TN -- Chattanooga Natl Military Park -- Lookout Mountain:
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- Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
- LOOK_110913_073.JPG: Point Hotel:
Constructed here in the middle of the 1880s was the multi-storied Point Hotel. The top of the structure reached the top of the massive rock formation in front of you, so that hotel guests could obtain the same view as that afforded from the point at Lookout Mountain.
At that time the part of the mountain now known as Point Park was in private possession and visitors were charged admission. The property owners also had a contract with a Chattanooga livery company, and required that anyone wishing entrance to the point ride up the mountain from Chattanooga by this specified company. To make certain that visitors complied, shotgun wielding guards reportedly patrolled a barbed wire fence, which was erected near the present park entrance gate and stone wall.
Both the entrance requirements and the hotel were, however, short lived. In 1898 the point of Lookout Mountain became a part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, and about 1910 the Point Hotel was destroyed.
- LOOK_110913_120.JPG: Union Occupation of the Summit.
November 25, 1863
No Union troops gained the top of Lookout Mountain during the battle. Before daylight the next morning thereafter, Gen. Whitaker, commanding brigade in Cruft's Division of the Fourth Corps, called for volunteers from the Eighth Kentucky to scale the palisades and take the point of the mountain. It was not then known that the Confederates had withdrawn. The following responded: Capt. John Wilson, Company C; Sergeant H.H. Davis, and Private William Witt, Company A; Sergeant Joseph Wagers and James G. Wood of Company B, and Private Joel Bradley of Company I. These scaled the bluff soon after daylight, and at sunrise unfurled the flag of the regiment upon the point, in full view of both armies. This force was soon followed by the Eighth Kentucky Regiment, Col. Sidney M Barnes and a considerable number of the 96th Illinois who followed without orders; and shortly after by the whole of the Ninety-Sixth Illinois, Col. Thomas E. Champion. These regiments advanced some distance upon the top of the mountain and found that the Confederates had withdrawn.
- LOOK_110913_123.JPG: Cobham's Brigade
Geary's Division - Slocum's Corps.
Colonel George A. Cogham, Jr.
Nov. 24, 1863.
29th Pennsylvania - Colonel William Rickards, Jr.
109th Pennsylvania - Captain Frederick L. Gimber.
111th Pennsylvania - Colonel Thomas M. Walker.
The 29th and 111th Pennsylvania regiments of the Brigade, the 109th Pennsylvania having been left as picket and camp guard, marched as the head of General Geary's column from Wauhatchie soon after daylight, and concealed by fog crossed Lookout Creek at 8 A.M. and marched at once by the flank up the western slope of Lookout , until the right reached the foot of the palisades. Ireland's Brigade was on the left, and six regiments of Whitaker's Brigade of Cruft's Division followed as a second line. After a march of a mile and a quarter toward the north point of the mountain, the line struck the left flank and rear of General Walthall's skirmish line, and later his main line, which being also attacked in front was forced from position and pushed across the northern slope of the mountain to a point about 400 yards east of Cravens House, where the Confederate forces rallied and maintained their ground. Cobham, supported by Whitaker, fought on the front line with his right at the highest point under the palisades until relieved at 9 P.M. by troops from Grose's Brigade. Strength in action 36 officers, 538 men.
- LOOK_110913_138.JPG: Interesting that the sculptor of this Union marker is from South Carolina
- LOOK_110913_225.JPG: Battles for Chattanooga
A series of battles in 1863 secured Chattanooga for the Union
The city of Chattanooga with its railroads and riverboats was a vital transportation center during the Civil War. Both armies recognized its importance. In the late summer and fall of 1863, several key military actions decided the fate of Chattanooga, and helped determined the fate of the Confederacy.
1863
(1) Battle of Chickamauga -- September 18-20:
About 10 miles south of Chattanooga near West Chickamauga Creek, Confederate forces defeated the Union army in a bloody two-day battle. The Federals withdrew to Chattanooga and fortified the city.
(2) Siege of Chattanooga -- September 22 to November 23:
Confederates laid siege to the city of Chattanooga to force the Federals to surrender. COnfederate occupied positions along the Tennessee River, Missionary Ridge, and Lookout Mountain.
