CHATTANOOGA
November 23rd-25th, 1863

Holding Missionary Ridge during the siege of Chattanooga, Bragg had extremely strong position. Grant planned to use Thomas' four divisions in a holding action on the plain in front while Sherman, who had just made a devious detour through the mountains with four divisions, attacked Bragg's right flank along the ridge. Hooker was to attack Lookout Mountain on the left with three divisions and Howard held two divisions in reserve. Bragg was defending with seven divisions, with Cleburne holding the right flank and Stevenson on Lookout Mountain.
On 23rd November, Thomas was ordered to move out of the city and take up a position half-way across the plain. Thomas' men had heard through the grapevine that Grant had doubts about their morale after Chickamauga and were on their best behaviour. They marched out with the precision of a review and the Confederate outposts on Orchard Knob and Bushy Knob were enjoying the show when suddenly, the trumpets blew and they were swamped in a rush of soldiers. On 24th, Sherman attacked smoothly on Bragg's right, brushing aside all opposition, until he held the high ground. In late afternoon, contemplating the next day's attack along the ridge, he suddenly realised that he wasn't on the ridge at all. He had been tricked by the unfamiliar terrain and he was on an isolated hill, separated from the main ridge. He dug in, realising that he had everything to do again on the morrow.
Meanwhile, Hooker had been attacking Lookout Mountain. On the steep and rocky terrain the two Confederate brigades put up a good showing but against the pressure of three divisions they could only fight a delaying action. During the night they were pulled back to Missionary Ridge by Bragg who felt that they would be more use in the defence there. Thomas did nothing this day.
On 25th, virtually nothing went as Grant planned. In the early morning the American flag could be seen flying on the summit of Lookout Mountain and Grant waited confidently for Hooker to advance on Rossville and Bragg's left wing. He waited some time however, for the terrain was extremely difficult and there was a delay of over four hours while
Hooker got into position.
Sherman, at the other end of the line, had run into a wall. Cleburne's single division held off attacks by Sherman's four. Grant sent Howard's two divisions over to help and Cleburne drove them off too. Sherman attacked repeatedly and with vigour but he simply could not budge Cleburne, entrenched on the high ground.
At 3.30 pm with Hooker in position at one end and Sherman stalled at the other Grant looked doubtfully at Bragg's triple line of entrenchments, at the base of the ridge, midway up, and on the crest, and ordered Thomas to take those at the base. Thomas' men were still annoyed that their morale might be called into question and they took the trenches at a rush.
Once there, however, they found themselves subject to plunging fire from the trenches above. They could not stay there, only go back or forward. They elected to go forward. A wild spirit caught hold of them and the entire four divisions charged up the steep slope. It couldn't really be done but, aided by Bragg's poor siting of his entrenchments which left large sections of the hill in defilade, they swept over the summit and the Confederate line broke and scattered. Thomas' men had proved to everyone's satisfaction that their morale was as good as ever. Total casualties were 5824 for the North and 6667 for the South, including 4146 captured or missing. Years later, someone remarked to Grant that Bragg must have thought his position impregnable. Grant smiled wryly. "Well" he said, "it was impregnable."