The Limits Of Obedience: Brigadier General Thomas J. Wood’s Performance During The Battle Of Chickamauga by Manville Major Craig J.;

Author:Manville, Major Craig J.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Golden Springs Publishing
Published: 2015-11-14T00:00:00+00:00

Pursuit

By 8 September, Crittenden and the other corps commanders had reached their initial objectives for the seizure of Chattanooga. Unlike Tullahoma, however, Rosecrans intended on not only seizing Chattanooga, but also on destroying the Army of Tennessee.{98} Wood’s 2nd Brigade commanded by Colonel Wagner, still north of the river conducting deception operations, reported to Wood that the enemy was evacuating Chattanooga. This was good news indeed, and just what William Rosecrans had been waiting for. He immediately issued orders that took his army from conducting an attack on Chattanooga to a pursuit of the Army of Tennessee.{99} What Rosecrans did not realize was that this was exactly what Bragg wanted. The aggressive pursuit was uncharacteristic for the normally methodical Rosecrans, but he smelled victory. To give credibility to his actions, Bragg had several false deserters fall back through the union ranks and give false reports that told of how the Army of Tennessee was on the run and in a state of disarray{100} What Rosecrans did not realize, was that Bragg was not on the run, but had turned, and was preparing to take advantage of the spread out condition of the Army of the Cumberland.{101}

Wood was given orders to deploy his forces to Chattanooga and prepare to pursue the enemy immediately.{102} He quickly moved toward Chattanooga, encountering only little resistance, which was easily quelled. The afternoon of 9 September saw Wood’s last forces, those from the 2nd Brigade, closed on Chattanooga. Wood notes in his official report that the colors of the Ninety-seventh Ohio Infantry Regiment, of his 2nd Brigade, were the first in the army to be planted in Chattanooga. Wood and his division remained in Chattanooga until 10 September, when he received orders to detach one of his brigades to occupy the city, and begin pursuing the enemy with his remaining two brigades immediately.{103} Wood begin moving that morning, and subsequently began receiving reports of a large Confederate force in the vicinity of Gordon Mills on the Chickamauga Creek where it intersected the Rossville and La Fayette road. Wood was ordered to send a brigade to conduct a reconnaissance in order to determine the accuracy of these reports. Wood assigned this mission to Harker and his 3rd Brigade, who departed on the morning of 11 September. At the same time, Crittenden ordered Wood to take his remaining brigade down the Ringgold road two miles and to await further orders. Later that same day, Wood received orders from Rosecrans to immediately proceed to the Rossville and La Fayette Road in order to support Colonel Harker, who had been pursuing the enemy all day and was three miles from Gordon’s Mill. Wood sent a message to Harker and arranged to link up with him at Gordon’s Mill that evening. As it turned out, Harker had been pursuing the rear guard of the entire Army of Tennessee.{104}

The next day, 12 September, Wood received an order to remain with his division at Gordon’s Mill so that the remainder of the XXI Corps could link up with him.

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