Lookout Mountain Battlefield

The Battle Above the Clouds happened here in 1863. Visitors have seen phantom soldiers marching through the fog on the mountainside, like the battle keeps replaying.

On November 24, 1863, Union forces under General Joseph Hooker attacked Confederate positions on Lookout Mountain in what became known as the Battle Above the Clouds -- so named because low-hanging clouds obscured the fighting from observers below. The battle was part of the larger Chattanooga Campaign that broke the Confederate siege of the city. Hundreds of soldiers died on the mountain's steep slopes.

Visitors to Point Park and the surrounding trails report seeing ghostly soldiers marching through the fog, particularly on misty autumn mornings that mirror the conditions of the original battle. The sound of distant musket fire and shouted commands echo across the bluffs. Near Cravens House, which served as a field hospital, visitors have reported the smell of blood and antiseptic, and dark figures are seen in the windows at twilight.