While these operations were going on to the east of Chattanooga, Hooker was engaged on the west.  He had three divisions:  Osterhaus’s, of the 15th corps, Army of the Tennessee; Geary’s, 12th corps, Army of the Potomac; and Cruft’s, 14th corps, Army of the Cumberland.  Geary was on the right at Wauhatchie, Cruft at the centre, and Osterhaus near Brown’s Ferry.  These troops were all west of Lookout Creek.  The enemy had the east bank of the creek strongly picketed and intrenched, and three brigades of troops in the rear to reinforce them if attacked.  These brigades occupied the summit of the mountain.  General Carter L. Stevenson was in command of the whole.  Why any troops, except artillery with a small infantry guard, were kept on the mountain-top, I do not see.  A hundred men could have held the summit—­which is a palisade for more than thirty feet down—­against the assault of any number of men from the position Hooker occupied.

The side of Lookout Mountain confronting Hooker’s command was rugged, heavily timbered, and full of chasms, making it difficult to advance with troops, even in the absence of an opposing force.  Farther up, the ground becomes more even and level, and was in cultivation.  On the east side the slope is much more gradual, and a good wagon road, zigzagging up it, connects the town of Chattanooga with the summit.

Early on the morning of the 24th Hooker moved Geary’s division, supported by a brigade of Cruft’s, up Lookout Creek, to effect a crossing.  The remainder of Cruft’s division was to seize the bridge over the creek, near the crossing of the railroad.  Osterhaus was to move up to the bridge and cross it.  The bridge was seized by Gross’s brigade after a slight skirmish with the pickets guarding it.  This attracted the enemy so that Geary’s movement farther up was not observed.  A heavy mist obscured him from the view of the troops on the top of the mountain.  He crossed the creek almost unobserved, and captured the picket of over forty men on guard near by.  He then commenced ascending the mountain directly in his front.  By this time the enemy was seen coming down from their camps on the mountain slope, and filing into their rifle-pits to contest the crossing of the bridge.  By eleven o’clock the bridge was complete.  Osterhaus was up, and after some sharp skirmishing the enemy was driven away with considerable loss in killed and captured.

While the operations at the bridge were progressing, Geary was pushing up the hill over great obstacles, resisted by the enemy directly in his front, and in face of the guns on top of the mountain.  The enemy, seeing their left flank and rear menaced, gave way, and were followed by Cruft and Osterhaus.  Soon these were up abreast of Geary, and the whole command pushed up the hill, driving the enemy in advance.  By noon Geary had gained the open ground on the north slope of the mountain, with his right close up to the base of the upper palisade, but there were strong fortifications in his front.  The rest of the command coming up, a line was formed from the base of the upper palisade to the mouth of Chattanooga Creek.