The Chickamauga Campaign—A Mad Irregular Battle: From the Crossing of Tennessee River Through the Second Day, August 22 - September 19, 1863

The Chickamauga Campaign #1

by David A. Powell

Chickamauga, according to soldier rumor, is a Cherokee word meaning River of Death. It certainly lived up to that grim sobriquet in September 1863 when the Union Army of the Cumberland and Confederate Army of Tennessee waged bloody combat along the banks of West Chickamauga Creek. Long considered a two-day affair, award-winning author David Powell embraces a fresh approach that explores Chickamauga as a three-day battle, with September 18 being key to understanding how the fighting developed the next morning. The second largest battle of the Civil War produced 35,000 casualties and one of the last, clear-cut Confederate tactical victories—a triumph that for a short time reversed a series of Rebel defeats and reinvigorated the hope for Southern independence. At issue was Chattanooga, the important gateway to the South and logistical springboard into Georgia.

Despite its size, importance, and fascinating cast of characters, this epic Western Theater battle has received but scant attention. Powell masterfully rectifies this oversight with The Chickamauga Campaign—A Mad Irregular Battle: From the Crossing of the Tennessee River Through the Second Day, August 22 September 19, 1863. The first of three installments spanning the entire campaign, A Mad Irregular Battle includes the Tullahoma Campaign in June, which set the stage for Chickamauga, and continues through the second day of fighting on September 19. The second installment finishes the battle from dawn on September 20 and carries both armies through the retreat into Chattanooga and the beginning of the siege. The third and last book of the series includes appendices and essays exploring specific questions about the battle in substantially greater detail.

Powell's magnificent study fully explores the battle from all perspectives and is based upon fifteen years of intensive study and research that has uncovered nearly 2,000 primary sources from generals to private, all stitched together to relate the remarkable story that was Chickamauga. Here, finally, readers will absorb the thoughts and deeds of hundreds of the battle s veterans, many of whom they have never heard of or read about. In addition to archival sources, newspapers, and other firsthand accounts, Powell grounds his conclusions in years of personal study of the terrain itself and regularly leads tours of the battlefield. His prose is as clear and elegant as it is authoritative and definitive.

The Chickamauga Campaign—A Mad Irregular Battle is Powell s magnum opus, a tour-de-force rich in analysis brimming with heretofore untold stories. It will surely be a classic must-have battle study for every serious student of the Civil War."

Genres: Civil War, History, American Civil War, Military Fiction, Civil War Western Theater, Military History, Nonfiction

696 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2014

About the author

Graduated from the Virginia Military Institute with a B.A. in history. He has spent years studying the Battle of Chickamauga and wrote several books on the campaign. His book Failure in the Saddle: Nathan Bedford Forrest, Joseph Wheeler, and the Confederate Cavalry in the Chickamauga Campaign won the 2011 Richard Harwell Award for the best book on a Civil War topic published in the last year. In addition to his books, he has written articles for the magazines North & South and Gettysburg Magazine.

Reviews

[robin friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Powell's Study Of The Chickamauga Campaign

David Powell's book is the first of a trilogy devoted the Chickamauga Campaign and to the Battle of Chickamauga, fought from September 18 -- 20, 1863 in northern Georgia. , The subtitle of the book, "A Mad Irregular Battle: from the Crossing of the Tennessee River Through the Second Day, August 22 -- September 19, 1863" indicates its scope and theme. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Powell works in Chicago. but his passion is the Battle of Chickamauga. He has devoted much of his life to a study of the battle and his written two well-received earlier books: a study of the Confederate cavalry at Chickamauga and a detailed volume of maps of the campaign. Powell also leads tours and seminars on the Chickamauga Battlefield.

