At night a division was to be marched up to that point, and at two o’clock in the morning moved down with the current, thirty men in each boat.  A few were to land east of the mouth of the South Chickamauga, capture the pickets there, and then lay a bridge connecting the two banks of the river.  The rest were to land on the south side of the Tennessee, where Missionary Ridge would strike it if prolonged, and a sufficient number of men to man the boats were to push to the north side to ferry over the main body of Sherman’s command while those left on the south side intrenched themselves.  Thomas was to move out from his lines facing the ridge, leaving enough of Palmer’s corps to guard against an attack down the valley.  Lookout Valley being of no present value to us, and being untenable by the enemy if we should secure Missionary Ridge, Hooker’s orders were changed.  His revised orders brought him to Chattanooga by the established route north of the Tennessee.  He was then to move out to the right to Rossville.

Hooker’s position in Lookout Valley was absolutely essential to us so long as Chattanooga was besieged.  It was the key to our line for supplying the army.  But it was not essential after the enemy was dispersed from our front, or even after the battle for this purpose was begun.  Hooker’s orders, therefore, were designed to get his force past Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga Valley, and up to Missionary Ridge.  By crossing the north face of Lookout the troops would come into Chattanooga Valley in rear of the line held by the enemy across the valley, and would necessarily force its evacuation.  Orders were accordingly given to march by this route.  But days before the battle began the advantages as well as the disadvantages of this plan of action were all considered.  The passage over the mountain was a difficult one to make in the face of an enemy.  It might consume so much time as to lose us the use of the troops engaged in it at other points where they were more wanted.  After reaching Chattanooga Valley, the creek of the same name, quite a formidable stream to get an army over, had to be crossed.  I was perfectly willing that the enemy should keep Lookout Mountain until we got through with the troops on Missionary Ridge.  By marching Hooker to the north side of the river, thence up the stream, and recrossing at the town, he could be got in position at any named time; when in this new position, he would have Chattanooga Creek behind him, and the attack on Missionary Ridge would unquestionably cause the evacuation by the enemy of his line across the valley and on Lookout Mountain.  Hooker’s order was changed accordingly.  As explained elsewhere, the original order had to be reverted to, because of a flood in the river rendering the bridge at Brown’s Ferry unsafe for the passage of troops at the exact juncture when it was wanted to bring all the troops together against Missionary Ridge.