ON THIS DAY IN UNITED STATES HISTORY
November 23, 1863
The Battle of Chattanooga Begins
On this day in 1863, fighting began in one of the major engagements in the American Civil War when a Union force
of about 60,000 under General Ulysses S. Grant met a Confederate force of about 40,000 under the command of General
Braxton Bragg.
The Battle of Chattanooga (which was actually the third battle fought near Chattanooga, Tennessee) resulted in
the defeat of Braxton Bragg’s Confederate forces and opened the door for the Union invasion of the Deep South.
The following year, Atlanta was captured which then lead to "Sherman’s March to the Sea” (also known as the
Savannah Campaign). The battle, which also included the Battle of Lookout Mountain and the Battle of Missionary
Ridge, lasted three days and resulted in Union casualties of 5,824 and Confederate casualties of 6,667.
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