History That Doesn't Suck - 62: The War in Tennessee: Chickamauga and Chattanooga

Episode Date: April 13, 2020

“Gloom and unspoken despondency hang like a pall everywhere.” This is the story of personalities. Union General William “Old Rosy” Rosecrans takes on Confederate General Braxton Bragg out in Tennessee. Their clash at the Battle of Chickamauga is among the deadliest of the whole war.  The aftermath is anything but straightforward. Short-tempered as ever, Braxton Bragg is clashing with his generals, particularly Nathan Bedford Forest and James “Old Pete” Longstreet. CSA President Jefferson Davis even pays them a visit in the field to try and keep the peace! Meanwhile, US President Abraham Lincoln and War Secretary Edwin “Mars” Stanton aren’t seeing eye to eye on what to do in the Volunteer State as Ulysses S. Grant is inheriting command at the besieged city of Chattanooga. Can he turn things around? Or will Confederate infighting win the day for him at the last major battle of 1863? We’ll find out. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Red One... We're coming at you. ...is the movie event of the holiday season. Santa Claus has been kidnapped? You're gonna help us find him. You can't trust this guy. He's on the list. Is that Naughty Lister? Naughty Lister?

Dwayne Johnson. We got snowmen! Chris Evans. I might just go back to the car. Let's save Christmas. I'm not gonna say that. Say it. Alright.

Let's save Christmas. There it is. Only in theaters November 15th. From the creators of the popular science show with millions of YouTube subscribers comes the MinuteEarth podcast. Every episode of the show dives deep into a science question you might not even know you had. But once you hear the answer, you'll want to share it with everyone you know. Why do rivers curve? Why did the T-Rex have such tiny arms? And why do so many more kids need glasses now

than they used to? Spoiler alert, it isn't screen time. Our team of scientists digs into the research and breaks it down into a short, entertaining explanation, jam-packed with science facts and terrible puns. Subscribe to MinuteEarth wherever you like to listen. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and as in the terrible puns. Subscribe to MinuteEarth wherever you like to listen. ad-free episodes, bonus content, and other exclusive perks, I invite you to join the HTDS membership program. Sign up for a 7-day free trial today at htdspodcast.com slash membership, or click the link in the episode notes. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story. It's the morning of September 21st, 1863, and John Hay wakes up to find President Abraham Lincoln sitting right next to him on his bed.

No shocker there. Just like Lincoln's other secretary, John Nicolay, John Hay knows he's on call for the president 24-7. I mean, there's a reason the two of them share a bedroom just across the hall from Lincoln's second-story office here in the White House. But as the 20-something secretary becomes fully alert, he can tell something's wrong. Well, Rosecrans has been whipped, as I feared. I have

feared it for several days. I believe I feel trouble in the air before it comes, the old Illinois rail splitter opines. And to be clear, this is serious. The union has been enjoying a real winning streak. Back in July, George Meade bested Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, while Ulysses S. Grant cut the Confederacy in half by bringing the Mississippi River under full Union control with his victory at Vicksburg. If William Old Rosie Rosecrans and his Army of the Cumberland could have driven the rebels from Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee, well, then the path to Georgia would have been open, putting the CSA on its heels. But that's not what happened. Instead, Old Rosie got whipped out by the Tennessee-Georgia border at one of the bloodiest,

deadliest engagements of the whole war, the Battle of Chickamauga. But maybe there's still a chance to put things right. Living up to his nickname as the God of War, Mars, War Secretary Edwin Stanton hurriedly calls a meeting two nights later. It's very last minute and equally very late. Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase is already in bed when Edwin's messenger comes calling at his home. Lincoln's feeling a bit annoyed at this late-night summons, but all the same, he and John Hay immediately ride to the War Department with nothing but the moon to light their way. It's now about midnight, but the group has formed. There's about nine in all, including a number with whom we're quite familiar at this point. Our tall, gangly, bearded president, his secretary, John Hay, the firm-jawed treasury secretary, Salmon Chase,

the thick-haired secretary of state, possibly with a cigar in hand, William Henry Seward, the balding, dimple-chinned general-in-chief, Henry Oldbrain's Halleck, and of course, the bespeckled, long-bearded war secretary, Edwin Stanton, joined by his own aides and his railroad guru, Daniel McCallum. I have invited this meeting because I am thoroughly convinced that something must be done and done immediately to ensure the safety of the Army under Rosecrans. Edwin begins. He then suggests that another familiar name to us, Old Ambrose Burnside, who's now in charge of the Army of the Ohio, should send Old Rosie reinforcements. But Lincoln doesn't think reinforcements can move that far that fast. After Burnside's men arrive, the pinch will be over, the high-pitched president pipes in. Okay, but Edwin didn't get the nickname Mars by giving up. He asks old brains Halleck how long it would take

for William Tecumseh Sherman to send old Rosie reinforcements. About 10 days, the general in chief discouragingly replies. Damn, that won't do it all. But Mars isn't done. He has a third proposal. I do not believe a man will get to him from Burnside or Sherman in time to be of any use in the emergency which is upon us. The Army of the Potomac is doing nothing important, nor is it likely to be more actively employed. I propose, therefore, to send 20,000 men from the Army of the Potomac to Chattanooga under the command of General Hooker.

But Lincoln and all brains continue to drag their feet. Even with the railroad, they think that's crazy. Why? You can't get one corps into Washington in the time you fix for reaching Nashville. I will bet that if the order is given tonight, the troops could not be got to Washington in five days. The president chides before doing what he does best, telling a humorous story intended to prove his point. Edwin's flustered. I picture him fighting off one of those asthmatic coughs that's plagued him since childhood as he fires back at the commander-in-chief. The danger is too imminent and the occasion too serious for jokes.

And Mars isn't going to cave. As the group takes a well-passed midnight snack, Salmon and William Henry both come to agree with him. The trio of cabinet members then press Lincoln and finally, he concedes. At 1.30 a.m., the Union's God of War telegraphs General George Meade to get two corps on a train to Washington City immediately, so they can transfer out to Tennessee and help old Rosie.

But can these 20,000 or so troops really make it in time to prevent disaster? Or is the pessimistic president right in thinking they'll never make it in time? That's just what we're going to find out. We'll spend today out west, along the Tennessee-Georgia border, but mostly on its northern side in the Volunteer State. Go Vols! We'll start by seeing how William Old Rosie Rosecrans gets himself into the mess that is the Battle of Chickamauga. Then we can find out if Lincoln

and his god of war, Edwin Stanton, can actually save Old Rosie and his army of the Cumberland from Confederate General Braxton Bragg and his army of Tennessee. We'll have several subsequent battles around Chattanooga, Tennessee, but I'll leave the details there for now. No need to ruin the story. So let's head back to June 1863 and follow Old Rosie on the path to Chickamauga. Rewind. Union General William Old Rosie Rosecrans is having a pretty good day. It's June 24th, 1863, near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and he's about to launch an attack on the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Now, William, who is affectionately known by his men as Old Rosie, has been in Tennessee for the

better part of a year. You probably remember him from episode 59, where he valiantly led his men to victory in the Battle of Stones River. Now, that December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863, engagement was technically a draw. But immediately after the fight, the Confederates withdrew about 40 miles south to Tullahoma, Tennessee, leaving Murfreesboro to Old Rosie and his Bluecoats. Now, with his army in fighting shape and good weather on his side, Old Rosie has a plan to spring a trap and destroy the Confederates in Tennessee. Since we're going to be spending a fair amount of time with Old Rosie today, let me tell you a little about this popular with his men general. The dark-haired, fully bearded general grew up Catholic in Ohio. He graduated from West Point

in 1842, the same year as future Confederate General James Old Pete Longstreet and Union General John Pope. But unlike those guys, Old Rosie didn't fight in the Mexican-American War. He taught at West Point for a short stint, then went into business. In the 1850s, Old Rosie's face was badly burned in a fire at his kerosene factory. The burn scars gave his eyes a downturned, hound-dog look that belied his generally energetic, upbeat nature. When war broke out in 1861, Old Rosie rejoined the army and worked his way up from staff officer to brigadier general. He clashed with War Secretary Edwin Mars Stanton and got transferred out west to fight under General Ulysses Grant. Old Rosie fought with distinction and in October 1862, Lincoln gave

him command of the Army of the Cumberland. Just a quick reminder, the Union usually names its armies after rivers near its operations, like the Army of the Potomac. The Confederacy usually goes with state or region names, like the Army of Northern Virginia. I'm mentioning this now because you're going to hear a lot of different army names today, including both the Union Army of the Tennessee, named for the river, and the Confederate Army of Tennessee, named for the state. Okay, that fun fact noted. Let's get back to Old Rosie and his campaign. On June 24th, 65,000 federal troops march south-southeast out of Murfreesboro. Their goal is to capture the Confederate Army of Tennessee's supply rail station at Tullahoma and trap the rebel army. Old Rosie orders his men to

move simultaneously on three gaps, or passes, through the Cumberland foothills, gain control of those crucial points, and then move on to Tullahoma. Now the Union army knows it needs the element of surprise if this plan is going to work, but they move so quickly they surprise even themselves. The Union Corps captures all three gaps within 24 hours. The Confederate troops start to retreat toward Tullahoma while the Federals pursue them. Then it starts to rain. Both armies travel slowly over muddy roads, but Confederate General Braxton Bragg and his gray-clad men win the footrace to the crucial rail depot. On June 28th, Braxton tells Brigadier General St. John Liddell that he intends to hold out at Tullahoma.

But no one believes it. They can tell that the Union Army's lightning-quick attack has shaken their general. When St. John Liddell tells Colonel Daniel Govan about Braxton's plan to hold Tullahoma, Daniel Govan quietly replies, No, General, he will not fight here. But Colonel, I have General Bragg's word for it, St. John argues back. No matter, General, I don't believe it, and I will go and oyster supper on it. Daniel counters. Daniel's about to win that bet.

With the Union army continuing to press their advance, even through driving rain and muddy roads, Braxton decides to retreat nearly 80 miles southeast, all the way to the Tennessee River City of Chattanooga. On June 30th, the rebels begin their withdrawal, leaving Tullahoma and other nearby Tennessee towns in Union hands. The Tullahoma campaign is an almost bloodless Union victory. Old Rosie suffers less than 600 casualties and took 1,600 rebels as prisoners. But the Union general doesn't get all the credit he thinks he deserves.

Union wins at Vicksburg and Gettysburg overshadow the Tullahoma campaign. War Secretary Mars wants Old Rosie to push on. Mars writes, quote, you and your noble army now have the chance to give the finishing blow to the rebellion. Will you neglect the chance?

Close quote. Old Rosie is offended by this letter, but one of his staffers, Lieutenant Henry Sist, gets it. He surmises, Close quote. of an army. A campaign like that of Tullahoma always means a battle at some other point. Close quote. It doesn't take long for Old Rosie to see things from Henry's point of view. He knows he's got to sack Braxton Bragg and his rebel army, but it takes him over a month to put together a scheme to take Chattanooga and Knoxville, as well as the Confederate armies occupying those cities. Old Rosie has several ways in which he could approach Chattanooga, as well as the Confederate armies occupying those cities. Old Rosie has several ways in which he could approach Chattanooga, which sits on the south bank of the Tennessee River near the

