BATTLE OF MISSIONARY RIDGE

Battle of Missionary Ridge

The day after Lookout Mountain, Union forces turned against the main Confederate positions east of Chattanooga, dug in along Missionary Ridge. Under Ulysses S. Grant’s overall direction, Union troops initially received orders for a limited assault against the rifle pits at the base of the ridge. Once those forward positions were seized, however, momentum and exposure to enemy fire drove many units to continue climbing without waiting for fresh instructions. Against expectations in both armies, those uphill attacks broke through the Confederate line along much of the ridge. The collapse at Missionary Ridge ended the siege of Chattanooga and handed the Union control of a critical rail hub and river crossing. In strategic terms, it opened the gateway to Georgia and made possible the campaigns that would carry Union armies toward Atlanta and the sea.