Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Crittenden's Corps - Wood's Division - Wagner's Brigade
Wagner's brigade (including the 40th Indiana) continues to occupy the city of Chattanooga, as mentioned previously. This left General Wood with only three brigades in his division.
By the morning of the 20th, intense fighting had occurred at various places along the lines for the last two days. General Rosecrans was continually moving troops north to protect his left, and the roads that led directly back to Chattanooga. General Thomas' corps had been moved north, leaving Crittenden's corps in the middle.
The strain of the battle was wearing on everyone, and many of the orders issued in the morning were confusing. Wood had received a misinterpreted order, and Rosecrans, tired and impatient, had reprimanded Wood in front of his staff, ordering him to follow the order's initial intent. This was a second reprimand for Wood including the recent one regarding his actions at Lookout Mountain.
By late morning, Wood's division was in its intended position in the Union front in the right side of the army's line of battle. As they were preparing to receive the Confederate attack, another order was received; Wood's division was to move out of its current position, and to the left. The order by this time made no sense, as the destination position was already covered. Wood, however, insisted on obeying the order, and commenced the move.
At exactly the same time, a large part of the Confederate army swept through the gap opened up by the withdrawal of Wood's division. All of the Union army to the right (south) of the gap was isolated and left the battlefield to return to Chattanooga. General Rosecrans also left for Chattanooga, leaving General Thomas in charge of the battlefield and ordering him to delay the Confederate advance and work his way back to Chattanooga also. Wood's division became part of Thomas's remnant fighting its way back to the city.
Wagner's brigade (and the 40th Indiana) thus would likely have been right in the middle of the most intense fighting of the battle, if they had not had garrison duty for the city. They likely watched in confusion as the shattered Union army made its way back into Chattanooga. General Thomas fought the holding action and also made his way back into the city, earning him the nickname "The Rock of Chickamauga". Wood would become the goat of the battle for opening the gap that led to the Confederate army breakthrough.
Over a quarter of the Union army became casualties in the battle - 1,656 killed, 9749 wounded, and 4,774 missing, a total of 16,179 out of 57,840 active soldiers. Confederate losses were even worse, including over 2,000 soldiers killed.
Image: Information board from Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Battlefield, Chattanooga, TN describes the events leading to the Confederate breakthrough at the Battle of Chickamauga,
More Information:
- Link: War Operations, see Volume XXX, Chapter XLII, Part III, Correspondence, pp. 719-772.
- The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp. 127-128.
- The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1I, Fredericksburg to Meridian, Shelby Foote, pp. 663-710.
- This Terrible Sound, The Battle of Chickamauga, Peter Cozzens, pp. 101-536.
- The Chickamauga Campaign, Vol 1: A Mad Irregular Battle, David A. Powell.
- The Chickamauga Campaign, Vol 2: Glory or the Grave, David A. Powell.
- Events: 1863 - July to September
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