As I continue my Civil War History in a Nutshell, we have reached the Battle of Chickamauga – Day 2. The first day was a small, afternoon battle across West Chickamauga Creek. The second day, September 19, was an all-out slugfest, with the Confederate and Union armies fighting for the same ground over and over. …
From October 2015
Chattanooga Choo Choo
One of the most famous things about Chattanooga is the Chattanooga Choo Choo song made popular by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra in 1941. If you don’t know anything else about Chattanooga, you probably know the song. Many years ago Tom and I stayed in the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel which was once the railway …
The Purpose of Visitors Centers
Most National Parks have Visitors Centers. At Scotty’s Castle our guests came to the Visitors Center to pay for entrance to the park or to pay for a tour of the Castle. At Chickamauga our guests come to the Visitors Center to get maps, ask questions, and see the movie. At Point Park our guests …
Anniversary of the Battle for Chattanooga
On October 10 and 11 we celebrated the anniversary of the Battle for Chattanooga at Point Park. The actual battle took place November 23 – 25, 1863, but because that is Thanksgiving weekend and generally yucky weather at Lookout Mountain, this year they decided to try an anniversary celebration in October. For the first time …
Fort Oglethorpe Presbyterian
I have continued my efforts to find a worship service to attend despite working every Sunday morning. Finally last night we were successful and attended a service at Fort Oglethorpe Presbyterian. We made it home from work just in time to change clothes and head out again. When we got to the church there was …
Chickamauga Battle – September 18, 1863
The Chickamauga Battle was three days long, September 18 – 20, with each day having a distinctive character. Now that I have written about all the background stuff, I can proceed to the actual battle. But first: I talked to a friend today who was not able to understand the geography of the area from …
Fun With Genealogy
How far back can you take your family tree? If you have worked with genealogy, you might be able to follow that family tree back a long time. Tom and I have been working on our genealogy while we have been here at Chickamauga and Chattanooga. I started our family tree online several years ago …
Monuments and Hiking Trails
Chickamauga Battlefield is full of two things: monuments and hiking trails. There are over 1,400 monuments and at least that many historical tablets that show troop movements and locations of regiments during the three days of the battle. Chickamauga was the first National Military Park in the United States, established in 1890 at the urging …
Tunnel Hill
Half an hour south of Chattanooga is a tunnel through a mountain built by the Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1850. This railroad line was the first that connected Atlanta to states in the northwest and helped Atlanta become a hub of commerce for the south. The tunnel was the first build south of the …
Taking Ourselves Lightly
One of the things I really enjoy about retirement is taking myself lightly. I tend to be a really serious person which is one of the reasons I fell in love with Tom. He is brilliant, but he is not a serious person. He made me laugh and play – and he still encourages me …