Georgia-Tennessee border. But he settles on a strategy which will make the most of the mountainous terrain and the complex river systems near Chattanooga. Here's the plan. Old Rosie will send the bulk of his army south from their bases near Tullahoma to quietly cross the Tennessee River downstream from Chattanooga. Meanwhile, his cavalry and one corps of his army will march east and act like they are going to cross upriver from the Confederate-held city. These guys will make a ton of noise and even feign an attack on Chattanooga to draw Confederate attention. Simultaneously, a small Union army will move on Knoxville, 100 miles northeast of Chattanooga. It's a good plan, and old Rosie knows it. Not even the rain,

thunder, and lightning on Sunday, August 16th, can dampen his spirits. This morning, his men started marching on Chattanooga. And the Confederate cavalry has no idea. But why not? What's going on with the Confederate high command right now? To put it bluntly, General of the Army of Tennessee Braxton Bragg is struggling to keep it together. This guy has a ton of military experience. We met this salt-and-peppered, bearded Confederate back at the Battle of Shiloh in episode 48 and ran into him again at Stones River in episode 59. He even fought in the Mexican-American War with Union General Ulysses Grant and CSA President Jefferson Davis. These

guys know Braxton can be as difficult to work with as his eyebrows are thick. And that is saying something. One word, unibrow. Cigar Smoking Ulysses says, he was possessed of an irascible temper and was naturally disputatious. But Jeff doesn't mind Braxton's sharp tongue or brusque manner. Jeff trusts the hell out of Braxton. Unfortunately for Braxton, he's up against three pretty tough challenges. Stress, bad health, and difficult subordinate officers. And Braxton meets these obstacles with steely inflexibility and hostility. Those are great qualities in a leader, right? It gets so bad that one historian surmises Braxton has, quote, lost touch with reality. Close quote. Yikes. Basically, heavily browed Braxton embodies the angst and depression currently gripping the Confederacy. His grim outlook casts a pall

over his men. While Braxton struggles to play nice with his officers, he completely misses the movements of the Union Army. By the time Braxton registers the feigns of old Rosie's men upriver from Chattanooga, nearly 60,000 bluecoats have safely crossed the Tennessee River southwest of Chattanooga at three basically undefended spots. Yeah, old Rosie's plan to trick the Confederates worked. Braxton's disorganized, spread-too-thin cavalry failed to detect the Union army's true objective until it was too late. Okay, let me draw a little mental map for you so you can picture where the Union and Confederate troops are now. Braxton's headquarters are at Chattanooga, Tennessee, with his cavalry patrolling

the ridges and valleys south of the city, which run clear down into the state of Georgia. Old Rosie's federal troops are now on one of those ridges which sits southwest of Chattanooga. They need to head due east to hit the road and rail line that connect Chattanooga to Atlanta, Georgia. Once that's done, Old Rosie plans to move north and sack Braxton's army at Chattanooga. But that movement won't be easy. The Federals will have to split up and cross more ridges through narrow passes, making them easy targets if Braxton's Confederate troops march south and try to intercept them. But Braxton still doesn't have good intel about Union troop movements and headcounts.

And this scares the already stressed out general. When Braxton finally gets news of Union movements, it only confirms his fears. On September 3rd, a Union army commanded by General Ambrose Burnside and his glorious sideburns occupies Knoxville, Tennessee without firing a shot. And that's it. Braxton figures he can't hold Chattanooga any longer. He tells his war council, it is said to be easy to defend a mountainous country, but the mountains hide your foe from you while they are full of gaps through which he can pounce on you at any time. A mountain is like a wall of a house full of rat holes. On September 8th, the Confederate Army

retreats south from Chattanooga, Tennessee to nearby Lafayette, Georgia. Union troops that had been camped north of the city move in the next day. There's nothing like a full retreat to get your boss's attention. While Braxton's men march south over dusty roads, in Richmond, Jeff Davis orders General James Old Pete Longstreet and 12,000 men to reinforce the Army of Tennessee. Now it'll take these guys several days to join up with Braxton at Lafayette, Georgia, but just file away the fact that they are coming. All right, let's join up with Old Rosie and see what his next move will be. Now that Braxton's men are retreating, again, Old Rosie figures the rebels will be totally demoralized. The eager Union general wants to attack them on the road. It's risky, but Old Rosie is feeling confident, and his men are feeling downright cocky. While on the march toward Chattanooga, one bluecoat writes to his family,

quote, there may be many days hard fighting, though it is the general opinion that Bragg will follow up his old system of fighting, which you know is runny. Close quote. Ha! That's a low blow, soldier. But there's one federal commander whose head isn't so inflated. General George Thomas. A dependable and serious soldier, George sees the problem with an attack. The Union troops are scattered across the ridges, valleys, and gaps

that make up the landscape south of Chattanooga. They have no way to launch a coordinated attack on Braxton's 60,000 man army. Even though Old Rosie respects George, he doesn't agree. The scarred general orders his men to move toward their target, the Confederate army now traveling south out of Chattanooga. Unfortunately for the federal Army, the Confederate Army of Tennessee just got a shot in the arm. News of old Pete Longstreet's imminent arrival gives Braxton some of his old fire back. The still-sick general realizes that instead of getting hit while he's on the move, he can bring the fight to the Yankees, trapping them in the

valleys and gaps just north of Lafayette, Georgia. From September 10th to 13th, Braxton issues dozens of orders to his subordinates trying to catch the Union army unawares. But like a kid playing the classic game of mousetrap, Braxton's plans have too many moving parts and there's no way in hell to get any of them lined up enough to actually catch a plastic mouse, let alone a whole army. Basically, anything that can go wrong for the Confederates does. Like on September 10th, when a local kid wanders into a Union camp near McLemore's Cove. While the soldier chats with the child, he lets slip that dozens of Confederate soldiers are camping on his family's farm less than a mile away. The Union army realizes they have switched roles from predator to prey

and changed tactics. When Confederate soldiers realize they've lost the element of surprise, they take it hard. One rebel captain remembers, quote, Hill's corps, every man of which had realized the enemy's situation the day through, was in ecstasies of grief. Men and officers swore, some were almost in tears. Many were in despair. Close quote. When Johann Rall received the letter on Christmas Day 1776, he put it away to read later. Maybe he thought it was a season's greeting and wanted to save it for the fireside. But what it actually was, was a warning, delivered to the Hessian colonel, letting him know that General George Washington was crossing the Delaware and would soon attack his forces.

