The Project Gutenberg eBook of Point Park, Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga Battlefields

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Point Park, Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga Battlefields

Creator: United States. National Park Service

Release date: July 19, 2021 [eBook #65875]

Language: English

Original publication: United States: U. S. Government Printing Office

Credits: Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POINT PARK, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AND CHATTANOOGA BATTLEFIELDS ***

Point Park

Lookout Mountain

and Chattanooga

Battlefields

CHICKAMAUGA AND CHATTANOOGA

National Military Park

GEORGIA AND TENNESSEE

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

The National Park System, of which this area is a unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic heritage of the United States for the benefit and inspiration of its people.

Cover: Chattanooga and the winding Tennessee River from Point Park, Lookout Mountain.

U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1961 0-618486 REPRINT 1961

Point Park, Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga Battlefields

CHICKAMAUGA AND CHATTANOOGA NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

The Battle of Chattanooga—a Union victory in November 1863 which secured that important railroad center and opened the way for the Atlanta Campaign

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, oldest and largest of the national military park areas, was established in commemoration of two important battles of the American Civil War. On these battlefields gallant soldiers of the North and the South fought for control of Chattanooga, strategic railroad center and gateway to the heart of the Confederate States. Here, thousands of men on both sides exemplified the true American qualities of independence, courage, and self-sacrifice, which constitute the enduring strength of our democracy. At the dedication of the park, a veteran of the battle said: “Here ... we and they, the living and the dead, Confederate and Federal, fought for the right as each understood it, for the Constitution as each construed it, and for the liberty as each interpreted it.”

The Campaign for Chattanooga

Chattanooga was an important railroad center at the time of the Civil War. Railroad lines radiated in the four principal directions and provided connections with Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta, and Richmond. The location of the city on the navigable Tennessee River where there were gaps in the mountains added to its strategic value. Its capture by Union forces would be a severe blow to the South. It would check the east and west passage of men and supplies for the Southern armies and provide a springboard for the invasion of Georgia.

During the summer and early fall of 1863, by skillful maneuvers, the Union Army of the Cumberland forced the Southern Army of Tennessee out of middle Tennessee and Chattanooga. On September 19 and 20, at Chickamauga Creek in Georgia, the two armies met in one of the fiercest engagements of the war. While this battle ended in Confederate victory, the Union forces succeeded in retreating northward into Chattanooga.

The Confederates now settled down to siege tactics and attempted to force the surrender of the Army of the Cumberland through starvation. By occupying Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge and by establishing a line between the two heights, they cut off all but the most difficult route by which supplies could be brought into the city. Within a month the Union Army in Chattanooga was in a desperate situation and was reduced to half rations. Ten thousand horses and mules died and surrender seemed inevitable.

The North, however, met this crisis by a change of command and reinforcements. Troops from the Army of the Potomac in Virginia and from Grant’s Vicksburg forces in Mississippi were sent hurrying to Chattanooga, and General Grant arrived to take the overall command.

The reinforcements arrived in time to save the besieged army. A new supply route was opened and was successfully defended. As a result of this timely aid, the siege of Chattanooga failed. Nevertheless, the Confederates still held their positions. In November the greatly strengthened Union Army assumed the offensive.

Missionary Ridge from DeLong Reservation.

The Battle of Chattanooga

The Battle of Chattanooga was a 3-day engagement, November 23 to 25. As planned by the Union officers, victory was to be won by a flanking movement against the Confederate right wing on the north end of Missionary Ridge. If this position were carried, Union troops in the center were to join in an effort to sweep the Confederates from their base of supplies and communications and to defeat them. The engagement, however, developed much differently. While the main force was maneuvered into position, a demonstration attack was made on a Confederate outpost at Orchard Knob, about a mile in front of Missionary Ridge. This advance movement was successfully carried out on November 23 but it warned the Confederates of danger on that right flank and prompted them to strengthen their positions.

On the next day, while the maneuvering force was still getting into position, the Union officers tried another demonstration, this time to divert the Confederates on their left. Moving along the slopes of Lookout Mountain from the western side, Union troops gradually drove back the few Confederate defenders. At Cravens Farm, however, they met stubborn resistance from an entrenched line of troops. Here the fighting was most serious, the Confederates finally being dislodged and forced to retreat to a new line 400 yards beyond. At this point the fighting ended, and although the Confederates had not yet been driven from the mountain, their position was in danger. Rather than risk being cut off from the main line of forces on Missionary Ridge, the Confederate commander, General Bragg, evacuated all troops from Lookout Mountain and the valley below. When Union soldiers scaled the palisades the next morning, they found the mountain deserted.

