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The Battle of Chattanooga - Aftermath
The reaction of the Army of Tennessee upon the news of Granger's surrender was beyond jubilant- the enemy, which they had spent years being pushed back by, defeated, humiliated by, and unable to drive out of their Tennessee, had finally been defeated in stunning fashion. Further, this development seemed to coincide almost entirely with the arrival of James Longstreet and, to a lesser extent, John Bell Hood, two figures which were instrumental in the victory of both and seemed to the men of the Army of Tennessee almost like saviors. Cheers had erupted for both of them, along with Hill, Cheatham, and interestingly, Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne, who had taken control of Buckner's corps during the Battle of Chattanooga and defeated stiff Union resistance, becoming the first to enter the city itself.
With the surrender of the Army of the Cumberland, the nature of the Western Theater had changed. Prior to the disastrous Chickamauga and Chattanooga campaigns, the Union forces in Tennessee (not including garrisons and other support elements) numbered around 124,500 men- 60,000 men in the Army of the Cumberland, 20,000 men under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, 28,000 men under Sherman marching west under the Army of the Tennessee (Union), and 21,500 men under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside in the Army of the Ohio. Afterwards, the Union possessed only around 59,500 men after the surrender of the Army of the Cumberland, numerous raids by Wheeler and Forrest, and incidents such as the Battle of Duck River a day prior to the Battle of Chattanooga. The vital railway hub of Chattanooga was once more in Confederate hands, and Longstreet had already sent 18,000 men under Hood northwards on a plan to reinforce Forrest and defeat Hooker before retaking Knoxville from Burnside.
Meanwhile, Longstreet departed, along with the corps of D.H. Hill, Joseph Wheeler, and Patrick Cleburne, on a campaign to catch and destroy Sherman's army before it could link up with Grant. He left 10,000 men behind in Chattanooga itself, under the command of William H.T. Walker, taking 36,000 men with him in total. This move was uncharacteristically aggressive for Longstreet, more in line with a general like T.J. Jackson. Longstreet was no doubt influenced by his officers, who were all generally highly aggressive fighters who preferred the offensive, and also by a partnership that had begun to sprout over the previous weeks between Longstreet and Forrest. They had begun exchanging messages almost immediately after the Battle of Chickamauga, with Longstreet wanting to utilize Forrest more in combat, rather than just the raiding of the last year and a half. The two, while sharing entirely different approaches to combat, shared a mutual respect of one another. Following the Battle of Duck River, Longstreet personally congratulated Forrest on his victory, recommending his promotion to major general.
There was another, hidden reason for his increased aggression. Lee was outnumbered in Virginia, and required reinforcements to deliver a serious blow to Meade. Those would be expected to come in the form of men from the west, as per the Confederate strategy of shifting men from front to front. Longstreet had a number of goals he wished to accomplish while he still had a large number of men at his disposal, and so rushed his men out as quickly as possible, in order to prevent orders from Lee or Davis to shift divisions northwards.
When news of the victory at Chattanooga reached Richmond, there was celebration in the streets. The last few months had been dour, with a bloody stalemate in the east and a string of failures in the west, but here, there finally was major, decisive victory for the Confederacy. The Army of the Cumberland, which had occupied Tennessee and threatened Alabama and Georgia a number of times, had surrendered, and a major city and railway hub was finally back in Confederate hands. A number of politicians and officers congratulated Longstreet, chief among them Robert E. Lee, Longstreet's former commander, and Jefferson Davis, who had agreed to the promotion of Nathan B. Forrest to major general.
In Washington, the reaction was far more somber. Never before, in the history of the United States, had so many men surrendered. The entire western front was now in disarray, with the Confederates now holding a sizable advantage in men and Union forces scattered across the state. It hadn't been since the days of 1862 that such a tremendous loss had afflicted the morale of people across the Union so poorly. Meanwhile, Lincoln asked Maj. Gen. George Meade to send 20,000 men to reinforce Union troops in the west. George, resentful and feeling as though the men were better needed in the east, protested, but after Lincoln pressured him, he was forced to send the men. He spitefully put them under the command of Maj. Gen. William H. French, sending only 16,000 of the requesed 20,000 while he turned his attention to Lee. Knowing that Lee wouldn't simply let the Army of the Potomac reinforce the Union presence in Tennessee, he sent 10,000 men under Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton to occupy Culpeper Court House and threaten Lee's position.