The Battle of Chickamauga was fought by the Union Army of the Cumberland commanded by General William Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of Tennessee commanded by General Braxton Bragg. At issue was control of Chattanooga, Tennessee and further access into the South. The engagement at Chickamauga Creek was large, complex, and bloody. It was the second largest in terms of casualties in the Civil War. Although the battle has a substantial literature, there are only two prior modern book length studies, one by Glenn Tucker and the other by Peter Cozzens. Powell's study thus may well become the definitive account of the battle.

Historically informed Americans know Chickamauga as the scene of one of the iconic acts of heroism of the Civil War: Union General George Thomas' stand on Horseshoe Ridge on September 20 after the Confederates had broken the Union line. Thomas' heroism saved the Union Army and perhaps the Union as well. He earned the title "The Rock of Chickamauga" for which he deserves to be remembered. Beyond Thomas' stand, which should be widely-known, many students of the Civil War and its military history will have little idea of the course of the battle. The National Park Service battlefield programs for visitors tend, as they should, to emphasize the events of September 20 and Thomas' stand.

Readers looking for an account of Thomas' stand will not find it in this volume. Powell's book concludes with the end of fighting on the second day of the three-day battle, September 19. The second volume of the study, which is already in press, will cover September 20, including the Confederate breakthrough, Thomas' stand, and the Union retreat. A third volume consisting of essays on contested issues about the battle an extensive bibliography, and other information about the campaign will complete the trilogy.

Powell clearly has made a study of Chickamauga his passion and lifework and deserves much admiration for his persistence and thoroughness. He has explored the extensive primary literature on the Chickamauga Campaign including hard to come by sources not usually studied. The book gives a detailed, even-handed and thoughtful portrayal of the Chickamauga Campaign from the standpoint of both contending armies. A particularly strong feature of the narrative is the biographical portrayals of the many important figures in the conflict, from the commanding generals to individuals who are not well known. The writing, on the whole, is clear and lucid for complex actions with many participants and movements. The book covers strategies and tactics on a large level and discusses as well the many actions of individual units.

The book begins with a brief stage-setting with the Union Army taking Chattanooga in the bloodless Tullahoma campaign in June, 1863. The study can be divided into three parts. The first part deals with Rosecrans' movements South which result eventually in the over-extension of the Army of the Cumberland, Bragg's reinforcements, and his various plans for counterattack. The second part deals with the first day of the battle, September 18, in which Bragg's Army of Tennessee crosses Chickamauga Creek in an attempt to cut Rosecrans off from Chattanooga. The third part of the study deals with the bloody second day of the battle, September 19. The fighting on September 19 was intense, difficult and confusing. Troops and units moved around on both sides and were largely out of control of the commanding generals. The nature of the terrain led to endless confusion, flank attacks from the woods, and intense slaughter. Powell examines closely each action on September 19 up to the inconclusive end of the day's fighting.

For readers with a serious ,sustained interest in Chickamauga and with good prior knowledge, Powell has written an outstanding account. With its length and detail, this book is probably not a good place for the reader with little prior background in the Civil War in Tennessee to start. For such readers, the book will become bogged down and it will be difficult to separate important, critical aspects of the campaign and the actions from those aspects which are secondary and supportive. In addition, the book ends inconclusively with the close of the September 19 fighting. Thomas' heroics through that day's fighting are well documented in the study, but readers wanting to understand the climactic events of September 20 must wait to read Powell's second volume.

I have studied the Civil War, including the Tennessee campaigns, for a long time. I learned a great deal from Powell's book and am looking forward to its successor volume. As with many subjects, the Civil War may be studied in different ways, from learning as much as possible about an individual battle or campaign on the one hand to trying to take a broader view of the conflict as a whole on the other hand. The poet William Blake wrote about seeing "eternity in a grain of sand" or, more mundanely, the whole through a part. His figure aptly describes Powell's effort in this detailed study of Chickamauga. The publisher of this book, Savas Beatie, kindly sent me a copy to review.

