Seminar in the Woods: Chickamauga, March 8—9, 2024

Mission Statement: The purpose of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Study Group is to create a forum to bring students of the American Civil War together to study and explore those events in the fall of 1863 that led ultimately to the creation of the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, as well as explore other nearby Civil War-related sites.

Tour Leaders:  Jim Ogden and Dave Powell

Date: Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9, 2024; By bus and car caravan.

Friday’s tour will begin and end at the History Company, 2949 LaFayette Road, just north of the Chickamauga Park north entrance.

Saturday’s tours will begin and end at the CCNMP Visitor’s Center.

Bus – Friday all day, 8:30 to 5:00 p.m.: Bragg’s Right Flank

We will travel to Cleveland, Charleston, Philadelphia, and Loudoun. This exploration will cover events both before and after Chickamauga, including Buckner’s withdrawal to join Bragg, Confederate raiding actions in the Fall of 1863, and Eli Long’s strike at Cleveland in November.  Lunch TBA.

Friday evening, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Q&A Panel with Jim Ogden, Dave Powell.

 Site: Constitution Hall, 205 Forrest Road, Fort Oglethorpe, GA

 Reprise of the Annual free-form Question and Answer session.

Car Caravan – Saturday Morning, 8:30 to Noon: Richard Johnson enters the fight, September 19th, Brock Field.

In sending Richard Johnson’s division of the 20th Corps into action, George Thomas could only tell Johnson to advance “oblique to the general line.” This brought Willich’s and Baldwin’s brigades into contact with Cheatham’s division of Polk’s Corps; Dodge was subsequently committed to attack into Brock Field. We will follow Willich’s and then Dodge’s movements.

Break for lunch

Car Caravan – Saturday Afternoon, 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: The Confederate assaults in Poe Field, September 20 AM —S.A.M. Wood, Bate, Clayton, McNair.

Before the breakthrough in Brotherton Field, Wood’s Brigade of Cleburne and A. P. Stewart’s three brigades assaulted Brannan and Reynolds’s divisions in Poe Field. All were repulsed. Finally, as the Federal right flank crumbled, McNair’s brigade broke through, though not without tough fighting.

Costs:

 Friday’s Tours will be by Bus. Pre-registration and Fee required: $45, due by February 1, 2024.

 Sign-up after February 1 or on-site Fee (based on space available): $50. 

 Saturday: no charge.

Fees raised in excess of costs (as well as any donations) will be used to support the causes of battlefield preservation, interpretation, and renovation.

 In 2023 the Study Group made the following donation:

$500 to the Jewell Monument fund, run by the Friends of Chickamauga and Chattanooga, for maintenance and restoration needs.

Send to (and make checks payable to):

David Powell

522 Cheyenne Drive

Lake in the Hills IL 60156

Note: Your cashed check confirms your reservation on Friday’s bus.

This fee is NON-REFUNDABLE after February 1st, 2024. Once we are committed to the bus, we will be charged the booking fee, and unable to cancel. 

Please note that everyone is responsible for their own lodging, meals, snacks, and incidentals.

Weather note: Last year, we had snow on Saturday, but we did not cancel. We are a (fool)hardy bunch, we go rain or shine. Dress accordingly.