Chickamauga
September 19, 1863
Map of Center Sector, September 19th
This map should help you understand the photos below. Forrest's cavalry is beyond Jay's Mill, Liddell is facing Winfrey Field, while Cheatham faces Brock Field. On the Union side, Van Cleve is in front of the Brotherton Cabin along the Lafayette Road, which heads north to Kelly Field, the area Union troops would defend the following day.
Winfrey Field
As the Confederates advanced west from Chickamauga Creek, Union troops were sent to meet them. Here at the Winfrey Field, Scribner's brigade of Baird's division deployed along the tree-line on the left center of the picture. Liddell's Confederate division attacked Scribner, with Walthall's brigade emerging from the tree-line on the far right of the picture and attacking the Union line. Walthall halted under cover near the road. To their left, Govan's brigade advanced through the protection of the wooded ravine on the far left of the picture. They flanked the Union brigade, breaking the 10th Wisconsin protecting the Union flank after the Yankees had fired just one volley. Govan rolled up the Union flank starting in the corner of the field visible in the left-center of the picture while Walthall continued the advance, not stopping to fire, if for no other reason than they couldn't. The brigade had been given the wrong ammunition.
Liddell's division then routed two other brigades of Baird's division but was stopped by a counterattacking Federal division.
Brock Field
As the fighting near the Winfrey Field continued, Rosecrans sent Palmer's division in that direction down the Brotherton Road. At Brock Field, they met advancing Confederates of Cheatham's division. The line of prominent monuments on the left half of the picture marks the line of Hazen's brigade as arced back toward the right. The Federals fought to a standstill attacking Confederates coming from the woods on the left and center of the picture.
Map of Southern Sector, September 19th
For reference to the first map, Van Cleve in front of the Brotherton Cabin can be seen at the top. Poe Field to the north of the cabin, north of the Georgia Monument in fact, will feature later in the battle. Further south, the Union line followed the Lafayette Road. Next, we will see where the Confederates attacked at the Viniard Field.
Viniard Field
Both Rosecrans and Bragg now attempted to attack their enemy's southern flank. They clashed here near the Viniard Farm along the vital north-south Lafayette Road. The monuments in the field mark the line of Carlin's brigade, which was flanked by Heg in the woods on the left and Barnes in the woods on the right. After considerable fighting, the Confederates pushed the Yankees back across Lafayette Road, largely because their left was turned; a gap existed between these troops and those further north.
Viniard Farm
Carlin's line can be seen in the field on the left of the picture. The fleeing Yankees crossed the road and through the field in the center of the picture, the area of the Viniard House. They took heavy losses crossing a fence but halted and reformed in the gully beyond. Brigade commander Heg was mortally wounded at the pyramid of cannonballs on the right of the picture.