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The Chickamauga Campaign #3
The Chickamauga Campaign—Barren Victory: The Retreat into Chattanooga, the Confederate Pursuit, and the Aftermath of the Battle, September 21 to October 20, 1863
Winner of the Laney Book Prize from the Austin Civil War Round "The post-battle coverage is simply unprecedented among prior Chickamauga studies." --James A. Hessler, award-winning author of Sickles at Gettysburg
This third and concluding volume of the magisterial Chickamauga Campaign trilogy, a comprehensive examination of one of the most important and complex military operations of the Civil War, examines the immediate aftermath of the battle with unprecedented clarity and detail.
The narrative opens at dawn on Monday, September 21, 1863, with Union commander William S. Rosecrans in Chattanooga and most of the rest of his Federal army in Rossville, Georgia. Confederate commander Braxton Bragg has won the signal victory of his career, but has yet to fully grasp that fact or the fruits of his success. Unfortunately for the South, the three grueling days of combat broke down the Army of Tennessee and a vigorous pursuit was nearly impossible.
In addition to carefully examining the decisions made by each army commander and the consequences, Powell sets forth the dreadful costs of the fighting in terms of the human suffering involved. Barren Victory concludes with the most detailed Chickamauga orders of battle (including unit strengths and losses) ever compiled, and a comprehensive bibliography more than a decade in the making.
Includes illustrations
This third and concluding volume of the magisterial Chickamauga Campaign trilogy, a comprehensive examination of one of the most important and complex military operations of the Civil War, examines the immediate aftermath of the battle with unprecedented clarity and detail.
The narrative opens at dawn on Monday, September 21, 1863, with Union commander William S. Rosecrans in Chattanooga and most of the rest of his Federal army in Rossville, Georgia. Confederate commander Braxton Bragg has won the signal victory of his career, but has yet to fully grasp that fact or the fruits of his success. Unfortunately for the South, the three grueling days of combat broke down the Army of Tennessee and a vigorous pursuit was nearly impossible.
In addition to carefully examining the decisions made by each army commander and the consequences, Powell sets forth the dreadful costs of the fighting in terms of the human suffering involved. Barren Victory concludes with the most detailed Chickamauga orders of battle (including unit strengths and losses) ever compiled, and a comprehensive bibliography more than a decade in the making.
Includes illustrations
387 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
69 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
David A. Powell
26 books29 followersGraduated 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.
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December 3, 2022
David Powell's The Chickamauga Campaign -- Book 3
"Barren Victory" is the final volume of historian David Powell's trilogy covering the Battle of Chickamauga of September 18 -- 20, 1863, the events leading up to the battle, and its aftermath. With the exception of Gettysburg, Chickamauga resulted in more casualties than any other Civil War battle. It was fought in northern Georgia between the Union's Army of the Cumberland, commanded by William Rosecrans and the Confederacy's Army of Tennessee, commanded by Braxton Bragg.
"Barren Victory" is a fitting title and an excellent concluding volume to the trilogy. The book differs from its two companions. First, it is much shorter,including only 175 pages of text with the remainder of the volume consisting of supportive material. Second, the book is much easier to read than the first two volumes. The events described in the first two volumes were highly confusing, taking place in many locations over broken varied terrain and with many participants. The first books offer detailed discussions of these activities, concentrating on the Battle itself, and frequently are difficult to follow for readers unaccustomed to military history.
This book picks up the history of Chickamauga during the night of September 20. During that day's fighting, the Confederacy broke through the Union line, resulting in a near disaster for the Federals. Union General George Thomas fought a courageous delaying action on Horseshoe Ridge which allowed the Army of the Cumberland to retreat. As with many large Civil War battles when one army leaves the field (Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, the two Battles of Bull Run) the issue is the pursuit of the retreating army.
