Battles & Campaigns · 1863
Battle of Ringgold Gap
Ringgold Gap, Catoosa County, Georgia, USA
What happened
Confederates under Patrick Cleburne held off Union troops under Joseph Hooker. After the Confederate defeat at Missionary Ridge, Bragg's army was retreating south. Cleburne's division held Ringgold Gap, a mountain pass, while the army's cannons and wagon trains passed through. The fighting lasted about five hours before Cleburne withdrew.
Why it matters
Cleburne's stand let the Confederate Army of Tennessee retreat safely toward Dalton in Georgia. Grant returned to Chattanooga and did not order another pursuit.
What came next
The Whitman family watched the battle from their home, which Grant then used as his headquarters.
Did you know?
Cleburne's men hid their cannons until they opened fire.
Timeline
- 12 Apr 1862The locomotive The General stops at Ringgold during the Great Locomotive Chase.
- 25 Nov 1863Battle of Missionary Ridge.
- 27 Nov 1863Battle of Ringgold Gap.
- 2011The battlefield is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.