June 24-July 4, 1863

— Anatomy of a Campaign —

In late June of 1863, Union Major General William S. Rosecrans launched a massive offensive from his base in Murfreesboro in an attempt to drive Confederate General Braxton Bragg 43,000-man Army of Tennessee from its entrenchments at Shelbyville and Wartrace, and possibly out of the state. The Union commander planned to capture Chattanooga and, in his words, "rescue loyal East Tennessee from the hands of the rebels." The campaign was bold and swift, with relatively few engagements. By July 4th, the Union Army of the Cumberland, 70,000 strong, had forced a Confederate retreat to Chattanooga, leaving nearly all of Tennessee in Union hands.



Advance to Manchester

To maneuver Bragg out of his Shelbyville trenches, Rosecrans divided his army into four independent columns.



The first column advanced south from Murfreesboro, down what is today US 231, to threaten the main Confederate infantry at Shelbyville. The second moved south, through Liberty Gap. The third column marched southeast, down the Manchester Pike (US 41), the main road to Chattanooga. A fourth column advanced due east along the McMinnville Turnpike (US 70) before turning south to cross the Highland Rim below Bradyville, at Gillie Gap.



By June 28th, the bulk of Rosecrans? army was in Manchester. The Union also held Shelbyville and Bragg entrenched lines. Rosecrans then began his push on to Tullahoma. Only rain and the poor conditions of the roads slowed the Union advance.



Bragg crossed the Elk River at Allisonia on June 30 and began a general retreat, establishing a brief headquarters at Dechard before moving up the Cumberland Plateau. Union cavalry, under the command of Philip Sheridan pushed Confederate skirmishers out of Winchester and Sheridan arrives here, in Cowan, at 3 in the afternoon on July 3rd only to report that Bragg has mocved over the Plateau.



(captions)

(upper right) Confederate General Braxton Bragg; Union Major General William S. Rosecrans

(lower left) Major General Philip Sheridan



(Timeline)

1860 Lincoln Elected Nov 6 ? South Carolina Secedes December 20



1861 Fort Sumter Attacked April 12 ? First Manassas July 21



1862 Shiloh April 1-7 ? Second Manassas August 29-30 ? Antietam September 11 ? Fredericksburg December 13 ? Stones River December 31-January 3



1863 Chancellorsville May 1-4 ? Vicksburg May 20-July 4 ? Tullahoma Campaign June 24-July 4 ? Gettysburg July 1-3 ? Chickamauga September 19-20 ? Chattanooga November 23-25



1864 Cold Harbor June 3 ? Atlanta September 2 ? Franklin November 30 ? Nashville December 15-16



1865 Petersburg April 2 ? Lee Surrenders April 9 ? Johnston Surrenders April 16 ? Forrest Surrenders May 9

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Show me all markers in:  Cowan, TN  |  Franklin County  |  37318  |  Tennessee  |  United States of America

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