posted September 29, 2003
Vice President Dick Cheney and his two daughters had a private tour of Chickamauga Battlefield on Monday afternoon.
Park Supt. Pat Reed said the vice president and his two daughters arrived at the park at 3:40 and stayed until 7:30 p.m. before heading back to the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport and Air Force Two.
"They really have a great interest in the Civil War and are quite knowledgeable about it. You can tell they have done some reading," Supt. Reed said.
Supt. Reed said Vice President Cheney is especially interested in Chickamauga because his great-grandfather, Samuel Chaney, fought there and was among those making a stand on Snodgrass Hill.
Vice President Cheney, who was also at Chickamauga a year ago for a much shorter visit, had high security for the visit.
He flew into the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport about 3 p.m. and then went by motorcade to Fort Oglethorpe.
At the park, he went inside the visitor center and then had a tour of the battlefield itself.
Supt. Reed said Vice President Cheney on his visit last year had said he wanted to come back. He said he was in contact with Brad Quinlin of Suwanee, Ga., who is the historian for the 21st Ohio Infantry, the unit of Samuel Chaney. He said Mr. Quinlin went to Washington in the spring and spent an hour with the vice president.
Mr. Quinlai and park historian Jim Ogden led the Monday tour along with Supt. Reed.
The vice presidential party saw the park's new exhibit and also went in to see the Fuller Gun Exhibit. Mr. Ogden got out of the case a revolving Colt rifle that was a weapon used by the 21st Ohio.
Supt. Reed said the Chaneys went into the bookstore and made some purchases there.
He said they then went out on the battlefield, where they visited two monuments to the 21st Ohio.
They spent most of their time on Snodgrass Hill, where the 21st Ohio and other units of General George Thomas made a stand that allowed the rest of the Union Army to retreat back into Chattanooga in the fighting Sept. 19 and 20, 1863.
Vice President Cheney came over from Dalton on his last visit.
Supt. Reed said the park has known about the Cheney visit since last Wednesday, but was asked by the Secret Service to keep it quiet.
He said some members of the public were in the visitor center at the same time as the vice president. He said the Secret Service did a sweep of the visitor center.
Members of the press were kept at a distance.
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