“For industry and energy displayed by him from the time of his reporting for duty at these headquarters, in organizing the Engineer Department, and for his skillful execution of the movements at Brown’s Ferry, Tennessee, on the night of October 26th, 1863, in surprising the enemy and throwing a pontoon bridge across the Tennessee River at that point, a vitally important service necessary to the opening of communications between Bridgeport and Chattanooga.”

Certainly no language could be more clear and unequivocal than this, and yet, as though General Thomas wished to remove all chance of doubt as to whom the highest credit was due, he declared in a later and more formal official report: 

“To Brigadier General William F. Smith, Chief Engineer, should be accorded great praise for the ingenuity which conceived and the ability which executed the movements at Brown’s Ferry.”

While even the best memory so long after the event is but little to be depended upon for details, it may serve especially when supplementing the records, to strengthen the conclusions therefrom.  In this instance it should be stated that it was perfectly well known to the late Charles A. Dana, then present at Chattanooga as Assistant Secretary of War, and also to myself, who was serving at the time on General Grant’s staff as Inspector General, and was in daily contact with all the leading officers, that it was General Smith, and General Smith alone, who conceived and carried out the plan actually used for the capture of Brown’s Ferry and the re-establishment of the direct line of communication between Chattanooga and Bridgeport.  Indeed, there was no question in that army, or at that time, in regard to the matter.  Rosecrans was never mentioned in connection with it, while Smith’s praise was in everybody’s mouth till the close of the campaign, not only for the Brown’s Ferry movement, but, what was still more important, for the plan of operations against Bragg’s position on Missionary Ridge.  He it was who personally familiarized himself with the terrain in the entire field of operations, which, with the mountains, valleys, rivers and creeks, that gave it its unique character, was the most complicated and difficult one of the entire war, if not the most complicated and difficult one upon which a great battle was ever fought.  It was he alone who worked out every detail of the combinations and movements by which the great victory of Missionary Ridge was won.  I state this upon my own knowledge and not upon hearsay.

Moreover, it was conceded by all in high command that Smith was easily the leading strategist in that entire host.  He knew all the details of the ground and all the difficulties to be overcome, better than any other man.  He studied them more closely, and with more intelligence than any other man, not only because it was his duty to do so, but because he was conscious of the portentous fact now so commonly lost sight of that the safety and success of the army depended upon the discovery and adoption of a feasible plan of action.  Grant, the generalissimo, had neither the time nor opportunity to gather the facts.  He was neither an engineer nor strange as it may seem, a close calculator of the chances.