On Sunday we toured the battlefield of Chickamauga (they pronounce it Chicka-mugger).
This was the site of one of the biggest battles of the Civil War. A Union army, led by General Rosencrans had forced the Confederate army, led by General Bragg, to retreat to South East to Chattanooga, then to abandon the town only to make a stand south of Chattanooga at Chickamauga. On 19th September 1863 Bragg ordered an offensive to take place against the Union on the next day. Braggs orders were misunderstood or went astray, so only part of the offensive happened, with mixed results. However on the Union side there were also mix ups, which left a gap in the defences, which were capitalised on by the Confederates. It ended up with the Union army retreating to Chattanooga and the Confederate army winning the day on the battlefield, but not defeating the Union. So they lay siege to Chattanooga for 2 months. It was a stalemate, however it gave time for the Union to strengthen its forces and for the Confederates position to become weaker. In November the Union advanced and defeated the confederates at the battle of Missionary Ridge (also the skirmish on top of Lookout Mountain). Bragg was forced to retreat and the road to the south lay open for Sherman. The next summer he advanced and took Atlanta, by Christmas he had marched Eastwards to Savannah, then North to Lafayette, where in March he defeated General Johnston at Bentonville and accepted his surrender at Bennetts Farm, Durham in April of 1865. The final act of the war.
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