The next day, when Rawl lost the Battle of Trenton and died from two colonial Boxing Day musket balls, the letter was found, unopened in his vest pocket. As someone with 15,000 unread emails in his inbox, I feel like there's a lesson there. Oh, well, this is The Constant, a history of getting things wrong. I'm Mark Chrysler.

Every episode, we look at the bad ideas, mistakes, and accidents that misshaped our world. Find us at constantpodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts. world. We're Jen and Jenny from Ancient History Fangirl. We tell you true stories and tall tales of the ancient world. Sometimes we do it tipsy. Sometimes we have amazing guests on our show, historians like Barry Strauss, podcasters like Liv Albert, Mike Duncan, and authors like Joanne Harris and Ben Aronovich. We take you to the top of Hadrian's Wall to watch the Roman Empire fall at the end of the world. We walk the catacombs beneath the temple of the Feathered Serpent

under Teotihuacan. We walk the sacred spirals of the Nazca Lines in search of ancient secrets. And we explore mythology from ancient cultures around the world. Come find us at ancienthistoryfangirl.com or wherever you get your podcasts. On September 18th, Old Rosie has all three of his cores lined up along Lafayette Road on the west side of Chickamauga Creek. Now you may have heard that Chickamauga is a Cherokee word that means river of death.

Let's just say that's a rough translation and not all historians and linguists agree with it. Anyway, this Tennessee River tributary follows an essentially north-south path in between two ridges. But here's the important thing. Just south of the Union's position is a dead end, where the two ridges meet in a cul-de-sac known as McLemore's Cove. If Old Rosie's men get pushed south of their current position, they'll be trapped, and Braxton knows it. All he has to do is roll up the north end of Union lines, block Lafayette Road, which leads into Chattanooga, and Old Rosie's Union army will be his. That afternoon, Old Rosie and Braxton move their men into position, with Union troops on the west side of the Chickamauga and Confederate soldiers on the

east banks of the Sluggish Creek. Cavalry on both sides skirmish throughout the day, while Braxton orders the full onslaught to strike at dawn the following morning. But that's not exactly what happens. Around 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 19th, rebel cavalrymen under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest almost accidentally bump into federal cavalrymen in the woods on the north end of Union lines. Nathan wants to get a clear idea of the Union position, so he orders 250 of his men to patrol deeper into the woods. Within a few hundred yards, the rebels ride right into a hornet's nest of 2,200 bluecoats. The gray-clad cavalrymen hightail it back to their lines.

One Union soldier describes, quote, Wild-eyed, hatless, horseless, without guns, wounded and bleeding, men yelling at the top of their voices, Get boys, the woods are full of Yankees! Close quote. But Nathan's a fierce fighter and he won't give up that easy. He asks for reinforcements and continues the fight he started on the Union left. One new to combat major has never seen Nathan in battle before. He can't believe the change that comes

over his dark-eyed cavalry commander. Quote, his face flushed until he bore a striking resemblance to a painted Indian warrior, and his eyes, usually so mild in their expression, flashed with the intense glare of the panther about to spring on its prey. In fact, he looked as little like the forest of our mess table as the storm of December resembles the quiet of June. Close quote. All across Union lines, the slightly outnumbered Yankees put up a strong fight through the morning and well into the hot afternoon. About 60,000 boys in blue send bullet after bullet into the onslaught of 68,000 Confederate men. Of course, it helps that the Yankees are using brand new Spencer 7-shot repeating rifles.

These guns can shoot up to 14 rounds a minute. Compare that to the two or three rounds an experienced soldier with a traditional rifle can fire. Union soldiers are shocked at the devastation their new weapon can inflict. Colonel John Wilder later remembers, quote, it actually seemed a pity to kill them and so, they fell in heaps and I had it in my heart to order the firing to cease, to end the awful sight. Close quote. By nightfall, Old Rosie's men still hold Lafayette Road, but their position looks a little bit different now. At the north end, General George Thomas' lines are a little curved, bumping out to the east. Farther south along the Union position, Corps Commanders John Crittenden and Alexander McCook hold the Union's center and right in an almost straight line. Soldiers on both sides try to sleep despite the bitter cold and the awful cries of wounded men still on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, soldiers on both sides try to sleep despite the biting cold and the awful cries of wounded men still on the battlefield. Indiana soldier Alva Grist writes in his journal, The thunder of battle had ceased, but oh, a worse, more heart-rending sound breaks upon the night air. The groans from thousands of wounded in our front, crying in anguish and pain, some for death to relieve them, others for water. Oh, if I could only drown this terrible sound, and yet I may also lie thus ere tomorrow's sun crosses the heavens. Who can tell? I must sleep in spite of it all. Damn. It's going to be a long night, soldier. While most troops try to get a few hours of rest, Braxton gets a welcome midnight interruption. General James Old Pete Longstreet arrives with reinforcements. Now,

a few of his men arrived earlier today and actually joined the action. But now that old Pete is here with the bulk of his men, Braxton adjusts his plan of attack. Braxton is going to split his army into two main wings with old Pete commanding the left or south and General Leonidas Polk on the right or north. At dawn on September 20th, the two Confederate generals are supposed to attack in echelon, starting at the Union north, pushing the Yankees south, and trapping them in McLemore's Cove. Like most of Braxton's plan, this one is awesome. And like most of Braxton's plans, it won't work out. Confederate General Leonidas Polk is supposed to launch the attack on the Union left at dawn. He doesn't. Braxton reports,

with increasing anxiety and disappointment, I waited until after sunrise without hearing a gun and at length dispatched a staff officer to Pulk to ascertain the cause of the delay and urge him to a prompt and speedy movement. Even with prodding from Braxton, it's more like 930 before Leo's men start firing their guns. Leo was an Episcopalian bishop before the war, and he hasn't caught on to the necessity of military precision. I guess no one dies if you start mass late. That's not true of offenses on the battlefield. This delay has a domino effect on Confederate attack plans. After Leo's gray-clad soldiers start battling Union General George Thomas' strong breastworks, old Pete Longstreet can launch his part of the attack.

