The Battle of Chattanooga (1863) - Part 2

the union commanderin-chief Abraham Lincoln was beside himself in the Northwestern corner of Georgia there had been defeat and near disaster back in September of 1863 there along the banks of chaga Creek and now in November the real possibility of yet another reversal at Chattanooga besieged by Braxton Bragg's Confederate Army of Tennessee Major General us Grant was called in to resurrect sinking morale and restore hope he corrected the former with the opening of a cracker line full bellies and ample ammunition lifted Spirits now the man from Galina Illinois determined to flip the military situation what his men and officers did was nothing short of amazing this is the story of the incredible events along the Tennessee River and at top the heights of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge this is part two of the story The Battle of [Music] Chattanooga the last five letters of History spell story and that's exactly how history should be taught numbers and dates have no soul such presentations fall flat for history is alive and relevant welcome to threads from the national tapestry stories from the American Civil War this series will feature events and people from that period and will strive to make you feel as if you were there to show that history is indeed a story it was a curious twist even before the federal cracker line was opened those in butternut and gray the Confederate besiegers at top Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge were in as bad a shape as the besieged men in blue below indeed indeed General Braxton Bragg's men were in distress because the Confederate distribution system had broken down and not only in terms of rations but ammunition truth be known both sides suffered when it came to ammo Major General George Thomas's Army of the Cumberland had barely enough ammunition for one days fighting brags men had so little than in at least one unit any soldier who fired his musket without receiving permission was fined 25 cents and yet like at Fredericksburg back in December of 1862 common soldiers used static moments in The Siege to do what they did best fraternize once a Confederate sergeant and a federal Soldier became so friendly that the Southerner invited his counterpart to cross the river and so the Union soldier waited across in waste deep water and the two swapped lies canteens and tobacco until the yank waited back come to find out the federal Soldier was none other than Colonel John Wilder of the famed lightning Brigade and he was exploring possible River Crossings for his men there was another such Story one day Gran himself rode down to a stream that provided drinking water to both both sides as he approached a federal picket shouted turn out the guard for the Commanding General not wanting to attract attention Grant said hastily never mind the guard and the men returned to their tents however at that very moment there came a cry from a Confederate Sentinel across the creek turn out the guard for the Commanding General in short order a line of men in butternut and gray turned to face GR Grant and all saluted to which he returned the respectful gesture with the Confederate breakdown in supplies Confederate morale suffered but there was more by November the 5th tension within the Confederate High command resulted in a decision that would have serious consequences James Long Street and his men were sent away Bragg who didn't get along with him received permission from Richmond to send Long Street North away from Chattanooga his task now was to give battle to Major General Ambrose burnsides Union force up at federally held Knoxville on the last day of October 1863 Bragg wrote Confederate President Jefferson Davis that long Street's departure will be a great relief to me and the very same observation might have been repeated by every soldier in blue down in Chattanooga for some 10,000 infantrymen and 5,000 mounted men filed out of the Confederate lines br's force was reduced to just over 40,000 men and they had to defend an 8mile long position down below a far more concentrated Union force now numbered with Major General William T Sherman's arrival 56 to 60,000 men this numerical Advantage played into the hands of offensive-minded us Grant who quite frankly was sick and tired of being cooped up in Chattanooga but to strike Federal boys would have to leave well prepared defensive positions and attack an elevated and entrenched enemy still inclined to make the move Grant wanted three different units to take the offensive to his friend and trusted Lieutenant Grant elected to give Sherman and his army of the Tennessee the most pivotal role quite honestly Grant was suspicious of Major General Joe hooker's 11th and 12th core two core technically assigned to the army of the cumberlin the Commanding General reasoned the 11th and 12th were castoffs from the army of the pomac and there was some truth to that as for Thomas and his army of the Cumberland Grant was suspicious this was the same Army that had been badly whipped at chaga and Grant worried about its fighting spirit and to add to his concern the Commanding