Robin Friedman

[Josh Liller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Peter Cozzens' This Terrible Sound: The Battle of Chickamauga several years ago. It was good, but I felt it struggled a bit presenting the confused fighting during the first major day of fighitng (Sept 19). I've heard very good things about Powell's Chickamauga trilogy (plus two supplementary works - a book of maps and a study of Confederate cavalry during the campaign).

As would be expected from the page count, this is a pretty extensive treatment of the battle, with plenty of coverage of the campaign leading up to it. The army and corps commanders are introduced early on, but the officers farther down the chain of command don't get introductions until they move on stage. Powell strikes the fine balance between repetition and not losing the reader. The complex fighting comes across clearer as hoped for. The writing is pretty good; some parts moved along particularly swiftly for me, a few a little slower but possibly for issues related to the reader not the writer. It succeeds at being almost exhaustive without being exhausting.

I have one main criticism of the book. While the maps are very good, they are too few and some do not seem very well-placed. In an odd editing choice (and a very poor decision I think), the maps are almost but not quite full page; 3-4 lines of the main text is beneath the bottom of each map. I kept finding myself missing this text because it shouldn't be there. Furthermore, the maps could have all benefited from the extra space to show more of the battle. Perhaps it was felt that since the author has already published a book of maps this was not necessary.

An additional observation that I am unsure if it should be a criticism or not; I have mixed feelings. In covering the afternoon fighting around Viniard and Brotherton Fields, Powell departs from a chronological presentation to cover different segments of the field sequentially. By not jumping around it probably gains some clarity for the reader, but at the expense of losing a feel for what was happening at the same time. The lack of 'macro' level maps showing the entire battlefield at given times compounds this. There seem to be some issues with officers, especially on the Union side, not having synchronized watches so it is probably difficult to pin down what events are happening simultaneously except in broader strokes. (I don't recall how Cozzens tackled this part of the battle to be able to compare.)

I consider this book a must read for anyone with significant interest in the American Civil War and I will definitely be reading the other two volumes. I would tentatively recommend reading the author's The Maps of Chickamauga: An Atlas of the Chickamauga Campaign, Including the Tullahoma Operations, June 22 - September 23, 1863 first, and perhaps even keeping it handy as a reference guide while reading the main trilogy.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding work, providing great deal of information about the chaotic battle of Chickamauga. I have read about this battle before, including as a part of biographies of generals involved as well as descriptions of the battle itself. However, I will venture to say that this is the best work on this battle that I have read. And it is only Part 1 of a 3 book work. Other works have been published on this battle, but Powell's access to information provides this with a greater depth.

A story of Chickamauga is made complex because of the very nature of the battle itself--confusing with many small units (that is, brigade level) being critical. Reading the tale of the first two days--Friday, September 18 and--even bloodier--Saturday, September 19 is bracing. There was no overall guiding hand. Army generals, corps commanders, and division commanders on both sides sent in troops piecemeal. Many accidental confrontations. A brigade that was victorious was flanked at another point and had to retreat. Chaotic is not a bad term to describe events.

The commanding generals of the two armies (the Army of Tennessee for the South and the Army of the Cumberlan for the North) were the irascible Braxton Bragg (Confederate) and William Rosecrans (for the Union). Because of the confusion of the two days of combat, neither was able to impose his will on the respective armies. Worse from the Confederate side, Bragg was in continuing conflict with generals such as D. H. Hill and Leonidas Polk. Other generals took heed of their fears and refused to carry out orders (an extraordinary example being their fear of attacking Union forces in McLemore's Cove, when the Union faced disaster if the Confederates had been aggressive).

The story begins with preparation for the campaign. This began with the Tullahoma Campaign in late June, 2013 when Rosecrans used a sweeping flanking strategy to force Bragg to retreat and assume new positions around Chattanooga. It was a fairly bloodless campaign. Then, Rosecrans performed a similar flanking movement to oust Bragg from Chattanooga. However, the movement of federal troops was such that forces were often out of supporting range. That is, they were too far apart to come to one another's aid if attacked.