The issue of pursuit, or the failure to do so, is probably nowhere more controversial than at Chickamauga. According to one school of thought, which began in the weeks following the Battle, Bragg's failure to mount an aggressive, immediate pursuit made Chickamauga a "barren victory" and in some accounts cost the Confederacy the war. The Union retreated into Chattanooga, which was the objective of the entire campaign, fortified it, and broke the Confederate siege a few months later. Powell examines the Confederate pursuit and Union actions during its retreat in the first three chapters of the book. The writing is clear and the analysis of the situation on both sides is impressive. These two chapters will allow readers to think through for themselves the questions of the retreat and pursuit. A lesson of most good history, including this study, is that events frequently are more complex than they might appear. Powell's discussion also is valuable because it shows how an individual can act brilliantly at one moment and poorly in the immediate aftermath. Confederate General James Longstreet, for example, performed courageously and promptly in exploiting the weakness in the Union lines on September 20. Yet on September 21, he argued vociferously with Bragg and proposed a plan for getting around the Union Army that had virtually no chance for success under the circumstances. The disagreement spilled over well after the battle had concluded and was similar to some of Longstreet's disagreements with Lee over the conduct of the Battle of Gettysburg.
The initial three chapters on the pursuit and retreat bring the substantive part of the Chickamauga history to a close. The remainder of the book consists of various interpretive chapters which explore casualties of the battle, the fall in reputations of the two commanding generals, Bragg and Rosecrans, after the battle, Rosecrans' difficult relationship with his chief of staff and future president, James Garfield, and a little-studied cavalry clash at the end of the battle. These appendices, particularly the studies of Bragg and Rosecrans, offer an interpretive overview of the battle as a whole together with insights into these talented but seriously flawed leaders.
The book includes carefully prepared and detailed Orders of Battle for both armies together with Powell's methodology for determining the size and nature of the opposing Army's and the extent of the casualties each suffered. The Orders of Battle and the casualty estimates are meticulously done and documented and will be of great use to serious students of the battle.
Finally, the book concludes with a detailed bibliography. As is the author, I am a great believer in the value of reading bibliographies. His bibliography concluding the trilogy is lengthy and impressive, both in its use of primary sources and in its use of more contemporary studies. Powell did exhaustive research for the study; and the bibliography impresses upon the reader how much there is to know and to learn.
Powell conceived the idea of writing about Chickamauga while preparing a board game in the mid 1990s. That little project gradually became transformed into a serious study of the battle which the author pursued avidly for many years. The trilogy, and two earlier books about Chickamauga, is the result. I was impressed both by Powell's commitment to his goal and by its result in the form of this trilogy. This book and its companions will appeal to readers with a passion to learn about Chickamauga and the Civil War in the frequently under-studied Western Theater. Savas Beatie, the publisher, kindly sent me a review copy of this book as well as of the two earlier volumes.
Robin Friedman
"Barren Victory" is the final volume of historian David Powell's trilogy covering the Battle of Chickamauga of September 18 -- 20, 1863, the events leading up to the battle, and its aftermath. With the exception of Gettysburg, Chickamauga resulted in more casualties than any other Civil War battle. It was fought in northern Georgia between the Union's Army of the Cumberland, commanded by William Rosecrans and the Confederacy's Army of Tennessee, commanded by Braxton Bragg.
"Barren Victory" is a fitting title and an excellent concluding volume to the trilogy. The book differs from its two companions. First, it is much shorter,including only 175 pages of text with the remainder of the volume consisting of supportive material. Second, the book is much easier to read than the first two volumes. The events described in the first two volumes were highly confusing, taking place in many locations over broken varied terrain and with many participants. The first books offer detailed discussions of these activities, concentrating on the Battle itself, and frequently are difficult to follow for readers unaccustomed to military history.
This book picks up the history of Chickamauga during the night of September 20. During that day's fighting, the Confederacy broke through the Union line, resulting in a near disaster for the Federals. Union General George Thomas fought a courageous delaying action on Horseshoe Ridge which allowed the Army of the Cumberland to retreat. As with many large Civil War battles when one army leaves the field (Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, the two Battles of Bull Run) the issue is the pursuit of the retreating army.