General had concern about the army of the cumberland's commanding officer George H Thomas here was Grant's plan his Target would be the Confederate right which was at the juncture of brag supply line from the south and his line of communication with Long Street to the north to get at it Sherman would have to March up River from Bridgeport to Browns faery cross to the north side of the Tennessee River and move into the Hills North of Chattanooga to confuse the Confederates as to Sherman's intention Grant wanted one of Sherman's divisions to make a faint against brags left onl Lookout Mountain meanwhile the bulk of Sherman's men would march northward to give the impression they were headed to Knoxville once out of Confederate sight those men would lie hidden wait then in a nighttime move would cross the River via pontoons hit Bragg's right roll it up along Missionary Ridge cut off the Confederate supply line and drive if not destroy the Confederate Army of Tennessee hooker's two core and Thomas's Army were to assume support roles Grant wanted Joe hooker to to strike the Confederate left move around Lookout Mountain and threaten rosville gap which was another Confederate supply line and possible Retreat route Thomas was to give Sherman artillery support and later make a diversionary assault on the Confederate Center on Missionary Ridge that he hoped would keep Bragg from sending reinforcements to either his left or right the coordinated attack was scheduled for Saturday November 21st Sherman hurried to Bridgeport and prepared for his 27 mile March Mother Nature then played her card heavy rain delayed Sherman's march Grant pressed him but the rain did not let up it fell on the 20th and 21st and turned roads into soup and the rising Tennessee River threatened the Pontoon bridge at Brown's fairy despite the delu Sherman drove his men and just before the the last of Sherman's divisions crossed the river carried the Pontoon Bridge away undaunted Sherman moved toward his jumping off point the effort was Herculean but battling the elements too much time had been lost it was now Sunday November the 22nd Grant had to push his timetable back and now ordered Sherman to make his attack on Tuesday the 24th the Commanding General hoped Germans marching and shifting confused his counterpart oh did it ever brag wasn't sure if Grant Was preparing to flank his left on Lookout Mountain was heading north to reinforce Knoxville or merely reinforcing Thomas within Chattanooga Bragg finally believed that Sherman was headed for Knoxville and so ordered two of his divisions to head north to reinforce Long Street One Division under Simon bolar Buckner left immediately the other under Major General Patrick Clayburn waited at the railroad yards for the trains carrying Buckner's men to return it was about this time a Confederate communication puzzled Grant Bragg sent him a message that read as there may still be some non combatants in Chattanooga I deem it proper to notify you that Prudence would dictate their early withdrawal was brag about to attack and why for back on Sunday the 22nd a Confederate deserter entered the federal lines and when interrogated reported that brag was pulling back from Missionary Ridge that was false but Grant didn't know that he had to make sure what was what he needed someone to tap Confederate reflexes Sherman was on the March and couldn't do it but Thomas could so early on the morning of Monday November the 23rd Thomas received orders in the plane between Chattanooga and Missionary Ridge there was a wooded Mound called Orchard knob for weeks Bragg's Force held the valley and the wooded Mound Thomas was to hit it a reconnaissance in force to see if the positions there in the Chattanooga Valley still bristled with a strong Confederate military presence for the Army of the Cumberland here was an opportunity you see Thomas was very aware that this movement would be seen by friend and foe alike the attack would be made in a natural Amphitheater created by the surrounding Hills it was indeed rare for an attack to be so clearly seen at noon on Monday the 23rd the men of Brigadier General Thomas J wood the same men who had created the near fatal Gap back at chaga two months earlier those men were in the center on their right Major General Philip Sheridan's division which back in September broke and ran before James Long Street's Sledgehammer wood and sheron's men still boiled from their defeat and even more so from Grant's thinly concealed suspicion of their medal these men of the army of the Cumberland were eager to correct his opinion with two more divisions on left and right to offer support all marched out of the Chattanooga defenses as if on parade and then stopped the scene was jaw-dropping flags flying drums beating officers barking order Sun glinting off some 10,000 polished bayonets Confederate and Union Soldiers alike stopped to watch then a signal came Cannon and the Blue Wave ebbed forward Confederates out in the valley quickly realized this was no review this was no parade they were under attack and so scurried back for cover in stunningly short order George Thomas's men not only drove in Bragg's