Grant routed Sherman's troops so the Confederates could not tell whether they were moving toward Chattanooga or Knoxville. Bragg had already sent much of his cavalry toward Knoxville, reducing his ability to observe the Union concentration. He consequently reinforced the wrong expectation and sent another 11,000 troops away while Missionary Ridge remained thinly held. The deception worked because Confederate reconnaissance was already weak and Bragg's assumptions went untested.
Notable Point · 1:24:05-1:31:01
Knoxville deception blinded Bragg to Sherman's real objective
Sherman's concealed approach and Bragg's depleted cavalry screen encouraged a fatal belief that Union reinforcements were bound for Knoxville.