment Massachusetts
Link: literacyhistoryblog.wordpress.com