General W. F. Smith had been so instrumental in preparing for the move which I was now about to make, and so clear in his judgment about the manner of making it, that I deemed it but just to him that he should have command of the troops detailed to execute the design, although he was then acting as a staff officer and was not in command of troops.

On the 24th of October, after my return to Chattanooga, the following details were made:  General Hooker, who was now at Bridgeport, was ordered to cross to the south side of the Tennessee and march up by Whitesides and Wauhatchie to Brown’s Ferry.  General Palmer, with a division of the 14th corps, Army of the Cumberland, was ordered to move down the river on the north side, by a back road, until opposite Whitesides, then cross and hold the road in Hooker’s rear after he had passed.  Four thousand men were at the same time detailed to act under General Smith directly from Chattanooga.  Eighteen hundred of them, under General Hazen, were to take sixty pontoon boats, and under cover of night float by the pickets of the enemy at the north base of Lookout, down to Brown’s Ferry, then land on the south side and capture or drive away the pickets at that point.  Smith was to march with the remainder of the detail, also under cover of night, by the north bank of the river to Brown’s Ferry, taking with him all the material for laying the bridge as soon as the crossing was secured.

On the 26th, Hooker crossed the river at Bridgeport and commenced his eastward march.  At three o’clock on the morning of the 27th, Hazen moved into the stream with his sixty pontoons and eighteen hundred brave and well-equipped men.  Smith started enough in advance to be near the river when Hazen should arrive.  There are a number of detached spurs of hills north of the river at Chattanooga, back of which is a good road parallel to the stream, sheltered from the view from the top of Lookout.  It was over this road Smith marched.  At five o’clock Hazen landed at Brown’s Ferry, surprised the picket guard, and captured most of it.  By seven o’clock the whole of Smith’s force was ferried over and in possession of a height commanding the ferry.  This was speedily fortified, while a detail was laying the pontoon bridge.  By ten o’clock the bridge was laid, and our extreme right, now in Lookout valley, was fortified and connected with the rest of the army.  The two bridges over the Tennessee River—­a flying one at Chattanooga and the new one at Brown’s Ferry—­with the road north of the river, covered from both the fire and the view of the enemy, made the connection complete.  Hooker found but slight obstacles in his way, and on the afternoon of the 28th emerged into Lookout valley at Wauhatchie.  Howard marched on to Brown’s Ferry, while Geary, who commanded a division in the 12th corps, stopped three miles south.  The pickets of the enemy on the river below were now cut off, and soon came in and surrendered.