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 heavy fire from above, and without orders, the Union infantry pushed 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.
[Text of the picture's caption]:
The battles for Chattanooga culminated with the Union victory at Missionary Ridge, visible ahead. In this historic engraving, Federals overwhelm a Confederate battery on the crest.
[Text of the map's caption]:
On the afternoon of November 25, 1863, Union forces pushed up the west slopes of Missionary Ridge, driving the routed Confederates off the ridge.
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