Well, Haley’s Trace and the route over Signal Mountain to Jasper was a long hazardous route. Alabama sharpshooters shot across the TN River. Shot mules mostly.
Wheeler on one raid at what now is Powell’s Crossroads wrecked estimated between 600 and 800 wagons. Shot all the mules which were probably 6 to a wagon. The mules consumed a large portion of fodder during the trip. Took several days, maybe a week. Had to go up and down Signal Mountain. Thus wore out mules. Thousands of mules just fell over Dead during the trip. Just a rough mountainous trail.
At Browns Ferry Longstreet originally had 5 regiments defending. Hood had been wounded at Chickamauga. Law and Jenkins wanted Hoods position. Longstreet wanted Jenkins to have it. Law had been with the Corps longer and has seniority. So this was 1 of which will become several conflicts within Longstreets lieutenants during his vacation in the West. It was great difficulty to get provisions to the West side of lookout Mountain. Couple of days before the raid on Browns Ferry, Law decides to take a few days off and visit his good friend Hood, who is convalescing down in the Tunnel Hill GA area. So Jenkins is in charge. Jenkins thinks it is a good idea to send 3 regiments back over to the East side of Lookout Mountain. So the morning of the Federal Raid, there is only 2 Regiments defending. They are overwhelmed in a brisk, short fight.
Latter in the day, Hooker will come up. Bragg and Longstreet are actually at Sunset Rock, which is on the West Brow of Lookout, surveying the situation. Be nice to have a recording of that conversation. Long story short, Bragg tells Longstreet to get Lookout Valley back. Stress the importance of it. Offers Longstreet 2 Divisions, as I recall. So this sets up the infamous Night Attack. There is one problem with all this. The Federals have three Batteries on Stringers Ridge which is on Moccasin Bend. One of the Batteries is facing the North End of Lookout Mountain. They have Tactical Control of the North Face. About 1 mile from the Cravens House from that position. so there is no way to get a Division across to the West Side And sustain them for any length of time. Next improved crossing of Lookout is 18 miles south at Stevens Gap and Johnson’s Crook. So, 4 Brigades end up engaged in the Night assault. Errors, miscommunication, Longstreet tried to recall part of them. All of the Confederates make it back over to the East Side by morning. Little damage done.
At this point in time the Confederates can’t operate further than 12 miles from the RR. For a movement against Bridgeport. Material would probably had to be off loaded at Dalton. Moved by wagon to Stevens Gap. One day to get up Lookout another to get down. Then on to Bridgeport. They don’t have the mules and wagons to do it. So they are limited to Calvary Raids.
Longstreet gets a lot of criticism for his actions in Lookout Valley. He was new to the area. Didn’t know the limitations of the AOT. He sent Porter Alexander to Bridgeport to look for possible alternatives. Could he of made it harder for the Federals, yes. There were no good alternatives. Probably the best thing they could of done was to send Longstreet to Knoxville in October. Um, then he could of made it back before the Battle of Missionary Ridge. That’s what Bragg wanted. Federal Left Flank would of been threatened. Maybe that would of been the October Surprise.