The Chattanooga Campaign: With especial reference to Wisconsin's participation therein

by Michael Hendrick Fitch

At 4 p. m. on November 24, 1863, one of the most spectacular battles of the war commenced. General Hooker’s force consisted of the following: Osterhaus’s division of the Fifteenth Corps, Cruft’s (formerly Palmer’s) of the Fourth; Geary’s of the Twelfth—with the exception of such regiments from the last two divisions as were required to protect the communications with Bridgeport and Kelly’s Ferry; battery K of the First Ohio, and battery I of the First New York of the Eleventh Corps, having sufficient horses for but one battery; a part of the Second Kentucky Cavalry, and Company K of the Fifteenth Illinois Cavalry. The aggregate number of this force was 9,681. The foregoing statement of the forces is taken from General Hooker’s official report[36], which is remarkably well written, clear in statement and full of essential facts. “At this time the enemy’s pickets formed a continuous line along the right bank of Lookout Creek, with the reserves in the valley, while his main force was encamped in a hollow half way up the slope of the mountain. The summit itself was held by three brigades of Stevenson’s division, and those were comparatively safe, as the only means of access from the next [that is, from the valley in which Hooker’s troops were located] for a distance of 20 miles up the valley was by two or three trails, admitting to the passage of but 1 man at a time; and even these trails were held at the top by rebel pickets.”

The top of Lookout Mountain at this point consists of a perpendicular crest, or palisade of rocks which rises out of the main body of the mountain about a hundred feet. From the foot of this crest the mountain slopes by a gradual descent but with a very broken surface on all sides to the valleys on the east, west, and to the river on the north. An army could operate on this slope only below the crest, from the west to the east, or on the side of Chattanooga, around the northern slope, under the crest. Hooker’s army did not cross the top of the crest; but by taking the slope, the Confederate troops occupying the top, were forced to retreat by the only wagon road reaching to the top on the Chattanooga side. The slope on that side is less precipitous than on the west side where Hooker was. At the foot of the slope on the Chattanooga side flows the Chattanooga Creek and on the west side Lookout Creek, both flowing north, practically parallel with the trend of the mountain, and emptying into the Tennessee River, which runs west at the foot of the northern slope. Hooker continues his report as follows: “On the northern slope midway between the summit and the Tennessee, a plateau or belt of arable land, encircles the crest. There, a continuous line of earth-works had been thrown up, while redoubts, redans, and pits appeared lower down the slope to repel an assault from the direction of the river.”

Geary commenced his movements as instructed, crossed the creek at 8 o’clock a. m., “captured the entire picket of 42 men posted to defend it, marched directly up the mountain until his right rested on the palisades, and headed down the valley.” The Confederate Walthall was in command of the troops immediately opposed to Geary, and Moore’s brigade near the Craven house on the eastern, or northeastern slope. General Stevenson was there in command of all the Confederate troops on the mountain. He placed sharpshooters along the western edge of the crest, and wherever there was depression enough, the artillery by raising the trails of the gun carriages did some execution until Geary’s troops reached the foot of the palisades. The Confederate troops located on the western slope, moved into position, facing Lookout Creek, in order to prevent the Union troops crossing at the bridge; but this disposition subjected them to a flank enfilading fire from Geary’s troops. The other Union troops moved up the Creek, crossed behind Geary’s line, and joined on his left. The batteries had been placed on elevated points, so as to enfilade the route by which the enemy had to march down the slope, and on other points, by which the Confederates had to retreat if they were driven back. The Union line advanced, the artillery opened. The rout of the enemy was complete, many prisoners were taken, and many were killed and wounded. At noon when Geary’s advance rounded the northern slope, his flags were plainly visible from Chattanooga. There had been a fog all morning, which greatly favored Hooker’s movements, preventing the Confederates on top of the crest from directing their shots satisfactorily. As the Union flags appeared on the sky line of the northern slope, and were visible at Chattanooga, this fog settled down upon the lower stretches of the slope and revealed the Confederate lines badly broken and in flight with the compact ranks of the Union soldiers triumphantly advancing with flags flying and muskets glistening in the sun. It was a glorious sight to the Union troops, then in line in front of the works at Chattanooga. The picture presented was a “battle above the clouds,” for the fog obscured all that part of the mountain which was below the conquering lines of Hooker. General Stevenson says in his report, with regard to this affair: “Finding that the fog was becoming so dense that the troops on the northern part of the mountain [meaning Pettus’s brigade on the crest] could not see the enemy moving upon Walthall, I gave orders for Pettus with my only disposable force to move down and report to Brigadier-General Jackson. He started at 12:30 o’clock and reached the scene of action a little past 1 o’clock. * * * This position was held by Moore, Walthall, and Pettus until about 8 p. m.”[37]

Stevenson had six brigades in his command; four of these took part in the fight on the mountain, the other two were placed between Chattanooga Creek and the road up the slope, in order to guard the line of retreat on the east side of the mountain against any advance from Chattanooga. Stevenson reports, that he lost only 380 in his three brigades; he does not state the number of troops he had on the mountain. Hooker rested at 2 o’clock p. m. after passing the point. The settling down of the fog shut off his view of the Chattanooga Valley and prevented his seeing sufficiently the topography to justify him in advancing down into the valley that same evening. He formed his lines on the eastern slope; his right was at the palisades, and his left was near the mouth of Chattanooga Creek. This line he fortified, and reported the fact to the department commander. In this position he enfiladed the enemy’s line in the Chattanooga Valley, and also had communication across the mouth of the creek with the Union forces in the city. At 5:15 p. m. General Carlin’s brigade of Johnson’s division of the Fourteenth Corps, reported to General Hooker after having crossed the mouth of the creek by ferry; he was placed on the right of the line relieving Geary’s troops, which were almost exhausted with fatigue. During the night the enemy withdrew entirely, leaving behind 20,000 rations, and the camp and garrison equipage of three brigades. General Thomas reported, that Hooker captured 500 or 600 prisoners. The Eighth Kentucky Infantry scaled the crest about daylight on the 25th and hoisted the United States flag amid wild and prolonged cheers from the whole army.