At 1130, the newly arrived general orders his highly organized men to charge the Union center. The Confederate soldiers find something unexpected. A hole. Here's the thing. Earlier this morning, Old Rosie made a mistake. When George Thomas on the Union left asked for reinforcements at 2 a.m., Old Rosie acquiesced. He and George figured the rebels would hit George's line hard today, and they were right. But George didn't ask for just any reserve troops. He asked for James Negley's division. So Old Rosie orders Negley to move out to the left without giving clear instructions as to when that should happen and who would plug the hole. Whoops. Now the Union General is an energetic, high-strung guy,

but he's starting to fray under the pressure of battle. He slept for about three hours last night, had a biscuit and coffee for breakfast, and then tried to figure out how to reinforce the left section of his lines. Any medical resident will tell you that's no way to make good decisions. A Frontline's reporter saw Old Rosie this morning and said, quote, Rose Kranz is usually brisk, nervous, powerful of presence, and to see him silent or absorbed in what looked like groomy contemplation filled me with indefinable dread. Close quote.

This is not looking good for the Union. By the time Old Pete Longstreet's Confederate soldiers launched their attack, Old Rosie still hasn't issued clear orders to ensure his lines are connected. And so, the rebels come plunging through the Union lines without meeting much, if any, resistance. Capable and experienced Old Pete, who Robert E. Lee calls, my old warhorse, makes the most of Old Rosie's mistake and the Union center and right lines soon crumble. In fact, Confederate troops penetrate Union lines so efficiently that they

make it all the way to Old Rosie's headquarters well behind the battlefront. Assistant War Secretary Charles Dana is taking a much-needed nap on the lawn near headquarters when bullets start flying over him. I'll let him tell the story. I was awakened by the most infernal noise I ever heard. Never in any battle I had witnessed was there such a discharge of cannon and musketry. The first thing I saw was General Rosecrans crossing himself. Hello, I said to myself. If the general is crossing himself, we are in a desperate situation. Yeah, if highly religious old Rosie is praying, you better start running, Charles. That's exactly what Charles, Old Rosie, and his staff do.

At 1230 p.m., while Confederate bullets and shells threaten him, Old Rosie orders one of his cavalrymen to throw up a line for the retreating bluecoats. Then, the commanding general and his staff ride north. One staff officer claims, quote, Old Rosie's powerful gray horse ran off and no one could keep up with him. Close quote. Soon after Old Rosie evacuates the field, the entire right half of his lines come running after him. They retreat over 12 miles up back across the state line into Tennessee and hole up at Chattanooga. But the Union left under the command of George Thomas holds. George quickly forms a line on the

more defendable Horseshoe Ridge just behind his still intact breastworks. Across the afternoon, George's men hold off under heavy fire from Leo Polk on the north and Old Pete Longstreet on the south. One soldier describes how George stays calm in the raging fight. I see General Thomas, brave, bronzed, cool, and unmoved as he sat on his bay charger without any display or pump, utterly alone in this very battle of hell. And that is how General George Thomas earns the nickname, the Rock of Chickamauga. But George can't hold out forever. Around 4.30, he gets word from old Rosie's staffers that no

reinforcements are coming. The steady general won't sit here and watch his men get used as Confederate target practice. Soon after nightfall, on September 20th, George orders a well-organized retreat up to Chattanooga. The Confederates win the victory of the Battle of Chickamauga, inflicting over 16,000 Union casualties. But it's not all good news for Braxton. His army has suffered over 18,500 casualties, making this the bloodiest battle in the Western theater. Both old Pete Longstreet and Nathan Bedford Forrest want to chase the Union troops out of Chattanooga before they can dig in, but Braxton decides to hold off on an immediate pursuit. This frustrates many of his generals. Always ready for a fight, Nathan Bedford Forrest

is disgusted with his general, asking, what does he fight battles for? Even after a fight, Nathan Bedford Forrest is disgusted with his general, asking, Even after a victory, the infighting and backbiting at Braxton's headquarters continues. Up in Chattanooga, Old Rosie can't believe what just happened. After the retreat, the normally energetic man walks around in a daze. When Lincoln hears about Old Rosie's sad state in the early hours of September 21st, he sums it up in a way that only the Illinois rail splitter could. He tells his secretary, John Hay, that old Rosie seems confused and stunned, like a duck hit in the head. And of course, it's two days later, as September 23rd gives way to the early hours of

the 24th, that Edwin Stanton mounts his midnight argument for sending reinforcements to the confused duck. Two Army of the Potomac Corps, led by General Fightin' Joe Hooker, now embark on a more than 1,200-mile journey to Chattanooga as a doubtful link in questions if they'll make it in time. Now, as Fightin' Joe and his army make this days-long journey, let me give you a quick reminder of the geography, and perhaps go a tad deeper in detail at this point. Here we go. Chattanooga sits just north of the Tennessee-Georgia border, on the south bank of the Tennessee River. At this particular point, the river meanders greatly as it flows southwest,

out of its namesake state and into the state of Alabama. To the town's east is Missionary Ridge. To its south is Lookout Mountain. Meanwhile, the roads connecting Union supplies to Chattanooga run west, along and across a deep bend in the Tennessee River. Got it? Good. So now you'll get how significant it is that Braxton's Confederates hold Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and are able to swoop down, harass, and destroy Union wagons on these western roads. Braxton's generals are still frustrated by his slow siege tactics, but the Rebs do have great success laying waste to the Yanks' wagons in early October. From the 1st to the 9th, Confederate Major General Joseph Wheeler leads

cavalry raids. These attacks are aptly referred to as Wheeler's Raid. The Major General and his men damage miles of roads, knock out five bridges, kill or capture hundreds of Union draft animals, and destroy over 1,000 supply wagons. Old Rosie's boys in blue are left eating half rations while upwards of 10,000 horses and mules starve to death. And even as Fightin' Joe arrives with reinforcements in record time, Old Rosie doesn't know what else to do other than send them to Union-held Bridgeport, Alabama, which is over 20 miles away as the crow flies to the west-southwest. Things are looking grim indeed for the Union. But a change in leadership spurs new hope.

