se of pontoon bridges at Chattanooga and Brown's Ferry,
would secure to us by the north bank of the river, across
Moccasin Point, a shorter line by which to re-enforce our troops
in Lookout Valley, than the narrow and tortuous road around the
foot of Lookout Mountain afforded the enemy for re-enforcing his.

The force detailed for this expedition consisted of four thousand
men, under command of General Smith, Chief Engineer, eighteen
hundred of which under Brigadier-General W. B. Hagen, in sixty
pontoon boats, containing thirty armed men each, floated (p. 396)
quietly from Chattanooga past the enemy's pickets to the
foot of Lookout Mountain on the night of the 27th of October,
landed on the south side of the river at Brown's Ferry, surprised
the enemy's pickets stationed there, and seized the hills
covering the ferry, without the loss of a man killed and but four
or five wounded. The remainder of the force, together with the
material for a bridge, was moved by the north bank of the river
across Moccasin Point to Brown's Ferry, without attracting the
attention of the enemy, and before day dawned the whole force was
ferried to the south bank of the river; 2nd the almost
inaccessible heights rising from Lookout Valley, at its outlet to
the river and below the mouth of Lookout creek were secured. By
ten o'clock A.M. an excellent pontoon bridge was laid across the
river at Brown's Ferry, thus securing to us the end of the
desired road nearer the enemy's forces, and the shorter line over
which to pass troops if a battle became inevitable. Positions
were taken up by our troops from which they could not have been
driven except by vastly superior forces, and then only with great
loss of the enemy. Our artillery was placed in such position as
to completely command the roads leading from the enemy's main
camps in Chattanooga Valley to Lookout Valley.

On the 28th Hooker emerged into Lookout Valley at Wauhatchie by
the direct road from Bridgeport by way of Whitesides to
Chattanooga, with the 11th Army Corps, under Major-General
Howard, and Geary's Division of the 12th Army Corps, and
proceeded to take up positions for the defence of the road from
Whitesides, over which he had marched, and also the road leading
from Brown's Ferry to Kelly's Ferry, th