At ten o’clock a. m. on the 25th, leaving two regiments to hold the mountain, Hooker started towards Rossville, across Chattanooga Creek and the valley, with Osterhaus’s division of the Fifteenth Corps in the lead. Thus the left of the Confederate Army was completely turned, while the right still held its own. Hooker was too far from the Confederate line of retreat to menace it. To have turned the right first would have been better. Hooker was delayed four hours by a destroyed bridge in crossing Chattanooga Creek. The Tenth Wisconsin Infantry of Carlin’s brigade of Johnson’s division of the Fourteenth Corps participated in this engagement; it was detached from the brigade, and held a fort south of the Crutchfield house on the east side of the mountain; its losses were not reported.

While these operations were occurring on Lookout Mountain under the command of Hooker, Sherman advanced across the Tennessee River at the mouth of the Chickamauga with three divisions of the Army of the Tennessee, and one division (Davis’s) of the Army of the Cumberland, on the morning of the 24th, against the other or extreme right wing of the Confederate line on Missionary Ridge. He advanced and formed his lines on the north end of the ridge; a brigade of Howard’s Corps moved to the left at 9 a. m. on the same day and communicated with Sherman about noon. Later Howard joined Sherman with his two divisions and formed on his right. Carlin’s brigade rejoined his division on the 25th, which was then in the valley half way to Missionary Ridge and on the right of Thomas’s line. Palmer’s and Granger’s corps were held in readiness by Thomas to advance to the foot of the ridge, as soon as Hooker should get into position at Rossville. It was after 2 p. m. that General Hooker effected a crossing of Chattanooga Creek and advanced as above stated. At noon General Sherman was heavily engaged with the enemy in his position, and finding it to be very strong was not making any headway against it. General Baird was, therefore, ordered to march his division within supporting distance of Sherman, and to move promptly.

He reported to Sherman, but the latter told him he could not find room for him and could not make use of his troops. General Baird marched back a distance of about two miles, and arrived at the left of General Thomas’s line at 2:30 p. m.; he was ordered to fall in on the left of Wood, the left division of Grangers Fourth Corps.

It will be well at this time to take a rapid view of the entire lines of the Union and the Confederate armies, as they stood facing each other, arms in hand, at 3 o’clock p. m. on November 25, 1863, just before they grappled in a struggle for life and death, and for the permanent possession of the stronghold of the Middle West. So many changes having occurred in the previous three or four days in the Union Army, and equally as many and more important changes occurring on the Confederate side, makes it necessary to pause, just before describing the great spectacular battle of Missionary Ridge, and try to get at least a bird’s-eye view of the position of the numerous divisions and corps.

General Osterhaus had again taken command of his own division, relieving General Charles R. Woods; General Cruft, and General Geary were near enough with their troops to the ridge at Rossville to form the extreme right of the Union line. There was an interval between Geary’s left and Johnson’s right, where Carlin stood after coming from Lookout. Johnson had only two brigades, Carlin on the right, and Stoughton (John H. King’s successor) on the left; Starkweather had been left in the works around the city. Hooker’s and Thomas’s troops were without reserves. Sheridan’s three brigades, F. T. Sherman’s, Harkers’s and Wagner’s were next to the left of Johnson; then Wood’s three brigades, Hazen’s, Willich’s, and Beatty’s; the latter appeared in two lines, being the last in Thomas’s section, and forming the left flank of the line; and then Baird’s three brigades, Turchin’s, Van Derveer’s and Phelps’s.

A mile and a half to the left of General Thomas’s line lay Sherman’s right flank, with no troops in the interval. The latter’s line was composed from right to left of the following brigades, viz.: Buschbeck’s, Ewing’s Matthies’s, Corse’s and A. Smith’s; Raum, was behind Matthies, and two brigades of J. E. Smith’s were in reserve behind the centre. Behind this line, a half mile in the fortified line lay from left to right the brigades of Loomis, Cockerill, Alexander, and Lightburn, and Schurz’s division. Sherman thus had six divisions. The Confederate line from its right, which faced Sherman, was as follows by divisions: Cleburne, Stevenson, Gist, Cheatham, Anderson, Bate, and Stewart. Stewart held the left of Bragg’s line, and his troops were the first to encounter those of Hooker on their way to Rossville from Lookout Mountain. General Hardee commanded the right wing, consisting of the following four divisions: Cheatham, Cleburne, Stevenson, and Walker; General Breckenridge was in charge of the left wing, which was composed of Bate, Stewart, and Anderson. Cheatham’s division faced Baird, Anderson’s Wood; Bate’s Sheridan, and Stewart’s Johnson. Cleburne’s division reached the front of Sherman’s line on the afternoon of the 24th while marching from the Confederates’ left. Before the fight of the 25th occurred, Cheatham’s, Stevenson’s, and Walker’s divisions had prolonged Bragg’s line to within three-quarters of a mile of the tunnel; Smith’s brigade of Cleburne’s division held Tunnel Hill on the 25th against Sherman; the rest of the division was not heavily engaged, but it had the assistance of Brown’s and Cumming’s brigades of Stevenson’s division, and Maney’s of Walker’s. Tunnel Hill was not captured by Sherman’s troops until after the retreat of these Confederate forces on the evening of the 25th, the result of the successful assault in the centre by Thomas.