Chickamauga Creek flows along its eastern base and empties into the Tennessee at Chattanooga. East of the creek is still another ridge, called Pigeon Mountain.

The whole country is one of long mountain ranges lying parallel to each other, with streams flowing northward to the Tennessee and southward to the Coosa, whose waters flow into the Gulf of Mexico.

The railroad to Atlanta runs due east from Chattanooga five miles, bends south-west, crosses the Georgia line just above the town of Ringgold, and then runs on to Dalton, where it forms a junction with the railroad coming down from Knoxville, Eastern Tennessee.

While General Rosecrans was preparing to move against Bragg, a Union army under General Burnside was marching from Louisville through Kentucky south-east to gain possession of East Tennessee.

General Bragg at Chattanooga was in a much stronger position than at Tullahoma. The Tennessee River, wide and deep, protected his front. To turn his right flank Rosecrans would be compelled to make a long march across several mountain ranges, along poor roads, and then would be obliged to cross the Tennessee. He would be far from his base of supplies. If he attempted to turn his left flank he must first cross the Tennessee, then ascend and descend two or three mountain ranges through gaps wide apart.

The problem before Rosecrans was a movement which would compel Bragg to retire from Chattanooga. How could that be done? Certainly not by attempting to bridge the Tennessee, where all of Bragg's cannon would hurl shot, shell, and canister upon the Engineer Corps while placing their pontoons. He did not wish to fight a battle except upon ground of his own choosing. He determined to cross the Tennessee River and the mountain ranges, and then threaten Bragg's communications with Atlanta the railroad over which he received his supplies. The army was to move from different points below Chattanooga. Crittenden's corps, after crossing, was to advance up the southern bank of the river upon Chattanooga, while Thomas and McCook were to climb Raccoon and Sand ridges by different routes, descend into Lookout Valley, ascend Lookout Ridge, pass through gaps, and descend the other side-Thomas upon the little town of Lafay ette and McCook upon Summerville, twenty miles farther south.

It was believed that Bragg would retreat from Chattanooand that Crittenden's corps ga, could take possession of it and move down the Chickamauga Valley and join the other two

corps.

The gap through which Thomas would cross Lookout Ridge was twenty-six miles south of Chattanooga, while the gap which McCook would utilize was twenty miles south of Thomas, thus making it for ty-six miles from Crittenden to McCook.

The first thing to be done was to deceive Bragg as to the real intentions. To accomplish this General Hazen, of Crittenden's corps, with his own brigade and Wagner's and Wilder's brigades of mounted infantry and Minty's brigade of cavalry, crossed Walden's Ridge in Tennessee and marched eastward to Poe's Tavern. The cavalry galloped along the river, made their appearance at all the fords as if to cross. General Wilder placed his artillery in position and opened fire upon the town, whereupon

Bragg removed his supplies, and ordered Anderson's brigade, which was guarding the river at Bridgeport, to leave that point and hasten up the river. For more than one hundred miles eastward of Chattanooga Union troops appeared upon the bank of the river, which led Bragg to conclude that the crossing of the Union army would be somewhere above the

town.

While the cavalry and Hazen's command were thus making feints, General Burnside, after a long and toilsome march across the Cumberland Mountains, reached Knoxville, as we shall see in another chapter, compelling General Buckner, who was there commanding a Confederate force of nearly twenty thousand, to evacuate the place.

Reinforcements were hastening to Bragg - Buckner from East Tennessee; troops came from Johnston's army in Mississippi; Confederate soldiers who had been paroled by Grant at Vicksburg, in violation of the agreement at the time of their surrender, were ordered to hold positions in Mississippi, relieving brigades which were sent to Bragg. Hood's and McLaws's divisions of Longstreet's corps, from Lee's army in Virginia, numbering fifteen thousand, were on their way, but had not arrived.

On August 21st Rosecrans's army, after marching across the Cumberland Mountains, was on the banks of the Tennessee, stretched out nearly one hundred and fifty miles. A portion of the pontoons had arrived, but not enough to build all the bridges needed. At one of the crossings the river was two thousand seven hundred feet wide, at the narrowest place it was one thousand six hundred feet. General Brannan's division constructed rafts, and the soldiers piled their clothes and guns, knapsacks and cartridge-boxes on them, and by wading and swimming reached the other shore. One division crossed in small boats. The crossings were at Shell Mound, twenty-five miles below Chattanooga, at Bridgeport, ten miles farther down, and Caperton's Ferry, ten miles below Bridgeport, opposite Stevenson's. A trestle-bridge was constructed, involving great labor.

General Bragg was informed by a citizen on the 30th that the Union army had crossed the Tennessee, and was moving south.() He saw that it was an attempt to get between his army and Atlanta, his base of supplies, and began to withdraw his troops from Chattanooga towards Lafayette, east of the Pigeon Range.

The Union troops moved on to Sand and Raccoon mountains, over which there were only narrow roads. Each regiment was provided with shovels and axes. The soldiers marched up the mountain-side, stacked their arms, and went to work improving the roads. Then the wagons and

cannon, with horses doubled, began to wind up the zigzag way. Details of men were stationed at the steepest places to assist the struggling horses by lifting at the wheels or pushing behind. A soldier with a block of wood followed each wagon to trig the wheels. Day and night they toiled. When they reached the top of the mountain they had to construct a road down the other side. It was a difficult descent for the heavy teams. The wheels were chained, but the hills were steep and there were sharp turns. Some of the wagons were upset, and so badly broken that they were abandoned. It took three days to cross the mountains and descend into Lookout Valley, where Crittenden's corps turned north-east and marched towards Chattanooga, while Thomas and McCook began the ascent of the Lookout Range by different roads.

On the 9th of September, Crittenden, passing round the northern end of Lookout, entered Chattanooga, the last of the Confederates leaving as he advanced. A brigade was detailed to hold it, while the others marched towards Chickamauga. At that hour McCook was on the summit of Lookout Range, forty-six miles south of Chattanooga, and Thomas was also on the same range, more than twenty miles distant. Rosecrans had accomplished what he set out to do. He had gained Chattanooga without a battle. He might at that moment have withdrawn Thomas and McCook by ordering them to retrace their steps into Lookout Valley, follow Crittenden into Chattanooga, and out to Missionary Ridge, and thus have concentrated his army. He could then have built his bridges, brought up supplies, and been in position for a new movement, or waited for Bragg to attack him. Rosecrans believed that Bragg was retreating to Atlanta. He did not know that Longstreet's corps was on its way from Virginia. The despatches which came from General Halleck in Washington were misleading. This came August 20th: "It has been reported for some days that some portion of Bragg's army has been sent to Richmond to reinforce Lee." This, September 6th: "There is no reason to suppose that any of Lee's troops have been detached except a small force at Charleston." On September 11th Halleck telegraphed, "It is reported here by deserters that a part of Bragg's army is reinforcing Lee." General Halleck and General Rosecrans both believed that the Confederates were retreating. Bragg was sending men into Rosecrans's lines who pretended to be deserters, who said that he was retreating. This is what he says of his movements: "On the 9th of September it was ascertained that a column, estimated at from four to eight thousand, had crossed Lookout Mountain by way of Stevens's and Cooper's gaps. Thrown off his guard by our rapid movements-apparently in retreat,