Confederate Breakthrough

Confederate Breakthrough. . , A sledge hammer-like Confederate attack smashed the Union line, The decisive event of the Battle of Chickamauga occurred here on September 20, the second day of the battle. At 11:10 a.m., just after the last of General Wood´s Union division had pulled out of line behind you , and before other Federal units moved north to fill the gap , the Confederate army struck., Eight brigades (about 11,000 men) of Longstreet's Confederate left wing swept across the La Fayette Road in front of you and charged a thin line of Federal skirmishers just behind you the edge of the woods. The attack surprise the Federal divisions of Wood, Davis, and Sheridan who were in motion and unprepared to fight., So overwhelming was the assault that nearly one-third of the Union army was driven from the field, including its commander General Rosecrans. Remnants of shattered Federal units tried to check the Confederate advance, but without success. The Confederates now had an opportunity to surround and destroy the Union army., (captions) , (center) Confederates charge across the open fields around the Brotherton Cabin to assault the weakened Federal position behind you., (top right) Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, C.S.A. , Longstreet, commander of the left wing of the Confederate army, engineered the attack., (top right) Brig. Gen. Bushrod Johnson, C.S.A. , Johnson's Division spearheaded the Confederate breakthrough here at the Brotherton Cabin., At 11:00 a.m. on the second day of the battle, Confederates of Gen. James Longstreet's wing led by Brig. Gen. Bushrod Johnson pierced the Union line at the Brotherton Cabin.