(3) Union Army Reinforced -- Late October:
The besieged and hungry Federals managed to open a supply line through Lookout Valley into the city. With fresh troops and supplies, they were ready to fight by late November.
(4) Battle of Orchard Knob -- November 23:
Union troops stormed and captured Orchard Knob, a hill to the east of their defense line in the city.
(5) Battle of Lookout Mountain -- November 24:
Union forces drove the Confederates from their positions on Lookout Mountain. Because the mountain was partially shrouded in fog, the action was also called the "Battle Above the Clouds."
(6) Battle of Missionary Ridge -- November 25:
Union forces stormed and shattered Confederate units occupying Missionary Ridge. The siege was broken, and Chattanooga became the Federal base from which Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman would launch his Atlanta campaign in the spring of 1864.
- LOOK_110913_229.JPG: Point Park
Ahead are some of Lookout Mountain's finest views
The walkway beginning here leads through Point Park to historic Point Lookout, the northernmost promontory of Lookout Mountain. The distance to Point Lookout is 1/4 mile, and the walking time is about 5 minutes.
The trail to Point Lookout ends at the Ochs Overlook and Museum, a stone structure perched atop the rocky cliffs. Here there are panoramic views of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River 1,300 feet below.
Point Park preserves strategic high ground captured by Union soldiers during the Battle of Lookout Mountain in 1863. Today it is part of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. The New York Peace Monument, the centerpiece of the Park, symbolizes the reconciliation of North and South.
Additional information is available at the Park visitor center across the street behind you. Exhibited there is James Walker's original 30-foot-long painting of the Battle of Lookout Mountain.
Point Park offers several fine vistas of Chattanooga and the surrounding area. There are hazardous dropoffs in the area, so please use caution and stay on walks and trails.
Overlooks in the upper part of Point Park are accessible to visitors in wheelchairs via the walk to your right. The trail to the Ochs Overlook has stairs and steep sections and is not accessible to wheelchairs.
The entrance gate to Point Park under construction in 1904. This impressive structure -- located just behind you -- was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The design is based on the "castle" insignia of the Corps.
- LOOK_110913_281.JPG: Confederate Forces – Battle of Lookout.
Nov. 24th, 1863.
The night before the Battle Gen. Stevenson was assigned to command the Confederate line from Chattanooga Creek to the extreme left on Lookout Mountain, a distance of 15 miles. Stevenson's Division, of Brown's, Cummings and Pettu's Brigades then occupied the summit, and Cheatham's Division of Jackson's Moore's and Walthall's Brigades the slopes below the palisades. Jackson's (Col. J.C. Wilkinson commanding) and Cumming's were assigned to the line between the creek and the base of the mountain, from which Walker's Division had been withdrawn on the 23d.
At noon of the 24th, Gen. Pettus, with three regiments of his brigade was sent to reinforce Walthall at the Cravens House. The top of the mountain was thereafter occupied by Brown's Brigade, two regiments of Pettus, and Corput's Battery of four Napoleons. Two regiments of Brown's Brigade held Powell's and Nickajack's trails, respectively 7 and 10 miles from the Point. Beyond these trails a small cavalry force operated about Johnson's Crook and Steven's Gap. Two guns of the Battery were stationed near the Point, and two others were held in reserve between the Point and the line of defences to the south. Infantry was disposed along the crests of the bluff, firing as the fog gave opportunity, and rolling down rocks. At 7 P.M. orders were given to withdraw from the summit. At 10 o'clock the troops stationed there had crossed Chattanooga Creek. At 2 A.M. of the 25th the forces on the Cravens House Plateau retired, the joint forces proceeding undisturbed to Missionary Ridge.
- LOOK_110913_285.JPG: Occupation of the Summit of Lookout.
Nov. 25th. 1863.
No Union troops reached the top of the Mountain during the Battle of Lookout. The Confederates began to withdraw from from the summit at 7 P.M. of the 24th, and completed the retirement about 9 o'clock, and at 10 P.M. had crossed Chattanooga Creek on their way t,o Missionary Ridge. Early next morning Gen. Whitaker, commanding brigade in Cruft's Division, his line being then in the vicinity of the Craven House, called for volunteers from the 8th Kentucky to scale the palisades at the Point of the Mountain.
