Whitaker's Brigade
—Steedman's Division —
In this area, on September 19th 1863, the first desperate fighting for control of the vitally important rail center of Chattanooga took place.
The Eighty-fourth Indiana Regiment, memorialized by a marker on this property was part of a 60,000 man Federal force under General Rosecrans who was trying to drive General Braxton Bragg's 47,000 Confederates deep into Georgia, and set the stage for the capture of Atlanta.
On the morning of the 19th the Federal Army of the Cumberland was located in a line running south from here to Chickamauga. Ordered to move toward the Confederate forces near Chickamauga Creek they encountered heavy resistance from infantry, cavalry, and artillery; and withdrew to their camp. The Confederates then attacked in force, but the Union line held and the Eighty-fourth Indiana achieved its first success of the Chickamauga Campaign.
On Sunday morning, September 20th, the deadly battle of Chickamauga opened in earnest. General Granger, who commanded the entire reserve corps which included the 84th Indiana, found little action to his front; but he could hear the sound of the battle growing steadily stronger to the south. Leaving a small force behind, he marched his men three miles to the area of Snodgrass Hill where they immediately joined in the desperate conflict. The Union troops
held their lines although the slaughter on both sides was great. The 84th Indiana came to Chattanooga with 374 men; by the end of the carnage 135 were killed, wounded or missing.
There was no real victor in the Battle of Chickamauga. While the Confederates held the field at the end of the day as the Union army escaped northwest to Chattanooga, they failed to drive Rosecrans' Army from Chattanooga and win a decisive victory which might have saved the South.
By late November, 1863, Union forces had won the Battles of lookout mountain and Missionary Ridge. The Confederates retreated deep into Georgia and the way was paved for the fall of Atlanta and Sherman's March to the Sea which split the South and sealed her defeat.
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