▁Tennessee ▁River ▁began ▁to ▁rise ▁on ▁March ▁ 4 . ▁ ▁Flo od ▁ ▁Starting ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁Ch att ano oga ▁experienced ▁a ▁four - day - long ▁ra inst orm . ▁By ▁March ▁ 9 , ▁all ▁of ▁Ch att ano oga ' s ▁streets ▁were ▁under ▁ ▁of ▁water . ▁Because ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁warning ▁sent ▁out , ▁most ▁residents ▁of ▁Hamilton ▁Country ▁were ▁un prep ared ▁for ▁a ▁cal am ity ▁of ▁this ▁magnitude . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁many ▁lives ▁being ▁lost ▁in ▁the ▁flo od , ▁the ▁city ▁also ▁experienced ▁huge ▁struct ural ▁damage . ▁Military ▁Bridge , ▁which , ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁bridge ▁that ▁connected ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁south ▁sh ores , ▁was ▁was hed ▁away . ▁Ch att ano oga ' s ▁te legraph ▁lines ▁were ▁also ▁destroyed ▁or ▁was hed ▁away , ▁leaving ▁the ▁Ch att ano oga ▁residents ▁unable ▁to ▁communicate ▁with ▁neighbor ing ▁cities . ▁Low ▁lying ▁cro pl ands ▁and ▁liv est ock ▁fields ▁were ▁was hed ▁away , ▁leaving ▁local ▁far mers ▁dev ast ated , ▁and ▁business es ▁and ▁homes ▁along ▁the ▁sh ores ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁were ▁completely ▁destroyed . ▁At ▁night , ▁the ▁city ▁fell ▁victim ▁to ▁lo oting ▁and ▁violence ▁while ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁River ▁continu ously ▁rose ▁sometimes ▁at ▁a ▁rate ▁of ▁one ▁foot ▁every ▁hour . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 0 , ▁the ▁Ch att ano oga ▁American ▁Union ▁wrote ▁that ▁" the ▁losses ▁of