[Amnorix]

November 23.

1863. The Battle of Chattanooga begins. To lay some groundwork, in 1863 the Civil War was essentially at the tipping point, with the Union having won decisive victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. In the middle of the country, however, the Confederates had landed a decisive blow at the Battle of Chickamauga against the Union Army of the Cumberland, under General Rosencrans. At this battle, General Thomas earns the nickname the Rock of Chickamauga for staving off destruction, but the battle was still a decisive victory for the Confederates. The Union is thrown into Chattanooga, which is soon surrounded by the Confederates on the high ground, and besieged.

In response, the Union reacts swiftly. General Hooker, who had led the Union Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville earlier in the year, but had been dismissed, was sent with 15,000 men by train to help. In addition, General Grant was ordered first to send General Sherman with 20,000 men, and then ordered to go personally to save the Union Army. During the course of these events, for the first time the entire Western Theater -- everything from the Appalachians to the Mississippi -- is put under the command of one man -- Grant.

Meanwhile, the defeat at Chickamuaga and siege, short though it had been, broke Rosencrans psychologically. Lincoln, in his inimicable fashion, said that he "seemed confused and stunned, like a duck that had been hit in the head." Grant was given authority to deal with command there as he saw fit, and he relieved Rosencrans, appointing Thomas in his stead.

Now commanding the Confederate forces at Chattanooga -- an important rail hub and iron and coke producer, was Braxton Bragg, who had with him as a corps commander Lee's right hand, General Longstreet.

Without going into too much detail, the battle was hard fought, as the Union needed to try to dislodge the Confederates who held the high ground, especially Lookout Mountain. Both sides also had a fair share of bumbling under the circumstances. The Union plan seemed sound -- with General Sherman charging up the long side of a ride rather than a frontal assault, but he was pinned down and unable to effect much. Somehow, somewhat against orders, a Union frontal assault up the steep mountain succeeded in throwing the Confederates off. Both Grant and Sherman tried to shift credit for the victory to Sherman, but the careful Civil War student knows that there was as much luck as skill involved in this particular victory, and that Sherman certainly doesn't deserve the lion's share of the credit.

In any event, the siege was broken, and the Confederacy's efforts to obtain a major victory to redeem the losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg failed.


1876. Boss Tweed, leader of the Tammany Hall corrupt political machine in New York City, is turned over to NY authorities after being captured in Spain.

1936. The first edition of Life Magazine is published.

1963. The first episode of Dr. Who is broadcast.