Ulysses S Grant - Battle of Chattanooga - History

In the Eastern Theatre of War, the union were continually on the losing side and made little or no progress. Only U.S Grant is making significant progress and delivering major victories in the Western Theatre of War. In 1864, Lincoln finally finds Ulysses S Grant and congress gives him the rank of lieutenant General (3 Star) last held by George Washington himself. The war will end quickly in a year after U.S Grant's appointment, as the General of all Union armies.

The American Civil War called for incredibly heroic leaders. The South had Robert E. Lee leading its armies right from the very beginning. However, President Lincoln did not find a general who could succeed for the North until he found Ulysses S. Grant. Lincoln tried and rejected six generals before he found Grant. Although these generals possessed leadership skills and military know-how, most had no skill at winning battles. Grant was a quiet, unassuming 39-year-old from West Point whose persistence and strength of character enabled him to get the job done. Grant had the ability to inspire and lead men with excitement and enthusiasm. He led the northern citizens to win battles and ultimately save the Union.

[CBCO]

Gen Thomas didn't get enough credit for this victory, because it was his men who assaulted Missionary Ridge without orders, against a strongly fortified, and nearly unassailable position and took the ridge forcing the entire Confederate army to retreat. Thomas had just previously been nicknamed the Rock of Chickamunga for the way he held the line, saving the rest of the Union Army during their retreat and holding up the Confederate advance.

[Autobotmatt]

A young Wisconsin Lieutenant 18 years old who lead the charge on the ridge waving the flag of his regiment! That kids name was Arthur MacArthur JR he would be awarded the Medal of Honor. He was the Father of General Douglas MacArthur.

[icu]

Thomas was probably the most underrated underappreciated Union General on the field.

[johnfleet]

This key to this battle was set in place in October 1863 when Grant arrived in Chattanooga. A Union officer commented that before Grant arrived it was chaos and disorder. Once Grant arrived the chaos dissipated, and order and discipline was restored.

[OliverSolorzano]

Hey History Channel, I’m gonna speak for a collective majority opinion. Please invest and make more documentaries and shows like this.

[tomservo]

His experience in the Mexican War as quartermaster gave Grant immeasurable hands-on experience in how important keeping a marching army supplied was. The Napoleon adage "An army marches on it's stomach."
Reading Bruce Catton's account of Lookout Mountain George Thomas and his boys were looked upon as 'losers' for Chickamauga and a sweeping urge to prove everyone wrong and restore their beloved 'Pap Thomas' made them surge forward. As Catton summed up 'No power on earth could have held these veterans of Chickamauga back'. Grant sharply asked Thomas "Who ordered them to advance?" to which Thomas said he had no idea but I'm sure he was beaming on the inside with pride at his boys.

[smithsonian]

When I was a student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, I had a small garage apartment on Missionary ridge. It was only a 2 and a half minute walk up to the top. At the top I could see all of the city below me. One of my professors also lived on the Ridge, and their neighbor actually had a cannon in their yard.

[OmegaTrooper]

An actual good History Channel show. My God.

[mcghee]

Rebel Generals: Ha! Union is weak! Who running them? Rebel soldier: Grant
Rebel Generals: Oh shit.

[jpizzel]

This made grant probably one of my favorite presidents ever

[Fitch]

Grant was furious at the Army of the Cumberland when they attacked. He actually tried to get Thomas to recall the men down from the heights, Thomas basically told him that would be impossible. The Army of the Cumberland were on a mission that day, they had been mortified over what happened to them at Chickamauga, Grant had been treating them horribly ever since he had arrived. Thomas had tried multiple times to get Grant to allow them to do even simple menial tasks, such as scouting and what-not, Grant refused every time. So when he finally ordered them to do something, they took it upon themselves to show him they were not the demoralized and useless force he thought they were.

[floadd]

Chattanooga was such a great victory and a great battlefield. It is well worth the visit.

[jimkinkade]

I’ve been there, the mountain is unbelievable!

[Blueboy]

"They don't stop", I love that line.

[davidsault]

The morale that caused the charge was extraordinary and indicated the troop's absolute trust and support for their commander, General Grant.

[manfredgrieshaber]

One Union commander who was born in Germany is nearly forgotton in his german home town: Peter Joseph Osterhaus. Mary Bobbitt Townsend, a great great granddaughter of PJ Osterhaus wrote a biography about her famous ancestor, it's called "Yankee Warhorse".
PJ Osterhaus was born in 1823 in Koblenz, Germany. As a second lieutenant of the prussian army he took part in the 1848 revolution in Germany and tried again to change the political system in Germany in 1849 in the Grand Duchy of Baden. But this uprising also failed so he had to leave Germany and moved the Belleville IL. During the Civil War he became a brigadier general and commander of the 1st division of the XV. corps of the Union Army. This division took part in the battle of Chattanooga. After the war he was promoted consul of the United States and was sent to France first before in 1877 he worked as a consul in Karlsruhe, the capital of Baden which was then a part of the new Germay Empire. This was a little bit absurd as 28 years before he returned to Baden he had been one of the leading commanders of the revolutionary troops there which had forced the Grandduke of Baden to flee.
The university of Oldenburg, Germany runs a research project about the so called fortyeighters i. e. Franz Sigel, Carl Schurz, PJ Osterhaus and many others.

[redt]

The fact that they had to wait days or even weeks to get communications from each other is absolutely insane and makes what Grant did even more impressive.

[thewiseoldherper]

Grant didn’t give the order to advance but I gave him the credit for the victory. His leadership and victories had put his troops in a mindset that they would succeed if they went.

[bernardomontell]

Just finished this show.

Magnificent, very well done.

Would love to see more like this.

[notapilot]

As I heard it, an enlisted soldier took the flag, rallied the troops behind, and in a spontaneous movement they all went for the top of Missionary Ridge. It was a remarkable demonstration of the importance of spirit, or elan as the French call it, in battle.