The Battle of Chattanooga: Orchard Knob

Major-General Ulysses S. Grant, overall Federal commander in the Western Theater, was finally ready to break the two-month siege of Chattanooga being conducted by General Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee. According to Grant’s plan:

• Major-General William T. Sherman’s Federals would launch the main attack on the Confederate right on Missionary Ridge, north of Chattanooga
• Major-General George H. Thomas’s Federals would demonstrate against the Confederate center from within Chattanooga
• Major-General Joseph Hooker’s Federals would await developments in front of Lookout Mountain, southwest of Chattanooga

Meanwhile, Major-General Bushrod R. Johnson’s Confederate division was moving off Missionary Ridge, having been ordered by Bragg to board trains at Chickamauga Station and reinforce Lieutenant-General James Longstreet’s Confederates laying siege to Knoxville, to the northeast. Major-General Patrick R. Cleburne’s division was to follow, leaving Missionary Ridge virtually undefended.

The Federals soon learned from Confederate deserters that their comrades on Missionary Ridge were retreating. When Grant was informed of this, he wrote Thomas, “The truth or falsity of the deserters… stating that Bragg had fallen back, should be ascertained at once. If he is really falling back, Sherman can commence at once laying his pontoon trains, and we can save a day.”

But when Grant learned that Sherman was not yet ready to attack, he directed Thomas to probe the Confederate center anyway to determine enemy strength in that sector. Thomas deployed two divisions of Major-General Gordon Granger’s Fourth Corps, supported by the Eleventh Corps under Major-General Oliver O. Howard. These Federals, totaling about 14,000 men, were to conduct a “reconnaissance in force” on Orchard Knob, a 100-foot-high foothill in the front-center of the Confederate line.

Granger’s two divisions, led by Major-General Philip Sheridan and Brigadier-General Thomas J. Wood, assembled in full military dress as if to conduct a formal review about a mile in front of the Confederates’ forward line at 1:15 p.m. Grant, Thomas, Granger, Howard, and Assistant Secretary of War Charles A. Dana watched the “parade” from Fort Wood, a Federal stronghold west of Orchard Knob.

The troops opposite the Federals were part of Major-General John C. Breckinridge’s corps, and they came out of their defenses to watch what they thought was a “military pageant.” Breckinridge watched with Bragg from atop Missionary Ridge. Bragg dismissed the movement as a review being staged for Grant, but Breckinridge thought otherwise. He said, “General Bragg, in about 15 minutes, you are going to see the damnedest review you ever saw. I am going to my command.” Still skeptical, Bragg nevertheless wrote Cleburne, who was loading his troops on trains at Chickamauga Station, to “halt such portions of your command as have not yet left at Chickamauga.”

At 1:30 p.m., cannon fire from Fort Wood signaled the buglers to call “Charge!” and the Federal line advanced at the double-quick. The Federals advanced without artillery support to further deceive the enemy into complacency. The Confederates hurried back to their defenses, but as the Federals came on, each defense line collapsed into the next until the Confederates were pushed all the way back up Missionary Ridge.

The Federals planted their flag on Orchard Knob around 3 p.m. Thomas notified T.J. Wood via signalman, “You have gained too much to withdraw. Hold your position and I will support you.” Major-General Francis P. Blair, Jr.’s division advanced on the Federal left and Howard’s Eleventh Corps came up on the right to secure the line. This enabled Thomas to bring his entire army (i.e., the Federal center) up to the foot of Missionary Ridge.

Bragg sent another, more urgent, message to Cleburne: “We are heavily engaged. Move rapidly to these headquarters.” At least 5,000 Confederates of Johnson’s division and part of Cleburne’s had already left for Knoxville, but at least Bragg still had the remaining 6,000 come back and join his army. Had Grant waited another day to advance, the Federals would have faced even less resistance than they did.

Bragg had initially believed that the real Federal threat would be to his left at Lookout Mountain, but now he realized that the Federals planned to attack his right. He therefore ordered Cleburne’s troops to return to Missionary Ridge, and he directed Lieutenant-General William Hardee to pull nearly his entire corps off Lookout Mountain. Two divisions under Major-General Carter L. Stevenson were all that stayed behind.

Stevenson argued that he lacked the manpower and knowledge of the terrain to put up an adequate defense in case of attack. Bragg assured him that he would send reinforcements if Stevenson needed them, but Stevenson most likely would not since the main attack would probably come against the Confederate right. Bragg positioned Cleburne’s returning troops on the extreme right, near Tunnel Hill.

Grant moved his headquarters to Orchard Knob and telegraphed General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck:

“General Thomas’s troops attacked the enemy’s left… carried the first line of rifle-pits running over the knoll… and the low ridge to the right of it. The troops moved under fire with all the precision of veterans on parade. Thomas’s troops will entrench themselves, and hold their position until daylight, when Sherman will join the attack from the mouth of the Chickamauga, and a decisive battle will be fought.”

Grant modified his strategy based on this day’s unexpected success. In addition to Sherman’s planned attack on the Confederate right, Grant now ordered Hooker to lead three divisions (one from Sherman, one from Thomas, and one of his own) against Lookout Mountain on the Confederate left. This would enable Hooker to enter Rossville Gap and threaten the Confederate rear.

As night fell, a reporter from the Richmond Dispatch wrote from atop Missionary Ridge, “General Grant has made an important move… likely to exert an important influence on military operations in this quarter.”

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Bibliography

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