Day 1

Most of the ground on which 
this battle would be fought 
was forest.  One participant 
described it as, "a dark 
wilderness of woods and vines 
and overhanging limbs."  
Maintaining command and 
control would prove at times 
to be impossible.  Many times 
regimental officers could not 
see their entire line and 
divisional, corps, and army 
commanders would only be able 
to see small parts of their 
command.

As a result, on the morning of 
September 19th, both sides 
knew they were going to fight 
but they knew little of each 
other's positions.  After a 
confusing morning the 
Confederates would launch 
three assaults in the 
afternoon that would almost 
break the Union lines.

At about 2:30 p.m. Confederate 
General Stewart, advancing to 
the sound of firing, appeared 
on Union General Van Cleve's 
flank.  After close to an hour 
of hard fighting Van Cleve was 
driven back exposing the Union 
army's headquarters.  The 
arrival of Negley's division 
on Stewart's flank stopped 
Stewart and pushed him back.  
Twice more, at 4 p.m. and at 
dusk, the Confederates would 
charge again and both times 
would come close to breaking 
the Union lines only to be 
held off at the end.

Losses were heavy for both 
sides.  If the battle would 
have ended after one day it 
would have ranked as one of 
the major ones of the war; 
instead, it would go on for 
another day, a day that was to 
be even more intense.


Day 2

Confederat General Bragg had 
hoped for a dawn attack but 
confusion in the delivery of 
orders postponed the attack 
untill 9:30 a.m..  The Union 
soldier had been busy the 
night before building 
breastworks and it was into 
a fortified position that the 
Confederate soldier found 
himself advancing on the 20th.

As a result of the way in 
which Bragg ordered the 
assault, no pressure was 
initially put on the Union 
troops manning the breastworks 
on their left, exposing the 
advancing troops to devistating
fire on their flank.  Three 
Confederate brigade commanders 
would die this morning.

At about 11 a.m. the Union 
made a tragic mistake.  
Confusion over where troops 
were led Union commander 
General Rosecrans to pull 
Wood's division out of line 
to reinforce an area that in 
actuality needed no help.  
About 15 minutes later, 
Confederate General 
Longstreet's forces would hit 
that gap; by noon, the 
Confederates had penetrated 
deep into the Union rear.

At this time the advancing 
Confederate line came into 
view of Rosecrans.  The sight 
of the routed Union army 
running away so unnerved 
Rosecrans that he turned to 
his staff and said, "If you 
care to live any longer, get 
away from here."

The fighting would continue 
throughout the day ending only 
with the onset of night.  
Though technically ending as 
a victory for the Confederates,
it was the last chance that 
the Confederates had to defeat 
the Army of the Cumberland.  
The Union inflicted more 
casualties than they received, 
even though half their army 
routed.   