Rout of the Union Right

At 11:10 a.m. on September 20, Confederate forces under General James Longstreet broke through the right side of the Union line about one-quarter mile behind you at the Brotherton Cabin. Union soldiers behind the shattered line broke ranks and ran as General Bushrod Johnson's Confederates burst out of the woods behind you. On the hill in front of you stood the headquarters of Major General William S. Rosecrans, the Union commander. Realizing that disaster had struck, Rosecrans told his staff to save themselves, then fled with several of his top officers. It was one of the most disastrous routs of the war. The highest-ranking Union officer left on the field was Major General George S. Thomas, and the task fell to him to save the Union Army from annihilation.

Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia · United States