Chickamauga Chickamauga: Alexander Road, Viniard Field, and the Confederate Flank on Sept 19

Joshism

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Apr 30, 2012
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Jupiter, FL
I just finished the first volume in Dave Powell's Chickamauga main trilogy. One question that occurred to me which the book does not address regards the fighting around Viniard Field. The fighting in this area was more or less on a West-East axis, surging back and forth across the La Fayette Road. The fighting does not seem to have extended south of Viniard Field Alexander Road passes east and south of Viniard Field, heading SW to meet the La Fayette Road a little more than halfway from the Viniard Cabin to Lee & Gordon's Mills.

Alexander Road would seem to present a good approach to flank the Confederates, but this doesn't seem to been tried or even contemplated. Wood's and Sheridan's divisions reached Viniard Field from Lee & Gordon's Mills so they passed right by the road.

Likewise, the Confederates don't seem to have been alert to the road as a potential threat to their flank, although they didn't have much to spare in the area.

Did I miss or misunderstand something? Or does this represent an oversight by both armies?
 
Wilder was sent to Alexanders Bridge and guarded it before retreating to the Vinard Field where he held off the Confederates. There were two crossing points the Confederates used that took to arrive at the Alexanders road. One was the bridge and the other was Telfords Ford. By the time Wood and Sheridan arrived, the woods were full of Confederates making a flanking move impossible.
Wilder was holding the line at the woods just to the west of the Vinard Field facing east to the LaFayette Road. He watched Sheridan enter the Alexander Road and woods and then saw him retreat back to the Vinard Field.
 
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