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17464 - CRISIS AT CHICKAMAUGA SET
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| The word "Chickamauga" in local
Indian dialect means, "The River of Death". Here in northern
Georgia, union and confederate forces met in one of the bloodiest
engagements of the Civil War. The battle fought on September 19th
& 20th in 1863, saw both sides lose 28% of the men engaged. While
the action was a confederate victory, the southern forces failed to
follow-up on their advantage. At the center of this poor performance
was Confederate Commander, General Braxton Bragg. A West Point Graduate
with a fine military record. Bragg possessed a keen mind for skillful
tactics, which was offset by his acrimonious natures and his unpopularity
with others.
Chief among Bragg's unhappy fellow generals was Leonidas "Bishop" Polk. An 1827 West Point graduate, he has short career in the military as he resigned to become ordained in the ministry. By the outbreak of the Civil War, he had spent over 30 years in the ministry and was the Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana. Polk's friendship with fellow West Point graduate Jefferson Davis meant an appointment to the Confederate Command. Large in stature and with a temper to match, Polk's Corp failed to dislodge federal forces under the command of General George Thomas. Following the battle Bragg attempted to court martial Polk for his slowness. Another interesting member of the Confederate Command was John C. Breckinridge. A handsome man with a handlebar mustache, In 1856 Breckinridge was elected Vice President of the United States and served under James Buchanan. He commanded a division and often assumed the role of mediator in the heated discussions between Polk and Bragg. The constant disagreements among Confederate Commanders during
the Chickamauga Campaign resulted in missed opportunities before
and after the battle. Several months later, Bragg was again defeated
at Missionary Ridge. These precipitated more changes in the Confederate
Command and led to a series of retreats and defeat the following
year. |
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