Lincoln To Generals: Drive Grant Out Of Chattanooga
President Lincoln did not tell his generals to drive Grant out of Chattanooga. There seems to be no record of this that the author can find, at. The President did push for Rosencrans, the general in command at the battle, to press the rebels. Grant was not initially in charge at Chattanooga, General Rosencrans commanded the union troops. Lincoln pushed the commander of the Union forces to drive the rebels out of Stone River area in Tennessee. The union forces had captured Vicksburg, but Chattanooga remained an important Confederate resupply point. If Union forces could capture the area, they could start campaigns against the Eastern confederacy.
Rosencrans balked at the suggestion. He felt he needed more time and more troops to complete the action. When Lincoln threatened him with dismissal, he made the push and drove the Confederate forces 80 miles back to Chattanooga. This victory would let other Union generals, such as William Tecumseh Sherman conduct other campaigns that would bring about a quicker end to the war. The Battle of Chattanooga’s first day was November 24, 1863. Sherman and Grant would attack Bragg’s forces in several flanking maneuvers over the course of the battle. The Federal forces routed the Confederate forces after several days of fighting.
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