September 30, 1863 Today’s letter is full of interesting and important information regarding the beginning of a critical stage of the war. I’ve given some basic historical context and tied it back to Abbott but I would encourage you to read the letter in its entirety to get the full scope! The regiment received marching orders on the 10th and proceeded to start making its way through the mountains. The uneven and oftentimes steep terrain did not make for pleasant travel conditions. At some point, Abbott is sent in a different direction with other regimental cooks to stay with the wagons, though he expresses that he “would have liked much better to go with the regiment.” Eventually, Abbott does rejoin his regiment, where he is pleased to see that Roe is back with the army. At this point, the 68th regiment, along with quite a few others, are located in Chattanooga. Abbott himself wasn’t present for this battle, as he was still separated from the rest of the group. Therefore, the account he gives is what was given to him once he rejoined the regiment. The battle that followed is significant because later on in the same fall, a variety of battles would occur in this area. Based on what Abbott says, it would seem like his regiment participated in the Battle of Chickamauga. The timeframe is correct as are the circumstances of the battle. The National Park Service’s Regiment Details about Indiana’s 68th Regiment verifies that it was indeed at Chickamauga. The Battle of Chickamauga took place from September 18-20, 1863. The overarching goal was to prevent the Confederacy from holding Chattanooga, which was an important city during the war. To better the Union’s chances of success, General Rosecrans brought together a variety of regiments that had been scattered around Tennessee. This explains why Abbott’s regiment was given orders to head to the area. The battle itself turned out to be a Confederate victory, as they occupied the area around Chattanooga, thus cutting off Union supply lines. However, both sides suffered major losses. The Union saw a total of 16,170 (out of an initial 60,000) men wounded, killed, or missing, while the Confederates lost 18,454 out of 65,000. Abbott says that in his regiment, 17 were killed, 105 wounded, and 14 missing. Abbott then notes that Rosecrans got all of his men safely into Chattanooga following the battle where they began strengthening its defenses. He remarks that “we now have a splendid line of works entirely around the city. And now if they want to try their hand on us again we will have the advantage of fortifications.” The Confederates then decided to besiege the city and blocked river, route, and railroad routes, thus keeping Union supplies from reaching the city. This became known as the Siege of Chattanooga and would last for a couple of months. It’s only later in the various battles for Chattanooga that the siege ends. Abbott actually makes a rather prophetic statement about the city: “…and now if they choose to have a battle of Chattanooga recorded in the history of this war they will have to fight us in the fortifications behind our own breastworks while they take the open field!” He of course had no idea that a Battle of Chattanooga would in fact occur! Works Cited: The National Park Service. “Regimental Details: Union Indiana Volunteers. http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-regiments-detail.htm?regiment_id=UIN0068RI (accessed March 5, 2014). The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. ”Chickamauga.” http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/chickamauga.html?tab=facts (accessed March 5, 2014). Photo Credit: The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “Maps of Chickamauga, Georgia (1863): Chickamauga Battlefield [Sept. 19-20, 1863). http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/chickamauga/chickamauga-maps/chickamaugamcelroy.html (accessed March 5, 2014).
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AuthorTessa Wakefield, student intern at the Concordia College Archives, assembled these blog entries in 2013-2014 for the Isaac Mark Abbott Civil War Letters Collection. The posts summarize the content of the letters, interpret Abbott's experiences and place them in the larger context of the Civil War. Archives
March 2014
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