this was the most brilliant, perhaps, of grant's victories. it is known as the "battle of missionary ridge." hooker had exceeded his prerogative and kept on after capturing the crest of lookout mountain, while sherman was giving the foe several varieties of fits, from the north, when grant discovered that before him the line was being weakened in order to help the confederate flanks. so with thomas he crossed through the first line and over the rifle-pits, forgot that he had intended to halt and reform, and concluded to wait and reform after the war was over, when he should have more time, and that night along the entire line of heights the camp-fires of the union army winked at one another in ghoulish glee.