Across The River At Brown's Ferry

Fought in Hamilton County, Tennessee, the Battle of Brown’s Ferry took place October 27^th 1863.

After the Union defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga, the Army found itself trapped by Confederate General Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Bragg settled in, to siege the Union position.  He sent Confederate Brigadier General Evander Law downstream, where Law was to stop any Union supply trains.  Union commander Brigadier General William S Rosecrans telegraphed Washington to say, "We have no certainty of holding our position here."  In response Washington sent reinforcements under the command of General Ulysses S Grant.

Grant started on October 26^th 1863 to open a supply route from Brown’s Ferry to Chattanooga.  The planned route was designed by Chief Engineer, Brigadier General William F "Baldy" Smith.  The new supply line was named the “Cracker Line”, by soldiers who were running low on food.  Smith’s two brigades under Brigadier Generals William B Hazen and John B Turchin would split, with Turchin’s men marching across land to hold Brown’s Ferry, while Hazen’s would ferry down the river in pontoon boats.

Hazen’s troops made the landing point at 5 am on October 27^th 1863.  Although they were moving quietly some of the men were fired on by Confederate pickets.  The Confederates quickly formed for an attack, however at this time Turchin’s men were being ferry across the river.  The combined force of Union men outflanked the Confederate soldiers who withdrew toward Wauhatchie.  By latter that afternoon the 1^st Michigan Engineers had a pontoon bridge across river and open.

Only Thing Between Sherman And His Supplies

The Union Army captured Fort McAlister on December 13th 1864.

Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s troops were in need of supplies as they approached Savannah, Georgia. Concluding that supply ships could reach him if they took Fort McAllister, he ordered Major General Oliver Otis Howard’s Army of Tennessee to do just that. Howard ordered division commander Brigadier General William B Hazen to attack the fort, which they did on December 13th 1864. Hazen’s four thousand men rushed forward upon his order through many obstacles including buried torpedoes, entering the fort they captured it in about fifteen minutes. This gave the Union troops the control of the Ogeechee River and access to the ocean.

With supplies coming, Sherman began to prepare for the siege and capture of Savannah. He achieved this goal on Christmas day.