Chickamauga & Chattanooga

https://www.nps.gov/chch/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickamauga_and_Chattanooga_National_Military_Park Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, located in northern Georgia and eastern Tennessee, preserves the sites of two major battles of the American Civil War: the Battle of Chickamauga and the Chattanooga Campaign. The military park consists of four main areas, and a few small isolated reservations, around Chattanooga: Chickamauga Battlefield, Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain Battlefield and Point Park, Moccasin Bend In 1863, Union and Confederate forces fought for control of Chattanooga, known as the "Gateway to the Deep South." The Confederates were victorious at nearby Chickamauga in September. However, renewed fighting in Chattanooga that November provided Union troops victory and control of the city. After the fighting, a Confederate soldier ominously wrote, "This...is the death-knell of the Confederacy." From I-75, take exit 350 onto Battlefield Parkway (GA HWY 2) and continue to the intersection of Battlefield Parkway and LaFayette Road. Turn left onto LaFayette Road and continue for approximately 1 mile. The visitor center will be on the right. From I-24, take exit 180 onto Rossville Boulevard (US HWY 27). Continue south to the intersection of Battlefield Parkway. Drive through the intersection, continuing on the LaFayette Road. The visitor center will be on the right. Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center The Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center is located at the north end of Chickamauga Battlefield. Inside are museum exhibits on the Battle of Chickamauga and Campaign for Chattanooga, as well as the Fuller Gun Collection. There is a bookstore administered by America's National Parks and an orientation film is shown every half hour. The Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center is open daily from 8:30 am to 5 pm but is closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day. From I-75, take exit 350 onto Battlefield Parkway (GA HWY 2) and continue to the intersection of Battlefield Parkway and LaFayette Road. Turn left onto LaFayette Road and continue for approximately 1 mile. The visitor center will be on the right. From I-24, take exit 180 onto Rossville Boulevard (US HWY 27). Continue south to the intersection of Battlefield Parkway. Drive through the intersection, continuing on the LaFayette Road. The visitor center will be on the right. Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center Atop Lookout Mountain, discover details about the siege of Chattanooga and the battles for control of the city. View exhibits and the historic 13- by 30-foot James Walker painting,THE BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. Point Park has battery positions, monuments, exhibits, trails, and views. From Exit 178, turn left onto Broad Street. Broad Street will become U.S. Highway 41 (Cummings Highway). Turn left onto TN Highway 148. Continue on TN Highway 148 to the top of Lookout Mountain. At the top, turn right onto East Brow Road. The Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center is located at the end of East Brow Road, across the street from the Point Park Entrance Gate Kelley Cabin on Chickamauga Battlefield Kelley Cabin Living Historians are seen in Kelley Field and in the distance at the Kelley Cabin during the 150th anniversary Illinois Monument at Bragg Reservation on Missionary Ridge Illinois Monument Silent sentinels stand on the Illinois Monument at the Bragg Reservation on Missionary Ridge Battlefield Cannon on Lookout Mountain Cannon on Lookout Mountain As the sun sets on Lookout Mountain, a lone cannon guards the valley below. Lookout Mountain and the National Cemetery Lookout Mountain and the National Cemetery The graves of fallen soldiers from Chickamauga to present dot the landscape in Chattanooga as Lookout Mountain looms in the background Living Historians on Orchard Knob in Chattanooga Living Historians on Orchard Knob Confederate soldiers stand watch from Orchard Knob during the 150th anniversary of the Battles for Chattanooga in 2013. Traditional Trades Apprenticeship Program’s Rodney Flora A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Rodney Flora applied to the Historic Preservation Training Center’s Traditional Trades Apprenticeship Program (TTAP) after graduating from Shepherd University. Find out how this veteran found his passion in manual labor, not unlike his military experience. Rodney Flora stands to the right of five other crew and staff members. African American Participation in the Civil War Campaign For Chattanooga Learn about the experiences of some of the African Americans who participated in the Battle of Chickamauga. Photo of Andrew and Silas Chandler wearing Confederate Uniforms NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, Georgia and Tennessee Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. cannons in field with split rail fence The Women's Army Corps at Chickamauga During World War II, around 50,000 women