Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 9.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

1 The Tri monthly Return of the Department of the Cumberland of September 10th, 1863, furnishes the data for an estimate of the Federal strength on the field of Chickamauga.

This is a smaller number, when we remember the difference between “present for duty” and “present for duty equipped,” than that given by the accomplished clerk in charge of the Returns in the War office, Mr. Kirkley, in the following official memorandum furnished to the Adjutant-General January 18th, 1876: “The effective strength (and by this he means the aggregate of all arms ‘present for duty equipped,’ ) of General Rosecrans's army engaged in the battle of Chickamagua as shown by the tri-monthly returns of September 10th, 1863, was 68,101.”

The last Return of the Army of Tennessee before the battle of Chickamauga is that of September 1st, 1863, now in the War Department. Of the reinforcements received by Bragg this return embraces only W. H. T. Walker's division.

I have not been able to ascertain whether any cavalry joined after September 1st, which was not included in the return of that date. Perhaps some came with Buckner, which was not included in the return.

General Longstreet's report gives 22,882 as the aggregate present for duty in the six divisions he led into action on the 20th September, but the men lost on the 19th must be added to this figure in a computation of the whole force. Collating these figures with other returns made up on the field, given in the reports of the five divisions constituting Polk's wing, it is difficult to believe that Bragg had more than 50,000 infantry and artillery on the field. The contemporary estimate in the army was 45,000. There had been some losses and a good deal of straggling between the 1st and the 19th of September.