The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-05-03

point on the n-rth bank Of NE sIver opposite
Wht,esides than to cross tSta soaih side and hold
the road passed over by Hooker.
Ia tlse meansimc, and bel66a the cnemy could be
apprissd OF our intention, fpsce uuef the dtfec
'ion Of Brig Gen w r Smith Chief Ensineer, was
70 he thrown across the river, al or near Brown r
Ferry, "a scizo the range Of his at the mou,h ol
Lookout Valley, covering The Bfown's Terry To1d,
and ~ deYs we're given accordingly.
II was known the enemy held the nosti, of Look
out Valley with brigade Of toops md the ron,
leading around the foot Of the Mouriain from thcis
rasin camp Il Chattaao"sa Valley % LGnkcnt
Valley. Holding these advahiages he would isagr
had little difficulty In concentrating a sufficient
force 10 have defeated or driven him back. 9p
dy this the seizure Of the range or hills at the
mouth Of Lookout Valley and covering the Bro =
This, by the use Of pantosn hsdscs q, Chatispoosa
aud Browns Ferry, would sreure u us Nv the uorih
bank Of the river across Moceasia Point, shorter
one by which TO reinf0rce oar Loops IN Lookuut
Valley, than he narrow ard tgFiuous road nrtunl
the foot Of k3etnat MOuntain afforded the enen,y
for reinf0re.H.
The force e,,eiled for ,his expedition consisted
Of five thousand msn, under Command Of General
smith, Chief Engineer, eighteen hundred Of which
under BsIs Gen II b Hazsa, in sixty uoori0on
boats, containing thirty armed men each. flpa,ad
quietly from Chattanooga past the snemy's pckets.
10 the foot Of Lookout NOunfain, on the miRht Of
the 9Th Of October, landed On the soush site of
the river at Browns Ferry, surprised the enery's
pic xcts stationed there, and seixed the hits cover
log the ferry, without tho loss Of man Killed. and
but faur or fivc wounded The remainder ~ HE
were moved by the north hank Of th. river ae,.,
Moccastn Point to B1OwR's Ferry, withsut attract :
Ing the aitcnt:on Of the enemy; and before ,I.v
dnwned the whole force was fer led to the sou.3
bank Gf the river, and the alm0st inaccess;bl.
heights rising from Lookout Valley at its outlet 10
the river, and below the mouth OF Lookout Crcck.
were secured.
BY 10 O'Clock, N, an excellent pontoon briJ..e
foI.l ss.x. x.s;,,
securing 10 III the end 0f The desired read ne
the eneiDys forces, and the shorter Inc over whir
TO pass tfoops, II battle became Inc vitablc r.,
sltions were taken ap ny odr troops from which
tnsy e"dia aot nave bcon driven e1 :ept by vastly
superior forces, and then only with creat loss t
enemy Our artillery was placed III such position
as 10 com sirteiy command the roads leading
IRON tne enemy's main camp Ia Chattanooga Vail-y
10 Lookout Valley.
t.n the 2o,h Hooker emerged Into Lookout Valley
al W au'atch.e, b the direct road from Briiurpo,t
6y way " ~hittsides to Chattanooga, with The
E!evGntn Army Corps, uader Major Gen Howard
anu neafy,s DIVISION OF the Twelfth Army Corps.
ana procecied to take uD positions for the defenc.
OF the road from Whitcsife. over which he nal
m mn,afchea, ana also the road leading f,om Browa's
Ferry 10 ksiey's Ferry, throwing the left of How
a'a Iofps forward to Browns Ferry.
The tivi-ion thSt started Under command of
Palmer, 70: Whtesiies reached its de sio,tion and
toon mp thc position intended in lc original Dlau of
this movement THESE movement, 50 successf,,v
eAecHtea, secured 10 us two comparatively .oGd
Ines by which 10 obtain supa'ics from Inc tesmi
nus ct the railroad at 1r,,e.pot,. name,v ,h.
main wagon road, by way Of Wbitesidcs, Wau
haichie, and Browc's Ferry, distan, but twenty
eish, il,ss; and S, the Keys Ferry aad Browns
br dyrPort TO Eely's Ferry, reduced tue distance
'or wagoning to bu, eight miles.
