BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

Battle of Lookout Mountain

In the Civil War, Union forces fighting to break the Confederate siege of Chattanooga turned toward a steep, fog-shrouded height locals called Lookout Mountain. Troops under Joseph Hooker climbed the slopes and fought what soldiers later remembered as the “Battle above the Clouds,” pushing Confederate defenders off positions that had dominated the Tennessee River valley. This success did more than secure an impressive trophy of terrain. By dislodging enemy guns and observers, the Union began to unhinge the entire Confederate line around Chattanooga. The victory improved morale after earlier setbacks in the Western Theater and signaled that the besieged city could be held and supplied. It set up the next day’s blow against Missionary Ridge and opened the way for deeper Union drives into the interior of the Confederacy.