THE CONFEDERATE LINE ON SEPTEMBER 20
The Confederate line was in admirable formation on the morning of the 20th, at a distance of 400 to 1,000 yards east of the Lafayette road. From its right to its left it may be described as follows: General Leonidas Polk commanded the right wing which was formed as follows: Forrest’s cavalry on the extreme right, 3,500 strong, a large part of it dismounted; and next to him Breckenridge’s division. The cavalry and two infantry brigades of Breckenridge’s extended beyond Baird’s left; next in line came Cleburne’s division, in reserve behind Breckenridge was Walker’s two divisions of five brigades.
General Longstreet commanded the left wing of the Confederate Army. This began at Cleburne’s left with Stewart’s division opposite Palmer’s and Reynolds’s; then came B. R. Johnson’s opposite Brannan’s and Wood’s; next in line came Hindman’s, just opposite to Davis, and Sheridan’s, and in reserve behind Hindman’s was Preston’s. In reserve behind B. R. Johnson’s were Law’s or Hood’s—until Hood was wounded—and Kershaw’s five brigades in both. Cheatham’s five brigades were in reserve behind Stewart’s right, but fought only the Union left, both on the 19th and 20th. At 3:30 p. m. Cheatham went to the extreme right of the Confederate Army. The strength of the whole Confederate formation lay in its reserves; they were used with consummate ability. The only reserves on the right wing of the Union Army at the time of the Confederate assault was Van Cleve’s division—which as an organized division did not fight on the 20th—and Wilder’s mounted brigade.
Longstreet had brought with him from Virginia two divisions of Hood’s Corps—McLaws’s and Law’s. Of McLaws’s division only Kershaw’s and Humphreys’s brigades arrived in time to take part in the battle of Chickamauga. Law had three brigades in his division. These were Robertson’s, Benning’s, and another, later commanded by Colonel James L. Sheffield.
Bushrod R. Johnson’s division belonged to Buckner’s Corps from East Tennessee. Buckner’s Corps included also Stewart’s and Preston’s divisions. These were not together during the battle, but were presumably under direct command of General Longstreet. The condition of Leonidas Polk’s old corps, was almost similar. Cheatham’s division of five brigades, and Hindman’s of three brigades—of Polk’s former corps—were separated, and operated in different parts of the field. Daniel H. Hill’s Corps consisted of Cleburne’s and Breckenridge’s divisions; these acted together, commanded by Hill in person. General W. H. T. Walker’s Corps was composed of his old division, commanded by General State Rights Gist, and Liddell’s division consisting of two brigades—Govan’s and Walthall’s.
Chickamauga, morning of September 20, 1863
Adapted from Fiske’s The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War, p. 268
It will be understood that the Confederate forces were large, strongly organized, well officered, and extremely well placed on the field. Since falling back from Tullahoma the following reinforcements had joined Bragg: Walker’s five brigades from Mississippi, Buckner’s six brigades from East Tennessee, and Hood’s five brigades from Virginia, besides a large amount of artillery. The coming of General Longstreet from Virginia was a distinct assistance to the Confederate Army. He was a genuine soldier of great ability, and capable of commanding his soldiers, clearly shown when he handled the left Confederate wing on the 20th. The contrast between him and Leonidas Polk was very much in evidence on the 20th. Longstreet was exceedingly strong, while Polk was very weak. The Confederate right overlapped the Union left and had the Union right been as compactly drawn towards its left as it should have been, the Confederate left would also have overlapped that flank. The Confederate Army facing the Union forces on the morning of the 20th was made up of eleven divisions of infantry, and two of cavalry. General Rosecrans had no cavalry on his left, and Wheeler’s Confederate cavalry was at first on the east side of the Chickamauga and afterwards on the west side, watching Mitchell’s Union horsemen near Crawfish Springs.
General Rosecrans had 141 regiments of infantry, 18 of cavalry, and 36 batteries. Bragg had 173 infantry regiments, 11 of cavalry—which were dismounted and fought as infantry—28 cavalry regiments, and 50 batteries.
The Union front of battle on the morning of the 20th, was about two and a half miles in length. Although Bragg had ordered the attack to be commenced on his right at daylight, and to be continued towards the left, yet it was 9:30 o’clock before Breckenridge advanced his three brigades, Adams’s, Stovall’s, and Helm’s against the left of Baird’s and John Beatty’s thin line beyond. Adams’s brigade on the right crossed the Lafayette road, and Stovall struck Beatty. The latter had to give way, but inflicted terrible punishment on the enemy.