Chickamauga 1863: The river of death

Osprey Campaign #17

by James R. Arnold

Osprey's examination of the battle at Chickamagua, one of the decisive campaigns of the American Civil War (1861-1865). By the Autumn of 1863 the Confederacy was in dire straits. In a colossal gamble, Confederate President Jefferson Davis stripped forces from all the major Confederate armies to reinforce the Army of Tennessee in a last ditch attempt to crush the Union. On 19th September the Confederates attacked the Union army along Chickamauga creek south of Chattanooga. On the second day of bloody fighting the entire Union right collapsed and the army retreated headlong for Chattanooga, all except General George H. Thomas' Corps who fought on doggedly until nightfall delaying the confederate advance, saving the Union and earning his fame as the "Rock of Chickamauga".

Genres: American Civil War, Civil War, Military History, History, American History

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 1992

Reviews

[Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good maps, which are essential to follow the course of this battle.

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Battle of Chickamauga was one of the less complicated clashes between the Union and Confederacy - because of that fact, it is a suitable topic for Osprey's Campaign series that has a tendency of sticking to the step-by-step formula. This little book covers troops, leaders, equipment, situation before the battle, events leading to the battle, the battle itself and its aftermatch. As in all Osprey books, writing style is rather dry, but sufficient for understanding the flow of the events. The strong point of Osprey books and Campaign series especially, is the georgous graphics depicting the troops and the events. This book keeps the same high standard in this department. If you're looking for short, comprehensive description of Chickamauga battle, this one may very well be for you. For larger picture you will have to look into other authors, like Shelby Foote or Peter Cozzens.

[Greatredwarrior · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give it 4 stars, but just couldn't. It was a good overview Osprey quality book but had a few very ugly flaws. First, one page had the columns misprinted in my copy. Not bad, just very confusing. A printing error shouldn't happen. Second, there was no good map of the entire battle and it's different phases. Yes, that's not always easy to do, but it would've been mice. Third, there weren't as many maps as I've come to expect from Osprey.

However, if you want to learn more about Chickamauga, which I did, this is a good place to go for a little investment of time.

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chickamauga is a confusing battle, but this book offers a great overview of the fighting without confusing the reader. That is one hell of an accomplishment.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy buena colección sobre la guerra civil americana. ¡Espero tener tiempo para leer todos los capítulos!