, 1864-04-14
CFFICIhI HISTORY.
LIEUT.. GEN. GRANT'SREP0RT
OF TIE
Relief Of Chattanooga and. Knox
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GLN. TIL an . hGfUhE
Relief Of Chattanooga and Knox
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HEADQUARTERS MILITARY D1y1a1ox OF rHEl
II. MISSISSIPPI, IN FIELD. CHATTANOOGA
TENNESSEE, Decemben223, 1868.
co1esdL G: E4toa, A'stssa"t Adiutaat Gsaes71,
HGshing.1n, D. c.:
ColosEa.-In PURSUANCE Of General orders
No. SS7, War Department, Of date washing
ton, October III, 1853, delivered to me by the
Secretary Of War at Louisville, Kentucky, on
the 18th Of the same mouth l assumed COM
mand Of the 81 Military Division Of the MIs-
eissiipi," comprising the Departments ofthe
Ohio, the Cunlberlhnd, and the Tennessee,
mand, togcthcr with the order Of the War
Department referred to, TO- Major General A.
Z. Burnside at Knoxville, and to Major Gen
eral ". S. Rosecrans at Chattanooga
my action In telegraphing these orders to
Chattanoogs, in advance Of my arrival there,
the Secretary Of War Of the difficulties with
which the Army Of the Cumberland had to
contend in supplying itself over d long
mountainous and pllnost fmpassihle road
from Stevenson, Ala, to Chattanooga, Tenn,
and bis fears that Gen. Rosecrans would fall
buck TO the north side Of the Tennessee
River: To guard further against tne posi-
graphel to Mai. Gen. Thomas on the 10th Of
October, from Louisville, to hold Chattanoo-
"a at all hazards, that would be there rs
Soon as possible. To which be replied, On
same date ,"l+ssiu hold the town till We
Strive"
rived there ou the ed Of October, and found
that Gen. Thomas had, Immediately. on being
placed In command Of the DcparI nent OF the
Cumberland ordered the concentration Of
Mai. Gen. lockers command at Bridgeport,
preparatory to securing the river and matn
wngon road between that place and Browns
FefTy, immediately beld Lookout Noun
lain. Tic next morninak kpiter ny arrival at
Chattanooga, in co1npau{ with Thomas and
Brig. Gen. ". F. Smith Chief Engineer, I
made reconnaissance Of Browns Ferry,
md the hills On the south side OF the river
md at the mouth Of Lookout Valley.
After the reconnaissance, the plan agreed
to the south side Of the river, with ail the
force that could be spared frcn the railroad,
and move or the tuain wagon road. by way
Of Whitcsiaes, to Wauhatcbie, in Lookout
Valley. Mai Gen. J. IL. Palmer WIS to pro-
coed, by the only practicable route north Of
the river, from Ills position opposite Chetta-
noogu, 10 point on the north bank Of tue
Tennessee River, and opposite Nhitesides.
then to cross 10 the south side, to hold the
road passed over by Hooker- In the meau-
time, and before the enemy could be appTfscd
OF cur intentions, force under tue direction
Of Brig. Gen ". F. Smith, Chief Engineer,
was to he thrown across The river at Of near
Browns Ferry, TO seize the range Of hills ut
tic month of Lockout Valley, covering the
Browns Ferry Road, md orders were given
accordingly.
Itnas known tint the enemy held the north
end of Lookout Valley with q brigade OF
troops, aud the road leading aro1nd the foot
| CLattapooga Valley to lookout Valley. Hold.
! irg these advantages, he would have had but
| little difficulty In concentrating sufficient
I force to huve defeated or driven Hooker
| bark To remedy tins, the seizure Of the
| rcase Of hills at the mouth Of Lookout Val
ley, 2nd covering the BroWn's Ferry Road,
| vas deemed of tie highest Importance. This
by the use Of pontoon bridges at Chattanoo
| &c and Browns Ferrs, would secure to us
| 6y the nofth bank Of the river, across Moe
! casfn Point, shorter line By which to rein
| force our troops in Lookout Valley, than tbs
narrow and tortE0us road ground the foot ol
| Lookout Mountain afforded the enemy fol
reinforcing his.