The issue of pursuit, or the failure to do so, is probably nowhere more controversial than at Chickamauga. According to one school of thought, which began in the weeks following the Battle, Bragg's failure to mount an aggressive, immediate pursuit made Chickamauga a "barren victory" and in some accounts cost the Confederacy the war. The Union retreated into Chattanooga, which was the objective of the entire campaign, fortified it, and broke the Confederate siege a few months later. Powell examines the Confederate pursuit and Union actions during its retreat in the first three chapters of the book. The writing is clear and the analysis of the situation on both sides is impressive. These two chapters will allow readers to think through for themselves the questions of the retreat and pursuit. A lesson of most good history, including this study, is that events frequently are more complex than they might appear. Powell's discussion also is valuable because it shows how an individual can act brilliantly at one moment and poorly in the immediate aftermath. Confederate General James Longstreet, for example, performed courageously and promptly in exploiting the weakness in the Union lines on September 20. Yet on September 21, he argued vociferously with Bragg and proposed a plan for getting around the Union Army that had virtually no chance for success under the circumstances. The disagreement spilled over well after the battle had concluded and was similar to some of Longstreet's disagreements with Lee over the conduct of the Battle of Gettysburg.
The initial three chapters on the pursuit and retreat bring the substantive part of the Chickamauga history to a close. The remainder of the book consists of various interpretive chapters which explore casualties of the battle, the fall in reputations of the two commanding generals, Bragg and Rosecrans, after the battle, Rosecrans' difficult relationship with his chief of staff and future president, James Garfield, and a little-studied cavalry clash at the end of the battle. These appendices, particularly the studies of Bragg and Rosecrans, offer an interpretive overview of the battle as a whole together with insights into these talented but seriously flawed leaders.
The book includes carefully prepared and detailed Orders of Battle for both armies together with Powell's methodology for determining the size and nature of the opposing Army's and the extent of the casualties each suffered. The Orders of Battle and the casualty estimates are meticulously done and documented and will be of great use to serious students of the battle.
Finally, the book concludes with a detailed bibliography. As is the author, I am a great believer in the value of reading bibliographies. His bibliography concluding the trilogy is lengthy and impressive, both in its use of primary sources and in its use of more contemporary studies. Powell did exhaustive research for the study; and the bibliography impresses upon the reader how much there is to know and to learn.
Powell conceived the idea of writing about Chickamauga while preparing a board game in the mid 1990s. That little project gradually became transformed into a serious study of the battle which the author pursued avidly for many years. The trilogy, and two earlier books about Chickamauga, is the result. I was impressed both by Powell's commitment to his goal and by its result in the form of this trilogy. This book and its companions will appeal to readers with a passion to learn about Chickamauga and the Civil War in the frequently under-studied Western Theater. Savas Beatie, the publisher, kindly sent me a review copy of this book as well as of the two earlier volumes.
Robin Friedman
November 5, 2016
This is a fine end to the three volume series on the extraordi8narily sanguinary battle at Chickamauga. This is not a lengthy volume, but it has heft. For instance, the order of battle lays out what units were involved in the battle--and also the best estimate as to casualties. The percentage of dead, wounded, and missing or captured is high. This is clearly a very deadly battle. The tables in appendices are a valuable contribution to our understanding of the battle.
The subtitle is telling. For the Confederate Army of Tennessee, this was indeed a "barren victory." Commanding general Braxton Bragg did not have a sense of the magnitude of his victory. And the momentum of the battle dissipated as the dysfunctional leadership structure of the southern forces manifest itself. Confederate forces had a sense that the Union Army of the Cumberland was devastated by the battle. They were not. There was a reasonable degree of order in their retrogade movement into Chattanooga. The Union forces began to take action to stabilize their position. U. S. Grant brought forces to Chattanooga. The Army of the Potomac contributed two corps to the city. The dynamic rapidly changed.
And the victory was indeed barren.
The subtitle is telling. For the Confederate Army of Tennessee, this was indeed a "barren victory." Commanding general Braxton Bragg did not have a sense of the magnitude of his victory. And the momentum of the battle dissipated as the dysfunctional leadership structure of the southern forces manifest itself. Confederate forces had a sense that the Union Army of the Cumberland was devastated by the battle. They were not. There was a reasonable degree of order in their retrogade movement into Chattanooga. The Union forces began to take action to stabilize their position. U. S. Grant brought forces to Chattanooga. The Army of the Potomac contributed two corps to the city. The dynamic rapidly changed.
And the victory was indeed barren.
November 8, 2016
Since 2015, we have been reading the Magnum Opus of David A. Powell, The Chickamauga Campaign. The first book, A Mad Irregular Battle, provided a coherent study into one of the more complex, and understudied, campaigns of the western theater and walked us through the first and second day of battle. The second, Glory or the Grave, focused on the third day’s combat which also was an incredible read. Barren Victory, is the third and final volume of his trilogy; this book brings a complete understanding of the Chickamauga Campaign by chronicling the aftermath of the battle from September 21 to October 20, 1863.
David A. Powell is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute with a BA in history. For the past ten years, his focus has been on the Battle of Chickamauga, submitting many articles for magazines and the creation of historical simulations. He is the author of The Maps of Chickamauga and Failure in the Saddle of which he won the Atlanta Civil War Round Table’s 2010 Richard Barksdale Harwell Award. He won the same award in 2016 for Glory or the Grave, the second volume in his Chickamauga trilogy.
The third book in this Chickamauga Trilogy opens at the close of the second. The narrative begins with General Rosencrans with the realization of the victory he obtained. This opening flawlessly leads us into the rest of the narrative, not only giving us a feeling for what one officer for the Union felt, but for what most of the others seemed to feel as well. As I read through the work, I got a sense that many of the officers on both sides of the conflict, seemed to have either a difficulty or a disbelief of the outcome of battle. The narrative in this book is rather short compared to the last two volumes, but the overall meat of this work comes in the exhaustive appendices. These give insights into both Union and Confederate losses, along with order of battle, along with Confederate sources and methodology. Also in the appendices are some analyses of other clashes and commanders who took part in the Chickamauga campaign. Needless to say, there is no stone unturned in this work. But besides the appendices, the narrative for this book shows the victorious Union army grasping with what they had just gained, and it also shows the crushing emotions running through the Confederate end of battle. One of the points of Chickamauga which has always intrigued me was the presence of General Longstreet fresh off the defeat of Gettysburg. Powell does a fine job showcasing his decline as a well respected commander.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Civil War. You do not have to be interested in the Chickamauga Campaign only to enjoy this work. Powell’s final volume in the trilogy brings everything full circle and is an incredible study into the campaign. Speaking on the work as a whole, the entire trilogy should be considered one of the highlights of this age. The Chickamauga Campaign is rarely handled in the annals of Civil War studies, since most studies tend to focus on the war in the east, and Powell has done a fine job of giving us the research and narrative we needed for this battle. With Barren Victory, Powell’s amazing Magnum Opus comes to a close.
Matthew Bartlett
David A. Powell is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute with a BA in history. For the past ten years, his focus has been on the Battle of Chickamauga, submitting many articles for magazines and the creation of historical simulations. He is the author of The Maps of Chickamauga and Failure in the Saddle of which he won the Atlanta Civil War Round Table’s 2010 Richard Barksdale Harwell Award. He won the same award in 2016 for Glory or the Grave, the second volume in his Chickamauga trilogy.
The third book in this Chickamauga Trilogy opens at the close of the second. The narrative begins with General Rosencrans with the realization of the victory he obtained. This opening flawlessly leads us into the rest of the narrative, not only giving us a feeling for what one officer for the Union felt, but for what most of the others seemed to feel as well. As I read through the work, I got a sense that many of the officers on both sides of the conflict, seemed to have either a difficulty or a disbelief of the outcome of battle. The narrative in this book is rather short compared to the last two volumes, but the overall meat of this work comes in the exhaustive appendices. These give insights into both Union and Confederate losses, along with order of battle, along with Confederate sources and methodology. Also in the appendices are some analyses of other clashes and commanders who took part in the Chickamauga campaign. Needless to say, there is no stone unturned in this work. But besides the appendices, the narrative for this book shows the victorious Union army grasping with what they had just gained, and it also shows the crushing emotions running through the Confederate end of battle. One of the points of Chickamauga which has always intrigued me was the presence of General Longstreet fresh off the defeat of Gettysburg. Powell does a fine job showcasing his decline as a well respected commander.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Civil War. You do not have to be interested in the Chickamauga Campaign only to enjoy this work. Powell’s final volume in the trilogy brings everything full circle and is an incredible study into the campaign. Speaking on the work as a whole, the entire trilogy should be considered one of the highlights of this age. The Chickamauga Campaign is rarely handled in the annals of Civil War studies, since most studies tend to focus on the war in the east, and Powell has done a fine job of giving us the research and narrative we needed for this battle. With Barren Victory, Powell’s amazing Magnum Opus comes to a close.
