Chickamauga 1863: Rebel Breakthrough

by Alexander Mendoza

Overview

Released to mark the 150th anniversary of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, this book provides general readers with a succinct examination of the Confederacy's last major triumph.

There is renewed interest among Civil War historians and history buffs alike about events west of the Appalachian Mountains and their impact on the outcome of the conflict. In examining the Chickamauga campaign, this book provides a fresh analysis of the foremost Confederate victory in the Western theater. The study opens with a discussion of two commanders, William S. Rosecrans and Braxton Bragg, and the forces swirling around them when they clashed in September 1863. Drawing on both primary sources and recent Civil War scholarship, it then follows the specific aspects of the battle, day by day.

In addition to interweaving analysis of the Union and Confederate commanders and the tactical situation during the campaign, the book also reveals how the rank and file dealt with the changing fortunes of war. Readers will see how the campaign altered the high commands of both armies, how it impacted the common soldier, and how it affected the strategic situation, North and South.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313396953
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/20/2013
Series:	Battles and Leaders of the American Civil War
Pages:	202
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Alexander Mendoza, PhD, teaches at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX.

Table of Contents

Illustrations ix

Series Foreword xi

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

1 "The Rebels Will Never Be Conquered by Waiting": The Generals 1

2 "There May Be Many Days of Hard Fighting": Campaign and Maneuver 21

3 "Stout Hearts and Determined Wills Soon Overcame Every Obstacle": Bragg Makes a Stand 39

4 "At Last We Would Have an Opportunity to Settle Old Scores": The First Day of Battle, September 19, 1863, Morning 63

5 "The Hurricane of Death Which Was Hurtling above Our Heads": The First Day of Battle, September 19, 1863, Noon to Evening 77

6 "A Perfect Tornado of Bullets": The Second Day of Battle, September 20, 1863, Morning 101

7 "The Very Earth Seemed to Be Moving toward Us": The Second Day of Battle, September 20, 1863, Noon to Evening 125

Conclusion 155

Notes 167

Bibliographic Essay 189

Index 195

What People are Saying About This

Mark L. Bradley

"Alex Mendoza has crafted a gripping account of the Battle of Chickamauga, which ranks as the largest battle in the Civil War's Western Theater and is the ill-starred Army of Tennessee's only major tactical victory. This superb book is a must-read for all students of the War."

Richard Lowe

"Readers interested in the Civil War in the West will welcome Mendoza's new history of Chickamauga, the second bloodiest battle of the American Civil War. In clear, straightforward prose, Mendoza examines the colorful personalities who led the two armies, their successes and failures, and the strategies they adopted to gain control of north Georgia in the aftermath of Vicksburg and Gettysburg. Curious and intelligent readers who enjoy a good story well told will enjoy and learn from this lively account."

Steven E. Woodworth

"Mendoza charts his own path through the myriad possible interpretations of people and events in one of the Civil War's most dramatic campaigns, making this fast-paced narrative interesting and well worth reading both for seasoned scholars and for those new to the study of the pivotal events of the summer of 1863 in Tennessee and Georgia."