Today, Chattanooga is just a two hour drive from Atlanta. The two cities, connected by rail, had a vital relationship for the Southern economy before and during the Civil War. Because of their river and rail transportation networks, they were essential to ninteenth century supply chains. Because of their connection, the two became vital to General William Tecumseh Sherman’s campaign for Atlanta, which aimed to defeat the “heart of the Confederacy.”

After evacuating Chattanooga in the fall of 1863, Confederate forces under General Braxton Bragg prepared a counter-attack at Chickamauga Creek, which was located just 15 miles from Chattanooga. On September 18, 1863, the Confederates met heavy Union resistance under General William Rosecrans. The battle of Chickamauga was the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War, with casualties over 34,000, and resulted in a Confederate victory.   By September 22, the Union army began fortifying their position in Chattanooga, expecting a counterattack from General Bragg. Stationed atop Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and the Tennessee River Valley, the Confederates blocked Union supply lines into Chattanooga coming from the Union supply base in Bridgeport, Alabama, 25 miles to the west.

The Union struggled to find an alternate supply line and resorted to using a 60-mile-long wagon trail over narrow, muddy paths. Because of the long route, the Union gave half of their food to the mules along the way. By mid-October, the Union Army had decreased rations by 75 percent, leading to the deaths of over 10,000 horses and mules.   On November 24, General Ulysses S. Grant attacked Lookout Mountain. Grant ordered General Joseph Hooker to flank the Confederates from the northwestern slope and around the south end of the Craven’s house alongside the Tennessee River. The next morning, Grant watched the mountaintop anxiously, and as the sun rose, the members of the 8th Kentucky Infantry unfurled the Union flag to the armies below. The Confederate loss at Chattanooga marked a turning point in the war, and according to historian James McPherson, “The glimmer of southern optimism that had flared after Chickamauga died in November.”

Credits and Sources:

Researched and written by Stephen Ballard, Keller Harper, and Blake Huber, students at the Westminster Schools.

Kurz & Allison. “Battle of Chattanooga--Gen. Thomas' charge near Orchard Knob, Nov. 24' 1863—parts A.O.T. Potomac, Tenne. & Cumbd. engaged.” Illustration. Library of Congress. Accessed January 14, 2015. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/pga.01845/.

———.“Battle of Lookout Mountain--November 24' 1863 - 4' and 14' Corps, Army of the Cumberland & Geary's Div. o. 12' Corps, and 11' & 15' Corps A.O.T. Tenn. engaged.” Illustration. Library of Congress. Accessed January 14, 2015. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/pga.01853/.

Barnard, George N. “View of Tennessee River, Chattanooga, Tenn.” Photograph. 1863. LC-B8184-10176. Library of Congress. Accessed January 14, 2015. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/ph/item/2005678271/.

Cumming, Kate. Kate Cumming: The Journal of a Confederate Nurse. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959.

Knox, Robert. The Battle of Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1864. Illustration. 1861. Lib. of Cong., Washington DC.

McPherson, James. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.

Tucker, Glenn. The Battle of Chickamauga. Philadelphia: Eastern Acorn, 1981.

United States Army. General Sherman's Official Report, March of the 15th Army Corps from Memphis to Knoxville and the Battle of Chattanooga. Chattanooga: Headquarters Department and Army of the Tennessee Bridge Post, 1863.

Unknown. “View of Umbrella Rock, Lookout Mountain.” Photograph. LC-B811- 3660. Library of Congress. Accessed January 14, 2015. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cwpb.03451/.

Wall Text. Cracker Line. Battles for Chattanooga Museum, Chattanooga, TN.

Wall Text. In The Aftermath of Chattanooga. Battles for Chattanooga Museum, Chattanooga, TN.

Wall Text. Who Fought Here?. Battles for Chattanooga Museum, Chattanooga, TN.

Wall Text. Why Fight?. Battles for Chattanooga Museum, Chattanooga, TN.

Watts, David Gilmer. Letter to Clara Watts, September 21, 1863. David Gilmer Watts and Clara Watts papers, MSS 248, James G. Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center.