Overview
After the Battle of Stones River ended on January 2, 1863, Confederate General Braxton Bragg withdrew his Army of Tennessee from Murfreesboro to Tullahoma, about 36 miles southward. Bragg established a defensive line nearly 70 miles long along the Duck River. His goal was to stop General William Rosecrans and the Union Army of the Cumberland from advancing toward Chattanooga. Bragg defended the mountain approaches at Liberty, Hoover, Guy, and Bellbuckle Gaps and used cavalry to protect his flanks.
Rosecrans established winter quarters at Murfreesboro and kept his army mostly inactive for the next five and a half months. President Abraham Lincoln, General-in-Chief Henry Halleck, and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton repeatedly pressured him to advance. They feared Confederate leaders might transfer troops from Bragg’s army to oppose Union operations against Vicksburg. Facing the possibility of losing his command, Rosecrans moved into action on June 23, 1863.
Rosecrans used the months at Murfreesboro to prepare his army. He and Colonel John Wilder developed a mounted infantry force that could travel quickly on horseback and then dismount to fight. They also armed Wilder’s “Lightning Brigade” with Spencer Repeating Rifles, increasing its firepower.
On June 23, Rosecrans used a diversion against the western end of Bragg’s line while directing his main attack toward the mountain gaps. The next day, Wilder’s Lightning Brigade attacked Hoover’s Gap and quickly drove out the Confederate defenders. Wilder then held the gap against several Confederate counterattacks.
By June 26, Bragg withdrew toward Tullahoma as Rosecrans continued his advance. With Wilder’s troops threatening his rear and Rosecrans’ main army approaching, Bragg abandoned Tullahoma and retreated to Decherd and Cowan. On July 3, he crossed the mountains toward Chattanooga.
The campaign ended in a major Union victory. Rosecrans drove Confederate forces from Middle Tennessee while suffering 569 casualties. Bragg preserved his army, but Union forces captured 1,634 Confederate soldiers. Union victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, however, overshadowed Rosecrans’ success.
Essential Facts
- Also Known As: Middle Tennessee Campaign.
- Date: June 24–July 3, 1863.
- Location: South-central Tennessee, between Murfreesboro and Chattanooga.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: William S. Rosecrans.
- CSA Commanders: Braxton Bragg.
- Who Won: The United States won the Tullahoma Campaign.
- Era: Civil War, May–August, 1864.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 569 — 83 killed, 473 wounded, and 13 captured or missing.
- Forces Engaged: Army of the Cumberland.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 50,000–60,000.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: Undetermined.
- Forces Engaged: Army of Tennessee.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 45,000.
Significance
The Tullahoma Campaign is important to American History because it drove Confederate forces out of Middle Tennessee while inflicting relatively few casualties on Union forces. General William Rosecrans used flank maneuvers rather than costly direct attacks to force Braxton Bragg from his defensive positions. The capture of Hoover’s Gap by John Wilder’s Lightning Brigade helped threaten Bragg’s rear and contributed to his decision to retreat. Although Bragg preserved his army by withdrawing toward Chattanooga, Rosecrans gained control of Middle Tennessee. However, the Union victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg occurred nearly simultaneously, overshadowing the success of the Tullahoma Campaign.
History
Events Leading Up to the Tullahoma Campaign
On October 24, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln relieved Major General Don Carlos Buell of his command of the Army of the Ohio and placed Major General William Rosecrans in charge of the newly formed Army of the Cumberland. Upon Rosecrans’ promotion, Union General-In-Chief Henry Halleck forewarned Rosecrans that “… the Government demands action, and if you cannot respond to that demand some one else will be tried.”
Rosecrans established headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, and quickly prepared his army for battle. On December 26, he moved his army south to engage Confederate General Braxton Bragg and the Army of Tennessee encamped at Murfreesboro. The two armies met at the Battle of Stones River (December 31, 1862–January 2, 1863). After the Federals prevailed, Bragg withdrew to Tullahoma, Tennessee, thirty-six miles to the south, yielding Murfreesboro to Rosecrans.
