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The secession of the upper-South was so important to the Confederacy for the following reasons: Virginia assured the control of a part of the Ohio River's line and the northeastern part of the Allegheny Tennessee assured the control over the Southwestern part of the Allegheny , the important gaps of Cumberland and Rossville and covered the vital railroad connection Memphis- Chattanooga-Knoxville-Lynchburg-Richmond. Furthermore it would have been possible to build forts where the Tennessee River and Cumberland run at a distance of no more than roughly 20 kilometers each other, thus preventing an invading force to come through that gap. Arkansas and Tennessee assured the control of many kilometers of the River Mississippi.
For the ConfederacyTo prevent the Union forces from seizing1 -- Its important railroad net, which was essential for the war purposes. Particularly the railroad line Memphis-Corinth-Decatur- Chattanooga-Knoxville-Lynchburg, most of which running in Tennessee was paramount as communication line for supplies and troops quick displacements between Confederate eastern and western theatre of operation.2 -- The Appalachian gaps of Chattanooga, Knoxville and Cumberland, whose control would prevent the Eastern Confederate States from being westerly invaded.For the Union.The conquest of the line Cumberland -- Mississippi with the seizing of Nashville and Memphis, which would have outflanked and beaten off any Confederate endeavour of invading Kentucky and given the way for further seizing of the aforesaid vital railroad communication line leading eastward to Chattanooga-Knoxville and the subsequent control of the homonymous Appalachian gaps. By so doing the Union would had had the keys to invade Georgia and the eastern Confederate States. Furthermore it would have marked a great progress of "Anaconda Plan" one of whose tasks was that to take control of the whole Mississippi riverRead more: Why_was_Tennessee_a_state_of_key_strategic_importance_in_the_civil_war
The Europeans gained control over the Native Americans by taking their land and their important riches.
It helped the Union gain control of the Mississippi River.
It gave the Union army control of the Mississippi River
Chattanooga
control of the railroad center in nearby Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee was a key railhead and control of the city was considered a major part of the Union's campaign to dominate the Confederate state of Tennessee. Holding Chattanooga and breaking the siege around it by Confederate Major General Braxton Bragg, would lead the way into Georgia and the pivotal City of Atlanta, Georgia. In the Fall of 1863, Union General Rosencrans had just been defeated by General Bragg at the Battle of Chickamauga, and Rosenscrans was under siege as he took refuge in Chattanooga.
The secession of the upper-South was so important to the Confederacy for the following reasons: Virginia assured the control of a part of the Ohio River's line and the northeastern part of the Allegheny Tennessee assured the control over the Southwestern part of the Allegheny , the important gaps of Cumberland and Rossville and covered the vital railroad connection Memphis- Chattanooga-Knoxville-Lynchburg-Richmond. Furthermore it would have been possible to build forts where the Tennessee River and Cumberland run at a distance of no more than roughly 20 kilometers each other, thus preventing an invading force to come through that gap. Arkansas and Tennessee assured the control of many kilometers of the River Mississippi.
From his position in Corinth, Mississippi, Major General Henry W. Halleck believed that Chattanooga, Tennessee was a perfect target. His plan to capture it was first to send raiders to break the Atlanta and Chattanooga railway. The raiders, however, were discovered by the Rebels and initially this plan failed.
For the ConfederacyTo prevent the Union forces from seizing1 -- Its important railroad net, which was essential for the war purposes. Particularly the railroad line Memphis-Corinth-Decatur- Chattanooga-Knoxville-Lynchburg, most of which running in Tennessee was paramount as communication line for supplies and troops quick displacements between Confederate eastern and western theatre of operation.2 -- The Appalachian gaps of Chattanooga, Knoxville and Cumberland, whose control would prevent the Eastern Confederate States from being westerly invaded.For the Union.The conquest of the line Cumberland -- Mississippi with the seizing of Nashville and Memphis, which would have outflanked and beaten off any Confederate endeavour of invading Kentucky and given the way for further seizing of the aforesaid vital railroad communication line leading eastward to Chattanooga-Knoxville and the subsequent control of the homonymous Appalachian gaps. By so doing the Union would had had the keys to invade Georgia and the eastern Confederate States. Furthermore it would have marked a great progress of "Anaconda Plan" one of whose tasks was that to take control of the whole Mississippi riverRead more: Why_was_Tennessee_a_state_of_key_strategic_importance_in_the_civil_war
That could be Shiloh or Atlanta.
US President Lincoln pressured Union General Rosencrans to move against the Army of Tennessee, commanded by Braxton Bragg in June of 1863. Rosencrans was successful in forcing Bragg to retreat to Chattanooga on July 7, 1863. After Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, President Lincoln sought to take control of southeastern Tennessee. The strategy was to defeat Bragg abd take control of Chattanooga, Tennessee and thereby facilitate a course set on the South's last major rail center in Atlanta. To Lincoln's dismay, Rosencrans did not press an attack on Chattanooga. Finally, after more pressure from Lincoln, Rosencrans took a better course. He swung around Chattanooga into Northwest Georgia threatening Bragg's supply and communications lines. This forced Bragg to evacuate the city allowing Rosencrans to take the city with only a small force.
Although the optimism of Confederate generals Bragg and Smith fell short with their hopes for Kentucky, their incursion did for the time being keep Chattanooga, Tennessee in Southern control.
Confederate strength was diminished when Confederate General Braxton Bragg, on November 4, sent a major part of his army under the command of General Longstreet to Knoxville. Bragg believed that Union forces in Kentucky would head south to Tennessee and take almost complete control of Tennessee.
Because its conquest gave to Union the control of the Tennessee River.
To a large extent, the American Civil War was fought in cities and farms of Tennessee; only Virginia saw more battles. Tennessee was the last of the Southern states to declare secession from the Union, but saw more than its share of the devastation resulting from years of warring armies criss-crossing the state. Its rivers were key arteries to the Deep South, and, from the early days of the war, Union efforts focused on securing control of those transportation routes, as well as major roads and mountain passes such as the Cumberland Gap. A large number of important battles occurred in Tennessee, including the vicious fighting at the Battle of Shiloh, which at the time, was the deadliest battle in American history (it was later surpassed by a number of other engagements). Other large battles in Tennessee included Stones River, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Franklin. Although the state became a part of the Confederacy, pockets of strong pro-Union sentiments remained throughout the war, particularly in the mountains in East Tennessee. The Vice President of the United States, Andrew Johnson, was a loyalist, as were a number of congressmen and state politicians. On the Confederate side, significant leaders included noted cavalryman Nathan B. Forrest and corps commanders Leonidas Polk and Benjamin F. Cheatham, as well as Governor Isham Harris.