On the third day, the Union Army resumed the attempt to gain a foothold on the north end of Missionary Ridge, which it had previously failed to take, but all attacks were repulsed by the Confederates. The forces on Lookout Mountain were ordered to advance across Chattanooga Valley to attack the Confederate left flank, but they advanced slowly. Meanwhile, in order to relieve the situation on both Union flanks, other troops were thrown against the Confederate rifle pits along the base of Missionary Ridge. In a rush these Union soldiers carried the rifle pits. Then in their enthusiasm, without waiting for further orders, they charged up the mountain slopes and broke the Confederate positions. This precipitated a general retreat of the Confederate Army across the border into Georgia. Complete control of Chattanooga and its approaches had at last been won by the Union.

Tennessee River from Point Park, Lookout Mountain.

The Park

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is composed of separate areas, the more important of which are: Chickamauga Battlefield, in Georgia; Point Park and the Battlefield of Lookout Mountain, and Orchard Knob, in Chattanooga; a chain of small reservations located on Missionary Ridge; and Signal Point on Signal Mountain. The park contains approximately 8,190 acres of Federal land.

Point Park and Lookout Mountain Battlefield

You are urged to go first to Point Park on Lookout Mountain, where from the terrace of the Adolph S. Ochs Observatory and Museum, high above the winding Tennessee River, you may obtain a comprehensive view of the Battlefield of Chattanooga. On the parapet are markers to identify the more important troop positions, and maps are available to indicate the natural and historic features of interest. You may get further assistance from a National Park Service attendant.

The observatory and museum bears the name of one of the park’s major benefactors, the late Adolph S. Ochs, publisher of the Chattanooga Times and the New York Times. He was responsible for the acquisition of considerable land on Lookout Mountain for inclusion in the park.

From Lookout Point interesting foot trails, extending along eastern and western flanks of the mountain, will reveal to you unusual rock formations typical of the area and will provide ever-changing and beautiful vistas of the countryside below.

You can reach Point Park from Chattanooga via U. S. 41, 64, 72, and 11 which combine as they leave the city and skirt the base of Lookout Mountain. You then turn off on the Scenic Highway, which leads up the mountain to the park entrance. You may also visit the park by means of the St. Elmo buses from Chattanooga, which connect with the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway at the foot of the mountain. The top of the incline is within short walking distance of the Point Park entrance.

Missionary Ridge

To commemorate the engagement on Missionary Ridge, there are a series of park areas located at important points on the ridge. Access to these areas is provided by the Crest Road which runs the entire length of the line occupied by the Confederates during the battle. Markers, monuments, tablets, and gun positions will provide you with information, and you can get excellent views of Chattanooga along this drive. The more important units of the park on Missionary Ridge are: The Sherman Reservation, where Sherman’s forces unsuccessfully attacked the north end of the Confederate line; the DeLong Reservation, site of one of the breaks in the Confederate line; the Ohio Reservation, an area set aside to commemorate the participation of Ohio troops in the battles; and the Bragg Reservation, where the Confederate commander had his headquarters.

Orchard Knob

This unit of the park is located near McCallie Avenue (U. S. 11 and 64), in Chattanooga. It marks the site where the first action of the Battle of Chattanooga took place. Orchard Knob became General Grant’s headquarters during the remainder of the battle.

Administration

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is administered by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior.

At the park headquarters, located on the Chickamauga Battlefield in Georgia, there are a museum and reference library. The Fuller gun collection of American shoulder arms is an outstanding attraction of the museum.

Additional information may be obtained by addressing the Superintendent, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.

Those who plan to visit in a group may receive special service if advance arrangements are made with the superintendent.

CHICKAMAUGA AND CHATTANOOGA

NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

GEORGIA AND TENNESSEE

Transcriber’s Notes

- Silently corrected a few typos.

- Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

- In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POINT PARK, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AND CHATTANOOGA BATTLEFIELDS ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

Point Park Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga Battlefields

The Campaign for Chattanooga

The Battle of Chattanooga

The Park

Point Park and Lookout Mountain Battlefield

Missionary Ridge

Orchard Knob

Administration

Transcriber’s Notes

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE