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Thousands of Union troops burst from the cedars located behind the visitor center and were followed closely by victory confident Confederates. The Chicago Board of Trade Battery, so called because the Board of Trade provided the money for establishing and equipping the 6-gun battery, sprang into action on this rise. Their charges of canister forced the Confederates to withdraw to the cedars. A second battery joined in on the left, and the combined fire broke up the attack.
Looking toward the Cedars from the Chicago Board of Trade Battery Position.
The Fight for the Cedars 11 a.m., Dec 31, 1862
The deep Confederate penetration at this point forced Rosecrans to revise his plan to assault the Confederate right. He rushed reserves to this sector, and Union artillery along the Nashville Pike finally checked the drive.
A Natural Foe: Cedar Thickets
"The ground was new and unknown to all of us, the woods were almost impassable to infantry, and artillery perfectly useless." Lovell H. Rousseau, Major General, USA |
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