The following responded: Capt. John Wilson, Co. C; Sergt. Harris H. Davis, Private William Witt, Co. A; Sergts. Joseph Wagers, James G. Wood, Co. B; and Joel Bradley, Co. I. They gained the summit unopposed, and at sunrise displayed the colors of the regiment in the sight of both armies.
The morning being unusually bright and clear it gave notice to both of the result of the battle of the day and night before. The 8th Kentucky Infantry, Col. Sidney M. Barnes, quickly followed, and advanced to Summertown finding the mountain evacuated. The 96th Illinois Infantry, Col. Thos. E. Champion followed the 8th Kentucky. Upon the advance of Gen. Hooker's forces towards Rossville during the forenoon of the 25th for the attack on Missionary Ridge. These two regiments were left to hold the summit of the mountain, and occupied the position until Dec. 2d.
- LOOK_110913_288.JPG: Confederate Casualties - Battle of Chattanooga.
Nov. 23d to Nov. 27th, 1863.
The losses here given by Divisions include Orchard Knob, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and operations following as far as Ringgold Gap, GA.
Longstreet's Corps (McLaw's and Hood's Divisions) was not engaged, having been dispatched to Knoxville Nov. 4th. Bushrod Johnson's Division was on its way to Knoxville. Its rear Brigade (Reynolds) was recalled in time for the third day's battle, but made no report of its casualties.
Cheatham's Div. - Killed 56, Wounded 371, Missing 1244, Aggregate 1671.
Cleburne's Div. - Killed 62, Wounded 367, Missing 12, Aggregate 441.
Stevenson's Div. - Killed 36, Wounded 282, Missing 14, Aggregate 332.
Walker's Div. - Killed 14, Wounded 118, Missing 190, Aggregate 322.
Hindman's Div. and Patton Anderson's Div. - Killed 76, Wounded 476, Missing 1124, Aggregate 1676.
Stewart's Div. - Killed 72, Wounded 316, Missing 965, Aggregate 1353.
Breckinridge's Div. and Bate's Div. - Killed 44, Wounded 224, Missing 591, Aggregate 859.
Robertson's Batt'n Reserve Artillery - Killed 1, Wounded 4, Missing 6, Aggregate 11.
Williams' Batt'n Reserve Artillery - Wounded 2, Aggregate 2.
Grand Total: Killed 361, Wounded 2160, Missing 4146, Aggregate 6667.
- AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
- Wikipedia Description: Lookout Mountain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lookout Mountain, actually a plateau, is located at the northwest corner of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southern border of Tennessee near Chattanooga. It is one of the southernmost ridge mountains of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians. The summit, called "High Point," is at 2,392 feet (729 m) AMSL. The foothills of the mountain extend into Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. Near Chattanooga, the caves of Ruby Falls are contained within Lookout Mountain, and the rock formations of the Rock City tourist attraction are situated on the ridge, as well as the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway. From Rock City, it is said that seven U.S. states can be seen: Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. In reality, on very clear days, some mountains in the Knoxville area of Tennessee can be seen at a distance of about 100 miles, but the curvature of the earth's surface lowers anything in Kentucky, South Carolina or Virginia to below the horizon. Nearby are Georgia's Cloudland Canyon and Cloudland Canyon State Park. The mountain, which hosts the nation's largest hang gliding school and Covenant College, is one of the Chattanooga area's most visited tourist attractions.
In recent years, real estate developers have begun realizing the mountain property's value for upscale second home communities, catering to residents of nearby Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham and Huntsville. However, such development is limited by the extensive conservation easements put into place by organizations such as the Lula Lake Land Trust.
Lookout Mountain was the scene of the First Battle of Chattanooga during the American Civil War.
