Staff Ride Handbook for the Battle of Chickamauga, 18-20 September 1863

The campaign and Battle of Chickamauga, August-September 1863, is an excellent vehicle for a Staff Ride. Because of the size of the forces involved and the difficulty of the terrain encountered, it represents an opportunity to raise many challenging teaching points relevant to today’s officer. Second, the nation has wisely preserved most of the primary battle area in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and has marked most unit positions for detailed study by visitors. These markers are linked by an extensive trail network that permits access to all significant areas of the field. Thus, the park is an excellent physical laboratory for the study of conflict at the tactical and human level. Finally, because of its proximity to the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the battle site is easily supportable logistically for Staff Ride groups of any size. In sum, this campaign offers a great opportunity for study by the professional officer, as generations of American soldiers have already discovered. The Staff Ride Handbook for the Battle of Chickamauga, 18-20 September 1863, provides a systematic approach to the analysis of the great Civil War battle. It describes the organization of the Federal and Confederate Armies, detailing their weapons, tactics, and logistical, engineer communications, and medical support.