On Monday March 19th, our class met up with National Park Service member Jim Ogden to learn about historic Civil War battles in the area surrounding Chattanooga and learn about the topography and geology that presented obstacles to the outcomes of those battles. After providing some base knowledge about the area, Mr. Ogden lead us up to a point on Lookout Mountain, which is a mountain ridge that ends just before the banks of the Tennessee River in Southern Chattanooga. We stopped briefly about halfway up the mountain to observe the rock structure and views of Chattanooga. Historically, the Tennessee river cut passes and corridors in the Mountain. In order to better navigate the terrain of the Mountain, officers in the war needed to know where these were passes and corridors were located. They also needed to understand that the Mountain was mostly composed of limestone and capped at the top with harder sandstone, therefore it was easier to build roads and trails starting from the top of the Mountain down. Construction of roads was still very difficult, and traversing the mountainous land during the war was a slow process, especially with wheeled vehicles carrying canons and supplies.
Unfortunately, the day was cool and rainy, so dense fog obscured much of the views for us, similar to the weather conditions on the actual day of the Lookout Mountain Battle during the Civil War, which took place on November 24th, 1863. Mr. Ogden explained to use that this battle was important for both sides during the war because Chattanooga was considered the gateway to the deep South. What little industry that was in the South was located in Georgia, so if Union forces could cut off access to Southern industry they could weaken the Confederate forces. After being defeated at the Battle of Chickamauga, Union forces settled back into Chattanooga, where they were pinned in by Confederate forces on the Mountain. Union General Joseph Hooker lead an attack up the Mountain on November 24th on a foggy day against Confederate General Braxton Braggs. Because of the fog, the Confederates at the top of the Mountain could not easily see Hooker’s army advancing and could not tell its size.
Unfortunately, the day was cool and rainy, so dense fog obscured much of the views for us, similar to the weather conditions on the actual day of the Lookout Mountain Battle during the Civil War, which took place on November 24th, 1863. Mr. Ogden explained to use that this battle was important for both sides during the war because Chattanooga was considered the gateway to the deep South. What little industry that was in the South was located in Georgia, so if Union forces could cut off access to Southern industry they could weaken the Confederate forces. After being defeated at the Battle of Chickamauga, Union forces settled back into Chattanooga, where they were pinned in by Confederate forces on the Mountain. Union General Joseph Hooker lead an attack up the Mountain on November 24th on a foggy day against Confederate General Braxton Braggs. Because of the fog, the Confederates at the top of the Mountain could not easily see Hooker’s army advancing and could not tell its size.