trained at Chickamauga Battlefield and the Third WAC Training Center. Female soldiers stand on the steps of the Florida Monument at Chickamauga during World War War II Not Just a Walk in the Park: The Urban Archeology Corps at Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park The Urban Archeology Corps has worked with archeologists from the National Park Service's Southeast Archeological Center (SEAC) on small archeological projects at Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. Learn about one of these projects. UAC participants learning about Civil War earthworks from park staff Moccasin Bend: At the Crossroads of Slavery and Freedom In the years before the Civil War, the lives of enslaved African Americans converged on Moccasin Bend as they moved across this peninsula. Some were being forced further south on the slave trade, while others escaped and engaged with the Underground Railroad. A peninsula in the Tennessee River near Chattanooga Preparing For the Great War at Chickamauga Battlefield Beginning in the summer of 1917, the War Department utilized Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park as a training ground for thousands of soldiers preparing to go to France. By the end of the war, six miles of training trenches crisscrossed the battlefield and 60,000 men had trained as officers, engineers, and medical personnel. Officer candidates conduct weapons training at Chickamauga Battlefield in 1917 The Military Experience The course of the war was the cumulative result of political, economic, and social policies that affected (and were affected by) military operations and battles waged across a front spanning 2,000 miles. The battles and campaigns of 1861-65 ultimately demonstrated that the simple application of massive military force, even with innovations in technologies and tactics, was insufficient to resolve a conflict between two sections mobilized against one another politically, socia Engraving of soldier warming himself by a fire Photo of U.S. Sanitary Commission office. Wildflowers of Orchard Knob Orchard Knob Reservation in Chattanooga, TN was preserved for its historic significance. But preserving the battlefield created an oasis for wildflower populations in the midst of a bustling city. Pink flowers on a green hillside in front of monuments James A. Garfield and the Civil War (Part II) Part 2 of James A. Garfield and the Civil War explores Garfield involvement during the Battle of Chickamauga and later wartime experiences. Battle of Chickamauga Grant at Lookout Mountain Although Grant considered the battle at Lookout Mountain nothing more than a small skirmish, the Union victory freed General Hooker to join the main assault on Missionary Ridge the following day and forced the Confederates to retreat to Georgia. Grant storming and capturing lookout mountain. Smoke fills the battlefield while soldiers do battle. The Civil War's Impact on Schools for the Deaf and the Blind in the South Schools for the Deaf and the Blind were profoundly affected by the Civil War, and in very different ways between schools in the North and the South. In the North, schools continued their terms, with the battles being taught as "current events." In the South, students were sent home as their schools were taken over as field hospitals or severely damaged in battles. Metal sign on a vertical post in front of a 2-story, red-brick building with 2 rows of windows. Grant at Missionary Ridge As the sun rose on November 25, 1863, Ulysses S. Grant looked out from his field headquarters on Orchard Knob and saw his plan to take Missionary Ridge and defeat the Confederates at Chattanooga spring into action. Cannon on top of Missionary Ridge. Causes of Deafness During the Civil War Civil War soldiers faced death on a daily basis. However, they also faced going home with various disabilities. One such disability was partial or complete deafness. Many soldiers were accustomed to temporary deafness from the constant artillery fire in the field. However, illness, the environment, and even the medicine the doctors used on patients could cause a much more permanent hearing loss. 102 Cases of Deafness.Prepared 4 Consideration of senate & house of reps. by Wallace E. Foster. Series: The Odyssey of Ulysses An unknown 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S.-Mexican War later resigns the army. He rejoins and goes on to become lieutenant general of all Union armies. In his first term as President of the United States, he establishes Yellowstone National Park. From his first battle to his family home to his final resting place — the saga of Ulysses S. Grant is preserved in your National Parks. Color lithograph of Grant at the capture of the city of Mexico. Challenging The Ranger Image In spite of programs to encourage hiring of individuals with disabilities, it was often others’ misconceptions or discomfort that prevented women with disabilities from getting National Park Service (NPS) jobs. Those hired in the 1970s and early 1980s brought diverse skillsets and new perspectives to the workforce. Like the earliest women rangers in the 1910s and 1920s, they often only had short-term positions. They all challenged ideas of what it takes to be a park ranger. Ranger Vicky White in a wheelchair with a visitor and man in military dress. 