Battle for Chattanooga, Nov. 23rd, 1863 Home
HPS Chickamauga: Scenario 071 and 072
80 Turns
USA 65,240 – CSA 37,643
Chattanooga Battlefield – view from atop Lookout Mountain towards Chattanooga
(Historical, 80 Turns) Wood's Division has just captured the Orchard Knob from the skirmishers of the 24th and 28th Alabama. But rather than retreat back to the Chattanooga works as previously planned, the advancing Union troops are ordered to stand their ground and wait for Bragg's reaction. Bragg orders an adjustment to his previous plan and orders Cleburne's Division back from Chickamauga Station. With the threat of an impending Union attack on the Confederate right flank, other Confederate adjustments are made in preparation of this new threat. (Most Confederate units start unfixed to allow for strategic repositioning. Sheridan's Division will also start unfixed to allow for probing of Confederate defenses)
A Note on Average Quality (AQ) Used Below:
The calculation used to determine this is simple. An “A” regiment would receive five points, a “B” regiment four points and so on down to one point for an “E” and zero points for an “F.” You can then add up the numerical totals for a brigade and divide the total number by the number of regiments to get the Average Quality. For example – a brigade of five regiments with two “B’s” and three “C’s” would have a total of seventeen points (4+4+3+3+3=17), this number is then divided by the number of regiments (17/5=3.4) to get the Average Quality of 3.4 out of 5 for that brigade.
General Notes on the Forces
Confederates: 35,043 infantry, 50 cavalrymen, and 2,550 artillerymen (102 cannon)
Union: 60,105 infantry, 235 cavalrymen, 4,900 artillerymen (196 cannon)
Starting Locations on the Map
The Map below shows the proximity of all major Union starting forces on the field.
The Confederate forces start spread out along a line from Lookout Mountain to Tunnel Hill on Missionary Ridge. Because of their positioning the creation of a map stating their locations would be too confusing to read or create. Leave it to Bragg to keep confusing us 150 years later! The Confederate divisions and corps are mixed up and command cohesion will be difficult for the Rebel commander.
Reinforcements by Time, Numbers, and Location
Knowing where your enemy is coming from is often critical in any scenario and this should never be overlooked. It may not seem “fair” to have such information at your fingertips but I always assume they know when my men are coming, so I should know when theirs are.
Confederate Reinforcements
Bragg’s Army will be reinforced during the first few turns by the arrival of Cleburne’s Division and the brigades of Reynolds (Stevenson), Lewis (Breckinridge), and Wright (Cheatham). Combined these forces will number 8,491 men. This will account for nearly 23% of the entire Confederate force on the field of battle. All reinforcements come from Hex (179, 62).
Union Reinforcements
There are no Union reinforcements in this battle.
Notes on the Battlefield
The Battlefield around Chattanooga includes a large number of ridges, hills, mountains, valleys, rivers and creeks. The Tennessee River runs along the northern section of the map and is crossable at just three points. There are two pontoon bridges and a ford (marked by white arrows) where forces may cross the mighty river. The Chattanooga Creek and Lookout Creek (both marked by dark blue lines) surround the Lookout Mountain Range. Lookout Mountain is marked by a black square while Missionary Ridge is marked by a long black line. The city of Chattanooga itself is circled in black. The bold red line marks the main road that the Confederates will need to utilize on the first evening of the battle. It runs behind Missionary Ridge and extends to Lookout Mountain and the other flank of the Confederate Army. The road in front of Missionary Ridge (yellow line) should be used with greater caution as Sheridan’s Division will be free the first evening and able to fire on or attack units on the road. Before any Confederate officer undertakes to plan any strategy for this battle they are best served to study the map in depth. Any mistakes in planning will be severely felt once Grant’s numbers begin to fall upon you. Nature is the only ally the Confederates have in this battle and they better use her to their advantage!
