Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Chickamauga Battlefield Today…&..Yesterday

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Linking to FRIDAY’S FENCES

On the way to Florida (READ POST) we stopped for the night in Ringgold,Georgia. There was just enough daylight for a quick tour of The Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Park.

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In 1890, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park was the first such site created by Congress.

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The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863,involved the second highest number of casualties in the war following the Battle of Gettysburg. (click on link to read Gettysburg post)

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The purpose of this post is to be a quick visual “walkabout” of the area with a few facts (that I wasn’t aware of) thrown in.

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In Chickamauga's torn and smoky woodlands, nothing was simple.If you are interested in the details of this very complicated battle CLICK

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The battlefield is covered with monuments and informational plaques explaining the battle:: EXAMPLE::

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Many years before the Civil War battle, the Cherokee Indians, after many battles, had named the stream that runs thru the battlefield  "The River of Death" or Chickamauga.

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During the Spanish American War, more American soldiers died during training on the Chickamauga Battlefield than during all the fighting in Cuba and the Caribbean during that four month war in 1898.

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With his brigades deployed in column, Brig. Gen. Henry Clayton's was the first to hit three Federal brigades around the Brotherton Farm. They fired until their ammunition was gone.

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Today the   Battlefield is home to some wild turkeys. They even have a Wild Turkey 5 Mile Run.

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A great place for some jogging. As a matter of fact the The Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon, in its 33rd year, is run through the nation's oldest military park. Known as the "most family-friendly" marathon, the runner-up for "most scenic" marathon, and third for best overall marathon.DSC_0087

After the fighting, a Confederate soldier ominously wrote, "This...is the death-knell of the Confederacy." Sometimes you win the battle but loose the war… READ MORE

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The “Soldier” below spent about eight hours in the car driving from Lancaster,Ohio (Home town of General Sherman) and then a few hours walking/driving around the battlefield.

DSC_0088It was time to take this “Trooper” for some chow and a good nights rest at the Ringgold Hampton Inn on Battlefield Parkway(thumbs up)……We appreciated the hospitality..

gsCLICK to read a little more about General Sherman and Lancaster,Ohio

ANTIETAM BATTLEFIELD and the BURNSIDE BRIDGE POST

One more suggestion: Make sure to see the movie “LINCOLN”..Maybe one Congress isn’t all that different from another…LOL

LINCOLN Click on photo to watch Official Trailer…..Linking to FRIDAY’S FENCES

16 comments:

Elizabeth Edwards said...

love your header shot. great trip you had here. i rather enjoy fences like this ... so creative i think. neat!! ( :

Jim said...

Fascinating history.

Carletta said...

A nice history lesson Joe!
I always associate these fences with battlefields but know they were used elsewhere too.
Great header shot!

Tanya Breese said...

i've been there! my husbands gg grandfather was wounded at Chattanooga..musket ball to the neck, and survived! lived to be a very old man...beautiful area isn't it?!

Jan n Jer said...

Looks like lots of history here! Saw the movie Lincoln n loved it!!!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Oh Yes---you were in our neck of the woods... I have a son living in Dalton (south of Chattanooga)... Hope you made it into Chattanooga and went up on Lookout Mtn...

Great set of pictures and explanations.. I love bloggers who give info with their photos.. THANKS!!!
Betsy

Joe Todd said...

Betsy We had to save Lookout Mtn. for another trip

Anonymous said...

Park service split rails...no mistaken 'em. I live in the midst of many CW battlefields her in central VA. Heck I grew up on one...

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Great post, we toured the Vickburg Military Park last year. The savagery of the Civil War is awful.

Sharkbytes said...

I have never been to that battlefield. We did see Lincoln. Excellent.

Sharkbytes said...

I have never been to that battlefield. We did see Lincoln. Excellent.

TONY LETTS said...

Is that a cannon in front of you or are you just pleased to see me? :)

A Colorful World said...

So very impressive, Joe! You do such informative posts on the places you visit, with lots of pictures and info! Love it! We should all take time to see these important places.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

How fascinating and shivery that the river was called 'the river of death' so long before all this happened.

Your pictures are good -- can't say the post makes me happy, but we have to remember the sad chapters of our history (too many of them). We didn't get to spend enough time in this area. Wish we were able to remedy that. I'll have to rely on your posts; almost as good!

Mike382 said...

Great place to go walking, I used to live a few miles from there and I would go jogging there in the mornings. It’s a very beautiful place.

Mike382 said...

Great place to go for a walk, I used to live a few miles from there and would go jogging there in the mornings. Good pictures, brings back a lot of good memories.