UP to this period our forces at Chattanooga were
practically invested, the enemy's lines extending
from the Tennessee river above Chattanooga the
river at and below the iat AZ Lookou. Mountaln,
beiHw chattanooga, with the south bank of the
r9er picketed 10 near Bridgeport, his matn force
Oeing IoIsnsa IN chattanooga Valley, at the foot Of
and trisade In Lookout Valley True, we held
OF the country north Of the river bat it
was from sixty to seventy miles over the most i'm
prac!icabsc roads to army supp.ies
!he artillery horses and mules had become 50
reduced by starvation that they could not have
oeeh Iehcd upon tor having anything An at
tempt az retreat must have been with Iuan alone
y .nu WIN ohiy such supplies they could carry
retreat would have beeh almost certain an.ihi-
ation for the enemy occuDyiua positious wi,tIo
sonshot OF and overlooking our very forit:caticns
would nave unquestionabiy pursued re.rea,ing
ofces' Already more than ten thousand animals
iad pefished In supplying half tations 10 the t,ooas
~ the long and te edous route from Stevenson aad
bndgeport to Chattanooga over Watdron's Ridge.
ncy could not have been supplied another week.
ne eneiny was evidcnsIy fully apprised of our
ih Chattanooga, and or the necessity of
1uf establishing new and shorter iiue by which
70 obtain suppl.es il We would maintain our posi-
ion anu go fully was he Impressed with the I'm
portahce OF Keeping from Us these iiaes-i lost to
hisi by surprise, and in manner he little dreamed
)t--that IN order 10 regain possession OF them a
night attack was made by portion Of Lonsstrert's
Irces On portion Of Rockers troops (Geary's di-
y!sioa Of the 18Th corps) the FIRST night after
HoOkef's ar;iva! in the Valley. The attack failed
however, and Howard's corps, which was moving
10 the assistance Of Ceary, finding that it was not
required by him, carried the remaining heights held
~ the enemy west Of Lookout Creek. This gave
Is quiet possession of the lines of communication
heretofore described, south OF the Tennessee river.
Of these operations 1 canno. speak more particu-
arly-the Sub reports having beeu sent 10 Wash
on without passing through my hands.
By the use OF two sfeamDoats, Que of which had
1een lett at Chattaloeg by the enemy, and fell
nt0 our hands, and one that had been built by us
1t Bridgeport and eke.Iy's Ferry, we were enabled
o obtain supplies with but eight mics of wagon
Dg. The capacity of the railroad and stea mbo IA
not sufficient, however, 10 supply all the wants
'f the army, but actual suffering was prevented.
Ascertahing from scouts and deserters that Bragg
Was spatching Longstrect fropl the front, and
moving him In tie direction OF Knoxville, Tenn,
10 attack Burnside, and feeling strongly
he necessity for some move that would compel
lin to retain all his forces and all those he had
detached, directions were givea for moysmen.
against missionary Ridge, with view to carrying
{ and thrtatent's the enemy's communication with
LOngstreet, OF which informed Burnside by telo-
yraph on the 7th November.
After thorough reconnaissance Of the ground,
'oweVer, 1t was deemed utterly fmpracticahie 10
make the move until sherman should get Up, be
cause OF the inadeQHacy OF our forces, and the
:cEdlt0n OF the animals then at chattanooga, and
was forced 10 leave Burnside for the present t0
intend against superior forces of the enemy until
he arrival OF shernman wtih bis men and means
Transportation. In the meantime "Reminiscences
we're made and plans were MaturCd IH opeEatiehs
Dispatches were sen. 10 herman faforming hiin OF
he movement Of Longstfeet. and The necessity OF
lis immediaie presence at Chattanooga On INC
l4th November te!egraphsd to burnside ss fol-
Ows:
Your dispatch and Dsna's Just received Being
here. you can tell better how resist L0Hesife Us
i,tack than can direct With you: showing,
'ou had better give up Kingston at the last monehfi
ana save the most productive part of your pos
si"hs Every arrangement il nov made 70 tIio"
ohermah's tufces across the river, just at aau Ne
o~ W. noa,h OF Cbckaniaaga creek, as M sum ,,a US
Is arrives. Thomas win al acx on his ieit at TIE
same time, and together IL is expected 10 carry
Missionary Ridge, and ffom there push force On
70 the railroad between Cleveiand and Daiton.-
caI carry, LOokou; hountain. i'he enemy now
seems 10 he looking for an attack on Ills et hthk.
This favors US To further confrm this, sher-
mans advance divisiun will march direct from
Whiteside TO irehtoa.- The remainder OF MS
force will pass over a new read just made from
~ hiteside 10 Keily's Ferry, thus being concealed
from the ehemy, snd leave him 10 suppose the
Iy:oie force IL going up Lookout Valley. sber-
mans advance has ony just reached bridgeport -.
The rear will reach ,heIe ON the 10Th. Jh!s viii
bring II 10 the i9 ns the earliest day for making
l,e comhio.d movement as dcsirtd Inform me Ii
you think You can sustain yourself until ta. lime.
can hardly conceive OF the enemy breaking
through at Kingston and pushing for Kentucky. II
they should however, new 9rob'em Will DO teft
Tor solution
Thomas has ordered division Of cavalry to the
vicinty OF sparta ! will ascertain IL They have
started, aud inorm yeu. 1t viii be entirely out OF
he question 10 send sou ten Thousand men, not
,ecause they canno, be spared; but how could
,,cy be fed after they get even Que day east Of
here. u. .. 1sANF, WSJot Geiefa!.
'ro Major aspersl A. H. Burn. tds,