Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and the Friends of the Park will host the world premiere of the new Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center film The Campaign for Chattanooga: Death Knell of the Confederacy on Monday.

The new 26-minute historical film is described as  an excellent overview of the Campaign for Chattanooga. It examines the city’s importance during the American Civil War and details the struggle between North and South to control strategic Chattanooga .

The film will premiere at the Majestic Theater in downtown Chattanooga. There will be two showings Monday at 5:45 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The premiere will mark the beginning of a year-long commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War actions in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia and is the only time that the film shows outside of the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center. 

Primarily filmed in the local area and the first to be filmed at actual battle locations, the film details the early military occupation of the city by Federals, the Battle of Chickamauga, the siege of Chattanooga by Confederates, and the Battles for Chattanooga (Orchard Knob, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge). The film brings to life the massive struggle for the “Gateway to the Deep South” as it uses soldiers’ letters and writings to tell the stories of those who fought and died on the battlefields and the lasting impact on their families at home. This perspective enables the viewer to understand why the commemoration of one of America’s most defining national struggles is important today and the relevance of preserving the cultural landscapes and commemorative features where the key battles took place.

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park encompasses 9,036 acres, spanning the boundaries of Tennessee and Georgia. Its major units include Chickamauga Battlefield, Lookout Mountain Battlefield, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob, Signal Point and Moccasin Bend National Archeological District. Our National Park preserves forever the American history and natural beauty of its spaces, commemorating vivid stories of conflict, change, reconciliation and reunion. Friends of the Park is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, promoting and enhancing Chickamauga and Chattanooga for the benefit of the American public.

For more information on the film premiere and the work of the Friends, visit www.chickchatt.org or call the Friends at (423) 648-5623.