SEPTEMBER 18—PRELIMINARIES.
On the morning of the 18th the three advanced brigades of Longstreet’s Corps from Virginia arrived at Ringgold. One brigade immediately joined Bushrod Johnson’s division as it prepared to cross Chickamauga Creek at Reed’s Bridge. Union cavalry under Col. Robert H. G. Minty and mounted infantry under command of Col. John T. Wilder, guarding the bridges, offered stout resistance and delayed the crossing of the southern troops for several hours. During the skirmishing, Minty’s men dismantled Alexander’s Bridge and forced Walker to proceed to Lambert’s Ford, a half-mile downstream. The Confederates used other fords and crossings throughout the late afternoon and night as all of Bragg’s forces, except three divisions, crossed to the west side of Chickamauga Creek.
The Union forces were not idle, and during the night Rosecrans moved Thomas’ corps northeastward above and back of Crittenden, so that Bragg would not outflank the Federal line. Negley’s Division remained near Crawfish Springs (now Chickamauga), Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Reynolds’ Division near Widow Glenn’s, and Brigadier Generals Absalom Baird’s and John M. Brannan’s Divisions covered the roads leading to Reed’s and Alexander’s Bridges. General McCook’s Corps moved to position in McLemore’s Cove.
The situation at dawn on the 19th found the two armies facing each other over a stretch of several miles along the banks of the Chickamauga. Rosecrans had been able in a short time to maneuver the Army of the Cumberland into position so that it interposed between Bragg and Chattanooga. His Reserve Corps under General Granger was at McAfee’s Church, near Rossville. Thomas’ Fourteenth Army Corps composed the Union’s left a few miles south of Granger, and formed a southwesterly line to Crawfish Spring where it joined McCook, forming the right in McLemore’s Cove. Crittenden’s Twenty-First Army Corps remained concentrated at Lee and Gordon’s Mills, somewhat in front of the other two corps, to protect the Union center.
[Table 1.]—Union Army at Chickamauga
Army of the Cumberland—Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans
Fourteenth Army Corps—Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas 1st Division—Brig. Gen. Absalom Baird 2d Division—Maj. Gen. James S. Negley 3d Division—Brig. Gen. John M. Brannan 4th Division—Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Reynolds Twentieth Army Corps—Maj. Gen. Alexander McD. McCook 1st Division—Brig. Gen. Jefferson C. Davis 2d Division—Brig. Gen. Richard W. Johnson 3d Division—Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan Twenty-first Army Corps—Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden 1st Division—Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Wood 2d Division—Maj. Gen. John M. Palmer 3d Division—Brig. Gen. H. P. Van Cleve Reserve Corps—Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger 1st Division—Brig. Gen. James B. Steedman 2d Division—Col. Daniel McCook Cavalry Corps—Brig. Gen. Robert B. Mitchell 1st Division—Col. Edward M. McCook 2d Division—Brig. Gen. George Crook
“The First Gun at Chickamauga.” Confederates open fire on Union cavalry at Reed’s Bridge. A. R. Waud wartime sketch. From Brown, The Mountain Campaign in Georgia.
[Table 2.]—Confederate Army at Chickamauga
Army of Tennessee—Gen. Braxton Bragg[1]
Right Wing—Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk Cheatham’s Division—Maj. Gen. B. F. Cheatham Hill’s Corps—Lt. Gen. Daniel H. Hill Cleburne’s Division—Maj. Gen. P. R. Cleburne Breckinridge’s Division—Maj. Gen. J. C. Breckinridge Reserve Corps—Maj. Gen. W. H. T. Walker Walker’s Division—Brig. Gen. S. R. Gist Liddell’s Division—Brig. Gen. St. John R. Liddell Left Wing—Lt. Gen. James Longstreet Hindman’s Division—Maj. Gen. T. C. Hindman Buckner’s Corps—Maj. Gen. Simon B. Buckner Stewart’s Division—Maj. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart Preston’s Division—Brig. Gen. William Preston Johnson’s Division—Brig. Gen. Bushrod R. Johnson Longstreet’s Corps—Maj. Gen. John B. Hood McLaw’s Division—Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw Hood’s Division—Maj. Gen. John B. Hood, Brig. Gen. E. McIver Law Corps Artillery[2]—Col. E. Porter Alexander Reserve Artillery, Army of Tennessee—Maj. Felix H. Robertson Cavalry—Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler Wharton’s Division—Brig. Gen. John A. Wharton Martin’s Division—Brig. Gen. William T. Martin Forrest’s Corps—Brig. Gen. N. B. Forrest Armstrong’s Division—Brig. Gen. Frank C. Armstrong Pegram’s Division—Brig. Gen. John Pegram
[1]General Bragg’s army was composed of Polk’s, Hill’s, Buckner’s, Longstreet’s (Hood’s), and Walker’s (Reserve) Corps of infantry, and Wheeler’s and Forrest’s Corps of cavalry. For the second day’s fight the army was divided into two wings. General Polk commanding the right and General Longstreet the left.
[2]In transit, did not take part in the battle.
Bragg’s Army of Tennessee, except three divisions, was concentrated on the west side of the Chickamauga from Reeds Bridge almost to Dalton’s Ford, near Lee and Gordon’s Mills. The divisions had been shuffled around during the night, and remained so for the first day’s battle. Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry held the right flank at Reeds Bridge; then, in succession toward the left (south), were Walker’s Corps; Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham’s Division (Polk’s Corps); Longstreet’s Corps (under Maj. Gen. John B. Hood); and Buckner’s Corps. On the east side of the stream and forming the right were Maj. Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne’s Division (Hill’s Corps), preparing to cross at Tedford’s Ford; Maj. Gen. T. C. Hindman’s Division (Polk’s Corps) opposite Lee and Gordon’s Mills; and Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge’s Division (Hill’s Corps) forming the extreme left opposite Glass’ Mill. Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler’s cavalry, stationed at the upper fords of the Chickamauga, held the left flank.
Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, “The Rock of Chickamauga.” Courtesy National Archives.
Neither army knew the exact position of the other as they maneuvered for position during the night. The densely wooded area, covered with tangled undergrowth, brambles and cedar thickets, prevented easy movement or good observation, and many of the officers had difficulty keeping in touch with their own commands.
The armies were so close to each other, in some instances only a few hundred yards apart, that it was inevitable a clash would soon take place, but at what point no one could say.