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he
Civil War began on April 12, 1861. For Jefferson Davis and the
Confederacy, it was a defensive war. They didn't have to attack and
defeat the Union Armies. To win, they needed only to hold out long
enough to turn public sentiment in the North against the war. For
Lincoln and the Union, it was a different story. They had no choice
but to attack, and to win they had to decisively defeat the
Confederate Armies and crush the Confederate morale. Lincoln knew
there was only one way to accomplish this - an invasion into the
heart of the Confederacy. Davis
In the fall of 1863,
after 2-1/2 years of bloody fighting, anti-war sentiment in the North
was growing. The Union's decisive defeat at Chickamauga in September
served only to increase the anti-war sentiment while strengthen
Confederate morale. Time was running out for Lincoln and the Union.
An invasion had to be mounted soon. Lincoln
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The
Presidential election was just a year away and Lincoln already
doubted his chances of reelection. He had to launch an invasion
within the next six to eight months, otherwise his chances of
reelection, and those of an
undivided Nation,
were slim. |
Chattanooga, with its
extensive railroad network, was the key. If Lincoln was to launch his
invasion in time to save his presidency (and the Union) he needed
Chattanooga. Without it, an invasion could not be launched in time.
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Chattanooga
was a railroad hub with lines extending north to Knoxville and
Nashville, west to Memphis (all under Union control), and south to Atlanta. |
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The
railroad was critical in supplying a large invading army. If the
Confederates controlled Chattanooga, Lincoln would not be able to
support a major invasion. |
It's the fall of 1863 in
the mountains of southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia. The
colors are beautiful, but the rains are heavy and a cold morning
frost covers the ground. We start with the events leading up to
Chattanooga including the Battle at Chickamauga. We then discuss the
facts surrounding each battle comprising the siege and capture of
Chattanooga. The battles we've included are:
The Battle for Brown's Ferry
The Battle at Wauhatchie
The Battle for Orchard Knob
The Battle for Lookout Mountain
The Battle for Missionary Ridge
The Battle at Ringgold Gap

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Mountains
Touched With Fire
by Wiley Sword
Echoes
of Battle - The Struggle for Chattanooga
by Richard A. Baumgartner and Larry M. Strayer
The
Fight for Chattanooga
by Jerry Korn
Chattanooga
- A Death Grip on the Confederacy
by James Lee McDonough |

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Chattanooga
& Lookout Mtn. -
guided
hiking adventures and walking tours - other outdoor activities -
pictures - trail map - description of the hiking trails on Lookout Mtn. |
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Other Historical WebSites |
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Andrew's
Raiders and The Great Locomotive Chase -
is the exciting story of the 1862 Great Locomotive Chase which ended
just outside Chattanooga. |
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Pre-Civil
War History -
discusses The Indians, Early Settlers, The Trail of Tears, the Indian
Wars and more. |
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Post-Civil
War History -
discusses
The Railroads, The Incline Wars, The Yellow Fever Epidemic, the
Famous Attractions and more. |
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