History:
Before the Civil War:
Before the war, land taken from the Indians was sold to the highest bidder, without a lottery of land parcels, as in Georgia. Because of this method of distributing land, much of Lookout Mountain, TN was owned by a few wealthy Chattanooga families prior to the war. The aptly named Summertown, on top of the mountain, was barely accessible from a small rutted turnpike built in 1852 by Col. James A. Whiteside. Whiteside, a native of Danville, Kentucky, owned a summer home which he converted into a hotel with several cottages. Naturalists, such as Bradford Torrey, who visited the summit thought the cottages spoiled the environment and made it look like a cheap resort. Whiteside had purchased much of the land on the mountain’s summit, and another wealthy Chattanoogan, Robert Cravens, had purchased most of the land on the side of the mountain. Cravens was also instrumental in developing Lookout and moved his family to the house he built 1855. Within a few years of the Cravens completing construction, about 25 families lived on the mountain in the summer.
Civil War:
On November 23, 1863 the Battle Above the Clouds was fought on the slopes of Lookout Mountain. The majority of hand to hand combat took place near Cravens' house about halfway to the summit. Lookout Mountain’s unique shape and location can in some conditions cause a unique weather phenomenon. After dawn, fog will descend from the cooler mountain top to the valley below and stop about halfway down. This interesting natural occurrence took place the day of the battle and is the reason for its romantic name.
Post-War:
Lookout was considered a peaceful getaway from the rigors of city life and also a health benefit. When one was feeling ill, a few days in one of the mountain resorts was thought to be a good cure. Another generation of businessmen began marketing their own attractions in the 1910s and 1920s. Lookout Mountain was an incorporated town and instead of serving as an escape for the wealthy, the rich businessmen were settled more permanently on the mountain. Garnet Carter, J. B. Pound, O. B. Andrews, and Leo Lambert were a few of the more successful entrepreneurs who created their own attractions. Instead of making their money off of tourist room, board, and transportation, the natural attractions were enhanced and fiercely marketed. Sites that had long been popular, such as the city of rocks (or Rock City), the Lookout Mountain Cave (now Ruby Falls), and the functional railroads (now the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway–America’s Most Amazing Mile) were bought, “highly developed”, and marketed . The angle of tourism had significantly shifted from the pre-war cottages of Col. Whiteside.
Alabama:
Little River:
Nearly 75% of Lookout Mountain is situated within Alabama. Little River Canyon is located on the mountain and is home to the Little River, the longest flowing mountaintop river and the only river that begins and ends entirely on top of a mountain. The river is home to some of the country's best whitewater and DeSoto State Park, which is home to DeSoto Falls.
Cherokee Rock Village:
Cherokee Rock Village, is a rock-climbing mecca in western Cherokee County. It boasts many challenging climbs for beginner to expert climbers, and fantastic views of the Coosa River Basin.
Noccalula Falls:
Noccalula Falls is a 90 foot waterfall in Gadsden, Alabama. The falls is a part of the city park known as Noccalula Falls Park. The park also features a pioneer village, showcasing several 19th century homes. The Falls is located at the southern terminus of Lookout Mountain
Popular Culture:
"Lookout Mountain" is the name of a song by the Athens-via-Alabama rock/alt country band Drive-By Truckers. The song appears on the band's 2004 album The Dirty South. It also appears on the 1999 live album Alabama Ass Whuppin'. "Lookout Mountain" is the story of a modern, disenfranchised Southerner who ruminates over suicide ("throw myself off Lookout Mountain") and the repercussions it will have on his estranged family.
The country group Alabama who are from the town of Ft. Payne a town at the foot of Lookout Mountain, mentions the mountain in their song My Home's In Alabama. ("And someday when I make it, when love finds a way Somewhere high on Lookout Mountain I'll just smile with pride and say that my Home's in Alabama, no matter where I lay my head").
It was mentioned by the character Hot Rod in the 1986 film The Transformers: The Movie as overlooking Autobot City.
It is the site of the final battle between the New American Gods and the Old Gods in Neil Gaiman's American Gods
Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, both important sites in the Civil War Battle of Chattanooga, are used again in Harry Turtledove's Timeline-191 rendering of a second world war between the USA and CSA, with US paratroopers capturing Lookout Mountain - an important Confederate gun position, in a mass drop.
The mountain is mentioned along with other high points in the United States near the end of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech with the line ". . . Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee."
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