Union General Buell's advancements in Middle Tennessee were targeted by Confederate General Braxton Bragg. With Buell seemingly unable to move, his situation was made even worse by Bragg's cavalry forces which successfully attacked his supply depots and lines of communication. To accomplish this, Bragg had sent half of his cavalry to conduct raids on Buell in December of 1862.
The efforts of Union Major General William Starke Rosecrans during the Tullahoma campaign is often overlooked due to the fact the Union victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg drew much more public attention. The peak of Rosecrans' career was in Tennessee and it marked the decline of the career of Confederate general Braxton Bragg.Military historians give much credit to Rosecrans' brilliant operational planning in Tennessee and believe it ultimately led to the Union's capture of Atlanta in the following year.
The Confederates. But the Confederate commander, Braxton Bragg, failed to follow up by pursuing the routed Union forces. Then he laid a poorly conducted half-siege to Chattanooga, where the Yankees retreated. Then he divided his force, sending off almost half his army in an ill-conceived campaign to recapture Knoxville. The Yankees meanwhile had brought in Grant to take over in Chattanooga, and when Grant attacked to break the siege Bragg no longer had sufficient strength to contain the Federals. So, in the long run, the advantages of the Confederate's smashing victory at Chickamauga were wasted. This editorial on the battle is ill-founded. Bragg's personalty problems bring he and General James Longstreet into a feud. This requires Jefferson Davis to arrive from Richmond to mediate the dispute.
On April 2, 1865 three Union divisions under the leadership of Major General James H. Wilson captured Selma, Alabama. Despite the efforts of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Union prevailed.
After 1863, Union forces decided to focus their attacks on the Confederate, with the intent of destroying them and preventing the South from resisting Union advances. General Grant ordered five separate attacks. The Army of the Potomac would attack Robert E. Lee in Virginia. General Sherman would attack General Johnston in Northern Virginia, with his ultimate goal being the capture of Atlanta. These were the two primary Confederate armies. Grant also ordered a number of smaller attacks to weaken the Confederate armies by destroying its communications or its supplies. General Crook was to attack the Virginia-Tennessee Railroad. General Sigel was to attack the Shenandoah Valley. General Banks was to attack Mobile, and General Butler was to attack up the James River to threaten Richmond. All of the attacks except for Grant and Sherman's failed. Grant trapped Lee's army at Petersburg while Sherman captured Atlanta.
General Ulysses S. Grant was successful in his campaigns in the western part of the Union's war efforts in Tennessee. Upon Lincoln's appointment of Grant to Lieutenant General, his fame became well known. As the military head of all Union forces, he was responsible for the defeat of the Confederacy. His successes were well known and his war victories helped Grant to be elected US President.
The efforts of Union Major General William Starke Rosecrans during the Tullahoma campaign is often overlooked due to the fact the Union victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg drew much more public attention. The peak of Rosecrans' career was in Tennessee and it marked the decline of the career of Confederate general Braxton Bragg.Military historians give much credit to Rosecrans' brilliant operational planning in Tennessee and believe it ultimately led to the Union's capture of Atlanta in the following year.
Confederate General James Longstreet met a variety of impediments in his efforts to help General Braxton Bragg and his plan to meet the Union army commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside. This is a .list of Longstreet's main problems:* Longstreet's men had to wait two days before moving out of Tyner's Station;* The troops lacked proper rations and had no cold weather garments;* A train accident closed the tracks for another day;* The railroad accident caused the artillery to be delayed until April 10;* Most of Longstreet's men had to ride on flatcars and rations continued to run low; and* There were not enough horses and supply wagons that were required for the confrontation with Union forces.There were other logistical problems that in truth are too lengthy state here.
In 1862, Andrew Johnson was the Union's military governor of Tennessee even though Tennessee was officially a Confederate state. Johnson was a Democrat and a Unionist. He saw as did President Lincoln did, that Eastern Tennessee was a hotbed for Unionists. He urged Halleck to make all efforts to take over this Federal friendly section of Tennessee.
The Confederates. But the Confederate commander, Braxton Bragg, failed to follow up by pursuing the routed Union forces. Then he laid a poorly conducted half-siege to Chattanooga, where the Yankees retreated. Then he divided his force, sending off almost half his army in an ill-conceived campaign to recapture Knoxville. The Yankees meanwhile had brought in Grant to take over in Chattanooga, and when Grant attacked to break the siege Bragg no longer had sufficient strength to contain the Federals. So, in the long run, the advantages of the Confederate's smashing victory at Chickamauga were wasted. This editorial on the battle is ill-founded. Bragg's personalty problems bring he and General James Longstreet into a feud. This requires Jefferson Davis to arrive from Richmond to mediate the dispute.
The fall of Vicksburg and the defeat of Lee's army at Gettysburg were victories the North needed to keep the Union's war efforts alive and well. Yet despite this the Confederates still had a foothold in Middle Tennessee and controlled East Tennessee. The latter part of the state had a good number of anti-Confederate sentiment.
The confederate soldiers were to support the South's efforts to defend the Southern States. They also had a duty to repel the Union troops.
On April 2, 1865 three Union divisions under the leadership of Major General James H. Wilson captured Selma, Alabama. Despite the efforts of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Union prevailed.
In his memoirs, Confederate General Edward Porter Alexander believed that General Lee's efforts as he began to create a threat to the North in 1863 was flawed. Porter wrote that the operational and strategic concepts were inherently weak. For example, Lee did not have full control of all the troops he believed were necessary for a successful raid into the North. And there was a gap in communications between Lee and the Southern department of war.
After 1863, Union forces decided to focus their attacks on the Confederate, with the intent of destroying them and preventing the South from resisting Union advances. General Grant ordered five separate attacks. The Army of the Potomac would attack Robert E. Lee in Virginia. General Sherman would attack General Johnston in Northern Virginia, with his ultimate goal being the capture of Atlanta. These were the two primary Confederate armies. Grant also ordered a number of smaller attacks to weaken the Confederate armies by destroying its communications or its supplies. General Crook was to attack the Virginia-Tennessee Railroad. General Sigel was to attack the Shenandoah Valley. General Banks was to attack Mobile, and General Butler was to attack up the James River to threaten Richmond. All of the attacks except for Grant and Sherman's failed. Grant trapped Lee's army at Petersburg while Sherman captured Atlanta.
General Benjamin Butler was from Massachusetts and was an early volunteer for the Union's Civil War efforts. He spent most of the war on various battlefields. He once was assigned to run the captured Confederate city of New Orleans. Late in the war he applied his skills under General US Grant in Virginia.
Confederate Albert Sidney Johnston graduated from West Point in 1826. He ranked 8th is his graduating class of 41. He most noted for his death at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. Historians believe his early death hampered the war efforts of the South. He was well respected as a military officer.
Confederate General James Longstreet has been both criticized and applauded for his efforts on behalf of the Confederacy. The surprising change of heart came after the war. Longstreet decided to join the Republican Party.As an aside, Longstreet has been accused of failing at the Battle of Gettysburg. His sharpest Southern critics went even so far as to accuse him of treason at Gettysburg.