The Battle of Chickamauga
For the first half of the war, Georgia was free from any major battles, but this changed with the Battle of Chickamauga. From 1863 onward, Georgia became a major battleground in the Civil War.
This crucial battle started on September 19th, 1863 and lasted a day. The Confederate side had the numerical superiority, the south had approximately 66,000 troops while the north had only 58,000. The Confederates were commanded by General Braxton Bragg while the Union's commander was General William Rosecrans. The battle was an important victory for the Confederates as it sent the Union retreating back to Chattanooga. The battle was a very bloody one, with approximately 36,000 casualties. The Confederates had about 18,000 wounded or dead while the Union had around 16,000, interestingly making it the second bloodiest day in the war, after Antietam. It was a general stereotype that the south had better generals, and the fact that Rosecrans fled from the battle is a testament to that. He fled back to his headquarters in Chattanooga where his Chief of Staff, James Garfield, ran to fight the battle after hearing about it. Years later, he became president.
Citations
. "Battle of Chickamauga." www.History.com. N.p.. Web. 22 Jan 2013. <http://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-chickamauga>.
Sayers, Alethia. "Chickamauga." www.ehistory.osu.edu. N.p.. Web. 22 Jan 2013. <http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/BattleView.cfm?BID=43>.
Sayers, Alethia. "Chickamauga." www.ehistory.osu.edu. N.p.. Web. 22 Jan 2013. <http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/BattleView.cfm?BID=43>.