Chattanooga

Updated 7/06/04

Western ACW Books

Chattanooga was the last straw when it came to retaining Bragg as Army commander. After the great victory at Chickamauga, the Rebels moved to the heights surrounding the town of Chattanooga, which was the current resting place for the Union Army. There the Confederates laid siege to the town and attempted to starve the Federals out. Lincoln and Halleck decided to save the Army of the Cumberland by sacking Rosecrans, appointing Thomas to succeed him, and by sending Grant and his victorious Army of the Tennessee to Chattanooga to help break the siege. More help was also on the way in the form of the Union XI and XII Corps, both under the command of Joe Hooker. This combination of two arnies and parts of a third resulted in some serious jealousy in the Union ranks. The Cumberland Army resented the fact that the administration had thought they needed help. The Tennessee Army made it known that they were superior to all others, and both Western armies made fun of the well-kept appearance of the Easterners. Bragg bumbled again and sent Longstreet northeast to besiege Burnside at Knoxville, ostensibly just to get rid of him because they hated each other. Also, as would soon be seen, the Rebel breastworks and troop positions on Missionary Ridge were faulty. To make a long story short, Hooker's men successfully stormed Lookout Mountain, for once the Army of the Tennessee stalled while attacking Cleburne's excellent Division on Tunnel Hill, and the Army of the Cumberland, without orders, stormed and took Missionary Ridge, completely routing the Southerners and negating any advantages they had accumulated after Chickamauga. As an aside, Longstreet also failed to take Knoxville.