Holding the Line on the River of Death: Union Mounted Forces at Chickamauga, September 18, 1863

by Eric J. Wittenberg

The award-winning Civil War historian examines the actions of Union Cavalry on the first day of the Battle of Chickamauga in this history and tour guide.This volume provides an in-depth study of the two important delaying actions conducted by mounted Union soldiers at Reed’s and Alexander’s bridges on the first day of Chickamauga. Much like Eric J, Wittenberg’s “The Devil’s to Pay”: John Buford at Gettysburg—which won the Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable’s 2015 Book Award—this volume combines engaging military history with a detailed walking and driving tour complete with the GPS coordinates.On September, 18, 1863, a cavalry brigade under Col. Robert H. G. Minty and Col. John T. Wilder’s legendary “Lightning Brigade” of mounted infantry made stout stands at a pair of chokepoints crossing Chickamauga Creek. Minty’s small cavalry brigade held off nearly ten times its number by designing and implementing a textbook example of a delaying action. Their efforts thwarted Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s entire battle plan by delaying his army’s advance for an entire day. The appendices of this book include two orders of battle, a discussion of the tactics employed by the Union mounted force, and an epilogue on how the War Department and National Park Service have remembered these events. Complete with more than 60 photos and 15 maps by master cartographer Mark Anderson Moore, Holding the Line on the River of Death is a valuable addition to the burgeoning Chickamauga historiography.

Genres: Civil War, History, American Civil War

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2022

About the author

Eric J. Wittenberg is an American Civil War historian, author, lecturer, tour guide and battlefield preservationist. He is a practicing attorney in downtown Columbus, Ohio. His published works have focused especially on the Civil War cavalryman and the cavalry battles of the Civil War, with emphasis on the Army of the Potomac's Cavalry Corps

Reviews

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful in my recent September 18 walking of the battlefield, and aided at one point by Jim Ogden's on ground tour of the Crossings. This was an e-book, but I will be adding to my collection a physical copy.

[Matthew Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you’re looking for material on the cavalry for the American Civil War, look no further than Eric J. Wittenberg. His books covering the cavalry actions during the campaign of Gettysburg have become masterworks and some of them are already being called necessary studies. His book, Holding the Line on the River of Death chronicles cavalry operations on the first day of Chickamauga, and in the usual Wittenberg style, he brings the depth to this research that unmatched when it comes to cavalry studies.

Eric J. Wittenberg is a prolific author on the American Civil War and, as was stated in the introduction, covers a great deal of material on cavalry operations during that conflict. His books include The Devil’s to Pay: John Buford at Gettysburg. A History and Walking Tour, of which he was awarded the Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable’s 2015 Book Award. Gettysburg’s Forgotten Cavalry Actions, The Battle of Brandy Station: North America’s Largest Cavalry Battle, and Protecting the Flank: the Battles for Brinkerhoff’s Ridge and East Cavalry Field. While he has written other works on the war, there are too many to name here. He also runs tours at numerous Civil War Battlefields and has worked in saving land at Trevilian Station and Brandy Station, Virginia.

While my main study throughout the years has been the Battle of Gettysburg, I have been reading quite a bit more on the western theater as of late. This book has helped me in that regard. Hold the Line on the River of Death is one of those books that I needed. In his usual narrative style, Wittenberg writes out the chain of events in a way that allows the reader to have a full comprehension of the material. This follows the first day at Chickamauga and the actions of the Union cavalry under Colonel Minty. It also follows Colonel Wilder’s “Lightning Brigade” which were mounted infantry. And here, we see that they were able to hold off the enemy with delaying actions. The narrative of the fight details the grand defense made by the Union, and the frustration of the enemy, including Bragg who was delayed heavily by this action. Wittenberg brings sufficient introduction to all of this, with the stepping stones of battle plotted out properly for the reader. The book is also accompanied by a few appendices and a driving tour. The appendices detail orders of battle and a section on tactics that are useful to any Civil War student.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the western theater of the war. Wittenberg always brings a significant amount of research to his material, and this book is no exception. As I am not well versed on the western theater, I’m not certain how this subject has been covered in the past, but I can say now that this book will satisfy any reader who wants to look deeper into Chickamauga or the west. And as far as more books on the cavalry are concerned, you can’t go wrong with this one. Highly recommended!

Matthew Bartlett

[Mark Harden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent study of the early fighting at the bridges of Chickamauga on September 18, 1863. Covers both Minty's cavalry at the Reed Bridge and Wilder's mounted infantry at Alexander's Bridge. Does an excellent job of providing background of the units and their commanders, keeping a clear distinction between the two units. The characters of Minty and Wilder really come to life. Another important area is the exposition of small unit covering tactics, first in theory and then as applied by the two units. The tactics are laid out clearly and interestingly. An important and welcome addition to the growing literature on the battle of Chickamauga, "the Gettysburg of the West".

[W Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Wittenberg continues his string of great histories involving the cavalry of the Civil War. The “stars” of this book are Minty’s Cavalry Brigade of the Army of the Cumberland and Wilder’s Mounted Infantry Brigade of the same army. This is a well researched account of the opening of the Battle of Chickamauga in September of 1863. It is outstanding!

[Paul Womack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much enjoyed as the battlefield is nesr my home, but I knew little of the actions described. Now, need to revisit these locales!

[Avis Black]

The anecdotes are good, but the description of the fighting is boring.