, 1864-01-07
-
OFFICIAL.
Gen. Hooker's Report Of the Battle
Of Lookout Valley.

Gen. Hooker's Report Of the Battle
Of Lookout Valley.
HEApeuAnrERs 1lru AND 12rH AHnr .conrs,
or THE CUMBERLAND. LOCKOUT WALLET,
TENN. Nov. 6, 1861.
Lieut. Col. c. Goddard, Asst. Adj. Gen. Army Of
the Cumberland:
CoIoNEI-1 desire to submit the following
report Of the battle Of Wauhatchie, and the
operations Of my command preliminary to
that engagement
In conformity with orders from the head-
quarters Of the Department, ] crossed the
Tennessee by the pontoon bridge, at Bridge
port, on the morning Of the ,2Gth Of October,
with the greater portion Of the 11th corps,
under Mnj. Gen Howard, a part Of the Cd
division Of the 18th corps, under Brig. Gen.
Gcary, one company of the 5th Tennessee
Alabama cavalry, and at once took up my
line Of march along the rallroad, to open and
secure 1t in tile direction Of Browns Ferry.
A regiment was' left to defend the bridge
head, when the column had crossed thoriver,
ard to take possession Of and hold the passes
leadiDg to It through raccoon Mountain.
Our Ionte lay along the base of this noun
tain, until ne reached Running Waters, when
We followed the direction Of that stream and
in the morning descended through the gorge
into Lookout Valley. No event attended our
nlst days march deserving mention, unless 1t
be that The enemy's pickets fell back as We
advanced, and the leaving Of two more Of my
regimcnts-one at Shellmound, with instrnc-
tions to occupy paes near Gordon's Mills,
and another at Whitesides, to protect the
route over the mountains through which we
had passed. .,
After entering Lookout Valley, our general
course Lay along the creek Of that name, IN
the Browns Ferry Road leaves It to the left
This valley is, perhaps, two miles in width,
and completely overlooked by the lofty crcsts
Of Lookout and Raccoon Mountains All the
movements and disposition of troops are ca
silly deserted from the heights Of either, while
the valley itself affords abundant opportunity
for concealment from the observation ofthosc
within;
Another prominent feature in Lookout
Valley requires mention, to clear concep-
tion Of Its photography. and correct under
standing Ct our operations. This is gu Gees
sion Of NUS Two or three hundred n rect high
WIN prccapito9s, nmoeleq SLOPES, ano mar
TOW cTgats, Wa1en Penetrate 1hrce mlles up
lne Sa1ey, ana av1oe u, Us lar as tney 20,
Heall1 ~ ane centts. i1ets alt nxH ~ ~ "
11cln ~ nuinoei, A!u5oss lsolalea, Laoaea ~
; ~, un ~ bat.xoa,, ~ ia,
s,n..a;ts ~ +ha 1,EMe. aE+ron,;t,. ~ ~. ,,nre
ond ati1I 1ne.r ~ s Inun H. rn1iey ~ H. 1nsa
,,fF - 1.O$& ~, %]trr1 S1n>
saae ~ +e.eh;i's ~ Lyle - R.a,tnss
- ~ sAS '.ass ts,a ~ ~
p..'a aoTE ~ suo "ee' ,na5 J.. auo
dsnnss.Is lii - s,Saoi III ~ :, poss1s-
e.uu e1 .,.,1S,, - ,t4;n ~, ~
IIly .at9ugn wn,tn " oso passeu I aitSa @ closs-
tus ~ ~ nau a!ao ILL.,
W Lovhuus ~ I'LL ~ H. tns T. b.
~ Nv upeoes h.s+ ~ t,a .As t9e5 - 4s1s ~
coon ha1ge, Aua apout 1uiee mites uP Is tMe
@ 49, ~ isaaa s, ~ ,,a.d. Is.
Gu nsne Ely, .n.e thin tues uasta - - af
maS ~ arit s Gho+tannc nus IN "
, ettucti9ue Fe4uasI , Me, p!ucucoI ~ ~ gun
possession 81, a1a 70 noo ~! T. ~ tae H. solgss
aenonehes 1nto Lookout ta!iey, tne Ioau
lofks, one 4eaalng 10 Mnunatcolts ana up tno
valley, tne o'her 10 chattanooga anu oo"n
tnG sansy.
~ Mae Ano"M tnat = PORTION " Lons
sllcet . som mmanu Mas IN tne SallGy, II WIS
presu1neu IL pase a1l conscn'enss ~ supply.
