The 17th Annual Moccasin Bend Lecture Series will culminate on Monday (Nov. 7) at 7 p.m. with “A Salient Point: Moccasin Bend and the Civil War Struggle for Chattanooga,” a presentation by Jim Ogden, Historian at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.
During this event, Mr. Ogden will discuss the pivotal events and activities that took place on and around Moccasin Bend during the Campaign for Chattanooga. From the U.S. Army supply line (the famous “Cracker Line”) across Moccasin Bend at Brown’s Ferry to the well-preserved earthworks at the southern end of Stringer’s Ridge, this peninsula along the Tennessee River became a focal point between the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863 and the Battles for Chattanooga later that fall in November. Mr. Ogden’s lecture is presented in partnership with the UTC Department of History.
James (Jim) Ogden, III is a Maryland native and graduate of Frostburg State College. He began work with the National Park Service in 1982 at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park before transferring to Russell Cave National Monument, Bridgeport, Alabama, and Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Virginia. In November, 1988, he returned to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park as the Staff Historian, the position he presently holds.
Mr. Ogden speaks regularly on aspects of the Civil War to historical organizations across the eastern half of the U. S. including several Civil War Round Tables. He has taught a number of Civil War history courses for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and has appeared on the History Channel’s “Civil War Journal” and “Civil War Combat,” and PBS’s “History Detectives” as well as C-SPAN. Since 1986, he has been an instructor for over 600 groups of officers of the U. S. Army conducting Staff Rides (an in-depth analysis of a historical military event) at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.
The 2022 series will take place live, in-person, at the IMAX Theater with an accompanying live broadcast via Zoom, offering all guests the opportunity to participate in the Q&A sessions.
Officials said, "We will follow all appropriate CDC policy and local health guidelines at the time of the events to provide a safe experience for all guests. Registration is required for each event separately, for either in-person or virtual participation."
For more information and to register, please visit nppcha.org. The Moccasin Bend Lecture Series was founded by Greg A. Vital in 2006 and all events are free and open to the public through his generous sponsorship.
The Friends of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (established in 1986) and the Friends of Moccasin Bend (established in 1995) combined forces as National Park Partners in 2018. The goup champions the conservation of the natural, historic, and cultural resources of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, including Moccasin Bend National Archeological District. National Park Partners engages current and future generations in preserving and promoting the stories of these national treasures.