Bragg and his army on Lookout and Missionary Ridge, formed their
lines as if in review and moved forward to attack the enemy.
Rapidly advancing "in the most gallant style" our troops steadily
pushed in the rebel line. They first struck the pickets, drove
these on the reserve and then sweeping everything before them they
hurled the rebels out of their first line of rifle-pits and sent
them on the full run in retreat to the rear, except over two hundred
of them captured. Here Granger's troops made themselves secure by
throwing up temporary breastworks, while he sent a strong picket
line to the front to protect his new line. In this charge Granger's
line secured "Orchard Knob" which was then occupied by Bridges'
battery. Howard's corps was placed in position on the left of the
line to Granger's left and also ordered to throw up breastworks.

Sherman after crossing the river on the 23d, about 1 P.M., placed
his command in three columns, following in his advance the general
direction of Chickamauga Creek, with his left under Morgan L. Smith
resting on the creek. His centre was under John E. Smith and his
right under Ewing, all under the command of Frank P. Blair, Corps
Commander. In support of these, Davis's division also moved to
the attack. Grant and Sherman had supposed that Missionary Ridge
was one prolonged even range. When Sherman left the river he passed
over the foothills and then pressed up what he supposed was the
main portion of the ridge. When he reached the top of this, after
a lively skirmish with the rebel pickets, he found a deep depression
intervening between this hill and the next, which was the one the
tunnel ran through, where the rebels were heavily intrenched, and
which he had been ordered to take. On the top of this first hill,
finding he could not take the hill beyond where the tunnel ran
through, he threw up intrenchments and prepared to hold the ground