With the surrender of the Army of the Cumberland, the nature of the Western Theater had changed. Prior to the disastrous Chickamauga and Chattanooga campaigns, the Union forces in Tennessee (not including garrisons and other support elements) numbered around 124,500 men- 60,000 men in the Army of the Cumberland, 20,000 men under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, 28,000 men under Sherman marching west under the Army of the Tennessee (Union), and 21,500 men under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside in the Army of the Ohio. Afterwards, the Union possessed only around 59,500 men after the surrender of the Army of the Cumberland, numerous raids by Wheeler and Forrest, and incidents such as the Battle of Duck River a day prior to the Battle of Chattanooga. The vital railway hub of Chattanooga was once more in Confederate hands, and Longstreet had already sent 18,000 men under Hood northwards on a plan to reinforce Forrest and defeat Hooker before retaking Knoxville from Burnside.
Meanwhile, Longstreet departed, along with the corps of D.H. Hill, Joseph Wheeler, and Patrick Cleburne, on a campaign to catch and destroy Sherman's army before it could link up with Grant. He left 10,000 men behind in Chattanooga itself, under the command of William H.T. Walker, taking 36,000 men with him in total. This move was uncharacteristically aggressive for Longstreet, more in line with a general like T.J. Jackson. Longstreet was no doubt influenced by his officers, who were all generally highly aggressive fighters who preferred the offensive, and also by a partnership that had begun to sprout over the previous weeks between Longstreet and Forrest. They had begun exchanging messages almost immediately after the Battle of Chickamauga, with Longstreet wanting to utilize Forrest more in combat, rather than just the raiding of the last year and a half. The two, while sharing entirely different approaches to combat, shared a mutual respect of one another. Following the Battle of Duck River, Longstreet personally congratulated Forrest on his victory, recommending his promotion to major general.
There was another, hidden reason for his increased aggression. Lee was outnumbered in Virginia, and required reinforcements to deliver a serious blow to Meade. Those would be expected to come in the form of men from the west, as per the Confederate strategy of shifting men from front to front. Longstreet had a number of goals he wished to accomplish while he still had a large number of men at his disposal, and so rushed his men out as quickly as possible, in order to prevent orders from Lee or Davis to shift divisions northwards.
When news of the victory at Chattanooga reached Richmond, there was celebration in the streets. The last few months had been dour, with a bloody stalemate in the east and a string of failures in the west, but here, there finally was major, decisive victory for the Confederacy. The Army of the Cumberland, which had occupied Tennessee and threatened Alabama and Georgia a number of times, had surrendered, and a major city and railway hub was finally back in Confederate hands. A number of politicians and officers congratulated Longstreet, chief among them Robert E. Lee, Longstreet's former commander, and Jefferson Davis, who had agreed to the promotion of Nathan B. Forrest to major general.
In Washington, the reaction was far more somber. Never before, in the history of the United States, had so many men surrendered. The entire western front was now in disarray, with the Confederates now holding a sizable advantage in men and Union forces scattered across the state. It hadn't been since the days of 1862 that such a tremendous loss had afflicted the morale of people across the Union so poorly. Meanwhile, Lincoln asked Maj. Gen. George Meade to send 20,000 men to reinforce Union troops in the west. George, resentful and feeling as though the men were better needed in the east, protested, but after Lincoln pressured him, he was forced to send the men. He spitefully put them under the command of Maj. Gen. William H. French, sending only 16,000 of the requesed 20,000 while he turned his attention to Lee. Knowing that Lee wouldn't simply let the Army of the Potomac reinforce the Union presence in Tennessee, he sent 10,000 men under Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton to occupy Culpeper Court House and threaten Lee's position.
- Pulmonic_Consonant
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