Today I am at Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park, and will be here for the next week. I will have the chance to roam the field on my own for a couple of days, and then at the end of the week I am thrilled to be a part of the Civil War Trust’s fall gathering, held this year in Chattanooga. I will be taking some preliminary groups around on thursday or Friday, and leading one of the bus tours on Saturday. Nothing would please me more than to be able to help turn the focus of CWT and of land preservation to these battles. There are opportunities to preserve core battlefield lands on both fields. I hope that we can encourage some preservation around the Reed’s Bridge area, an area of much crucial action on September 18th, 1863.
Jim Ogden and Glenn Robertson will be the lead guides over the weekend, and both will doubtless be busy arguing for that increased focus as well.
In addition to all that, of course, the park begins it’s annual commemoration in the coming week, extending up through next Monday and Tuesday. If you can spare the time, come see the CCNMP this weekend, and experience the programs and educational efforts the staff take the time to organize. The weather should be great (barring any new tropical storms!) and the field is in first-rate condition. Summer thinning efforts have left the woods in better condition than ever, and even the casual tromper can gain a much better understanding of the lines of sight, nature of the ground, and appreciation for the troop positions now visible.
Dave Powell
Chickamauga Blog 