The force detaned for the expedition con
; sisted Of four thousand men, under colnlnanc
Of General Smith, Chief Etly yineer; tiyhtecl
hundred cf which. under Brigadier Genera
/, ". .. Hazen, In sixty poutoou boats. contain
! ing thirty armed men each, foated quietly
from Chattanooga, past the enemy's picketz
| to the foot Of Lookout Mountain, on the nigh
Of the eth Of October, landed on tbs soutl
! side Ut the river at Browns Ferry, eurpriset
the enemy's pockets stationed there, and seiz
ed the bills covering tic ferry, without tn
loss Of G msn killel, and but four or dv
gttLcr with the materials for q brigade, va
| moved by The north bunk Of the river Gcros
| Moctnsin Point to Browns Ferry, withou
| attracting the attention OF the e1elnT, unt
before day .daH'uel the whole force was fer
rird to the south bank Of the river, and th
a1moet inat cessih}e Aclg?lts rising from Look
out Valley ut its outlet to the river and below
I tie mouth Of Lookout Creek, were secured
| By 10 o'clock 4. A. IN excellent pontoo,
!! bridge was Laid acFoEs the river at Brown
| Ferfy, illus securing to us the end Of the dc
! sired road nearest the encmy's forces, aud
| shorter line over whicl, to pass troops if
| lattlc became inevitable. Positions wer
| could not have been driren except By vastl
i superior forces, and then only with grea
i; loss to the enemy. Our artillery was place
in such position as to completely comman
the rosds lending from the cneny's mai
camps IN Chattanooga Valley to Lookou
On Tie esth Hooker emerged into Lookou
VALLEY at Nsuhatch1c, by the direct roa
from bridgeport. by way Of Whitesides t
| Chattanooga, with the 1lth Army Corps, ur
der Major General Howard, and Geary's d
vision Of the 18th Arm, Corps, and proceed
road from hhifesidee, over which he ha
/ marched and also the road leading lEor
| Browns Ferry to Kel1y's Ferry, hroTin
| the left Of Towards corps forward t
Prowp's Ferry. The division that started
under command OF Palmer, for Wh;tesidei
"a. ND %rrI- In
sltion intended III the original plan OF tut
movement. These movements, 60 sacces<
fully executed secured to us TITO compars
| lively good lines by which to4btain supple
from tie terminus Of the railroad at Bridst
rort. namely: The main wnson-road By we
OF Whitesides, Nauhatchie. and hro"h'
Ferry, distant but twenty eight n,slcs, an
| the Kelly's Ferry and Browns Ferry Roa'
| Nhicl,, by the use of the river from Bridg'
port to hclIy's Ferry, relnced the distane
for wagonlng to but eight miles.
Up to tLis period our forces at Chattanot
ga were practically invested, the enemy
lines cxtendipg from the Tennessee Rtr'
ahoye Chattanooga to the river ut and belo
he Loint OF Lookout Mountain below Cha
tanoopa, with the south bank Of the rive
nickcfed to Bridgeport, his main force beiu
!, ! fortified In Chattanooga Valley, ut the 70
Of and on Mission Ridge and Lookout Mou'
tain and brigade in L4osout tns ap,rs 1ae nr.n In
S-,l
The riycr. but tt was from sixty to seven
miles over the most impractfcable roads
carry supplies. The artillery horses al
mules had become SO reduced By stsryatts
): t ttat they could not have been relied on
rtuaoying any thing, An attempt ut retrc
must have been with men alone. and vi
only sucA aupplies us they could carry.
retreat would have been almost certain Nj
hf1ation, for the enemy. occupying positlo
within gunshot OF and overlooking our ye
Notifications, wosll Enthusiastically ha
pursued our Tetre2tins forces. Already tno
1han ten Thousand animals had peFishcd
supp lying half rations to the troops by
long end tedious route from Stevenson a
: Bridgeport to Chattanooga, over "aldrol
Ridge, They could not have been suppl
| anc1hef week.
Tie c1cmy was evidently fully appriscd
onr cond ton in Chattanooga, md OF the
= cesEity OF our esta bli5hing new and snor
: line by which 10 obtain supplies, II We wor
maintain our position; aad SO fully was
= impressed With the importance Of kcepi
= | from Us these ltnes-lost to him by surpri
4 and in 4 nlnnncr he little dreamed of-th It,
.. order to regain possession Of them. n1e
4 attack was made by i portion Of Lougstrss
:. forcts on portion o1 aooEers troe
+ 1,irht cftef. Hookcr's arrival ii the yall
81 TIis attack faiied, however, and uowa.,
= rorrs. which was moving to the assistance
b. Geary, finding that it vas not required By hi
6 carried the remaining heights held By
= enemy Tctt Of Lookout Greek: This gave
10 s,n;ef. nosseseiou Of the lines Of communi
ID Hon heretofore described, south Of the T
:. ncesrc Kiycr. OF these operations I can
y y sueak more paxucularly, the sua.reports b
: fnr bccn sent to Washington without pass
L. through my bands
: Dy Ire use OF two steamboats,, one Of SSh
had hetn lett at Chattauoosa oy the eoe1
Ind fell into our hands, and one that nag D.
built BY us at Bridgeport anu Mig 12;i, ~