General Rosecrans crossed the Tennessee with an effective force of a little above 60,000. Two brigades and an additional regiment were detached. A maximum figure for his force at the opening of the battle would be 55,000. It is difficult to approximate Bragg's force. A week after the battle he reported 38,846 effec tives, and his losses to have been 18,000, which would make his force in action 56,846. Gen. R. E Lee, writing to President Davis of Bragg's strength, five days before the battle, said: "His total effective force will therefore be 76,219, as large a number as I suppose he can operate with." This did not count Longstreet's re-en forcement, according to General Lee's figures, but a large part of Longstreet's forces never reached Bragg. In view of General Lee's state ments, and the known overlapping of the Union lines, and the preponderance of his reserves, it would seem that Bragg's force can be fairly fixed at 70,000.
Few, if any of the great battles of the war show an equal percentage of casualties, con sidering the numbers engaged and the time of fighting. The losses in killed, wounded and missing for Rosecrans were 16,179, and for Bragg 18,000. For the troops actually engaged these figures give a percentage of 33 for each side. On the Confederate side, Longstreet's
wing lost 44 per cent, nearly all on the second day. Bushrod Johnson's division lost 44 pc; cent and Preston's 33 per cent in the attack of an hour and a half on Snodgrass Hill; and Grade's brigade of the latter division lost 36 per cent during the same time. The brigade losses in Cheatham's division ranged from 35 to 50 per cent. The loss in Breckinridge's division was 33 per cent and in Cleburne's 43 per cent. Bates' brigade of Stewart's division lost 52 per cent. The Confederates assaulted throughout the second day.
On the Union side Steedman's division lost 49 per cent in four hours, and all of these but one were killed or wounded. Brannan's division lost slightly over 36 per cent; Van Derveer's brigade of that division only two less than 50 per cent; Davis' division a little over 50 per cent ; Van Cleve's division 23.5 per cent. Among the Union brigades Buell's loss was 45 per cent, Carlin's 53 per cent, Hazen's 34 per cent, Dick's 25 per cent, Connell's 37 per cent and Croxton's 39 per cent. Consult 'War of the Rebellion Records,' Vol. 23, parts 1 and 2; Vol. 30, parts 1, 2, 3 and 4. Any good history of the United States.