The hills of Horseshoe Ridge

          There is no way to overstate how much the hilly, undulating nature of the terrain impacted the struggle for possession of Horseshoe Ridge during the Civil War battle of Chickamauga.

The sign that marks roughly the mid point of Gracie's
Brigade's attack on the heights of Horseshoe Ridge during
the battle of Chickamauga Sept. 20, 1863. At the upper
edge of the image is the top of Hill 1.

          The weaving berm of Hills 1, 2 and 3 made it almost impossible for the attacking Confederates to mount a well-coordinated attack all the way to the top. That same topographical feature gave the defending Federals opportunities for enfilading fields of fire as the attackers moved up the hillside.

          Fair to say, the Federals had their own trouble with the swerving nature of the face of the Ridge because the twists and turns of the crest gave the defenders more ground to cover. This stretched their manpower thin in places.

          Some attackers moved up steep climbs toward the crest while others attacked up easier grades. But some of the easier grades were in the draws between hills and aimed at pathways between hills that weaved between the heights. The soldiers that moved up some the draws probably had a further distance to go to get to the Federal line.

          This collection of images illustrates the points.

          Thanks for looking and reading.



On the hillside between Hill 1 (to the right) and Hill 2(left). The marker to the left marks the furthest point of advancement of a North Carolina regiment on the afternoon of the 20th. A stone for a South Carolina unit is at the far right. A marker for a Federal unit rests at the upper center of the image.

 



From the saddle between Hill 2 (to the left) and Hill 3. See how the hills create a draw
on the side of the Ridge. There were far fewer trees at the time of the battle. This image was
captured in early spring in the hopes the absence of greenery would give the viewer better sight lines and better see the impact the constant changes in topography had on the fighting here.