pickets but seized the ground they had covered Orchard knob was theirs and the union line was now fully a mile in front of the one from which they advanced true it was a minor action but Grant now knew that brag was indeed on the scene and the native North Carolinian was now quite aware that Bragg was done with sitting on his hands brag hastily called back clayburn's division one of the two sent to Knoxville then he pulled a division off Lookout Mountain and placed it on Missionary Ridge brag reacted but now it was Grant's game to play and he was about to reveal his hand Sherman's men were hidden and they were ready 116 pontoon boats were prepared for fering Sherman's men across the Tennessee River after each fing trip across that pontoon would be lashed with the one before to make a pontoon Bridge it stretched 1350 ft long Bridge complete the rest of Sherman's men poured across with little opposition there was a reason for that with his men across the river Sherman peering through the mist and Rain had a shock his objective had been the northernmost part of Missionary Ridge known locally as Tunnel Hill there was Little Resistance because he and his men were on the wrong Hill they were indeed on a hill but a deep valley separated the hill they were on and Confederate held Tunnel Hill map showed Grant and Sherman that Missionary Ridge ran continuously but in reality it did not Sherman and his men were at the wrong place and worse their element of surprise was gone he ordered his men to dig in and prepare themselves for what the Confederates might throw back at them the next day in Grant's original plan Sherman was supposed to attack the conf Confederate right on the 24th but the only fighting that day was done by Joe hooker's men on the Confederate left this is what happened with them dawn of Tuesday November 24th was wet gray hooker had three divisions one from each federal army on the field some 10,000 men who had been given 60 rounds in one days ration if he could take look out Mountain that would be great but hooker wanted more he wanted to drive down into the valley below and clear Confederate troops position between Lookout and Missionary Ridge from there he could push on and take possession of rosville gap which would allow him to threaten the Confederate left and rear the movement began at 8:00 in the morning the two pronged Advance began with men feeling blindly through the dense fog that shrouded the mountain the terrain made the March just to get into position laborious and then there was the man of befriended pickets after days of fraternization as they Advanced several shouted oh Johnny Reb Johnny Reb when a confederate soldier moved forward most amicably One Union soldier yelled go back Johnny go back we are ordered to fire on you he Dove for cover and the union line indeed opened fire most of the 7,000 scattered Confederates who were on Lookout Mountain and above the union Advanced looked down and were amused at first by all the artillery commotion below then came the disturbing rolling report of rifled musket fire which meant men on foot were not far away Confederate Defenders there belonged to Major generals John C Breen Ridge and Carter L Stevenson they had been moved to that area only recently and as a result were not familiar with the terrain neither were the federals but despite the unfamiliarity the fog and Rain the two pronged Federal Advanced units United and Bragg's left was in serious Jeopardy like to take a moment to thank everyone for listening to threads from the national tapestry you know each of these episodes is the result of hours and hours of research and preparation and it means a great deal to me and our production team to see the likes the comments and viewsan let me make clear that everything we do here will always always be accessible to any who are curious to learn about the American Civil War but we would like to ask you to consider to become a member a threat loyalist if you will for less than $5 each month your support will help us to continue sharing our passion for that tumultuous yet important period of History joining is quite easy to do at the top of each show description you'll find uh a link if you will to join whether you're watching liking comen ing or becoming a threads loyalist if you click on that link your support for threads from the national tapestry will mean a great deal to me to our team and there's no question any contribution your support certainly makes a difference and it's a wonderful acknowledgement for what we try to do thank you back down in Chatanooga low hanging clouds affected the vision of not only those above but those below Lookout Mountain from the town below the battle and Mountain loomed as one correspondent put it like an everlasting thunderstorm around dusk the clouds blew away but Darkness threw its Cape around those Union Soldiers on the heights that night the air was cold and cloudless that the heavens were in full Splendor those who gazed heavenward were treated to an astronomical Wonder an eclipse of the moon both armies thought it an omen and interestingly enough both read the eclipse as bad Tidings for Braxton Bragg and his Confederates the next day Wednesday the 25th hooker's men found that Lookout Mountain had been abandoned by the enemy Union soldiers edged forward and at first light Captain John Wilson and five men from the eth Kentucky climbed to the summit of Lookout Mountain and staged a sight that few ever forgot Just Before Sunrise carrying a furled US flag they stepped out onto an overhanging Rock high above the city and when the ascending Sun's Rays hit the peak they unfurled the stars and stripes down in in Chattanooga the moment was electric while cheers erupted bands played and an English Observer put it the peeling of the bands was as if all the harps in heaven were filling the Dome with triumphant music the Euphoria pushed many to poetically call the contest for Lookout Mountain the Battle Above the Clouds it was indeed a great accomplishment but in reality in actuality not a major battle and the casualty reports reinforced that assessment the battle for Lookout Mountain cost 1251 Confederate casualties 1054 of whom were captured and only 480 Union casualties there were many including the starred for victory Joseph Hooker who thought the victory represented the symbolic end of The Siege but there was one who would have none of that Bluster Grant belittled the victory as to the self-proclaimed Battle Above the Clouds Grant wrote it is all poetry however to the common Soldier it was far more than poetry it meant trains carrying rations supplies and ammunition could now run unimpeded from Bridgeport Alabama to Chattanooga Steamers could enter the city no more dependence on the cracker line and with plenty of ammo and full bellies morale sword and Grant used it to continue chipping away at Bragg the next blow was aimed at Bragg's right the very next day to assist that planned assault a diversion as we mentioned earlier was planned and was to be directed at the Confederate Center on Missionary Ridge its stepping off point was Orchard knob the wooded Mound captured by Thomas's Army back on the 23rd to set the table for the grand plan that was to take place on the 25th at first light the day before Sherman pushed six divisions and 26,000 men toward Tunnel Hill in front of them some 10,000 Confederates under major generals Stevenson and clayber the grand military scheme Sherman was to strike the Confederate right hooker the left and again Thomas as a diversion was to hit the Confederate Center and capitalize on any federal advantage on either flank Wednesday November the 25th broke clear and bright though outnumbered on the Confederate right Clayburn and Stevenson had the advantage of terrain Sherman's 1 half mile attack would have to be made by S sending men down a hill then through a little Valley next was an open area which would allow Confederates a clear Field of Fire then a steep Ascent where Confederates were dug in behind log and Earth breastworks those men and butternut and gray held a strong compact line that had been laid out by Clayburn himself Sherman was slow to start that morning but by 10:00 a.m. his blue Waves pressed forward he found clayburn's defense Stout so Stout that after two hours of attacks and counterattacks clayburn's Confederate line not only held but inflicted some 2,000 Federal casualties Sherman communicated to grant that he could do no more Grant's reply was quick and it was to the point attack again Sherman followed his orders but with the reality facing him in the form of clay bur's men he attacked halfheartedly he sent in only 200 men who were as he expected cut to Pieces a correspondent standing near Sherman watched him light a fresh cigar draw deeply on it and then turn to an aid tell the men to entrench and go back into position there would be no more Union attacks on the Confederate right that day no more repulses before Tunnel Hill Sherman's lack of success now increased the urgency of hooker's push on the Union right around 300 p.m. the 12th core under hooker reached rosville Gap and attacked that assault made some Headway but complete success was delayed then denied by collapsed Bridges Wednesday the 25th was slipping away those gathered on Orchard knob knew it from there Grand Thomas and one of his core commanders Major General Gordon Granger could plainly see Bragg's headquarters and the three mile long Confederate Center a top Missionary Ridge Darkness was coming on there had been setback particularly on the union left and Grant with little confidence in the army of the Cumberland had given no orders to Thomas all day all day Thomas and his army of the Cumberland watched waited and seeed finally after Grant feared brag was reinforcing his right to strike Sherman Grant to relieve pressure on his left gave Thomas and his men a limited objective they were to move forward and take only the rifle pits at the foot of Missionary Ridge then stop and await further instructions two divisions of Granger's fourth core and two from the 14th core would make the attack Granger would oversee it ordered to attack Thomas and Grant awaited Granger's execution an hour passed and there was no attack Grant much to his shagrin learned Granger for whatever reason never passed along the order to attack Granger as was his nervous habit had been personally directing the fire of Union artill abruptly Thomas turned to him and snapped pay more attention to your core sir Grant now pounced if you will leave that battery to its captain and take command of your core it will be better for all of us the order for attack was given and divisions under Brigadier generals absolum be Thomas J wood and Richard W Johnson and Major General Philip Sheridan made ready interestingly all servants cooks and even clerks were armed stung by Grant slights the much maligned Army of the Cumberland was eager to erase the painful memory of chaga as one who's your put it we were crazy to charge there were 23,000 strong and with lines ruler straight the assemblage was quite an intimidating sight to those Confederates in front of and above on Missionary Ridge at about 3:30 or 3:40 p.m. there were six rapid cannon shots and all four divisions ebbed forward like molten lava immediately artillery on both sides opened Bragg's headquarters an easy target was riddled much of the Confederate cannon fire over a shot it shells passed over the heads of the surging Union Mass first they Advanced through Cottonwood Timber the wooded bare trees without leaves meant that Confederate Defenders could see the advance when the men in blue emerged from the timber the main body broke into a spontaneous run from Quick Step to double Quick Step they moved so fast they actually caught up with their skirmishers ahe brag had divided regiments with half in the first rifle pits which were 200 yards out in front of the base of Missionary Ridge they were instructed that if attacked fire one volley then fall back however not all the men in the first and second lines got the word that miscommunication would prove disastrous with the federals now only 200 yards away the first Confederate line erupted in Fire And Then followed orders they fell back this encouraged the federals to come on and those Confederates who didn't get the order to fall back were swept over and captured with the first line of Confederate rifle pits taken rather easily Colonel John Martin of the 8th Kansas said what everybody else was thinking we can't stay here we can't live here if they stopped as ordered at the first rifle pits they were targets for every Confederate who were further up the slope a sudden restlessness swelled within all then suddenly spontaneously almost every unit laed forward and upward independently of one another Wood's division led the attack Sheridan held his men uncertain whether to been Grant's order but they too surrendered to the fiery urge they pushed onward it was contagious be and Johnson's division joined the surge all along the lines one could hear repeatedly forward forward Jagged knots like blue triangular tongues in Arrow like sores all stormed up the ridge all semblance of order was gone the army of the Cumberland literally fled forward the climb was so steep that many men were on hands and knees dragging their 40 rounds of ammunition 9B muskets and overcoats some thrust bayonets in the ground to gain traction others grabbed branches and limbs puffing perspiring crawling all done without cheering they pressed upwards back down on Orchard knob Grant was stunned he wheeled angrily on Thomas who was standing beside him Thomas who ordered those men up the Ridge and passively Thomas answered I don't know I did not Grant now turned on Granger and barked did did you order them up Granger he answered no they started without orders then with great satisfaction Granger added and when those Fells get started all hell can't stop them Grant then said well somebody will suffer if they don't stay there major general us Grant was experiencing a general's nightmare a battle gone out of control Granger did send couriers to ask what was going on one of them found wood who shouted that he gave no such order but would like to know who in hell was going to stop them when Wood's response was reported back to the three Union Officers on Orchard knob Granger said aloud that he approved the impromptu Dash but Grant snarled if wood fails by God he'll pay for it peering below members of Bragg's staff thought the federals drunk it was about this time something transpired that Bragg and his standing orders had not figured when Confederates fell back as mandated they disrupted the field of their comrades fire positioned above their falling back also gave the federals the impression that there was Southern panic and that fueled Pursuit another Union Advantage smoke from blackpowder rifled muskets engulfed Confederate Defenders such that they could not make out or clear distinguish their attackers and in addition another blunder one that spelled disaster incompetent Engineers laid out the Confederate breastworks along the geographic crest of Missionary Ridge rather than the military one rifle and artillery fire could not be sufficiently depressed to fire on the union troops who were literally climbing their way to the top things were so so desperate some Confederate batteries lit fuses in shells and then roll them down by hand along with lit shells Confederates rolled