Tag Archives: George Thomas

CIVIL WAR GENERALS – LEADERSHIP LEARNED ON THE JOB

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Monument to the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment and the Field Headquarters of General William Rosecrans 20 September 1863 at Chickamauga.
Monument to the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment and the Field Headquarters of General William Rosecrans 20 September 1863 at Chickamauga.

For over the nation’s first century, defense of America for various wars, stayed in the hands of state militias – War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish American War, World War 1 and even to a significant role in World War 2. The US Congress always remained desirous to maintain a small regular army during peacetime which could change in times of war with massive influx of militia brought in from the states. This led to a series of problems in each war America involved itself in. One of the major problems became that of leadership.  Captains went from commanding company-sized groups – 100-250 men – to commanding generals leading armies of several thousands. On the job learning in warfare costs lives. Here, we will focus mainly on Civil War generals.

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MONUMENTS HORSESHOE RIDGE – THE ULTIMATE DRAMA OF CHICKAMAUGA

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Steedman's charge up Horseshoe Ridge.
Steedman’s charge up Horseshoe Ridge.

Chickamauga stands as the Granite Forest of the West, a counterpoint to Gettysburg. The battlefield lies much more scattered than you find at the Granite Forest of the East. The battlelines here ebbed and flowed during the two main days of battle. One of the largest groupings of granite monuments stands atop Horseshoe Ridge where for five and a half hours, Federal forces staved off total defeat following the catastrophic rupture of their lines along Lafayette Road.

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KENNESAW MOUNTAIN – A MORNING DASH IN GEORGIA

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Cannon sits in an emplacement atop Big Kennesaw Mountain.
Cannon sits in an emplacement atop Big Kennesaw Mountain.

Kennesaw Mountain saw the third time during the American Civil War in which William T. Sherman employed a direct assault upon entrenched Confederate positions. The attack failed as much as his previous two attempts. All through the Atlanta campaign, Sherman had gotten around the Confederate positions set out by Joseph E. Johnston through flanking maneuvers. Sherman wrote to Washington, “The whole country is one vast fort, and Johnston must have at least 50 miles (80 km) of connected trenches with abatis and finished batteries. We gain ground daily, fighting all the time. … Our lines are now in close contact and the fighting incessant, with a good deal of artillery. As fast as we gain one position the enemy has another all ready. … Kennesaw … is the key to the whole country.” For the key, Sherman decided to open it with a direct frontal assault.

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ROCKY FACE START ON THE WAY TO ATLANTA

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Looking down the west slopes of Rocky Race Mountain at Dug Gap.
Looking down the west slopes of Rocky Face Mountain at Dug Gap.

1863 saw decisions made in the West and East, decisions eventually proving decisive though at the time, an end to the war still lay deep ahead, hidden in the fogbank of the future. Federal armies in Virginia started the new year approximately where they had the previous year. In the West, the Mississippi River returned to Federal control with the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson. Further east, near Chattanooga on the Tennessee-Georgia border, the Confederate Army of Tennessee hung on after their serious setback on Missionary Ridge negated their victory earlier at Chickamauga. Under General Joseph E. Johnston’s new command, the Confederates dug in atop nearby Rocky Face Mountain barring the way for the soon-to-come Federal push towards Atlanta.

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DROPPING THROUGH HISTORY IN THE FORESTED SLOPES OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

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Monument to the 111th Pennsylvania Regiment's fight on the upper slopes of Lookout Mountain. The monument - as with the 29th Pennsylvania - is in place on the cliffs below Och's Observatory.
Monument to the 111th Pennsylvania Regiment’s fight on the upper slopes of Lookout Mountain. The monument – as with the 29th Pennsylvania – is in place on the cliffs below Och’s Observatory.

Lookout Mountain is an amazing place to discover nature, history and enjoy vistas reaching out to a claimed seven states. The Mountain is best explored on foot along its myriad of trails traversing the dense forest slopes of this quintessential Appalachian prominence. Surrounded to the north, east and on top by urbanity, it is easy to forget you are never far from civilization if not for the subtle roar of traffic on Interstate 24 far below.

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MISSIONARY RIDGE – ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND CONFOUNDS GRANT

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Illinois State Monument stands at Bragg Reservation atop Missionary Ridge with guns representing Massenberg's Georgia Battery which were overrun.
Illinois State Monument stands at Bragg Reservation atop Missionary Ridge with guns representing Massenberg’s Georgia Battery which were overrun.

The battle of Chickamauga severely troubled the Federal Army of the Cumberland.  Mainly due to a failure in command, the Army suffered a stiff rebuke on 20 September 1863 losing over 16,000 casualties. Routed, the force made its way back to Chattanooga thanks to the steady defense shown on Horseshoe Ridge by men scrabbled together by General George Thomas. Luckily, their antagonist, the Confederate Army of Tennessee suffered even more casualties in victory – over 18,000. More problematic for the Confederate commander Braxton Bragg was a large loss of horses for an army already suffering mobility problems before that epic confrontation. Missionary Ridge lay ahead.

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ORCHARD KNOB – DRESS REHERSAL TO GAIN THE HEIGHTS

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Monuments and cannons crowd the top of Orchard Knob.
Monuments and cannons crowd the top of Orchard Knob.

REHERSAL TO GAIN THE HEIGHTS

The battle of Chickamauga over the last days of September 1863 delivered a severe blow to the Union Army of the Cumberland pushing that army back into the fortifications of Chattanooga while the victorious Confederate Army of Tennessee stood upon the heights surrounding the city – Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.

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CHATTANOOGA NATIONAL CEMETERY – DREAMS OF SOUTHERN MAGIC GONE

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Federal dead - two probably from actions at Rocky Face during the opening of the 1864 Atlanta Campaign - Chattanooga National Cemetery with Lookout Mountain background on the left.
Federal dead – two probably from actions at Rocky Face during the opening of the 1864 Atlanta Campaign – Chattanooga National Cemetery with Lookout Mountain background on the left.

With the onset of the Civil War in April 1861, 700,000 soldiers would die on both sides in the next four years. It was not until 11 September before the War Department began to have commanding officers keep records of deceased soldiers. At the same time, the Quartermaster General became responsible for tending to the needs of soldiers in death. Each grave marked with a headboard. Not long after, the graves gained numbers on the headboards and recorded in a register.

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