Existing comment:
Battle of Missionary Ridge:
Undaunted Union infantry fought their way to the crest
On November 25, 1863, the Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant made its final moves to destroy the Confederate forces on Missionary Ridge, the long ridge in the distance. Following unsuccessful attacks on the left and right, Grant ordered Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas' troops in the center to seize the Confederate rifle pits at the base of the ridge.
The Federals stormed the rifle-pits, and drove the retreating Confederates up the slopes. Then, under fire from above, and without orders, the Union infantry pushed ahead up the ridge. The Confederates, outnumbered and in a poor defensive position, abandoned the ridge and retreated into Georgia.
The Union victory on Missionary Ridge left Chattanooga firmly in Union hands, and set the stage for Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's advance against Atlanta in the spring. |