Boulders through rocks it was an unexpected and glorious Union success but how great depended on the amount of daylight left a little after five the sun dipped behind the Horizon and the temperatures plunged but on through the purple and gray light of day and smoke the federals continued to surge as each group of seemingly possessed federals neared the next line of breastworks they came eye to eye with confederate Defenders over and over the same moment one in blue bracing himself and then surging over one Mississippian watched a Blue Wave roll in from the sixth Indiana and fifth Kentucky and addressed one of their officers hi your captain I want to surrender what shall I do he responded get over them logs to this side you'll be in the United States then one US private jumped into a rifle pit and found five Confederates with aimed rifles pointed directly at him the private shouted surrender you godamn fools or I'll shoot every one of you incredibly they did some federals began to shout what Confederates had tauntingly used earlier in the attack choga choga one Confederate captain was captured by a private and refused to go down the hill the federal growled chiam Maga godamn you and kicked him in the seat of the pants causing him to Tumble down the slope caught up in the moment Major General Philip Sheridan he grabbed a hip flask raised it and toasted the Confederates here's the you brag at that very instant a Confederate shell burst right in front and showered him with dirt he growled that is ungenerous I shall take those guns for that at almost every point of the attack there were momentary lulls when Union attackers stared right into the faces of Confederate Defenders when success or failure could go either way one example might represent all at that moment in the attack Center Lieutenant Colonel Barrett langon led the intermingle 23rd Kentucky and 41st Ohio they reached that instant when so much teetered one way or the other after a few moments but what seemed an eternity Lon stood to press the last few yards and a Confederate Rifleman shot him through the face he fell heavily on his stomach and did not move his men froze then slowly incredibly Langan Rose to his knees and with a I am not killed yet went up over and into the Confederate position incredible acts like that occurred everywhere on the slope of Missionary Ridge wounded refusing to stop and no surprise Union Heroes were everywhere one was a lieutenant by the name of Arthur MacArthur Jr who was the fourth color Bearer that afternoon for the 24th Wisconsin it was he that led them up the steep climb shouting on Wisconsin The Story Goes that at the top Sheridan led the 18-year-old back to his Division and remarked take care of him he has just won the Medal of Honor it took 27 years but the father of Douglas MacArthur got his Medal of Honor such acts of Bravery from Men In butternut and gray were few and in part that was because of Braxton Bragg's destructive demeaning leadership it seemed he was demoralizing when there was no fighting and indecisive when there was dumbfounded and paralyzed in this Brazen Union attack he had no Reserve to throw in when the damage was far too great to be reversed he left his headquarters and he rode into the Confederate chaos clutching a large flag there he shouted here's your commander he was Jered one of his lieutenants John C Breen Ridge whose men had been driven back on the Confederate left some 2 and a half miles saw it all for what it was and advised boys get away the best you can he and brag narrowly escaped capture only claburn on the Confederate right held now in defense of the Confederate Defenders on Missionary Ridge the ridge itself was so narrow that it was extremely difficult to fall back and regroup falling back to the top and being pressed meant that they had to descend the reverse slope when the federals reached the crest previously occupied by their Confederate tormentors cheers Rose to the heavens up and down the line in Delirious celebration havers saacks were thrown into the air so many that from below it looked like a cloud of black spots down at Orchard knob Granger couldn't contain himself anymore he left Grant and Thomas and he rode into the midst of the Union celebration playing upon their liberal interpretation of Grant's original orders he shouted gleefully I'm going to have you all Court marshaled you were ordered to take the works at the foot foot of the hill and you have taken those at the top you have disobeyed orders that day that unscheduled Dash up Missionary Ridge had been like a beach Cod named Omaha some 81 years in the future had been a common solders Victory Federal Brigadier General John batty wrote I detected in the management what I had never discovered before on the battle f a little Common Sense on the other side trying to keep the Confederate route from cascading into an unmitigated disaster there was the native Irishman Brigadier General Patrick clayber he had held Sherman all day and in doing so was not aware of the absolute chaos back to his left another Confederate officer Lieutenant General William Hardy wrote up and informed clayber of the disaster though