Then, the forces began to gather at Chickamauga. Included in this gathering for the battles on Friday and Saturday was John Bell Hood’s division of James Longstreet's First Corps, traveling from Virginia via trains to reinforce Bragg. Rosecrans came to understand the danger that faced him and concentrated his corps and divisions. One point that I had not been so aware of before--the complete failure of Confederate cavalry to do their job, with failures by both Joseph Wheeler (not so surprising about his shortcomings) and Nathan Bedford Forrest (rather surprising to me).

The fighting on Friday was about developing a sense of the other side. Saturday was a quantum leap more ferocious. Brigades were fed into combat; there was little sense of what was actually going on on the ground. Losses were heavy. Brigades that were triumphant at one moment were battered the next, when an enemy force appeared on their flank.

The next volume details the critical final day of Chickamauga, and I am eagerly awaiting the work.

Some pluses beyond the test: Appendix I provides the order of battle--and the casualties down to the regimental level. Corps commanders for the North: George Thomas (a Virginian), Alexander McCook, Thomas Crittendon, and a so-called "reserve corps" under Gordon Granger. Corps commanders for the South: Leonidas Polk, D. H. Hill, Simon Bolivar Buckner, and a reserve corps under William Walker. On the other hand, maps were sometimes not so revealing. I tried finding a really useful map to go with the text about the danger to Union forces in McLemore's Cove and it was not apparent to me.

At any rate, an excellent volume. I eagerly await the next. . . .

[Matthew Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

While there have been works previously written about the Battle of Chickamauga and the campaign surrounding it, no work has yet reached the apex of information and narrative as this book has done. David A. Powell’s The Chickamauga Campaign, is the first in a series of books which will chronicle the campaign, this book dealing with the action from the onset of the campaign through the second day of battle. What Powell has accomplished in these pages is something which I’m sure most fans of this battle have been waiting for. Not only is the book well researched, but it a wealth of knowledge which should be considered the pinnacle of historical writing for this seminal campaign.
David A. Powell is a graduate from the Virginia Military Institute of the Class of 1983 with a BA in History. The bulk of his research and his passion has been the Chickamauga Campaign to which he has authored many articles in many different magazines along with publishing a few other works on the people and the battle itself. He has previously authored The Maps of Chickamauga: An Atlas of the Chickamauga Campaign, Including the Tullahoma Operations, June 22 – September 23, 1983. He was the recipient of the Atlanta Civil War Round Table Richard Barksdale Harwell Award in 2010 for Failure in the Saddle: Nathan Bedford Forrest, Joseph Wheeler, and the Confederate Cavalry in the Chickamauga Campaign.
As the readers thumb through this giant tome, they will find that this narrative is without a doubt the most comprehensive work on the early part of the campaign going all the way to the second day of battle. Chapter by chapter gives detailed attention to the strains of the high command for the Union and gives very good descriptions of both Generals Bragg and Rosencrans at the outset of the campaign. Powell talks of the difficulty which not only hindered Bragg, but President Davis as well knowing that the supplies were slim and had to depend on the interior Rebel lines in order to enforce the army. When Powell’s narrative reaches the battlefield, the sources used in describing the actions taken by the armies not only reaches the commander’s reports, but uses memoirs and diaries to supplement the stories of the soldiers. As one reads the narrative and views the sources, you can tell the painstaking research which was done in order to accomplish this book. The second half of the book details the second day of combat while a majority of the first half deals with the early days of the campaign.
In his introduction, Powell states that even though the Battle of Chickamauga has the second worst casualties in the American Civil War after Gettysburg, there is not much coverage in writing. Because of his great research and work towards this book, the concern of the lack of writing on the Battle of Chickamauga is put to rest. Powell’s work is highly recommended to anyone interested in the Civil War. Every once and a while, a work comes along that defines the campaign and becomes not only a classic but a pinnacle of study for students to come. The narrative is flowing and is supplemented with both maps and images. Powell should be praised for the work which he has done in this volume and I know that he will continue this excellent in the coming volume.