President Lincoln turns to the victor of Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant. In mid-October, the rail splitter creates the new, geographically massive Division of the Mississippi and hands it to Cigar Love and Ulysses. That puts Chattanooga under his authority, and U.S. Grant wastes no time shaking things up. While en route to the besieged town, Ulysses sends word that Old Rosie is no longer in command of the Army of the Cumberland. That responsibility will now go to George Thomas. When Ulysses gets to Chattanooga on October 23rd, he sees his most pressing task

as breaking Braxton's siege by restoring Union supply lines. Largely thanks to Chief Engineer William Smith, Ulysses quickly has a plan. They intend to seize control of the few miles between Chattanooga and Browns Ferry to the west, as well as the next 40 or so winding miles of the Tennessee River. If Ulysses can make this happen, then his army can move supplies from Union-controlled Bridgeport, Alabama to Brown's Ferry, Tennessee via the river, then move them the last few miles over rebuilt roads and pontoon bridges. It's an audacious play, but then again, Ulysses is an audacious general. The plan goes into action three days later. On October 26th,

Fightin' Joe finally gets to put his men into action. They depart Bridgeport, Alabama, cross over the Tennessee River, and march overland eastward toward the Confederates just below Chattanooga. Meanwhile, Ulysses sends forces out of the town itself. Moving out at 3 a.m. on October 27th, Union Brigadier General William Hazen and 1,800 men stealthily glide out of Chattanooga on barges, moving westward along the Tennessee River. They fall on the unsuspecting Confederate post at Brown's Ferry two hours later. It's a fast and decisive victory. Meanwhile, Fightin' Joe's two-day march puts him in his 16,000-strong force at Browns Ferry on the 28th. With their arrival, the Union now has firm control of Chattanooga, Browns Ferry, and a horseshoe-shaped strip of land between the two.

By the way, this strip is known as Moccasin Point, and it's formed by a southward bend in the river. But there's more fighting that night. While Fightin' Joe makes camp with most of his men close to Brown's Ferry, he's left one division under Brigadier General John Geary about three miles southwest in Lookout Valley to guard the Wahatchee train station. Fightin' Joe's men largely marched along the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad to get from Bridgeport to Browns Ferry, and Joe wants to maintain control of this station in order to keep communication lines open. The Confederates can't have this, though, and they strike at midnight. With heavy clouds covering the moon, soldiers on both sides are fighting nearly blind.

The only real light is that of rifles flashing in the pitch black. Unfortunately for the Rebs though, Fightin' Joe's close enough to hear the battle. He sends reinforcements back down Lookout Valley, and with that help, John Geary's division forces the Confederates to retreat by 3 a.m. And with that victory, Union supply lines are back up and running. Starving Federal troops in Chattanooga have never been happier to sink their teeth into those bland, months if not years old, hard tag crackers. They're so happy they even nicknamed the New Tennessee River to Brown's Ferry and Chattanooga's supply line, quote, the cracker line, close quote. No disrespect to old Rosie,

but Union life is way better with Ulysses in charge. The men are eaten again and morale is up. We felt that everything came from a plan. Everything was done like music. Everything was in harmony, reports Colonel L.B. Eaton, as he and other federal troops watch U.S. Grant secure their lines and oversee the reconstruction or repair of countless bridges and roads. And if that isn't good enough, William Tecumseh Sherman, or Cump as we know he prefers to be called, shows up with his 17,000 strong army on November 14th. Oh, and let me remind you, he and Ulysses aren't just colleagues, they're totally BFFs, and that good-natured friendship comes out immediately. As Cump walks up to Ulysses aren't just colleagues. They're totally BFFs. And that good-natured friendship comes out immediately. As Kump walks up to Ulysses after his more than 500-mile march from Vicksburg,

his old friend offers him a cigar. No surprise there. And his rocking chair. Take the chair of honor, Sherman. Ulysses invites. Oh no, that belongs to you, General. Kump returns. Never mind that. I always give precedent to age. The two years younger Ulysses answers in a joking tone. Well, if you put it on that ground, I must accept. And with that, Kump settles into the rocker with his freshly lit cigar.

Oh yeah, with the union's dynamic duo reunited, things are looking good here. Want to learn how you can make smarter decisions with your money? Well, I've got the podcast for you. I'm Sean Piles, and I host NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast. On our show, we help listeners like you make the most of your finances. I sit down with NerdWallet's team of nerds, personal finance experts in credit cards, banking, investing, and more. We answer your real-world money questions and break down the latest personal finance news. The nerds will give you the clarity you need by cutting through the clutter and misinformation in today's world of personal finance. We don't promote get-rich-quick schemes or hype unrealistic

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Last month in October, CSA President Jefferson Davis even made a personal visit to try and restore peace between his old friend Braxton and the other commanders. It didn't work. Ultimately, they decided to let those who couldn't stand quick-tempered, stubborn, and slow-to-move Braxton Bragg go do other things. Nathan Bedford Forrest went back to his independent command in Mississippi, and the thick-haired, goatee-wearing cavalry general didn't mince words with Braxton as he left. I have stood your meanness as long as I intend to. You have played the part of a damn scoundrel. If you ever again try to interfere with me Damn. Well, we'll see you later, Nathan. Braxton's also lost Old Pete Longstreet.

