The evening previous saw them establish themselves on the plateau, with a solid 500 feet more to go. No action was undertaken that night, but Hooker feared he and his men would advance under a withering fire in the morning. Instead, they moved up the side of Lookout Mountain to find that the Confederates had retreated in the night. Lookout Mountain was theirs.

There is no way to overstate the joy of the Federals in and around Chattanooga. The city was clearly relieved of any Confederate siege; the only question that remained was whether the Confederates would hold their ground or steal away to northern Georgia. General Bragg had, already, considered this alternative, and he decided it would be so bad for morale that he would hold on to Missionary Ridge.