Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga rises over 1,800 feet above the Tennessee landscape. The mountain played a significant role in the Civil War and is home to a unique weather phenomenon known as “The Battle Above the Clouds.” According to Alan Brown in his Unexplained South book, “three or four times a year, a cloud bank forms at the base and, within a few hours, envelopes the entire mountain.”
While the aura adds to the backdrop of this story, it’s what happened here that turned soldiers into spirits, said to walk the rugged terrain today.
The Confederate army, hoping to thwart the advance of Federal Troops in an attempt to defend Cravens House at the top of the mountain, was unsuccessful. A regiment of Union soldiers, many wounded in the skirmish, wandered over to the eastern side of Lookout Mountain on their way north. During the next few months, many were killed by locals.
On rainy, overcast days, locals have heard the sounds of battle, cries, and curses of dying men.
The mountain is also said to be haunted by a Confederate sentry who took refuge here when the Union took control of Chattanooga. The sick and wounded soldier succumbed to starvation. Locals claim that the soldier still maintains his post, sending messages to his comrades with smoke signals and flashes of light from a pocket mirror.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Source: Alan Brown, Unexplained South