"In 1852 Colonel James Whiteside built a road from the north end of Lookout Mountain to his property at the top, then called Point Lookout. The ride up took four hours in a buggy with a good horse, but the view was stunning. In 1857 Col. Whiteside added a hotel that would be destroyed during the Civil War.
A few days after the battle of Chickamauga the Army of Tennessee retook Lookout Mountain and used it as an observation post and to fire on Chattanooga. Confederate artillery from Point Lookout was largely ineffective. After the Union Army successfully completed the "cracker line" the position became a target. On November 24, 1863 General Joseph Hooker [US] launched an attack that would become known as the "Battle Above The Clouds." Although no fighting actually took place in Point Park a Confederate artillery battery did fire on Union soldiers, who were sweeping the mountainside (see The Battle of Lookout Mountain)." (
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The New York Peace Memorial is an impressive monument, reaching 85 feet in height; its white stone glistens in the sunlight. It was dedicated on Nov. 15, 1910 to commemorate the Civil War's "Battle Above the Clouds." It is a rare Civil War Memorial with a Confederate soldier and a Union soldier shaking hands. Various informational plaques surround the base, they read:
"[Text from the outer plaque facing north]:
On Nov. 23, 1863, Maj. Gen. Hooker was directed to make a demonstration early the following morning on the Point of Lookout Mountain with the troops in Lookout Valley under his command, aggregating 9,681.
Geary’s Division started at 8:00 A.M., crossed Lookout Creek at Light’s Dam, and, moving by the flank, enveloped in fog and mist, until its right rested under the palisades. Marched northerly by brigades in echelon; Cobham’s Brigade the right, Ireland’s the center, and Candy’s the left. Whitaker’s Brigade was in support. Grose’s Brigade drove the enemy from the bridge near railroad crossing and put it in repair.
Columns of Confederates moved from their camps and occupied protected positions on the western slope of the mountain. From these vantage points and the summit, they swept, with a fire of musketry, the ground over which the Union troops advanced. The Union artillery from ridges west of Lookout Creek and at Moccasin Point, fired effectively upon the enemy on the mountain side.
Geary’s line smartly engaged the Confederate advance about 10 o’clock and, after his column had cleared the approaches to the railroad bridge, Woods’ and Grose’s Brigades crossed and extended the Union left to the road over the point of the mountain, pushing forward with Geary’s Division whose right and center shortly thereafter attacked Walthall’s Brigade behind breastworks. Though resisting stubbornly, the enemy was outflanked and speedily pushed back at all points until the head of the Union column reached Craven’s House about noon. The Confederates retiring southerly to a line 400 yards beyond, which they occupied until their final withdrawal at 2 A.M. on the 25th. At 7 P.M. Carlin’s Brigade reached Craven’s House from Chattanooga, relieving Geary’s right, and held this position throughout the night.
[Text from the outer plaque facing west]:
Union Troops in Battle of Lookout Mountain
Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, Commanding.
2nd Division, 12th Corps (Slocum) - Brig. Gen. John W. Geary
First Brigade - Col. Charles Candy & Col. William R. Creighton
Second Brigade - Col. George A. Cobham, Jr.
Third Brigade - Col. David Ireland
1st Division, 15th Corps (Blair) - Brig. Gen. Peter J. Osterhaus
First Brigade - Brig. Gen. Charles R. Woods
Second Brigade - Col. James A. Williamson
1st Division, 4th Corps (Granger) - Brig. Gen. Charles Cruft
Second Brigade - Brig. Gen. Walter Whitaker
Third Brigade - Col. William Grose
1st Division, 14th Corps (Palmer) - Brig. Gen. Richard W. Johnson
First Brigade - Brig. Gen. William P. Carlin
Artillery
I, 1st New York, Capt. Michael Wiedrich: K, 1st Ohio, Lt. Nicholas Sahm: Knap's E. Pennsylvania, Lt. Jas. D. McGill: K, 5th U.S., Capt. E. C. Bainbridge: 1st Iowa, Lt. Jas. M. Williams: F, 2nd Missouri, Capt. C. Landgraeber: 4th Ohio, Capt. Geo. Froehlich: 10th Indiana, Capt. Wm. A. Naylor: 7th Indiana, (section) Lt. O. H. Morgan: 18th Ohio, Lt. J. McCafferty: 8th Wisconsin, Lt. O. German." (
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