The mist still clung to the mountain in heavy folds early on
the 25th, when Hooker was ordered to press forward on the road to
Rossville, carry the pass, and operate on Bragg's left and rear.
Advancing down the valley, he found the rebel pickets still holding
the right bank of Chattanooga Creek. Arriving at the creek at about
ten o'clock he found the bridges on the Rossville road destroyed.
Here Hooker was delayed for some three hours, when Osterhaus in the
advance crossed the infantry on the stringers and pressed forward,
driving the enemy's pickets over to Rossville. Hooker found the
rebels at this place loading up their stores. Leaving a force on
their front, he sent Wood's brigade to take the ridge on the right,
and Williamson's on the left. After a severe skirmish the enemy
hastily retreated, abandoning large quantities of stores, wagons,
and ambulances. The gap now being under our control, Hooker ordered
the advance of our entire line, Osterhaus with his division on
the east of the ridge, Cruft on the ridge, and Geary in the valley
west of the ridge. This line advancing soon encountered the rebels
under Stewart, occupying the line of breastworks thrown up by our
troops after Chickamauga. Cruft charged on them, drove them in
all directions out of these works in full retreat. Part of them
ran into Osterhaus's men and were captured. Others were captured
by Geary in the valley. The mass of them fell back to their second
line, from which they were likewise speedily driven, when the fight
became a running one, continuing until sunset. Part of the enemy
in their endeavors to escape ran into Johnson's division of the
Fourteenth Corps, thrown forward to join the pursuit, and were
captured. Hooker's command then went into camp.

Early on the morning of the 25th Sherman made his disposition for