Fixed Units in the Scenario
The Union Army will remain fixed until dawn on the second day of battle. Only Sheridan’s Division will be free from the start. For the Confederates the situation will be the opposite. They will have only a single division fixed (and a few scattered brigades) but will all be released within the first handful of turns in the game.
Large Scale Union and Confederate Options Applicable in Most Games Played
This section will cover just four of the early possible mistakes/scenarios/movements that may occur in any given game. I can only predict what will occur given the tendencies of commanders to follow the historical patterns at the start of a battle or from what I have personally experienced in playing this scenario. These options will be towards the beginning of the scenario as most battles can be determined by who makes the fewest mistakes at the start.
The first three will deal with the overall Confederate position at the start of the scenario. It is my own belief that the best defense is a good offense and in this scenario you will have to catch the Union army flatfooted at some point in order to defeat them. Because of the general lack of large VP hexes in this scenario the Rebel army is free to move about without being tied to any single point. They will also have the large advantage of being almost totally unfixed at the start (except for Walker’s Division which is unfixed early on). The Union army though will start with only Sheridan’s Division unfixed. The Union commander will almost always use this division to probe forward against Missionary Ridge and ignore all else. He will be overly confident that once his units are all unfixed in the morning that he will be able to crush the Rebel position. This freedom-of-movement presents the Rebel commander with a number of possibilities. There are three main battle plans that I see as most feasible for this field. You will notice two are offensive in nature. Personally, I think this is a great scenario to play. The first 25 turns go quickly (racking up OBD points) and you can be as unconventional as you wish. Plus, no matter how badly the Confederate player gets beaten (if they do), you can always just blame Bragg for sending Longstreet away like everyone else did. So go all-out and have some fun with this one!
Historical Confederate Battle Plan
Bragg did a poor job of preparing his defenses atop Missionary Ridge out of the mistaken belief that no Union Army would ever dare to attack such a naturally strong position. His guns were not properly placed, his men were not dug-in and his line was stretched out far too thin to be effective. When the Union attack came the result was predictable and the Confederate Army was badly beaten and demoralized. It was this striking defeat off of such a strong position that finally convinced Davis to replace Bragg as the head of the Army of Tennessee.
As the Confederate commander you have the option of trying to succeed where Bragg failed. You can spend the night preparing defensive positions along Missionary Ridge and trying to consolidate your forces in a stronger line. By abandoning Lookout Mountain and the valley below you can place nearly your entire 37,643 men on the Ridge. From here the artillery can pound the fields below and your infantry can have a large advantage against any attacking force. The downside is that the line can be easily flanked on either side by the overwhelming Union force at your front. The stronger and more numerous Union guns will be able to outlast the Rebel guns in ammunition in a prolonged artillery duel as well. The Confederate line will also have great difficulty in moving men to support either flank as there is no road atop the ridge – only in the valleys below the ridge. Thus any movement will likely be seen by the enemy and they will be quick to train cannon on the troops moving.
The “Banzai” Attack
Because of the Union commanders belief in his own superiority in numbers and cannon he will not expect to be attacked at dawn of the second day. The Confederate commander may use this to his advantage! The Union troops outside of Chattanooga include Wood’s, Sheridan’s, Steinwehr’s, Schurz’s, Baird’s and Johnson’s Divisions – about 36,000 men (30,000 unfixed as Johnson’s Division is fixed inside Chattanooga for the entire battle unless attacked). The Confederates can fight these odds!