He took over 15,000 men and departed back on November 4th. Now Confederates kind of built his departure into a strategy. Old Pete is going to engage our favorite facial-haired Union General, Ambrose Burnside, who is still 100 miles northeast at Knoxville. But think about this. Braxton has lost Old Pete and a sizable army, just as Ulysses is gaining Kump's army of equal size. Let me put that another way. Braxton Bragg is

outnumbered by late November. Still, the fact is that he and his confederates are dug in on the high ground of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Ulysses' forces may have swelled to 80,000 men, but he'll need to find a weakness in those defenses to break through. All right, so Ulysses has come up with a plan of attack. After talking it over with Kump, he's decided to use his three combined armies in different ways. George Thomas and his roughly 40,000 strong army of the Cumberland will hold the Union center. Ulysses is convinced they're still a bit demoralized after the Battle of Chickamauga, so all he's asking them to do is hold the line facing this part of the miles-long

missionary ridge, which will keep the Confederates from reinforcing either of their flanks. That's crucial, because the flanks are where you list plans on the real action happening. He has Fightin' Joe Hooker's army going south of town to engage the Confederate left up on Lookout Mountain. Meanwhile, our chain-smoking Union commanders really rely on his trusty BFF Kump to take his army east of Chattanooga and crush the rebel right on the northern edge of Missionary Ridge. Well, that sounds organized enough. Let's see how this goes. Things get started on November 23rd. While George Thomas' men aren't meant to do much, they are asked to do

some deceptive reconnaissance. Early in the afternoon, one of George's divisions steps out into the open between Chattanooga and Confederate-held Missionary Ridge. But curiously, these boys in blue are dressed to the nines and have no artillery to back them up. Ah, the Federals are doing a formal review of troops, the rebels figure. Well, they're right, but they're missing the real point. These Union forces are doing so in order to get a better look at the terrain. In other words, they're parading with the hope their enemy will let them be while they actually conduct surveillance. Not only does this work, but the gray and butternut clad men decide to enjoy what they consider their own private parade.

They leave their defensive positions at this stretch of Missionary Ridge and sit out somewhat in the open to get a better view. Union leaders can hardly believe their luck, so they move to step two of this recon mission. They attack. A cannon fires around 1.30 p.m. It's really a signal to charge. The Bluecoats dash forward as Confederates rush back to their positions. The Rebs secure Missionary Ridge just fine, but lose a small, 100-foot-tall wooded hill they held prior to the deceptive Union parade. This hill is called Orchard Knob, and it situates smack dab between Missionary Ridge and the town of Chattanooga. It gives Ulysses a better view of the miles-long ridge to his east and the far taller lookout mountain

to the south of town. He adopts this position as his new command post. The next day, the 24th, U.S. Grant sends Kump and Fightin' Joe to hit the Confederate flanks. Moving out from above Chattanooga, Kump has to cross back over the swollen-by-rain Tennessee River. Now east of town and on the river's southern bank, he attacks. There's just one problem. His intel is off. Tecumseh Sherman thought he had seized Tunnel Hill, which is the first in a series of hills along Missionary Ridge. Instead, he's merely taken another small hill that isn't even connected to the ridge. Whoops.

But things are more eventful for Fightin' Joe Hooker south of Chattanooga. Now we need to keep in mind that the mountain is very appropriately named. Tennessee might not be known for towering peaks, but if you ascend this steep mountain, you'll be able to look out on seven states at once. Its current confederate occupants can see most troop movements beneath them. Basically, Union forces have everything going against them in assaulting this mountain. Everything except the weather, that is. A heavy fog that hovered over the mountain enabled us to attack the enemy by surprise in the flank and rear of their works, Private Elisha C. Lucas of

the Union Loyal 8th Kentucky reports. Making good use of this fog, Joe's men crossed at their quickly assembled bridge over Lookout Creek rather than approaching, as the Confederates expected, from Chattanooga Road. The morning battle then begins in earnest. Major Joseph Fullerton tells us that they fought, quote, for nearly two hours, step by step up the steep mountainside, over and through deep gullies and ravines, over great rocks and fallen trees. The earthenworks on the plateau were assaulted and carried, and the enemy was driven out and forced to fall back. Close quote. Peering up at Lookout Mountain through the mist and fog, civilians in Chattanooga and soldiers in blue and gray alike on the other fields of battle wonder who's winning.

Union artillery placed at Moccasin Point just north of the mountain try to support Fighting Joe Hooker, but aren't sure where to aim. The same goes for Confederate guns on the mountain. The fog is just too thick. To those below listening to the rifle and cannon fire above, it seems like a fight in the very heavens themselves. Hence, the Battle of Lookout Mountain will gain the nickname, Battle Above the Clouds. It takes until 8 p.m. that night, but Hooker lives up to his moniker as Fightin' Joe and drives the last of the Confederates from the mountain. The Union's 8th Kentucky has the honor of raising

the American flag atop Lookout Mountain the next morning. With the fog lifted, the star-spangled banner signals Joe's victory to all below, leading Ulysses' men across the various fields of battle to spontaneous cheers of hurrah. But even with the inspiring sight of the stars and stripes, the Federals are off to a hard start on November 25th. East of Chattanooga, William Tecumseh Sherman is now attacking the actual Tunnel Hill at the north end of Missionary Ridge. He's having a hell of a time with it. Kump is facing down the fierce, talented, Irish immigrant, naturalized American citizen turned Confederate general, Patrick Claiborne. Patrick's the best General Braxton Bragg has, and the terrain is entirely to his advantage. Between his skills and the landscape, the Irish Confederate is effectively bringing

Kump's attack on the Confederate right to a grinding halt. Ulysses was planning on Kump breaking through and getting to enjoy the sweet victory of the battle, but clearly that's not happening. Well, what about fighting Joe? He's stuck too. Descending down Lookout Mountain in an effort to follow his retreating foe fleeing to the southern side of Missionary Ridge, he finds the Rebs burnt a crucial bridge over Chattanooga Creek on their way. Smart move on their part. It's going to hold Joe up for four hours. Damn it. Ulysses' plan to beat Braxton Bragg by hitting the Confederate flanks isn't holding up. As the afternoon wears on, Ulysses decides to activate the one army in which he has little confidence, George Thomas' Army of the Cumberland. Maybe if they hit the Confederate center, that can take the pressure off of Kump a few miles

farther up Missionary Ridge and restore the plan. With low expectations, U.S. Grant orders George to make an assault only against the first line of rebel trenches at this lower point on Missionary Ridge. Honestly though, this looks a little suicidal. George's men will cross an open field, then attack a reinforced incline. For those of you who remember the episodes on Fredericksburg or Gettysburg, this kind of looks like Mary's Heights or a Pickett's Charge situation. 23,000 of George's men dash forward amid the blowing bugles, firing artillery, and cracking rifles. Ulysses didn't realize it, but his low opinion of the army of the Cumberland has pissed all of them off, and they're determined to prove him wrong.