his men were exhausted they now had to cover a Confederate retreat they had to because Philip Sheridan drove his men in Pursuit and did so all the way to chaga station they stayed at Pursuit until 2 a.m. earlier there had been a moment when Sheridan allowed himself to celebrate reaching the crest of Missionary Ridge he jumped a stride a cannon that had fired at him earlier another Soldier followed his lead and burned his backside so badly that he could not sit down for two weeks in the stunning Victory Sheridan's divisional casualties were 134 half of all the federal losses in the attack his work that day turned heads of all the union field generals at Chattanooga his status soared the highest most of the Confederate casualties at Chattanooga came as a result of being forced to surrender in 3 days of combat there were 6,700 Confederate casualties 4100 of them captured no question November the 25th 1863 was the saddest day in the largely depressing history of leadership for the Confederate Army of Tennessee the common soldiers in that Army deserved far better and the Union victory at chattano Grant suffered a total of 5800 casualties in relative comparison to many Civil War battles chattanoga Was Won without great Bloodshed that evening of the 25th the federal Military Department of the Mississippi sent a modestly worded message of Victory to Washington City however though there had been a great success in hindsight Grant failed to fully capitalize he and Thomas returned to Chattanooga proper around 700 p.m. yes the two had won a great and unexpected Victory but let what to do with it slip away then again one portion of Grant's Force knew what the victory meant the tortured soul of the army of the Cumberland had been Vindicated the stain of chiam Moga washed clean ironically the next day a Thursday November 26th was a day Mr Lincoln had set aside back on October thei he proclaimed it a day of Thanksgiving back in Washington City he was still in bed still down with a mild form of small poox that set in just after his address in Gettysburg a week earlier Chattanooga was a great Union win but there was a sad bad note the events on the slopes of Missionary Ridge validated the military record of George Henry Thomas oh slow Trot the rock of chaga but Grant slighted him in the official record Grant wrote incorrectly I might add that Sherman took part of the same range of hills and that Sherman's Force tied up a large portion of the enemy which allowed Thomas and the army of the Cumberlands success on Missionary Ridge Grant left Chattanooga thinking Thomas was slow and argumentative down the road that would lead to some very awkward moments for the Confederate Army of Tennessee their Commander days were finally finally numbered just as he did after the battles of Stones River and chaga Braxton Bragg submitted his resignation this time on Monday November the 30th it was accepted temporary command of the hard luck Army went to Lieutenant General William Hardy shortly thereafter command was given to General Joseph E Johnston brag was ordered to Richmond where his talents suited him not in the field but as a military advisor to Jefferson Davis if one visits Chattanooga he or she is struck by the elevations of Missionary Ridge Lookout Mountain back in October and November of 1863 those elevated features gave rise to a man whose victory at Chattanooga springboarded him to new heights in only a few months the man from Galina Illinois Major General us Grant would be offered the nation's highest military command in March of 1864 he would be promoted to the full rank of Lieutenant General the First full Lieutenant General since George Washington and with that lofty promotion was named general in-chief of all Union armies his leadership at Chattanooga ensured that after three and a half years of war Mr Lincoln have finally found his General and that man was going to pour men through a door smashed open to Georgia an open door that beared the very heart of the [Music] Confederacy when we next gather we'll return to another pivotal point in the war in the West in an effort to press Union advantage or stall it two armies VI for control control of a little town just southeast of Nashville Tennessee a little town that either allowed for Union Advance into Central Tennessee or revived Southern hope in reversing Federal designs on Murphreesboro and to the southeast Chattanooga I hope you will join us for the powerful stories of those who clashed in the final days of 1862 and the first few days of 1863 next time the story of the battle of Murphreesboro the story of Stones River this is Fred Kyer thank you for [Music] listening

Channel: Threads from the National Tapestry

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Keywords: civil war, american civil war, civil war stories, american history, civil war battles, battles of the civil war, battle of chattanooga, orchard knob, missionary ridge, lookout mountain, what happened at the battle of chattanooga, what battles were fought in tennessee, tennessee civil war battles

Id: EQiQiCcbK3A

Length: 47min 50sec (2870 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 02 2024