Part of the Chattanooga Campaign, it followed a heavy Confederate loss at the Battle of Missionary Ridge from which General Braxton Bragg's artillery and wagon trains were forced to retreat south.

The disastrous Confederate rout at Battle of Missionary Ridge on November 25 forced the Army of Tennessee to retreat into northwest Georgia.

[5] To allow time for his artillery and wagon trains to safely pass through the gap, Confederate General Braxton Bragg sent Patrick Cleburne's unit of 4,157 men[6] to defend it from the Union army.

[6] All accounts the Union received about Bragg's army suggested a hasty and unorganized retreat following the Battle of Missionary Ridge.

[11] Having finally reached Ringgold Gap around 10:00 p.m.,[9] Hooker halted two and a half miles from the Confederate army during the night of November 26–27.

[12] Brigadier General Mark Perrin Lowrey and Lucius Polk's troops of the Confederate Reserve were sent to guard the passage at Taylor's Ridge.

[14] Cleburne's tactical position was completed with the placement of two cannons at the opening of the gap along with a regiment under the leadership of Richard Goldthwaite.

[30] After holding his position for five hours,[31] Cleburne received communications from Bragg around 12:00 p.m.[17] notifying him that the army had made it safely through the gap and he could begin his retreat.

[31] Grant arrived near the gap, and the scattered position of his army made him decide to return to Chattanooga; no further Union pursuit was organized.