50 Nifty Finds #5: Keeping Their Cool The park ranger uniform is known the world over. Perhaps the most iconic part of the uniform is the broad-brimmed flat hat. Over the last century, however, many different kinds of hats have been worn by rangers depending on their gender, where they work, the season of the year, and the jobs they do. While a pith helmet may bring up images of Colonial Britain, World War II soldiers, explorers, or people on safaris, for a while it was also be worn by some park rangers. Tan pith helmet with a silver Sequoia cone on the front Project Profile: Control Invasive Plants in Appalachia The National Park Service will hire a biological technician and two interns to assist the Southeast Region Invasive Plant Management Team (SE IPMT) in coordinating Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) efforts, provide training to parks, and work with parks to complete additional treatments to manage invasive plants. a person with a weed sprayed backpack stands next to vegetation Outside Science (inside parks): Uncovering Artifacts at Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park Join Archeological Technician Abbey Vander Sluis and intern Mika Claybrook as they search for artifacts at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park to help bring to life what happened on Civil War battlefields. Title screen image of Outside Science (inside parks) at Chickamauga & Chattanooga 50 Nifty Finds #38: A Germ of an Idea A lot of articles have been written about the history of the National Park Service (NPS) arrowhead emblem. Many recycle the same content and outdated information that has largely come from the NPS itself. Challenging the traditional story has revealed new sources of information—and two previously overlooked arrowhead designs—that rewrite the arrowhead origin story. Wooden arrowhead plaque on stand Series: Park Paleontology News - Vol. 16, No. 1, Spring 2024 All across the park system, scientists, rangers, and interpreters are engaged in the important work of studying, protecting, and sharing our rich fossil heritage. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/newsletters.htm">Park Paleontology news</a> provides a close up look at the important work of caring for these irreplaceable resources. <ul><li>Contribute to Park Paleontology News by contacting the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/common/utilities/sendmail/sendemail.cfm?o=5D8CD5B898DDBB8387BA1DBBFD02A8AE4FBD489F4FF88B9049&r=/subjects/geoscientistsinparks/photo-galleries.htm">newsletter editor</a></li><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/">Fossils & Paleontology</a> </li><li>Celebrate <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/">National Fossil Day</a> with events across the nation</li></ul> Photo of a mountain hillside with flowers. A Georgia State University and National Park Service Collaboration: Fossil Fact Sheets in the Southeast Region A partnership between Georgia State University and the NPS Paleontology Program has enabled more focused paleontological resource support in parks in the Southeast Region of the U.S. During the past several years students mentored by Dr. Christy Visaggi have helped to complete paleontological resource inventories in several parks in the southeast region uncovering the fossil records of these parks. Photo of 3 people standing in front of a poster display. Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park Service To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. Project Profile: Restore Eastern Grasslands The National Park Service will restore up to 4,000 acres of agricultural fields and degraded lands across 37 parks in 15 states. This landscape-scale restoration project will expand the range and connectivity of native grasslands across the eastern US, restore biodiversity and critical ecosystem functions, reduce pesticide use, benefit people and wildlife, and create employment opportunities for diverse early career youth. A park manager and others standing amidst a grassy landscape. Guide to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Southeast Region Collection This finding aid describes the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Southest Region Collection, part of the NPS History Collection. Project Profile: A Strategic Approach to Building Forest Resiliency in Southeast Parks The National Park Service is addressing the climate change vulnerability of southeast park ecosystems. Fall-colored trees on a mountain slope. A tree is in the right-side foreground. Hidden in Plain Sight: Old Growth Remnant Grasslands During 2024 scouting for a large eastern grassland restoration project funded by IRA and BIL, several old growth remnant grasslands were identified in National Capital and Northeast Region parks that were previously unknown. These remnants preserve the genetic integrity of the original grassland flora of the eastern US and are true unexpected treasures that in some cases, were hidden in plain sight. a grassland landscape with distant trees

