In mid-December 2012, I had the opportunity to spend some time at the Chickamauga battlefield just south of Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. The Civil War battle occurred on September 19-20, 1863. The battle had the second highest number of casualties in the war, after Gettysburg. The Federal Army of the Cumberland suffered 1,657 killed, 9,756 wounded and 4,757 captured or missing for a total of 16,170 out of a force of approximately 60,000 (27% casualty rate). The Confederate Army of Tennessee endured 2,312 killed, 14,674 wounded and 1,468 captured or missing for a total of 18,454 casualties out of a force of approximately 65,000 (28% rate).
On August 19,1890, President Harrison signed into law "an act to establish a National Military Park at the battle-field of Chickamauga." It was the first piece of legislation authorizing the preservation of an American battlefield. The park was set aside "for the purpose of preserving and suitably marking for historical and professional military study the fields of some of the most remarkable maneuvers and most brilliant fighting in the war of the rebellion." According to the Society of the Army of the Cumberland, this was to be "no place for pleasure-seekers or loungers. The hosts that in the future come to the grand Park will come rather with feelings of awe or reverence."
The park was dedicated on September 18-20, 1895, exactly 32 years after the battle. Chattanooga mayor George Ochs described the park as "holy ground where amity and reconciliation have erected in granite and in bronze the record of a country's heroes, a country now eternally and indivisibly reunited, a country proud alike of her sons, remembering that whether they died for that cause that was lost or fell for the cause that was won, they were all Americans."
The park was administered by the War Department until August, 1933, when it was transferred to the National Park Service.
The visitor center is at the northern end of the park. It houses a small gift shop, an historic collection of weapons and a fairly large theater. The new 26-minute movie about the battle is excellent. This film has only been available for a few weeks. It follows a single soldier from each army through the battle and inspires the sense of "awe or reverence" that the Society of the Army of the Cumberland wished the park would convey.
The park features a self-guiding seven mile automobile tour along the battle lines. This tour is narrated via cell phone at eight stops. In addition, there are several hiking trails throughout the park that vary in length from five to fourteen miles. The park provides a map for each trail along with a list of questions that can be answered only after reading the markers and memorials along the route.
Artillery on McDonald Field |
Confederate battle line markers along east side of Alexander's Bridge Road |
15th US Infantry marker at the intersection of Alexander's Bridge Road and Battleline Road |
Union battle line markers along west side of Alexander's Bridge Road |
View from Battleline Road through the woods to Kelly Field |
Battery F, 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Hazen's Brigade, Palmer's Division, 21st Army Corps along Battleline Road |
Kelly Field |
Dense woods between Poe Field and Dyer Field |
Artillery in Poe Field |
The Poe cabin that stood near the middle of this clearing was burned during the battle |
Brotherton Cabin on the high ground at the intersection of Dyer Road and Lafayette Road |
Battle line markers in Brotherton Field southwest of the cabin |
Federal battle line markers along Lafayette Road north of Viniard Field |
Union battle line markers in Viniard Field |
This ditch through the eastern edge of Glenn Field was dry when used for cover at various times by both sides |
Wilder Brigade Monument Wilder's "Lightning" Brigade of infantry was equipped with Spencer repeating rifles and rode horses or mules to battle before dismounting to fight |
Federal battle line markers near the Widow Glenn place at Wilder's Brigade monument |
The park website is http://www.nps.gov/chch/index.htm.
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