Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/312

 300 Southern Historical Society Papers.

I desire particularly to impress upon those who wish to be in- formed that the Confederates were greatly outnumbered, while the reverse is true of the Japanese.

Chattanooga, as we all know, is in the mouth of a narrow valley, formed by Lookout mountain and a spur of mountains known as Missionary Ridge. Lookout mountain juts abruptly upon the Ten- nessee river, a short distance to the west of Chattanooga, and ex- tends southward into Georgia.

For fifty miles or more the densely wooded hills and rocky cliffs are impassable for troops, except by two wagon roads, one distant twenty, and the other forty miles from Chattanooga.

Missionary Ridge extends from north to south, on the eastern ex- tremity of the valley, and along which the eastern branch of the Chickamauga river runs. To the south is Pigeon mountain, some twenty-five miles distant from Chattanooga and about equally dis- tant between the two the Chickamauga river crosses the valley, and on this west branch of the river Lee and Gordon's mills are sit- uated.

It was early in July, 1863, that the Army of Tennessee, under command of General Braxton Bragg, was withdrawn to the south side of the Tennessee river, and concentrated at Chattanooga, where necessary changes in the organization took place.

Forest had been assigned to the command of a division of cavalry and ordered to East Tennessee to keep watchful observation of the enemy in that direction. The Federals at that time were in strong force at McMinnville, Franklin and Triune.

General Rosecrans, who commanded the Federal army, had sev- eral times decided on a forward movement, it transpires, but the audacious work of Forrest kept him in doubt, and he therefore did not undertake to cross the Tennessee until about August 27th.

On the last of the month two divisions of McCook's Corps and one of Thomas' Corps made the passage at Caperton's Ferry, and began to march without delay over Sand mountain.

On the 4th of September the remaining divisions of McCook and Thomas crossed at Bridgeport and Shell Mound.

About this time the three Confederate corps, commanded by Generals Polk, D. H. Hill and Buckner, were withdrawn to the vicinity of Lee and Gordon's mills, on the Chickamauga. On Sep- tember gth, two divisions of Thomas' Corps (Negly's and Baird's) made their way through Cooper's and Stevens' gaps, in Lookout