Your plan should be to move the brigades of Moore, Walthall, and Brown to block the crossings of Chattanooga Creek west of Lookout Mountain. This will prevent the crossing of the Union men on that side of the creek to come to the aid of Chattanooga. Move Jackson’s Brigade (after dusk and through the night) along the road paralleling the Nashville and Chattanooga RR and then move the brigade through the woods south of the city along the river. Be sure to skirt the river closely so as not to unfix any of Johnson’s Division in Chattanooga. Follow the river all around the city to the pontoon bridge and then dig in! These men will be cut-off but will hopefully go unnoticed until midmorning. Their goal is to delay the reinforcement of the city from the north by Sherman’s army. It is a one-way mission for them but they will go down fighting! Lewis’s Brigade should be moved to the pontoon bridge on the northern flank across from Sherman’s army. They will be able to hold the crossing with the help of a few batteries in case Sherman moves to come across at that point. If Sheridan’s Division is largely inactive on the first evening and allows you room to move through the night then this will be greatly helpful. Otherwise be sure to dispatch a brigade or two to keep him occupied for the night. The rest of the army should be moved to a point across from the XI Corps and north of Orchard Knob. With any luck you can strike the rear of Wood’s Division and the XI Corps at daybreak and create mass confusing on that flank. By attacking swiftly you may be able to greatly damage the Union army around Chattanooga. Your success in holding back the forces of Sherman – and those west of Lookout Mountain – will determine how much success, and time, you will have to battle even odds. Remember that Johnson’s Division (in Chattanooga) remains fixed throughout the scenario so avoid moving too close to it too soon. You may be able to take Chattanooga or at least give the Yanks a good thumping before falling back with your VPs gained.
Map Showing the Moves for the “Banzai” Attack
The Lookout Mountain Attack
This is one of my favorite battle plans to use in any game. The advantages are worth the risk in my opinion. To begin with your objective is to attack the three divisions west of Lookout Mountain and to destroy or capture them. Then you should move to block Brown’s Ferry and cover your rear along Lookout Creek. Move your entire Army (minus Cleburne and the three brigades of reinforcements that come along with him from other divisions) during the evening and night to the area west of Lookout Mountain. Cross Lookout Creek and move some of your men south to cover the Creek crossings around Hooker’s Division (isolating them in place) and then move the bulk of your men opposite Cruft’s Division. Be sure to stay at least 5 hexes away from their position (they are fixed so their position is known from the start) so as not to unfix them and alert your opponent – otherwise the cat is out of the bag! The Union will move first at dawn and will make contact with you first. Their surprise will be immediate and they won’t know what to think about running into Rebels where they didn’t expect them to be. With your first movement phase of dawn attack with all your might and begin to steamroll over Cruft. As quickly as possible begin moving for Osterhaus and Brown’s Ferry. Do not waste any time at all and just keep charging any enemy troops you can. You will have a large numerical advantage over Cruft and Osterhaus. Use your trailing division to start building defenses around the handful of Lookout Creek crossings to block any Federal pursuit over that Creek. By throwing up half your cannon across the Creek and a division of men you can keep any number of Union troops at bay for a long period. Meanwhile, Cleburne and the reinforcements with him can be used for a number of purposes. They can act as decoys on Missionary Ridge, they can (and should!) send a brigade to cover the pontoon bridge across from Sherman (to act as decoys to confuse the Union player some), they can launch a fake attack somewhere around Chattanooga, or they can simply move through the woods and wait for something to open up. Regardless they will likely be cut-off from the main army for the rest of the battle. They will be unable to reach the area west of Lookout Creek by dawn and will have to be used to distract the Union commander.
With luck you should be able to steamroll Cruft and Osterhaus, isolate Hooker, capture Brown’s Ferry, and block Lookout Creek.
Sound like too much? These screen shots are from a recent game I played against a Union general in which I managed to accomplish all of that and to gain a Major Victory status in the process!
Capturing and Defending Brown’s Ferry
Covering the Lookout Creek Crossings in my Rear
Pushing Back the Remnants of Cruft and Osterhaus
Union Objectives on First Day
For the Union commander there is little to be gained on the first evening of battle with just Sheridan’s Division being active. Use this division to lightly probe the Confederate position on Missionary Ridge. Also try to send a brigade to watch the actions of the Confederates to the south. If your opponent is going to attempt any non-historical moves or attacks you will be able to uncover it early on by using Sheridan’s Division actively to probe during the night. Come daylight you will have an overwhelming force so don’t worry about “wasting” Sheridan’s men in reconnaissance exercises the first evening and night.
General Notes on the Confederate Forces:
The Confederate Army in this scenario will start spread out from Missionary Ridge to Lookout Mountain. The army consists of two Corps under Hardee and Breckinridge.
Confederate Cannon at Hex (51, 105) – From this position overlooking Chattanooga Confederate cannon found the distance to be too great to effectively shell the Union lines. Missionary Ridge is visible in the distance – it is the first ridge line just above the cannon tubes and running left to right. What’s on the other side of the rocks in front of the cannon? A very long fall! Be careful if you ever visit the Battlefield. This part is located within the Point Park section atop Lookout Mountain.
37,643 – Army of Tennessee (Gen. Braxton Bragg) AQ 3.59
The Army of Tennessee is comprised of two Corps under Hardee and Breckinridge. It lacks any real cavalry except the headquarters guard under Bragg with 50 men. The army contains 102 cannon in 35 batteries manned by 2,550 men along with 35,043 infantrymen.
Gen. Braxton Bragg and the Confederate Cemetery – This Confederate Cemetery was established by former Confederates and civilians of Chattanooga after the war to reinter the dead scattered over the area of Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain.
21,628 – Hardee’s Corps (Lt. Gen. William Hardee) AQ 3.61
Lt. Gen. William Hardee and Confederate Cannon atop Missionary Ridge – visible in the distance (just above the cannon tube) is the tip of Lookout Mountain where Point Park is located.
Hardee’s Corps begins this scenario with Cleburne’s Division off of the map completely, Stevenson’s and Cheatham’s Divisions spread out all over field and each with a brigade off of the map, and Walker’s Division fixed. The Corps contains 54 cannon in 20 sections with 1,350 artillerymen and 20,278 infantrymen.
6,484 – Cheatham’s Division (Brig. Gen. John Jackson) AQ 3.37
2,076 – Jackson’s Brigade (Col. C.J. Wilkinson) AQ 3.14
1,827 – Walthall’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Edward Walthall) AQ 4
1,096 – Moore’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. John Moore) AQ 2.33
1,085 – Wright’s Brigade (Col. John Anderson) AQ 3.75
400 – Divisional Artillery (Maj. M. Smith)
5,586 – Stevenson’s Division (Maj. Gen. Carter Stevenson) AQ 3.24
1,205 – Brown’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. John Brown) AQ 3.5
1,218 – Cumming’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Alfred Cumming) AQ 2.75
1,210 – Reynolds’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Alexander Reynolds) AQ 2.75
1,603 – Pettus’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Edmund Pettus) AQ 3.8
350 – Divisional Artillery
4,789 – Cleburne’s Division (Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne) AQ 4.56
973 – Polk’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Lucius Polk) AQ 5
1,075 – Liddell’s Brigade (Col. Daniel Govan) AQ 4.5
1,460 – Lowrey’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Mark Lowrey) AQ 4
981 – Smith’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. James Smith) AQ 5
300 – Divisional Artillery
4,769 – Walker’s Division (Brig. Gen. States Rights Gist) AQ 3.33
1,535 – Maney’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. George Maney) AQ 3.83
1,409 – Gist’s Brigade (Col John McCullough) AQ 3
1,525 – Wilson’s Brigade (Col. Claudius Wilson) AQ 3
300 – Divisional Artillery
15,815 – Breckinridge’s Corps (Maj. Gen. John Breckinridge) AQ
Maj. Gen. John Breckinridge and the Lookout Mountain Cliffs – the steep cliffs around Lookout Mountain create a natural plateau below which the Confederates built a line of entrenchments before the battle. Cliffs like these are why there are certain hexes which you cannot move over and are labeled “cut” in the game. There should be more of such “cuts” than there are.
Breckinridge’s Corps contains 14,615 infantrymen and 48 cannon in 15 sections manned by 1,200 artillerymen.
5,664 – Hindman’s Division (Brig. Gen. James Anderson) AQ 3.72
1,138 – Anderson’s Brigade (Col. William Tucker) AQ 3.75
1,833 – Deas’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Zachery Deas) AQ 3.83
1,277 – Manigault’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Arthur Manigault) AQ 3.25
1,066 – Vaughan’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Alfred Vaughan) AQ 4
200 – Divisional Artillery
Editor’s Note: the divisional artillery is actually 200 men with 10 cannon, not 350 with 16 cannon, as a battery of 6 guns is attached to Vaughan and not the divisional artillery
4,379 – Breckinridge’s Division (Brig. Gen. William Bate) AQ 3.43
1,622 – Bate’s Brigade (Col. R.C. Tyler) AQ 3.33
1,407 – Lewis’s “Orphan” Brigade (Brig. Gen. Joseph Lewis) AQ 4.6
1,050 – Finley’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Jesse Finley) AQ 2.4
300 – Divisional Artillery
5,772 – Stewart’s Division (Maj. Gen. Alexander Stewart) AQ 3.53
1,173 – Stovall’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Marcellus Stovall) AQ 3
1,470 – Strahl’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Otho Strahl) AQ 3.83
1,011 – Clayton’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Henry Clayton) AQ 3
1,518 – Adams’s Brigade (Col. Randall Gibson) AQ 4
600 – Divisional Artillery
The Good and the Bad of it:
Top Rated Division: Cleburne’s Division (AQ 4.56)
Lowest Rated Division: Stevenson’s Division (AQ 3.24)
Top Rated Three Brigades: Polk’s Brigade (AQ 5)
Smith’s Brigade (AQ 5)
Lewis’s Brigade (AQ 4.6)
Lowest Rated Brigade: Moore’s Brigade (AQ 2.33)
General Notes on the Union Forces:
The Union force is composed of men from two different armies under Sherman and Thomas while Grant is in overall command. The scenario has Grant listed only as the commander of the Army of the Cumberland but he is in fact overall commander. Thomas is also listed as the Army of the Cumberland leader – which he is.
The New York Peace Memorial atop Lookout Mountain – completed in 1910 and constructed of Tennessee granite the memorial was dedicated by General Daniel Sickles and hundreds of other veterans of the war on both sides. Atop the monument stands a Confederate and Union soldier shaking hands while the tablets below list the New York soldiers present in the Chattanooga Campaign.
Grant’s total force at Chattanooga numbers 65,240 men. Of these there are 4,900 artillerymen with 196 cannon in 57 sections, 235 cavalrymen, and 60,105 infantrymen. The infantry of the combined armies has an AQ rating of 3.39.
48,893 – Army of the Cumberland (Maj. Gen. George Thomas) AQ 3.41
The Army of the Cumberland is a veteran Union army at Chattanooga and contains 143 cannon in 46 sections manned by 3,550 artillerymen. It fields just 235 cavalrymen attached to headquarters of general officers. The effective infantry force of the army is 45,108.
Maj. Gen. George Thomas and the Cravens House on Lookout Mountain at Hex (51, 101) – fierce fighting occurred around the Cravens House between Hooker’s men and the Confederate’s on the mountain.
19,387 – IV Corps (No Leader) AQ 3.68
Confederate cannon near the Cravens House facing the direction of the Union advance – the monument in front is a New York State Monument.
This Corps is supposed to be led by Granger in this battle but the developers inexplicably left him off of the map. He did play an important role in the actual battle so I am perplexed as to why this happened. Nonetheless, one may use Thomas to closely oversee the IV Corps while Grant maintains his position in overall command. The Corps contains 56 cannon in 17 sections with 1,400 artillerymen and 17,987 infantrymen.
3,089 – 1st Division (Brig. Gen. Charles Cruft) AQ 3.25
1,465 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. Walter Whitaker) AQ 3.17
1,624 – 3rd Brigade (Col. William Grose) AQ 3.33
7,730 – 2nd Division (Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan) AQ 3.73
2,297 – 1st Brigade (Col. Francis Sherman) AQ 3.89
2,283 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. George Wagner) AQ 3.62
2,350 – 3rd Brigade (Col. Charles Harker) AQ 3.67
800 – Divisional Artillery
8,568 – 3rd Division (Brig. Gen. Thomas Wood) AQ 3.84
2,300 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. August Willich) AQ 3.71
2,908 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. William Hazen) AQ 4
2,760 – 3rd Brigade (Brig. Gen. Samuel Beatty) AQ 3.78
600 – Divisional Artillery
7,305 – XI Corps (Maj. Gen. Oliver Howard) AQ 3
Maj. Gen. Oliver Howard and the New Jersey Memorial on Orchard Knob
The XI Corps contains 6,605 infantrymen along with 28 cannon in 8 sections with 700 artillerymen.
2,827 – 2nd Division (Brig. Gen. Adolph Steinwehr) AQ 2.89
1,496 – 1st Brigade (Col. Adolphus Buschbeck) AQ 3
1,331 – 2nd Brigade (Col. Orland Smith) AQ 2.75
4,240 – 3rd Division (Maj. Gen. Carl Schurz) AQ 3.08
1,389 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Hector Tyndale) AQ 3.2
1,130 – 2nd Brigade (Col. Wladimir Krzyzanowki) AQ 2.5
1,021 – 3rd Brigade (Col. Frederick Hecker) AQ 3.5
700 – Divisional Artillery
3,611 – XII Corps (Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker) AQ 3.43
Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker and Orchard Knob
The XII Corps contains just the single division under Geary in this scenario and has 3,311 infantrymen along with 12 cannon in 4 sections with 300 artillerymen.
3,611 – 2nd Division (Brig. Gen. John Geary) AQ 3.43
1,567 – 1st Brigade (Col. Charles Candy) AQ 3.33
665 – 2nd Brigade (Col. George Cobham) AQ 3.33
1,079 – 3rd Brigade (Col. David Ireland) AQ 3.6
300 – Divisional Artillery
18,355 – XIV Corps (Maj. Gen. John Palmer) AQ 3.26
Maj. Gen. John M. Palmer and the Illinois Monument on Missionary Ridge – notice the Confederate cannon facing to the left next to the monument where the Union attack had come from.
The XIV Corps contains a small cavalry detachment of 57 men, 46 cannon with 1,150 artillerymen in 17 sections, and 17,148 infantrymen.
5,930 – 1st Division (Brig. Gen. Richard Johnson) AQ 3.16
1,968 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. William Carlin) AQ 3
1,541 – 2nd Brigade (Col. M.F. Moore) AQ 3.33
2,121 – 3rd Brigade (Brig. Gen. John Starkweather) AQ 3.13
300 – Divisional Artillery
5,160 – 2nd Division (Brig. Gen. Jefferson C. Davis) AQ 3.31
1,492 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. James Morgan) AQ 3.6
1,611 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. John Beatty) AQ 3.17
1,607 – 3rd Brigade (Col. Daniel McCook) AQ 3.2
450 – Divisional Artillery
6,824 – 3rd Division (Brig. Gen. Absalom Baird) AQ 3.35
2,872 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. John Turchin) AQ 3.29
1,679 – 2nd Brigade (Col. Ferdinand Van Derveer) AQ 3.43
1,873 – 3rd Brigade (Col. Edward Phelps) AQ 3.33
400 – Divisional Artillery
16,374 – Army of the Tennessee (Maj. Gen. W. Sherman) AQ 3.35
Maj. Gen. William Sherman and the Chattanooga National Cemetery – over 12,000 Union dead, mostly unknown, were moved here after the war. The Cemetery remains active today and includes 186 German POWs from World War One and Two which died in nearby prison camps.
