page_title: Lightning Brigade (US Army of the Cumberland 1863)
section_title: The First Day
hierarchical_section_title: Lightning Brigade (US Army of the Cumberland 1863) / Chickamauga Campaign / Chickamauga / The First Day
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of the Battle of Chickamauga (part 3) of the American Civil War. Drawn in Adobe Illustrator CS5 by Hal Jespersen. Graphic source file is available at http://www.posix.com/CWmaps/
context_page_description: The Lightning Brigade, also known as Wilder's Brigade or the Hatchet Brigade was a novel, for the US Army formation in the American Civil War, mounted infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Cumberland from March 8, 1863, through the November of 1863. Its regiments were nominally the 1st Brigade of MGEN Joseph J. Reynolds 4th Division of Thomas' XIV Corps. Operationally, they were detached from the division and serving as a mobile mounted infantry to support any of the army's corps. COL John T. Wilder was its commander. As initially organized. the brigade had the following regiments:|
  92nd Illinois Mounted Infantry: COL Smith D. Atkins
  98th Illinois Mounted Infantry: COL John J. Funkhouser, LTCOL Edward Kitchell
  123rd Illinois Mounted Infantry: COL James Monroe
  17th Indiana Mounted Infantry: MAJ William T. Jones
  72nd Indiana Mounted Infantry: COL Abram O. Miller
  18th Independent Battery Indiana Light Artillery: CAPT Eli Lilly
context_section_description: Although Bragg had achieved some degree of surprise, he failed to exploit it strongly. Rosecrans, observing the dust raised by the marching Confederates in the morning, anticipated Bragg's plan. He ordered Thomas and McCook to Crittenden's support, and while the Confederates were crossing the creek, Thomas began to arrive in Crittenden's rear area.
  Through the morning to midday of 19 September, the Lightning Brigade held its position as a reserve near Viniard farm as the battle began. As the battle progressed, the front developed in a north south direction just west of Chickamauga Creek. Viniard farm was just right of the Union Center held by MGEN Alexander McDowell McCook's XX Corps. 
  At around 2 p.m, the Johnson's division (Hood's corps) forced Union BGEN Jefferson C. Davis's two brigade division of the XX corps back across the LaFayette Road. Johnson to continue the advance with two brigades in line and one in reserve. On the right, COL John Fulton's brigade routed King's brigade and linked up with Bate at Brotherton field. On the left, the Lighting Brigade in its reserve position repulsed BGEN John Gregg's brigade with heavy losses. Gregg was seriously wounded and his brigade advance halted. The brigade also repulsed BGEN Evander McNair's brigade, called up from the rear, when they attacked.
  As the battle continued, the Union line was pushed back north to the Viniard house with elements of the XXI Corps attacked by Hood's corps on the brigade's left. These units were pushed behind the brigade's line. Hood's Corps advanced so close to Rosecrans's new headquarters at the Glenn Cabin leading to a significant risk of a Federal rout in this part of the line. At this point the Lighting Brigade's superior firepower from their Spencers eventually held back the Confederate advance, fighting from behind a drainage ditch.
caption: Actions, late afternoon to dark, September 19
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