New-York daily tribune., 1863-11-26
GEN. GRANTS OPERATIONS.

We have accounts Of two days fighting at
Chattanooga. Gen. Grant gained on each day
an important success; yet his movements up to
Tuesday night were preliminary rather than
decisive. lie had been much pressed for room
the Rebel lines having been within three
hundred yards Of his. They are now driven
back, and positions have been gained both on
Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.
"Our success so far has been complete says
Gen. Grant; that is he has done successfully
what was indispensable TO further operations.
1t seems also that the occupation OF this new
ground must bring on at once general engage
ment, or compel Bragg to retreat.
The Rebel general has held his ground near
Chattanooga in the face of certain disadvant-
ages of position, in order to keep the control of
the roads by which it was possible for Gen.
Grant to debouch his forces. If he cannot hold
Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, 1t Is
useless for him TO remain in their vicinity. II
was to keep possession Of, those command
ing nights that he planted himself nine miles
away from the railroad station, and
has since held ON, spite of tho difficulties
in feeding his army. But if the hght-
ing was pushed on Wednesday with the
same success az on tho two succeeding days, he
must have relinqushed the SUBMITS and slopes
of both mountains, and, when those were lost,
would undoubtedly fall rapidly back to his base
Of supplies.
Gen. Grants operations may be briefly stated.
On Monday, with heavy force. he drove in the
Rebel picketS in front OF his own line OF iortii-
cations, extending across the base of the Chatta-
nooga triangle, and, contrary to the iirst dis
patch, carried the first line Of rihe-pits, and
there rested. The demonstration seems to have
been made chiefly with reference to the next
DAYS work. On Tuesday there was 8 simulta-
neous attack on the righ. and LEFT. Gen. Hooker
carried the north slope Of Lookout Mountain,
which Is to some cIten, isolated from tho center
of the Rebel lines, and took two thousand pris-
oncrs, with slight loss on our side. Apparently
about the same hour Gen. Sherman, whose com
mend has very recently moved over to the north
and east Of Chattanooga, crossed the tennessee
River between Citico and South Chickanauga
Creeks. and carried The northern extremity OF
Missionary Ridge. Bragg still holds the Tihe-
pits q. the base Of the ridge and extending
along the valley, but it looks as j the possession
Of the two ridges must speedily compel him TO
abandon his defcnses. Ills effort, persisted IL
from noon Of Tuesday I'll after nightall, to re-
take tho Lookout slopo and summit, shows how
seriously lie Is compounded by their loss. 1t l.
scarcely posCible that there should have been
10 fighting yesterday, but no account OF 1t has
reached Us az this hour. We judge that II
Bragg finally abandoned his attempt TO regain
Lookout, Lo must either have rctreated or con-
cen,ra,ed his forces on ore tide or the other OF
the valley. II be means 10 fight at al, he
surely can find no position so strong as that
which be has claboraioly fortified.
From Gen. Burnside, meanwhile, We have
nothing bu, good news. lie held Knoxville se-
ourely on Monday, and the enemy had made no
rcsolute attack on his delenses. Tho accounts
In Rebel papers agree in stating that Longstrect
is in command Of the Rebel forces, but there Is
nothing further TO indicate their strength. II
We do 10, hear bad news before the end Of this
week, We ough, not 10 hear 1t all. II does not
seem possible that Iongstreot should pursue his
canragn II Brarg n defeated or driven back.