Battle of Campbell's Station


The Battle of Campbell's Station was a battle of the Knoxville Campaign of the American Civil War, occurring on November 16, 1863, at Campbell's Station, Knox County, Tennessee.

Prelude

In early November 1863, Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, with two divisions and about 5,000 cavalry, was detached from the Confederate Army of Tennessee near Chattanooga, Tennessee, to attack Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside's Union Department of the Ohio troops at Knoxville. Following parallel routes, Longstreet and Burnside raced for Campbell's Station, a hamlet where the Concord Road, from the south, intersected the Kingston Road to Knoxville. Burnside hoped to reach the crossroads first and continue on to safety in Knoxville; Longstreet planned to reach the crossroads and hold it, which would prevent Burnside from gaining Knoxville and force him to fight outside his earthworks.

Battle

By forced marching, on a rainy November 16, Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside's advance reached the vital intersection and deployed first. The main column arrived at noon with the baggage train just behind. Scarcely 15 minutes later, Longstreet's Confederates approached. Longstreet attempted a double envelopment: attacks timed to strike both Union flanks simultaneously. Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws's Confederate division struck with such force that the Union right had to redeploy, but held. Brig. Gen. Micah Jenkins's Confederate division maneuvered ineffectively as it advanced and was unable to turn the Union left. Burnside ordered his two divisions astride the Kingston Road to withdraw three-quarters of a mile to a ridge in their rear. This was accomplished without confusion. The Confederates suspended their attack while Burnside continued his retrograde movement to Knoxville. Estimated casualties for the battle were 400 for the U.S. and 570 for the Confederates. Had Longstreet reached Campbell's Station first, the Knoxville Campaign's results might have been different.

Preservation

Campbell's Station was incorporated as Farragut in 1982. The Old Campbell's Station Inn was built by Judge David Campbell in 1835 and later became a private residence. The inn was a favorite of President Andrew Jackson, who stayed there whenever he passed through the area. In 2014 the Town of Farragut purchased the Inn and setup capital funding for the master planning and reconstruction.