When they hit 200 yards out, the Confederates in the first line of rifle pits fire a volley. Then they retreat. What on earth? Doesn't matter. The boys in blue continue their charge. Forget serving as a distraction for Tecumseh Sherman's men, they've driven back the Rebs. But some of George's men realize they're in a precarious position. The next line of Confederates back will mow them down if they stay put. Given this reality, these Federals do the only thing they can. They keep charging up Missionary Ridge. Back at his command post on Orchard Knob, Ulysses watches these troops go past the first line. Initially, he's livid. That wasn't part of the plan. What's going on? Are they suicidal? He turns to their commander, George Thomas, and angrily demands, Thomas, who ordered those men up that ridge?

I don't know. I did not, the army of the Cumberland commander affirms. But as Ulysses watches, well, it appears this suicidal charge is actually succeeding. And who is he to complain about that? The boys feel pretty good, he announces, cigar clenched between his teeth. Let them alone a while. The army of the Cumberland keeps going. Ironically, Ulysses' lack of trust in them only fueled their desire to prove themselves, both to him and to the other Union armies. They're also fueled by a desire to avenge their loss at Chickamauga. Chickamauga! Chickamauga! cries George Thomas' men as their entire army flies up the center of

Missionary Ridge. Ulysses sees that this is his moment to go in for the kill. He sends a message to Kump, still fighting Patrick Claiborne's forces at the ridge's northern edge. Thomas has carried the hill in line in his immediate front. Now is your time to attack with vigor. DO SO! And yes, the DO SO is in all caps. By that evening, his combined forces have chased Braxton Bragg's entire Confederate army from the miles-long Missionary Ridge east of Chattanooga, forcing a retreat south into Georgia. Union soldiers cheer their commander as Ulysses rides up to and along the ridge itself. Though a surprising end, it's a satisfying victory. An army never was whipped so badly as Bragg was, says U.S. Grant. Damn you, Liss. Tell us how you really feel, huh? Man,

from Chickamauga to the battles of Chattanooga, the Union really turned it around. Such a comeback has few equals. I mean, the Red Sox victory over the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series comes to mind, but that's rather far out. So what happened there? Why did the Confederates flee instead of mowing down George Thomas's men? Well, turns out the first line has orders to fire one volley, then fall back. The next line back didn't know this, so it terrified them, and the Union troops couldn't believe their luck, so it invigorated them. Not a great strategy for the Confederates. Perhaps this highlights exactly what generals like Nathan Bedford Forrest and James

Old Pete Longstreet have been saying all along. Braxton Bragg was not on top of his game. But I don't know if I'd leave all the fault there. Fact is, the Union was unified. Ulysses was in step with his BFF Tecumseh Sherman, and he worked well with the other generals, even with Fightin' Joe Hooker, a man for whom Ulysses holds little, if any, love. Teamwork always matters. On the other hand, he saw Confederate generals bickering with each other rather than fighting the Union throughout this campaign. But no matter the cause of this loss, there really was no excuse for it. In the aftermath, Braxton Bragg resigns his command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. As much as

Jefferson Davis loves Braxton, he has little choice but to accept it and appoint Joe Johnston in his friend's stead. The CSA president makes Braxton one of his advisors instead. But the fallout doesn't end there. I'll also remind you that old Pete Longstreet had taken his boys in Gray and Butternut North to attack Ambrose Burnside at Knoxville. Well, that's a bust too. I won't detail that one, but the Knoxville campaign is failing by the end of the month and completely peters out as another loss for the Confederacy in December. Basically, from getting cut in half at Vicksburg on the Mississippi, repulsed at Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, then shut down in two separate Tennessee campaigns,

the Confederacy had a rough go of it in the second half of 1863. And the people are feeling it. Gloom and unspoken despondency hang like a pall everywhere, our favorite Southern diarist Mary Chestnut recounts. Meanwhile, the Union's only encouraged, leading to greater support for the war and its now dual mission of preserving the Union and ending slavery. But if you think that means it's all smooth sailing from here, well, let's just say 1864 isn't going to be easy. J.B. Audio Design. Musical score composed and performed by Greg Jackson and Diana Averill. For a bibliography of all primary and secondary sources consulted in writing this episode, visit historythatdoesntsuck.com. Join me in two weeks where I'd like to tell you a story. Thank you. John Boovey, John Keller, John Oliveros, John Radlavich, John Schaefer, John Sheff, Jordan Corbett, Joshua Steiner, Justin M. Spriggs, Justin May, Kristen Pratt, Karen Bartholomew, Cassie Koneko, Kim R., Kyle Decker, Lawrence Neubauer, Linda Cunningham, Mark Ellis, Matthew Mitchell, Matthew Simmons, Melanie Jan, Nick Sechender, Nick Caffrell, Noah Hoff, Owen Sedlak, Paul Goeringer, Randy Guffrey, Reese Humphreys-Wadsworth, Rick Brown, Sarah Trawick, Samuel Lagasa, Sharon Thiesen, Sean Baines, Steve Williams, Creepy Girl, Tisha Black, and Zach Jackson.