James Walker’s painting of the Battle of Chickamauga will be on display at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center for the first time beginning Saturday. The Battle of Chickamauga is part of the Army Art Collection, and is on long term loan to the park courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Army.
Park staff will present brief talks about military artist James Walker and his depictions in the Battle of Chickamauga hourly from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday as part of the free special programs offered to commemorate the 145th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga.
In 1864, the U.S. Army commissioned military artist James Walker to create a series of paintings on the Civil War actions in the Chattanooga area. Walker, who spent significant time studying the terrain of the battlefields and interviewing military officers engaged in the fighting, was known for his accuracy in portraying military scenes. Completed after his extensive study of the terrain and military maneuvers, James Walker’s Battle of Chickamauga depicts battle action on Snodgrass Hill and Horseshoe Ridge on September 20, 1863.
As part of the Army Art Collection, the Battle of Chickamauga was displayed in the U.S. Pentagon until Sept. 1, 2001, just ten days prior to American Airlines Flight 77 crashing into the building during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. From the Pentagon, the painting was relocated to the office of Vice President Dick Cheney. The painting is of particular interest to Vice President Cheney as it depicts actions in which his great grandfather Samuel Fletcher Cheney fought.
The Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center will be open from 8:30 a.m. - to 6 p.m. during the anniversary weekend.
A full schedule of anniversary programs is available at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park web site www.nps.gov/chch.
For more information, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at (706) 866-9241.