Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade
By the 22nd, Wilder's brigade had arrived across the Tennessee River north of Chattanooga. His artillery shelled the city and sank two steamboats at the city dock. Wilder's attack seems to have been unexpected and scattered the citizens. Wagner followed close behind and took up an elevated position nearby with a view of the city. Wagner reported much activity in the city on the 22nd and 23rd in response to Wilder's continued shelling. Hazen's brigade came to the area also and simulated preparation for a full assault (creating campfires, making sounds of sawing and nailing, marching troops through clearings, etc.) across the river from the north.
These attacks and demonstrations were successful in convincing Bragg and the Confederate army to expect the main attack from the north and northeast. Bragg began to draw in his Confederate forces from both the east and the west toward the city. This was, of course, Rosecrans' plan. He now had the bulk of the army on the west side of the Tennessee between Jasper, TN and Stevenson, AL, ready to cross.
The map below
shows the area near downtown Chattanooga. Wilder's brigade is directly north across the river from downtown (approximately along current TN 29). Wagner's brigade, with the 40th Indiana, is to the east, on the higher elevation of Moccasin Bend, observing Confederate positions and movements in the city.
More Information:
- Link: War Operations, see Volume XXX, Chapter XLII, Part III, Correspondence, pp. 97-159.
- The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 124.
- The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 663-688.
- This Terrible Sound, The Battle of Chickamauga, Peter Cozzens, pp. 1-39.
- The Chickamauga Campaign, Vol 1: A Mad Irregular Battle, David A. Powell, pp. 1-74.
- Events: 1863 - July to September
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