Matthew Bartlett - Gettysburg Chronicle

[Stephen Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one expects, this is well done and thorough. It is best if one can refer to Powell's The Maps of Chickamauga while reading but the included maps are generally sufficient. There do seem to be some editorial issues, such as directions getting flipped, though it can be hard to tell in such a confusing situation.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed. Can be somewhat dense and text bookish at times, but overall, very interesting.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently visited Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. The battlefield was impressive, and I was happy to see a good crowd. After my visit, I wanted to read about Chickamauga because I wanted to learn more. I also learned recently that three of my ancestors fought here for the Union, so that piqued my interest. I decided to go with David Powell's books because I heard a lot of good reviews, and I do not enjoy Peter Cozzens' writing. His writing is too dry for me, and it is like reading a textbook.

The first volume begins with the backgrounds of the officers that played a role in this battle. Powell covers everyone in great detail. I was fine with this in the beginning, but Powell did this for other officers during his description of the battle and that, in my opinion, took away the flow of his narrative. He could have made it just a quick sentence instead of giving a biography.

Powell explains why this battle happened and why Chattanooga was important to both sides. Then, he gets into every minutia of troop movements before the battle. I am personally not interested in every single troop movement leading up to the battle. I think that can be done in a summary. At times I was waiting for something to happen.

Powell, however, does well describing the battle. Chickamauga was a confusing battle, but Powell helped me understand it a lot better. I could picture the places he mentioned in my head.

Despite the overwhelming details at times, I think Powell does an excellent job demonstrating why and how this battle happened. It is amazing that this is the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War and there are not many books about it. The author points that out in his introduction about the campaign and that was surprising to me. I commend Powell for taking this task on and presenting this battle. My great-great-great grandfather's regiment was mentioned in a primary source that Powell used and that was great to see. I have the other two volumes, and I am looking forward to reading them.

[Jameson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely great piece by David Powell. The author has an deep understanding of the battle and it shines through in his book. The first day of Chickamauga proves to be on of the most confusing engagements of the entire Civil War yet Powell manages to provide an amazingly detailed account of the battle while managing to maintain a clarity that allows the reader to not become confused within the tangle of seesaw action and wayward units. Definitely a first rate book

[Richard Guthrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite battle

I have visited Chickamauga battle field several times and I never get enough. This book is a good detailed version of the battle up to and including Sept.. 19.It may be too detailed for someone who is not a big civil war student but for students of the war, this is a great book and I highly recommend it.

[W Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Finally a book on Chickamauga that presents the battle in a coherent manner. I’ve read other single volume works on this battle and they are good reads, but Powell has presented enough detail to make sense of the battle fought in a heavily forested area. He has done a massive amount of research and writes very well. I highly recommend this book.

[Francis X DuFour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great account

Powell does a great job of describing the lead-up to the battle, specifically both side’s miscommunications and lack of unit control that determined the outcome. Many primary sources add to the description of the combat and demonstrate the effects of the fog of war. Can’t wait to read the next volume.

[Avis Black]

Available from Hoopla:
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/1...

[Dennis Belcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a remarkable, colorful history of the first part of the Battle of Chickamauga. Powell is our leading historian on the battle. The author shows his knowledge by adeptly linking the various events which led to the battle and he clearly explains the movements during the battle. He also does an outstanding job of making the principles living, breathing people. This is an important reference for anyone interested in this battle.

[Michael Wynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

A great book on a very nasty and confusing fight. A must read. I am looking forward to the new book.

[Hunter Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for the novice or the expert on the Battle of Chickamauga.

[Ron Kurtz]

Good history narrative of the lead up to the battle through the 2nd day. Was disappointed there were not better and more maps to refer to during the battle narrative portions