Matthew Bartlett
March 15, 2024
I read the first two volumes in this trilogy (or pentalogy, depending how you count) over five years ago. At the time I wasn't able to get a copy of the third volume.
The first hundred pages or so wrap up the titular campaign - nominally until Rosecrans was removed from command of the Army of the Cumberland, but mostly about the 48 hours immediately after the Battle of Chickamauga. The key points are the organized Union resistance and Confederate uncertainty. There's a fairly thorough debunking of the common narrative, especially by Forrest partisans. The book also looks at the fallout from the battle - care of wounded and prisoners, changes in the army command on both sides, and the fates of some of the principal generals in the battle.
Much of the book is taken up by appendices. One is a chapter-length history of Louis Watkins and his Kentucky cavalry brigade who came to grief on September 21; it was written years ago but had gone unpublished until here. Another is an extensive examination of Rosecrans' removal in the aftermath of Chickamauga, particularly James Garfield's role in it. Powell examines numerous sources and claims on the subject, some conflicting and most of them dubious. Lastly is an extensive order of battle with unit strengths and an equally extensive study of casualty numbers for the Battle of Chickamauga which would seem to set a new standard of detail for any similar works.
If you've read the first two books definitely get this one as well.
The first hundred pages or so wrap up the titular campaign - nominally until Rosecrans was removed from command of the Army of the Cumberland, but mostly about the 48 hours immediately after the Battle of Chickamauga. The key points are the organized Union resistance and Confederate uncertainty. There's a fairly thorough debunking of the common narrative, especially by Forrest partisans. The book also looks at the fallout from the battle - care of wounded and prisoners, changes in the army command on both sides, and the fates of some of the principal generals in the battle.
Much of the book is taken up by appendices. One is a chapter-length history of Louis Watkins and his Kentucky cavalry brigade who came to grief on September 21; it was written years ago but had gone unpublished until here. Another is an extensive examination of Rosecrans' removal in the aftermath of Chickamauga, particularly James Garfield's role in it. Powell examines numerous sources and claims on the subject, some conflicting and most of them dubious. Lastly is an extensive order of battle with unit strengths and an equally extensive study of casualty numbers for the Battle of Chickamauga which would seem to set a new standard of detail for any similar works.
If you've read the first two books definitely get this one as well.
August 31, 2020
This is more than just an appendix to the other two volumes of Powell’s magisterial Chickamauga trilogy. He covers the immediate aftermath of the battle, including a rebuttal of the myth that Bragg could have taken Chattanooga immediately following the battle. Appendices cover interesting aspects of the battle and the Order of Battle, combat strength and casualties analysis offers a fascinating insight into the historical process. If you enjoyed the first two volumes, this conclusion is well worth having.
July 31, 2021
Good conclusion to Mr. Powell's Chickamauga trilogy, covering the final few days of the campaign and the Union retreat into Chattanooga. As a minor criticism, I don't understand why "space limitations" prevented annotations for the bibliography, considering the author had already used nearly 1,800 pages so far.
February 20, 2025
Most exceptional order of battle I've ever seen. Excellent bibliographic work done as well.
Recommended.
Recommended.
August 5, 2023
This is truly an in depth and well researched look at this battle, it’s participants and the surrounding engagements. It reads more like a Phd thesis than a novel. Mr. Powell has done an impressive job of digging into the available data, however, that makes this both a difficult read to keep track of all the personalities on both sides as well as the myriad troop movements. It became quite a slog for me but having visited places like Murfreesboro, Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville it made those places more interesting. Well done, Mr. Powell and a must read for Civil War scholars.
March 31, 2021
I cannot say enough positives about this book and the trilogy. It represents the culmination of a massive amount of research resulting in the best study in existence on the Chickamauga Campaign. I heartily recommend it to all!
March 27, 2024
Excellently researched. Good for continuing to learn about the battle and the horrendous casualties.
December 23, 2025
Fantastic wrap up to a fantastic trilogy.
November 19, 2017
Excellent
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews