The plaque in back of the house had the following inscription:

The Cravens House
The Federals drove the Confederates from their headquarters here.

Robert Cravens, an ironmaster, built the first home on this site in 1856. Seven years later, in the fall of 1863, Confederate troops occupied Lookout Mountain and the Cravens house became the headquarters of Confederate Brig. General Edward C. Walthall.

On November 24th, 1863, the Union troops stormed the foggy slopes of Lookout Mountain in the famed "Battle Above the Clouds". Federal infantry pushed the outnumbered Confederates around the north end of the mountain and around the Cravens' terrace. As teh Confederates fell back, the Cravens House fell into Union hands.

The skirmishing ended near here about dusk, and at 2 a.m., the Confederates being short on men and ammunition withdrew from the mountain. At dawn Union soldiers climbed to Point Lookout, just above here, and planted the U.S. flag.