“glorious victory”

Union “in entire possession of the field”

The only extant cutting in the Seneca Falls, New York library’s big notebook of Civil War local newspaper clippings regarding the late November battles around Chattanooga is a reproduction of General Montgomery C. Meigs’ official report to Secretary of War Stanton, which you can read here. He referred to Joseph Hooker’s successful assault on Lookout Mountain on November 24th as being fought “above the clouds.”

As always Seven Score and Ten and Civil War Daily Gazette post excellent accounts.

Here’s a Northern newspaper’s early take: General Grant is all ready to take Atlanta.

From The New-York Times November 26, 1863:

GLORIOUS VICTORY!; GEN. GRANT’S GREAT SUCCESS. Bragg Routed and Driven from Every Point. SUCCESSFUL BATTLE ON TUESDAY. Gen. Hooker Assaults Lookout Mountain and Takes 2,000 Prisoners. General Sherman Finally Carries Missionary Ridge. Gen. Thomas Pierces the Enemy’s Centre. Forty Pieces of Artillery Taken. Five Thousand to Ten Thousand Pris- oners Captured. Flight of [th]e Rebels in Disorder and Confusion. Probable Interception of the Rebels at Rossville.

General Meigs had good news for Secretary Stanton

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE N.Y. TIMES.

WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Dispatches giving details of recent operations before Chattanooga were received to-night from Gen. GRANT. He is in happy spirits and confident of success.

Atlanta he declares to be a prize already within his grasp.

DISPATCHES TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.

CHATTANOOGA, Wednesday, Nov. 25.

We are completely victorious. The enemy is totally routed and driven from every position. Our loss is very small and the enemy’s is heavy in prisoners. Finding Gen. HOOKER so successful in his movements against Lookout Mountain, the enemy evacuated that position during the night.

Gen. HOOKER took possession early this morning. The enemy moved south and got on Missionary Ridge on the battle-field somewhere near Chickamauga. He is expected to intercept the flying foe. Gen. HOOKER is said to have captured 2,000 prisoners in his magnificent assault of Lookout Mountain.

Gen. SHERMAN being all prepared to begin an assault at 8 A.M. to-day, upon the strong position of the enemy at the north end of Missionary Ridge. He had the day before taken a hill near the position of the enemy, but commanded by their artillery. He had to descend into a valley, and he then made another ascent to the position held by the enemy. Two unsuccessful assaults were made by Gen. SHERMAN, but, with the cooperation of the centre, he ultimately gained the position, and completed the great victory.

The brigade of Gen. CARSE, with a portion of Gen. LIGHTPEWS brigade, composed the storming party in the first assault. They were repulsed with quite a heavy loss after an attack persisted in for an hour; but being reinforced they, were enabled to hold a part of the hills. In this attack Gen. CARSE was wounded quite severely in the thigh. The Thirty-seventh Ohio and Sixth Iowa and One Hundred and Third Illinois regiments were in the attack. A second assault was made at 3 1/2 o’clock, in which MATHIAS’, LOOMIS’ and RAUL’S brigades were engaged. The force reached within twenty yards of the summit of the hill and the works of the enemy, when they were flanked and broke, retiring to their reserves.

In this assault Gen. MATHIAS was wounded and Col. PUTNAM, of the Ninety-third Ohio, killed, their persistent efforts compelled the enemy to mass heavily on his right in order to hold the position of so much importance to him. About 3 o’clock Gen. GRANT started two columns against the weakened centre, and in an hour desperate fighting, succeeded in breaking the centre, and gaining possession of the ridge in which the enemy was posted, the main force was driven northward toward Gen. SHERMAN, who opened on them, and they were forced to break, and seek safety in disordered flight down the western slope of the Ridge, and across the western ridge of the Chickamauga. We have taken not less than 5,000 prisoners and perhaps 10,000. Gen. HOOKER will probably intercept the flying enemy in the vicinity of Rossville and the region east of it.

There are reports that we have taken a whole corps.

Among the casualties are Lieut.-Col. ESPY, of the Sixty-eighth Indiana regiment; Major MCCAWLEY, of the Tenth Iowa; Col. OMARS, of the Ninetieth Illinois; Lieut.-Col. STUART, of the Ninetieth Illinois; Major WALKER, of the Tenth Missouri; Major WELSE, of the Fifty-sixth Illinois; Major INNISS, of the Sixth Iowa, wounded; Major IRWIN, of the Sixth Iowa, killed.

Full reports of the killed and wounded cannot be attained, as most of the killed were in Gen. SHERMAN’s corps, and remained at dark in the hands of the enemy. The list will be telegraphed to-morrow. The prisoners say that BRAGG was on the Ridge just before they were taken.

The successful storming parties consisted of WOOD’s and BAIRD’s divisions on the left centre and JOHNSTON’s and SHE[R]IDAN’s on the right centre. Some of our wounded were left in the hands of the enemy after Gen. SHERMAN’s unsuccessful assault, but were ultimately recovered.

CHATTANOOGA, Wednesday, Nov. 25 — 10 P.M.

The captured artillery is reported at about forty pieces. Gen. HOOKER captured five boxes of new muskets on Lookout Mountain.

We are in entire possession of the field. We have control over the railway and river to Bridgeport. Two boats came through this morning. Our loss will not amount to more than 300 killed and 250 wounded in the three days operations. The success has been most brilliant.

The enemy is reported to be bivouacking two miles beyond Missionary Ridge. Col. PHELPS, of the Thirty-eighth Ohio, and Major GLASS, of the Thirty-second Indiana, are killed. Gen. JOHN E. SMITH is reported wounded. Col. AVERY, of the One Hundred and Second New-York, lost a leg, and Major ELLIOTT is the same as dead.

Grant on Lookout – Atlanta on his mind?