'ng tnslnseives ~, M4.n 1luons aau iolase out
NANNY lor uis enatPsaooleIs 70 annoy our
gGos!nnunaeau99aae Gss1n % W ane noItn siue VI ~
tennessee Anu ~ eo1npct oal ttalns ~ MaAe -.
tomg actouss fo. Istt caecpte loaus III tne
tlaEslt no1n GAaetauoog1 10 OUT uepots ~
stevenson. FROM lts proximity TO me
enemys n1es o. investment arounu Chattan-
oogH, anu Ills 1acliltles lot detachlnS heavily
from lis masses, II VAS appr1henaed that the
enemy Wonid make -. unusual Efforts 10 ps; ptsG;@
vent the transfer OF lts possession, as q fall
ure on our part to establish new communlca-
tfons involved fact Of no less magnitude
than the necessity for the early evacuation of
Chattanooga, with the abandonment OF our
artillery and traans ,,..
To return to the column; It pushed On
down the valley until efrestcd By an irregu-
iar tire o. muskctry, proceeding from ihe
hill next the railroad asit passes through the
central ridge before described. As It was
denscly cox cred with forest, We had no mcaus
of ofascertaining the number of the enemy, cx-
cept by feeling. HoWaId's corps being In
ths adEanee, he was directed TO throw 2
brigade to theright, to turn the position, and
regiment, supported by the balance Of
another brigade, to the lett, for the same
purpose. No sooner had the brigade On the
right dcployed than the enemy took to bis
ls4s and fed eeross the creek, burning the
rail!oad bridge IN bis Hight.
We lost lew men here as well as from the
lookout Mountain whenever our column was
exposed to them. The central ridge of hills
afforded partial cover from these batteries.
These, however, caused no serious INTERRUPT
ton IN the movement Of tue column, which,
about nve O'Clock r. NJ, nailed TOT the nigntr
and went into camp mile or more up the
valley. from Browns Ferry. HeIe we
learned TINT pontoon bridge had been
thrown across the river, and that Gencral
Haztn.s brigade held tho heights on the south
SIDE OF u
Geary.6 division being 70 the rear, nnd pe-
1 3ng ANXIOUS to nod boin roads leaaing 10
heny'a Ferry, he was directed to encamp
near Nnunatcmc, three nnles IRON ne posi-
non Eeia oS ho"asns COPE. fienets were
throMu Jul 1ioui ootu cSAps VI III tus ap-
p1oacnGsr though no atIeaapt Was ulaae ~
es1aoa9h e uno fgsease Sonu,aneaelon ac t a" III
tween Iuen. iae c9mnanus Nefe 700 smai a;'a
~ Aeep su4ss..at tpAalnniaeas.gn 1tu w. ~
nlstanee' anu lge!neu - nple tlu4eht ~
!loin LIE tnen g. II nonu 'uan !. 70 nasE
!eeole gne. ~ ny guaSents ss ~ WY saSsnI'as a.
~ 1stAtn toseeeHroL VI pos1 apps9;acnea -
heneys re1Iy II ptaetteaau;le, a;, as ~ w., woata a
Guse o. aneonrchasncs " utel'ossGss Tue cue'
beiofe nieht HoWafo tnfEN on tnree
eoNpanlss ~ the olleetlon Q, he!iey 8, 70 y.
1e1cept una capture, Il possloIe, Tue enemy
sharpsnooters, VINO haa pecn engaged IN
nrlng across tue f!Scr INTO our tra1ns, ana
lad, IN iact, compelled them TO avoid that
line entirely: regiment was also sent to.
ward tlc point where the Chattanooga road
! crosses Lookout Greek, and apout IL O'Clock
lad little 6kfrmi6hing with the enemy. an
| hour after the mutteriDg OF heavy musketry
| fell uron our ears from the direction Of
| Geary. He was 1lcrcc1y attacked, first his
| pfcket6 and soon after bis main force; hut
not before he was In line of battle to receive
| it, howard was directed to doblc-quick his
nearest division {schnrz's) to his relief, and
before proceeding far a sheet Of musket-
r. was thrown on him from the central
1 great injury. THIS Was his first intimation
| that the enemy were there at oil.
Directions were immediately given for one
| of the brigadcs ~ rostte to GearY {Tyndale's,
Ills Ii Is % On the ieft lett % and The M other bIgade Ito to