Chickamauga and Chattanooga Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Georgia / Tennessee National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Chickamauga Chattanooga It seemed as though a terrible cyclone was sweeping over the earth, driving everything before it. Still they advance, and still we shoot them down, and still they come. Col. Benjamin Scribner, 38th Indiana Infantry, USA Union soldiers fire from Horseshoe Ridge during the Battle of Chickamauga. FROM THE PAINTING TO THE LAST ROUND: THE 21ST OHIO AT HORSESHOE RIDGE © KEITH ROCCO / TRADITION STUDIOS Capt. Samuel T. Foster, 24th Texas Cavalry (Dismounted), CSA Confederate soldiers defend their position on Missionary Ridge. FROM THE PAINTING ON EMPTY RIFLES © RICK REEVES The Campaign for Chattanooga: Death Knell of the Confederacy? President Abraham Lincoln believed that taking Chattanooga was as important as taking Richmond. Why was a small town of 2,500 as important as the capital of the Confederacy? The small city lay on the banks of the Tennessee River where it cut through the Appalachian Mountains, allowing four major railroads to converge (see map at right). If the Union captured Chattanooga, it could cripple Confederate supply lines and strike at the industrial heart of the Confederacy. In the summer of 1863, Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg and his Army of Tennessee controlled Chattanooga. But Union Gen. William Rosecrans skillfully moved his Army of the Cumberland south, across the Tennessee River and over Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain, threatening the Confederates from behind. By early September, Bragg realized he had been outmaneuvered. The Confederate Army had no choice but to abandon the city and its remaining residents. Rosecrans thought the Confederates were retreating toward Atlanta, prompting him and his army to pursue the gray-clad soldiers into Georgia. However, the Confederates had a surprise of their own. Bragg, now heavily reinforced, was not going to give up Chattanooga without a fight. At the Battle of Chickamauga, little went as planned and thousands of men lost their lives. Yet, it would be late November before the city’s fate would be decided—and perhaps that of the Confederacy. Gaining Control of the South 1861 Armies in the western theater fought for control between the Mississippi River and the Appalachians. After Chattanooga, the western theater expanded toward the eastern theater, which centered around the Union and Confederate capitals. Western Theater Confederates violate Kentucky’s neutrality. October Eastern Theater Confederates bombard Fort Sumter, SC; war begins. April 1863 1862 1864 1865 Confederates move to suppress Unionists in eastern Tennessee. November Union captures Fort Donelson and Fort Henry in Tennessee. February Union victories, Shiloh and Stones River, TN. April, December Union captures Vicksburg, MS. July Confederates rout Union at Chickamauga, GA and begin siege of Chattanooga, TN. Sept. 18–20 Union defeats Confederacy at Chattanooga, opening way to Georgia. November 23–25 Union victories, Kennesaw Mountain and Atlanta, GA. June, July Confederate Army of Tennessee surrenders in NC. April Confederate victory, Battle of First Manassas, VA. July Union victory, Antietam, MD. September Confederate victory, Fredericksburg, VA. December Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation. January Confederate victory, Chancellorsville, VA. May Union victory, Gettysburg, PA. July Siege of Richmond and Petersburg, VA; Lincoln re-elected. June, November Confederate Army of Northern Virginia surrenders at Appomattox, VA; Lincoln assassinated. April Battles for Chattanooga Battle of Chickamauga For thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers, their hopes hinge on controlling Chattanooga—the “gateway” to the Confederacy. Yet, in midSeptember, they meet in the peaceful farm fields of north Georgia, along a tranquil creek named Chickamauga. In late October, the Union uses darkness to silently float past Confederates on Lookout Mountain. Then, in a rare night battle near Wauhatchie, they win control of Lookout Valley and secure their new supply route, the “Cracker Line.” Chattanooga is still up for grabs. September 18 November 23 Surprise, confusion, and hard fighting replace the well-laid plans of General Bragg, who hoped to block LaFayette Road and cut the Union’s route to Chattanooga. As darkness falls, Bragg is still confident he can continue his plans and stop the Union Army in the morning. However, General Rosecrans moves his troops north throughout the night, a move that could turn the tide of battle. Thousands of Union soldiers march out of Chattanooga. Like a great blue wave, they crash around Confederate-held Orchard Knob, a small hill between the city and Missionary Ridge. The Southerners flee, providing General Grant a strategic view of his next goal, the ridge. During the night, Bragg reinforces his line on Missionary Ridge. September 19 September 20