The Union Cavalry and the Chickamauga Campaign

During the Chickamauga Campaign, General Stanley’s two Union cavalry divisions battled Forrest’s and Wheeler’s cavalry corps in some of the most difficult terrain for mounted operations. The Federal troopers, commanded by Crook and McCook, guarded the flanks of the advance on Chattanooga, secured the crossing of the Tennessee River, then pushed into enemy territory.
The battle exploded on September 18 as Col. Minty and Col. Wilder held off a determined attack by Confederate infantry. The fighting along Chickamauga Creek included notable actions at Glass Mill and Cooper’s Gap. Union cavalry dogged Wheeler’s forces throughout Tennessee. The Union troopers fought under conditions so dusty they could hardly see, leading the infantry through the second costliest battle of the war.

Dennis W. Belcher has edited or authored nine books on the Civil War and has published in the North & South magazine. He lives in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Dennis W. Belcher
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 325
Bibliographic Info: 64 photos, 14 maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2018
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7082-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3357-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments 1
Foreword by Eric J. Wittenberg 3
Preface 5
Part 1—Prelude
One. The Cavalry of the Army of the Cumberland (July 1863) 9
Two. The Campaign So Far 32
Three. The Confederate Cavalry—Worthy Adversaries 49
Part 2—The Advance on Chattanooga
Four. The Two Armies Prepare for the Campaign (July 5–August 15) 62
Five. The Advance to the Tennessee River (August 16–September 1) 86
Six. Bragg at Bay (September 1–8) 115
Seven. Bragg Gains the Initiative (September 9–17) 142
Part 3—Battle of Chickamauga
Eight. The Battle Begins—Reed’s Bridge (September 18) 179
Nine. September 19–20 and the Battle at Glass Mill 195
Ten. Retreat to Chattanooga (September 21)—Watkins at Cooper’s Gap 224
Eleven. Wheeler’s Tennessee Raid (September 30–October 9) 238
Twelve. The Aftermath—Conclusion 260
Appendix I: Organization of the Army of the Cumberland—September 19–20 267
Appendix II: Organization of the Army of Tennessee—September 19–20 270
Chapter Notes 273
Bibliography 300
Index 309

• “An excellent contribution to the widespread literature of America’s greatest war. It is thoroughly researched, well written, tautly organized, and supplied with numerous applicable tables and photographs. One positive feature is the abundance of extremely well-made sequential maps of the campaign.”H-Net Reviews

• “Dennis Belcher is rapidly becoming one of the leading authorities on the mounted forces (in particular the Union cavalry) that operated in the Confederate heartland during the Civil War. …In addition to detailed operational and tactical narratives, Belcher’s book includes a multitude of photographs along with numerous organizational charts and tables.”—Civil War Books & Authors