Tullahoma: Rosecrans vs. Bragg
Rosecrans’ Tullahoma Campaign began long before his move into Hoover Gap when Braxton Bragg took up a defensive position around the town of Murfreesboro, TN with his newly formed Army of the Tennessee. Rosecrans was encamped 30 miles away with his Army of the Cumberland in Nashville. After considerable prodding by Lincoln, Rosecrans moved out December 16, 1862 toward Murfreesboro, arriving on the banks of the Stones River December 19th.
Bragg had contested Rosecrans movements with a series of cavalry raids on Rosecrans supply lines and hit and run skirmishes with the marching infantry. Despite the harassment, on December 30th the whole Army of the Cumberland moved into position northwest of the river forming a line parallel to the Confederate line straddling the river and blocking the Nashville turnpike.
Bragg had expected Rosecrans to attack immediately but rather than attack the Army of the Cumberland made camp and sat tight. During the night the bands battled back and forth with rousing renditions of Dixie and Yankee Doodle. Finally everyone on both sides joined in a sentimental sing-along of Home Sweet Home. The next morning Bragg launched his attack while the Union was making coffee; this was the battle of Stones River.
After the battle, Bragg retreated to a new and stronger position along the Duck River. Rosecrans stayed in Murfreesboro and built up a massive earthwork and supply dump named . While initially thrilled with the result Fortress RosecransLincoln became increasingly frustrated as Rosecrans built up his fort without any obvious intent to do anything else. The Army of the Cumberland sat in Murfreesboro for five and a half months growing fat at the government’s expense while Linconl fumed.
When Rosecrans did finally move in June of 1863 he initiated the Tullahoma Campaign flanking Bragg out one position after another right on through Chattanooga and on the banks of a little creek called Chickamauga in Georgia; there the worm turned.
Not everyone will agree with the way I've group these battles, usually Stones River is lumped in with the skirmishes fought between Nashville and Murfreesboro and the Tullahoma Campaign is listed as a separate event ending with Bragg's retreat back into Chattanooga. Chickamauga is listed as separate movement and sometimes grouped in with the Battle for Chattanooga. I’ve grouped them the way I have because the flow of battle from Nashville through Chattanooga to Chickamauga and back into Chattanooga strikes me a complete series of events, there is just 6 months of downtime in the middle, but each action leads directly to the next.