Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will host a free ranger guided walking program on Saturday, Aug. 24. Participants are encouraged to meet at Outdoor Chattanooga (200 River St.) in North Shore Chattanooga at 1:30 p.m. for a three-hour walking tour.
Have you ever driven down Market Street in Chattanooga and wondered what the street scene must have looked like during the Civil War? Did you know that before the Union army’s occupation, Chattanooga was still a fairly “raw” city, looking much like the old west towns of our childhood imaginations? If you have any interest in the city during the Union army’s stay or the city’s history in general, you are encouraged to attend this unique educational experience.
Comfortable, supportive footwear, appropriate clothing for the weather and water are recommended for this program.
A special living history day at Chickamauga Battlefield will also be held on Saturday, Aug. 24. Participants will experience the power of Civil War artillery, as park rangers and Union living historians describe what life was like for artillerymen on the battlefield. These 30-minute programs will be presented near the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Fighting at Chickamauga often proved difficult for even veteran artillerymen. Captain W. H. Fowler, whose battery position is marked behind the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center, said his guns were limited “because of the character of the field where we operated was so badly adapted to the use of light artillery.” Although conditions were not always ideal, artillery played an important role in the battle as it raged in the forests and fields near Chickamauga Creek.
For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park,
contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706.866-9241, the Lookout Mountain
Battlefield Visitor Center at 821-7786, or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/chch.