While operations were in progress, east of Chattanooga, Hooker moved
into action west of the town. The failure of Osterhaus’ Division to join
Sherman resulted in another change of orders. A new plan for Hooker to
take Lookout Mountain and descend into Chattanooga Valley replaced the
original one of having him merely hold Lookout Valley and the route to
Bridgeport. Hooker had three divisions in his force commanded by
Brigadier Generals Peter J. Osterhaus, John W. Geary, and Charles Cruft,
each from a different army corps. Geary was on the right at Wauhatchie,
Cruft in the center, and Osterhaus near Brown’s Ferry. It was a unique
team. One who was present wrote, “We were all strangers, no one division
ever having seen either of the others.”
[Illustration: THE BATTLE OF CHATTANOOGA
NOVEMBER 23, 24, 25, 1863]
The terrain that confronted Hooker’s command was rugged, steep, heavily
timbered, and topped by a rocky cliff. At the northern end, at the cliff
base and halfway up the mountain, was a bench of nearly level land. On
it stood the Cravens Farm. At 8 a. m. on November 24 Hooker sent Geary’s
Division, supported by a brigade from Cruft’s Division, to effect a
crossing of Lookout Creek. The troops accomplished this with little
opposition and Geary climbed the mountain until the head of his column
reached the cliff. The division then moved to the left and proceeded
northward toward the point of the mountain.
[Illustration: _Hazen’s men landing from pontoon boats at Brown’s
Ferry, Tennessee River. Theodore R. Davis wartime sketch._ From
_Battles and Leaders of the Civil War_.]
While Geary climbed the mountain, Cruft, with his force, moved farther
down the valley toward the Tennessee River and seized a bridge over the
creek. Osterhaus’ Division then crossed the stream at that point in the
face of sharp skirmishing with Confederate defenders before the latter
retreated up the mountain. The three Union divisions soon joined on a
common line and, supported by Union batteries on Moccasin Point,
steadily drove Walthall’s Confederate brigade around the point of
Lookout Mountain to the Cravens farmhouse. By noon, Hooker’s forces were
in possession of the farm but the Confederates made a stand beyond the
Cravens house within prepared defense works, and were joined there by
two brigades from the top of the mountain. Fog which covered the
mountainside most of the morning became so heavy that by 2 p. m. it was
almost impossible to see. This factor, plus a shortage of ammunition,
caused Hooker to halt and consolidate his position. Later in the
afternoon, Carlin’s brigade arrived with a resupply of ammunition.
During the night, General Stevenson withdrew the Confederate forces from
Lookout Mountain and marched them to Missionary Ridge where they joined
their comrades holding that sector of the line.
“The Battle Above the Clouds” was fought on the bench of land
surrounding the Cravens house. There was no fighting on top the
mountain. The romantic name given in later years to this action on the
Union right was the result of the fog and mist which shrouded the
mountain that day from observers below. It was not until the next
morning that the 8th Kentucky Volunteers planted the Stars and Stripes
on top of the bluff.
[Illustration: _Lookout Mountain from Union works in Chattanooga._
From _Harper’s Pictorial History of the Great Rebellion_.]