Back to the Battlefield

We took in a couple more of the historic sites related to the Civil War battle that occurred in this area. First we went to the Chattanooga National Cemetery. Over 12,000 Union soldiers from the Chattanooga and Chickamauga battles as well some 30,000 veterans from other wars are buried here.
One of the memorials is a tribute to Andrew's Raiders. The first Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded to these brave men who helped break the Confederate's rail connection between Atlanta and Chattanooga. The Disney movie "the Great Locomotive Chase" tells the story of the locomotive named the General that was commandeered by the raiders for their mission of sabotage.

Next we went to the Chickamauga battlefield. This portion of the battle for control of Chattanooga took place some 12 miles south of the town. The battlefield is across the border in Georgia. The battle which took place over 2 days was one of the bloodiest with heavy losses on both sides. Over 100,00 men took part in the battle. While the Confederates are considered to have won the battle at Chickamauga, the Union did eventually win control of Chattanooga and it's all important rail lines.
The cannons on display are all from the Civil War. The monuments commemorate the units stationed in the various parts of the battle lines. Through some excellent computer models at the visitor center, the chronology of the battle is explained and clarified. Imagine some 100,00 men on the field--no modern communications-just notes, horses and voices.
This battlefield was the first military park established. It is noted that except for some growth of underbrush the battlefield is unchanged. Experts feel these fields offer great opportunities for historical and professional military study of operations of the 2 great armies. We actually saw this study going on as experts dressed in period costumes were giving formal instruction to soldiers studying military history. The young soldier we spoke with said this helps prepare them for war.