Nov. 24 1863 Battle For Lookout Mountain

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Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, And Missionary Ridge Battles

 

 

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At 4 A.M. of the 24th, Hooker reported his troops in readiness to begin the movement. As he advanced he found Lookout Creek so swollen with recent rains that he could not cross without building a temporary bridge at the main road. He then sent Geary with two divisions and Whittaker's brigade of Cruft's command up the creek to effect a crossing at Wauhatchie. Geary was then to sweep down the right bank, driving the rebels before him. The enemy, watching the construction of the bridge under Hooker, failed to observe the movement of the troops under Geary, by reason of a heavy mist which overhung the mountain, until he was on their flank and threatening their rear. The enemy's force here and on the top of the mountain was under Stevenson, with a command of six brigades posted mainly on the Northern slope midway between the Palisades and the Tennessee River, on a belt of cultivated land. A continuous line of earthworks had been constructed, with redoubts, redans, and lilts, lower down the slope, with reference to an assault from the direction of the river. On each flank were rifle-pits, epaulements for batteries, walls of stone and abattis, as against attack from either Chattanooga or Lookout Valley. In these valleys were still more extensive, earthworks.

 

As Geary moved down on the right bank of the creek, he soon encountered the enemy's pickets. These gave the alarm at once, when their troops formed in the breastworks and rifle-pits. All these positions were soon covered by artillery planted by Hooker's orders. He then sent Wood's brigade of Osterhaus's division about eight hundred yards up the creek to build another bridge, and directed Cruft to leave a small command at the first bridge, to attract the attention of the enemy, and ordered the rest of Grose's brigade to cross with Wood's. This bridge was completed at 11 o'clock, when the troops under Wood and Grose crossed, and joined Geary on the right bank, who had driven the enemy up to this point. Under cover of the heavy artillery fire, the entire line advanced, pressing the enemy steadily back. At noon Geary's advance drove the rebels around the peak of the mountain, Here Geary was ordered to halt and reform his command, lint having the rebels on the run he pressed forward and drove them in a fleeing, panic-stricken crowd. Cobham's and Ireland's brigades on the high ground on the right, near the Palisades, pressed on, rolling their line up on the flank, closely supported by Whittaker's and Creighton's brigades. The enemy had been reinforced, but he was not able to resist the sweep of Hooker's troops as they rounded the crest of the mountain at Craven's house, where the enemy made his last stand, and from here, with his line all broken and in rout, he was driven over the rocks and precipices into Chattanooga Valley. At this time the mist that had been hanging round the mountain all the day settled still lower down. It was now about 2 o'clock, and Hooker in the mist, unable to see beyond his immediate front, placed his troops in position, threw up temporary breastworks, with his line on the east side of the mountain, the right resting at the Palisades and the left near the mouth of Chattanooga Creek. He then reported to Thomas, who ordered Carlin with his brigade to report to him, when he was placed on the extreme right, relieving Geary's troops. During the night the rebels opened a heavy fire on our right as if intending to break our lines. This was handsomely repulsed, Carlin's brigade taking an active part. Early in the morning, before daylight, several parties were sent up the mountain, in anticipation of the retreat of the enemy during the night, to scale the heights. One from the Eighth Kentucky was the first that reached the summit, and here at sunrise the stars and stripes were unfurled at the extreme point amid the cheers of the entire army. During the night Stevenson abandoned the top of the mountain, while the Summertown road remained open, leaving his camp and garrison equipage. This gave to our army full possession and control of the river and railroad up to Chattanooga.

 

The mist still clung to the mountain in heavy folds early on the 25th, when Hooker was ordered to press forward on the road to Rossville, carry the pass, and operate on Bragg's left and rear. Advancing down into the valley, he found the rebel pickets still holding the right bank of Chattanooga Creek. Arriving at the creek at about ten o'clock he found the bridges on the Rossville road destroyed. Here Hooker was delayed for some three hours, when Osterhaus in the advance crossed the infantry on the stringers and pressed forward, driving the enemy's pickets over to Rossville. Hooker found the rebels at this place loading up their stores. Leaving a force on their front, he sent Wood's brigade to take the ridge on the right, and William-son's on the left. After a severe skirmish the enemy hastily retreated, abandoning large quantities of stores, wagons, and ambulances. The gap now being under our control, Hooker ordered the advance of our entire line, Osterhaus with his division on the east of the ridge, Cruft on the ridge, and Geary in the valley west of the ridge. This line advancing soon encountered the rebels under Stewart, occupying the line of breastworks thrown up by our troops after Chickamauga. Cruft charged on them, drove them in all directions out of these works in full retreat. Part of them ran into Osterhaus's men and were captured. Others were captured by Geary in the valley. The mass of them fell back to their second line, from which they were likewise speedily driven, when the fight became a running one, continuing until sunset. Part of the enemy in their endeavors to escape ran into Johnson's division of the Fourteenth Corps, thrown forward to join the pursuit, and were captured. Hooker's command then went into camp.

 

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