Generals Braxton Bragg and William Rosecrans were the military leaders at the Battle of Stones River. The Battle of Stones River is also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro. It was fought in middle Tennessee from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863. The Union forces led by William Rosecrans defeated the Confederate forces led by Braxton Bragg.
Braxton Bragg was a general in the Confederate States Army.
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.
After many delays, Union General Rosencrans finally began to move his army southwards. He distracted Rebel General Braxton Bragg with a feint move to the west. However, with that said, Rosencrans carried all his supplies with him and marched his entire army to Bragg's right side. Bragg could either attack to protect his own now threatened communications lines or as he did, retreat to protect them. Bragg's army then settled in to the south bank of the Tennessee River, near Chattanooga.
In June of 1863, the Confederate Army of Tennessee was led by General Braxton Bragg. He was the commanding general at the Battle of Chickamauga that resulted in a Southern victory in September, 1863. This battle would rank as one of the bloodiest ones in the US Civil War.
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.
General Rosencrans was successful in preparing his Army of the Cumberland in 1863. He then began his offensive against Confederate General Braxton Bragg in June of 1863.
Major General William Starke Rosencrans for the Union Army of the Cumberland and Lt. General Braxton Bragg for the Confederate Army of Tennessee.
The general was Braxton Bragg and the Confederate Army of Tennessee.
When General William Rosencrans was placed in charge of the Army of the Cumberland, he had to face Confederate General Braxton Bragg. At the battle of Stone's River, Rosencrans forced Bragg to retreat. The casualties in that battle were severe for both sides. Twenty four thousand casualties were the result. Rosencrans rallied on the second day of the battle and forced Bragg to retreat.
During the First Battle of Chattanooga the generals were: Union Major General Buell and Confederate Brigadier Generals Morgan and Forrest; during the Second Battle: Union Major General Rosencrans and Confederate Braxton Bragg; during the third one: Union Major General Grant and Confederate Braxton Bragg.
The Confederate Army of Tennessee commanded by General Braxton Bragg.
Union General William S. Rosencrans was a conservative general. He had delayed orders from Washington DC to advance on the Southern army led by General Braxton Bragg. Part of the delay was due to the fact that his supply line, the Louisville and Nashville railway was constantly under assault by Confederate guerrilla raids. These raids, and others similar to it were an important part of the US Civil War.
The Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by General Braxton Bragg.
In the Western theater, on August 21, General Braxton Brag's army reached Chattanooga Tennessee. There he and prepared his forces to join the Confederate offensive started by General Kirby.
Based on Union General Rosencrans' retreat to Chattanooga after the Battle of Chickamauga, Confederate General Bragg could take a position on the south side of the Tennessee River. In this position Bragg could force a greater retreat by the Union army because Bragg could cut the rail link Rosencrans needed to bring in supplies.
Confederate General Braxton Bragg had been carrying on operations in the Western theater. In 1862, he and General Kirby Smith were preparing to join forces for battles in Tennessee. In the last days of August, 1862, Bragg begins his offensive against Union General Buell in Tennessee.
For the better part of the first six months of 1863, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Braxton Bragg, was positioned about 30 miles away from General Rosencrans' Army of The Cumberland. The two armies used the main line of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad for their supplies. Rosencrans drew his supplies from Nashville and Louisville, Kentucky. Bragg foraged to supply his army from the local countryside and from Alabama to the south. He also relied on hi base at Chattanooga and whatever supplies he could from Atlanta for dry goods and ordnance. Bragg's army was all that stood between Rosencrans and the major rail hub in Chattanooga.