Battles for Chattanooga: November 23-25, 1863
Chattanooga’s railroads and river made the city a strategic prize. In November 1863, Union attacks broke Confederate control of surrounding heights.
At a Glance
- Dates: November 23-25, 1863.
- Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee, and surrounding heights.
- Outcome: Union victory.
What happened at Chattanooga?
After Chickamauga, Union soldiers held Chattanooga while Confederate forces occupied nearby high ground. The besieged army struggled with supplies. Union operations reopened a supply route in late October, known as the Cracker Line.
Ulysses S. Grant directed the November offensive. On November 23, Union forces captured Orchard Knob. On November 24, fighting drove Confederates from Lookout Mountain.
November 25 brought attacks against Missionary Ridge. Confederate troops resisted assaults at its ends. Union soldiers attacking the center took the lower entrenchments, then continued uphill. Their advance broke the Confederate position on the summit. Bragg’s army retreated into Georgia.
Why did Chattanooga matter?
Union control of Chattanooga secured a transportation and supply center. The city became a base for William T. Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign in 1864.
The result reversed the danger facing Union troops after Chickamauga. It also shows the importance of restoring supplies before attempting major offensive operations.
The phrase Battles for Chattanooga describes several linked actions, rather than one charge at one location. Orchard Knob, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge each shaped the result.
Read Chickamauga first to understand why these armies occupied their November positions. Then compare the dates, terrain, and outcomes without treating the two campaigns as interchangeable.
History Behind Steel and Honor
Chickamauga and Chattanooga connects this historical setting with Tom O’Connor’s Civil War fiction. Book 4 is with the publisher for final editing and formatting.
The historical summary above describes documented events. The novels tell fictional stories within that setting; this page does not assign invented actions to historical soldiers.
Follow Your Research
A regiment linked to a battle provides a research lead. It does not prove that every soldier in that regiment was present. Check service dates, hospital records, detached duty, and other evidence before drawing conclusions.
Use the chronological battle guide to place this engagement within the war. Continue with Chickamauga or explore the Steel and Honor reading order.
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Historical Sources
These National Park Service accounts support the dates, military sequence, outcomes, and significance summarized here.