ears, I
also telegraphed to Major-General Thomas on the 19th of October,
from Louisville, to hold Chattanooga at all hazards; that I would
be there as soon as possible. To which he replied, on same date,
"I will hold the town till we starve."

Proceeding directly to Chattanooga, I arrived there on the 23d of
October, and found that General Thomas had immediately, on being
placed in command of the Department of the Cumberland, ordered
the concentration of Major-General Hooker's command at Bridgeport
preparatory to securing the river and main wagon road between
that place and Brown's Ferry, immediately below Lookout Mountain.
The next morning after my arrival at Chattanooga, in company with
Thomas and Brigadier-General W. F. Smith, Chief Engineer, I made
a reconnoissance of Brown's Ferry and the hills on the south side
of the river, and at the mouth of Lookout Valley. After the
reconnoissance, the plan agreed upon was for Hooker to cross at
Bridgeport to the south side of the river with all the force that
could be spared from the railroad, and move on the main wagon
road by way of Whitesides to Wauhatchie, in Lookout Valley.
Major-General J. M. Palmer was to proceed by the only practicable
route north of the river from his position opposite Chattanooga,
to a point on the north bank of the Tennessee river, and opposite
Whitesides, there to cross to the south side to hold the road
passed over by Hooker. In the meantime and before the enemy could
be apprised of our intentions, a force under the direction of
Brigadier-General W. F. Smith, Chief Engineer, was to be thrown
across the river at or near Brown's Ferry to seize the range of
hills at the mouth of Lookout Valley, covering the Brown's Ferry
road, and orders were given accordingly.

It was known that the enemy held the north end of Lookout Valley
with a brigade of troops, and the road leading around the foot of
the mountain from their main camps in Chattanooga Valley to
Lookout Valley. Holding these advantages, he would have had
little difficulty in concentrating a sufficient force to have
defeated or driven Hooker back. To remedy this the seizure of the
range of hills at the mouth of Lookout Valley and covering the
Brown's Ferry road was deemed of the highest importance. This, by
the u