The struggle for the possession of
Mount Lookout and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad has commenced.
The enemy has taken possession of and fortified Kaccoon Mountain, an elevation parallel to that held by our forces, and which commands a portion of the valley between it and the
Lookout range.
The
Columbus (Georgia) Sun tells us that it has a greater elevation in its range southwestward than does
Mount Lookout, and commands the latter some ten of fifteen miles south of the river, though not so high by several hundred feet at the point near the river.
The enemy's batteries on
Moccasin Point are some fifteen hundred feet lower than ours on
Lookout Point, and all approaches to our position except by flank movement on the
Raccoon Mountain and an advance upon our rear, seems impossible.
Our lines of defence on
Mount Lookout form a V, the aper of which rests on the south bank of the river, some 2,700 feet above the water; the line forming the eastern side, extending back four or five miles and forming a junction with the line on
Missionary Ridge, our guns on the two elevations commanding the
Chattanooga Valley below; the line forming the western side extends southwest beyond the point opposite the junction of the eastern line with that on
Missionary Ridge.
The
Sun adds:
‘
The abandonment of
Mount Lookout by our forces would nor, necessarily, cause the abandonment of our position on
Missionary Ridge, but it would enable the enemy to open railroad communication with
Middle Tennessee, and give him the quiet and undisputed possession of his present position in
Chattanooga, which is probably all he designs for the present.
Even the possession of
Raccoon Mountain will enable him to resume communication by railroad from that point to
Bridgeport, and enable him to establish a depot of supplies some ten or twelve miles from
Chattanooga; but, in attempting to move supplies from this new depot by wagon trains, he would have to cross the river twice--first at
Raccoon Mountain, then at
Chattanooga.
’
The
Marietta Rebel, of Saturday evening, in its article on "the situation," says:
‘
To make a front assault upon the enemy's strong position is given up as totally impracticable, at the same time that it is generally conceded that he can be drawn from the shelter of his star forts and rifle pits by a flank movement, and by that alone.
We feel satisfied that one of two events will take place before a great while; either
Bragg will flank
Grant, or
Grant will flank
Bragg.
Heaven defend
Georgia and the
South from the last, and God speed the advance of the Army of Tennessee into the land of wool and grain and comfortable winter quarters.
’
The correspondent of the Atlanta
Intelligencer writes from camp before
Chattanooga, October 29, as follows:
‘
A division of the enemy, escorting about one hundred wagons of supplies and a number of ambulances, came up from
Stevenson yesterday, by the way of
Jasper, and crossed to this side of Kelly's Ferry, ten miles below Lookout, coming up
Lookout Valley to Brown's Ferry, three miles below
Chattanooga, where they have just finished a pontoon bridge.
After a skirmish with our picket, (two regiments,) our men fell back, and the train succeeded in passing — the wagons crossing at Brown's Ferry.
Our men, as they fell back, attempted to burn the bridge over
Lookout creek, but did not succeed.
This is quite a success for the Yanks, who will now make an effort to get the possession of this road, that they may thus obtain supplies, which would set them on their feet again.
They will not be able to obtain the possession of the
Nashville and Chattanooga Road on this side of the river, so long as we hold Lookout; but they may, as is already seen, cross below at Brown's Ferry, and, consequently, measures will be so taken, no doubt, to cut them off from this means of communication.
’
Lookout Valley is formed by the west side of
Lookout Mountain and
Raccoon Mountain.
The mouth of
Lookout Valley terminates towards the river at Brown's Ferry.
It is a continuation of
Will's Valley, which is formed by the slope of Lookout and the continuation of
Raccoon Mountain, called
Sand Mountain, running southwest.
The Will's Valley Railroad runs from
Chattanooga to
Trenton, a distance of 21 miles. As the enemy now controls the occupation of
Raccoon Mountain they will be able, unless driven out, also to hold
Will's Valley.
The bridge over the
Tennessee, which crosses
Long Island at
Bridgeport, is nearly completed by the enemy, and it is reported will be finished in ten days. They have then only to rebuild the bridge over
Running Water Creek, 15 miles below
Chattanooga, to obtain the full occupation of the road up to Brown's Ferry.
This will soon enable them to take the offensive, and if they make another flank movement by
Will's Valley will necessarily compel us to fall back.
Our plans however, which of course are not known, may change the whole complexion of things.
