Author William Lee White will be at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center on Friday, Dec. 9, to sign copies of “Bushwhacking on a Grand Scale: The Battle of Chickamauga, September 18-20, 1863.”
White has worked at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park for more than 20 years, 15 of which include responsibilities as a park guide, providing tours and other programs. He is the author of several articles and essays on topics related to the Western Theater and editor of “Great Things Are Expected of Us: The Letters of Colonel G. Irvine Walker, 10th South Carolina Infantry CSA.”
“Bushwhacking on a Grand Scale” is not only an overview of the Battle of Chickamauga but could serve as a guide to the battlegrounds. White took its title from Union Brigadier Gen. John Turchin’s description of the battle. In the smoke and woods, generals could not command effectively, and the Battle of Chickamauga became a “soldiers’ fight,” White says. Men from both armies played the role of the captain, the general and the grand private all in one.
“Chickamauga is also notable for being the only battle that the Confederacy’s ill-starred Army of Tennessee ever won, although the victory would ultimately prove fruitless,” says White. “They fought the battle for control of the city of Chattanooga, ironically, a city they failed to hold at the end of the battle .”
Friday’s book signing, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., is presented by the National Park Service and Eastern National. Book purchases support programs at the park. The Visitor Center is at 3370 LaFayette Road in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.
For more information, call 706-866-9241, 423-821-7786 or visit www.nps.gov/chch.