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Chattanooga
June 7-8, 1862
Hamilton County and City of
Chattanooga, TN
Campaign: Confederate Heartland Offensive (1862)
Brig. Gen. James Negley, USA
Maj. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, CSA
Kirby Smith had around a Corps-worth of men against a Union division.
Union losses were only about 25, and Confederate losses a bit over 50.
In late Spring 1862, the Confederacy split its forces in Tennessee into
several small commands in an attempt to complicate Federal operations. The Union
had to redistribute its forces to counter the Confederate command structure
changes. Maj. Gen. Ormsby Mitchel received orders to go to Huntsville, Alabama,
with his division to repair railroads in the area. Soon, he occupied more than
100 miles along the Nashville & Chattanooga and Memphis & Charleston
railroads. In May, Mitchel and his men sparred with Maj. Gen. Edmund Kirby
Smith’s men. After Mitchel received command of all Federal troops between
Nashville and Huntsville, on May 29, he ordered Brig. Gen. James Negley with a
small division to lead an expedition to capture Chattanooga. This force arrived
before Chattanooga on June 7. Negley ordered the 79th Pennsylvania Volunteers
out to reconnoiter. It found the Confederates entrenched on the opposite side of
the river along the banks and atop Cameron Hill. Negley brought up two artillery
batteries to open fire on the Rebel troops and the town and sent infantry to the
river bank to act as sharpshooters. The Union bombardment of Chattanooga
continued throughout the 7th and until noon on the 8th. The Confederates
replied, but it was uncoordinated since the undisciplined gunners were allowed
to do as they wished. On June 10, Smith, who had arrived on the 8th, reported
that Negley had withdrawn and the Confederate loss was minor. This attack
on Chattanooga was a warning that Union troops could mount assaults when they
wanted.
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