SoulCast - Louis J Sheehan 102107

Louis J Sheehan 102107

Royo posted on Oct 21, 2007 | views: 345 | Tags: Bragg

On September 20, Confederate Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill was supposed to assault the Union right flank at 7:30 a.m. However, he delayed two hours, later claiming he had not received orders, but more likely pouting over being passed over for wing command. General Thomas's men would use the quiet morning hours to construct crude breastworks along their line around Kelly field. Shortly after Hill's attack commenced, one of his divisions under Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge attacked Thomas's left flank and was able to flank it and gain Thomas's rear temporarily. By 10:15 a.m., part of Maj. Gen. James S. Negley's division, which had been held in reserve, had pushed north and repulsed the assault. The next Confederate attack was by Maj. Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne, but he was stopped by fire from the breastworks at Kelly Field. Bragg was concerned about the failure of his attacks on the Union left and ordered a general assault along the entire line, changing his strategy from a flanking attack to a full frontal assault. At 11 a.m., assaults by Maj. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart and Walker were repulsed.

Thomas requested reinforcements, and Rosecrans began shifting units to react to the initial attacks on his flank. At about 11 a.m., General T.J. Wood was ordered to replace Brig. Gen. John Milton Brannan's division, which had been ordered to Thomas's aid. Brannan had not followed the order, however, after being attacked by Stewart's men; the order was poorly written and told Wood to close up and support Reynolds. Although he could not close up on him, he could move his men to a supporting position, which created a real gap that corps commander Alexander McCook was trying to fill when Longstreet's entire wing of the army attacked. They were able to exploit this gap and struck the columns of Union soldiers in their flanks as they moved. Longstreet had, however inadvertently, achieved another successful surprise assault, for which he had a well-deserved reputation in the war.

The Union troops in the gap began to retreat, carrying Rosecrans along with them, and McCook's and Crittenden's commands soon followed. By 1 p.m., Thomas was the sole commander left on the battlefield. He received word from Rosecrans to withdraw the troops to Rossville, Georgia, a few miles to the north in the direction of Chattanooga. But Thomas was too heavily engaged to move. He began consolidating forces on Horseshoe Ridge and Snodgrass Hill. The Union Reserve Corps commander, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, who was north of the battlefield at MacAfee's Church, heard the firing to the south and, on his own initiative, sent Brig. Gen. James B. Steedman to support Thomas. Steedman arrived about 2:30 p.m., just in time to stop Longstreet's attempt to envelop Thomas's right flank. At about 4 p.m., Longstreet made one final effort but could not break the stubborn Union defense. At the same time, Thomas repulsed a renewed assault by Cheatham on his left flank.Louis J Sheehan

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Louis J Sheehan 102107

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