The Army of the Tennessee contains one full Corps and a single division of another Corps. It totals 54 cannon in 11 sections with 1,350 artillerymen and 14,997 infantrymen.
12,031 – XV Corps (Maj. Gen. Frank Blair) AQ 3.32
Maj. Gen. Frank Blair and a Ohio Monument on Missionary Ridge
The XV Corps contains 44 cannon in just 9 sections with 1,100 artillerymen and 10, 931 infantrymen.
4,806 – 1st Division (Brig. Gen. Peter Osterhaus) AQ 3.6
2,753 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Charles Woods) AQ 3.33
1,753 – 2nd Brigade (Col. James Williamson) AQ 4
300 – Divisional Artillery
3,449 – 2nd Division (Brig. Gen. Morgan Smith) AQ 3.23
1,656 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Giles Smith) AQ 3.29
1,393 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. Joseph Lightburn) AQ 3.17
400 – Divisional Artillery
3,776 – 4th Division (Brig. Gen. Hugh Ewing) AQ 3.08
1,155 – 1st Brigade (Col. John Loomis) AQ 3
1,100 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. John Corse) AQ 3.25
1,121 – 3rd Brigade (Col. J.R. Cockrell) AQ 3
400 – Divisional Artillery
4,343 – XVII Corps (No Leader) AQ 3.43
Many of the Monuments along Missionary Ridge are for the Union regiments that scaled the heights (few Confederates wanted to remember the battle after the war). Here an Illinois Regimental monument sits in front of a private house along Skyline Drive which runs the length of the ridge and is dotted by many spectacular homes with views to match.
The XVII Corps contains just a single division under Smith with 10 cannon with 250 artillerymen and 4,093 infantrymen.
4,343 – 2nd Division (Brig. Gen. John Smith) AQ 3.43
1,454 – 1st Brigade (Col. Jesse Alexander) AQ 3.4
1,460 – 2nd Brigade (Col. Green Raum) AQ 3.2
1,179 – 3rd Brigade (Brig. Gen. Charles Matthies) AQ 3.75
250 – Divisional Artillery
The Good and the Bad of it:
Top Rated Division: Wood’s Division AQ 3.84
Lowest Rated Division: Steinwehr’s Division AQ 2.89
Top Rated Three Brigades: Hazen’s Brigade AQ 4
Williamson’s Brigade AQ 4
Sherman’s Brigade AQ 3.89
Lowest Rated Brigade: Smith’s Brigade 2.75
Comparing the Forces:
The Confederate force in this battle is little match for the oversized Union force under Grant. The Rebels will be outnumbered by 25,062 infantrymen and by 94 cannon. The Rebels will also lack any real advantage in AQ as their total average is only 0.2 points higher than the Federal total AQ. The leadership under Grant, Thomas, Sheridan, and Sherman is also far superior to the bumbling leadership of Bragg and Breckinridge. The only ally the Confederates have is nature – like I said before – use it well! In the end it is easy to understand why Bragg’s army was badly whipped in this battle though.
Other Useful Information:
Be aware of the various release times of the Union commands. Also be sure to avoid unfixing any Union regiments on the first day and night of battle. For the Union player, watch your back! Don’t assume the enemy will follow Bragg’s plan of battle and remain on the defensive. If they do you will likely be able to crush them in the morning using Sherman’s men from the north. The Federals have a large advantage in firepower and can blast any Confederate defenses away with the skillful use of their cannon. Always be aware of the creeks and crossings in this scenario as they can be used in any number of different ways if necessary.
Some of the monuments are simply built into the side of Lookout Mountain. Here a Pennsylvania Monument was placed directly into a cliff under the crest of the mountain.
Technical Assistance and Special Thanks to:
Hampus Drott
Army of the Mississippi
Kennon Whitehead
Army of the Mississippi
Created and Written By:
Blake Strickler
Army of the Mississippi
Questions or Comments?