Learn about 'Company Aytch' in battlefield program

photo Private Sam Watkins

Civil War buffs can learn more about one of the more famous "common" Confederate soldiers in the Battle of Chickamauga in a walking tour at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 5, at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. Participants will meet at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitors Center, 3370 LaFayette Road in Fort Oglethorpe, to caravan to the starting location.

The program will explore some of the literary and historical events surrounding Pvt. Sam Watkins and his comrades in Company H of the 1st Tennessee Infantry. Historians herald his memoir, "Company Aytch: Or, a Side Show of the Big Show," as one of the most vivid accounts of a foot soldier's life both in camp and on the battlefield during the Civil War.

Comfortable footwear and water are recommended.

For more information, call the National Park Service's Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241. Or visit the park's website, www.nps.gov/chch.

Upcoming Events