During the Battle of Chattanooga, November 23-25, 1863, Gen. Grant commanded the Army of the Cumberland under Gen. George H. Thomas, the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps of the Army of the Potomac under Gen. Joseph Hooker, and four divisions of the Army of the Tennessee under Gen. W. T. Sherman, with Hooker's command assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. On the afternoon of November 23, Sheridan's and Wood's divisions of the Fourth Corps, supported by the Eleventh Corps on the left, carried Orchard Knob and Indian Hill south of it, which formed the enemy's central line through the plain. On November 24, Sherman, with three divisions of the Army of the Tennessee and Davis' division of the Fourteenth Corps, after crossing the Tennessee River at the mouth of the Chickamauga during the night of November 23, occupied and fortified the north end of Missionary Ridge. The same day, Hooker's forces in Lookout Valley, consisting of Geary's division of the Twelfth Corps, Cruft's of the Fourth, and Osterhaus' of the Fifteenth, carried Lookout Mountain. On November 25 these forces advanced to Rossville Gap and carried that position in the afternoon. Early that day Sherman, with three divisions supported by Davis' division of the Fourteenth Corps and Howard's Eleventh Corps, assaulted Tunnel Hill until 3 p.m. but failed to carry it, with the brunt of the defense falling on Cleburne's division, supported by troops from Walker's and Stevenson's. At 3:15 p.m. on November 25, Johnson's, Sheridan's, Wood's, and Baird's divisions of the Army of the Cumberland, formed from right to left in that order and advancing from the central line captured on November 23, assaulted and carried first the rifle-pits at the base of the ridge and then the crest of Missionary Ridge for a distance of three miles. The movement took a little over an hour and resulted in the capture of 40 guns and about 2,000 prisoners. Including the pursuit to and engagement at Ringgold on November 27, Union losses were 753 killed, 4,722 wounded, and 349 missing.

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington