Grant intended Thomas's advance to relieve pressure on Sherman, but Thomas wanted Hooker's flank attack underway while Grant considered Hooker's position secondary. Their dispute left corps commander Gordon Granger directing an artillery battery until Grant personally sent him back to command. Wood and Sheridan already had orders, and the signal guns fired before some brigades knew whether the rifle pits or the crest were their objective. After overwhelming the thin Confederate line at the base, Union soldiers found that remaining there exposed them to artillery from above and began climbing without a clear order. Officers reinforced success as separate regiments used folds in the ground to approach the crest. The Confederate line cracked without a tactical reserve, and the improvised supporting attack became the decisive assault of the battle.
Chapter · 2:00:28-2:18:47
The assault on Missionary Ridge outruns its orders
Thomas's divisions seize the rifle pits, then climb Missionary Ridge without clear orders because remaining under Confederate artillery is even more dangerous.