The battle of Chickmauga was said to be one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War do to the great loss of soldiers. Many Union Forces were engaged in the battle of Chickamauga. One of which included the 125th Infantry of Illinois. In this section were many people from the Champaign County. Of these, John M. Fisher was accidentally killed at a Chickamauga Station.
The battle at Chickamauga Creek was in Georgia. Braxton Bragg commanded the confederate side. William Rosecrans led the union. In this war, 66,326 confederate soldiers and 58,222 Union soldiers were engaged. Of these, 18,454 confederate soldiers died and 16,170 Union soldiers died. The Confederates walked away winners from this battle.
The battle at Chickamauga Creek began on September 19, 1863 and ended the next day. It was said to be one of the bloodiest battles ever. And even was rated number two of the ten costliest battles of the Civil War.
Rosecrans renewed his offensive, aiming to force the Confederates out of Chattanooga. The three army corps that made up Rosecrans army split and set out for Chattanooga by separate routes. By early September, Rosecrans consolidated his forces scattered in Georgia and Tennessee and forced Bragg's army out of Chattanooga, heading south. Union soldier followed it and clashed at Davis' Cross Roads. Bragg was determined to regain control of Chattanooga. He planned to meet part of Rosecrans's army, defeat them, and move back into the city. He headed north on the seventeenth, intending to meet and beat the XXI Army Corps. As Bragg moved north on the eighteenth, his infantry and cavalry fought with the Union cavalry and mounted infantry, which were armed with Spencer repeating rifles. Fighting began the morning of the nineteenth. Bragg's men hammered but couldn't break the Union line. Bragg continued his assault the next day on the Union line on the left, and late in the morning, Rosecrans was informed that he had a gap in his line. In moving units to shore up the gap, Rosecrans created one, and James Longstreet's men promptly exploited it, driving a third of the Union army, including himself, from the field. George H. Thomas took control over command and began consolidating forces on Horseshoe Ridge and Snodgrass Hill. Although rebels attacked the forces, they held until dark. Then Thomas led these men from the field leaving it to the Confederates. Finally the Union retired to Chattanooga while the rebels occupied the surrounding heights.
Go here to view a 360 degree panoramic view of the Battlefield of Chickamauga