Braxton Bragg’s Defenses
After the Battle of Stones River, Bragg deployed his army in a defensive line nearly seventy miles long along the Duck River, north of Tullahoma. He intended to prevent Rosecrans from capturing the strategically important city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Bragg used small groups of pickets to protect four gaps in the mountains leading to his headquarters in Tullahoma (Liberty, Hoover, Guy, and Bellbuckle Gaps), and he deployed his cavalry to secure his flanks.
William Rosecrans’ Winter Quarters
In the meantime, Rosecrans established winter quarters at Murfreesboro, where his army remained relatively inactive for the next five and one-half months. During that time, Rosecrans resisted pressure from his superiors to press Bragg. Lincoln, Halleck, and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton feared that Rosecrans’ inactivity would enable Confederate leaders to detach soldiers from Bragg’s army to relieve Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s operations against Vicksburg. Finally, under threat of being relieved of his command, Rosecrans moved into action on June 23, 1863.
Rosecrans’ Lightning Brigade
As events turned out, Rosecrans’ preparations during the winter and spring were fruitful. Fearing that the federal cavalry was overmatched, Rosecrans and Colonel John Wilder devised a plan to mount infantry troops on horses, deploy them rapidly to crucial positions, and then have them dismount for battle. Rosecrans and Wilder added to the firepower of this “Lightning Brigade” by arming them with newly introduced Spencer Repeating Rifles.
Battle of Hoover’s Gap
On June 23, Rosecrans feigned an attack against the western end of Bragg’s line before making his main thrust against the gaps in the mountains. The next day, Wilder’s “Lightning Brigade” attacked Hoover’s Gap and easily dislodged the Confederate defenders. Wilder resisted several Confederate counterattacks, and by June 26, Bragg’s troops were withdrawing toward his headquarters at Tullahoma. With the threat of Wilder’s regiment at his rear and Rosecrans’ main force bearing down on him after the Union victory at the Battle of Hoover’s Gap, Bragg made successive retreats to Decherd and Cowan over the next several days, before withdrawing over the mountains to Chattanooga on July 3.
Outcome
The Tullahoma Campaign was a brilliantly planned success for the Union forces in Tennessee. Unfortunately for Rosecrans, events happening at Vicksburg and Gettysburg at the same time overshadowed it. Although Bragg saved his army, Rosecrans drove the Confederacy out of Middle Tennessee with very few losses. The Union army suffered a reported 569 casualties (eighty-three killed, 473 wounded, and thirteen captured or missing). Confederate casualties during the Tullahoma Campaign are unknown because Bragg wrote no battle reports, but the Union army captured 1,634 Confederates.
Timeline
- 1862, October 24 — President Abraham Lincoln removed Don Carlos Buell from command and placed William S. Rosecrans in charge of the newly formed Army of the Cumberland.
- 1862, December 26 — Rosecrans moved his army south from Nashville to confront Braxton Bragg near Murfreesboro.
- 1862, December 31–1863, January 2 — Rosecrans defeated Bragg at the Battle of Stones River and forced the Confederates to withdraw toward Tullahoma.
- 1863, June — Rosecrans moved against Bragg after months of pressure from federal leaders.
- 1863, June 23 — Rosecrans ordered diversionary attacks against both ends of Bragg’s defensive line.
- 1863, June 24 — John Wilder’s Lightning Brigade attacked Hoover’s Gap and drove out the Confederate defenders.
- 1863, June 24–26 — Union and Confederate forces fought at Hoover’s Gap and Liberty Gap.
- 1863, June 26 — Bragg ordered his army to withdraw toward Tullahoma as Union forces moved through the mountain gaps.
- 1863, July 3 — Bragg withdrew across the mountains toward Chattanooga, leaving Middle Tennessee to Union forces.
AP US History
Definition
Tullahoma Campaign (1863) — The Tullahoma Campaign was a Union offensive in Middle Tennessee led by General William Rosecrans against Confederate General Braxton Bragg. Rosecrans first used diversionary maneuvers against Bragg’s western defenses before attacking the mountain gaps. Colonel John Wilder’s “Lightning Brigade” captured Hoover’s Gap and resisted Confederate counterattacks. Bragg then withdrew from Tullahoma to Decherd and Cowan before retreating across the mountains to Chattanooga, leaving Middle Tennessee under Union control.
Alignment
The Tullahoma Campaign is part of the following AP US History sections:
