After Lookout Mountain fell, Bragg asked Hardee and Breckinridge whether the army should withdraw. Hardee advised retreat, while Breckinridge considered Missionary Ridge defensible. Bragg accepted the case for battle and shifted troops retreating from Lookout Mountain into the right flank. The choice left the army on a ridge whose rear slope was even steeper than its Chattanooga face, deepening the risks of an already poorly prepared position.
Notable Point · 1:45:07-1:46:22
Bragg chooses to fight on Missionary Ridge
Hardee recommends retreat after Lookout Mountain, Breckinridge favors battle, and Bragg chooses a ridge whose steep reverse slope makes the position still more dangerous.