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issued for the 21st, were suspended, also the subsequent orders for an attack on the 23d, as appears from the following letter to
General Thomas:
headquarters Military division of the Mississippi,
Chattanooga, November 22, 1863.
General: The bridge at Brown's Ferry being down to-day, and the excessively bad roads since the last rain, will render it impossible for
Sherman to get up either of his two remaining divisions in time for an attack to-morrow morning.
With one of them up, and which would have been there now but for the accident to the bridge, I would still make the attack in the morning, regarding a day gained as of superior advantage to a single division of troops.
You can make your arrangements for this delay.
Upon receiving this,
General Thomas so far from considering the presence of
Sherman's troops necessary to opening the battle, went to
Grant, and urged that the attack on
Lookout Mountain should begin at once.
General Thomas gives this account of the matter in his official report:
‘Feeling as I did the necessity of avoiding delay, for fear the enemy should become advised of our plans, immediately upon the receipt of the above letter I went to General Grant, and advised against any further postponement of our movement, and suggested that, if needed, the Eleventh Corps, then between the two bridges, could be sent to General Sherman to take the place of the troops that could not join him, whilst these last, together with the troops already in Lookout Valley, would form a column to attack the enemy on Lookout Mountain, or at least divert his attention from Sherman's crossing above.
This met the approbation of the Commanding General, and on it was based my order of the 23d to General Hooker, to demonstrate on Lookout, and if practicable to carry the position.’
General Grant himself not only agreed to this attack on Lookout before
Sherman came up, but on the next day,
Sherman being still behind, ordered an attack by
Thomas on the left in front of
Missionary Ridge.
This was made the day before
Sherman got into position, and
General Grant telegraphed the following report of it:
General Thomas' troops attacked the enemy's left at 2 P. M. to-day, carried
