A series of Civil War battles throughout the Chattanooga area culminated months of fighting here in 1863. By the time the smoke cleared, Orchard Knob, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and Ringgold Gap were strewn with the wreckage of war and the Confederate Army of Tennessee was in retreat.
As one Confederate later wrote, it was "the death knell of the Confederacy."
The staff of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will commemorate the 155th anniversary of the Battles for Chattanooga with a series of free special programs Friday-Sunday, Nov. 23-25.
For more information about any of the following programs: 706-866-9241 or 423-821-7786.
FRIDAY, NOV. 23
Brown's Ferry, Sherman and Grant's Plan
» When: 10 a.m.
» Where: Brown's Ferry Federal Road trailhead, Moccasin Bend National Archeological District. Take the Manufacturers Road exit off Highway 27 and follow the Special Event signs to 707 Moccasin Bend Road.
The Tennessee River pontoon bridge at Brown's Ferry was a critical link to final Union success at Chattanooga. Join park historian Jim Ogden for a one-mile, 90-minute, round-trip walk down to the river at Brown's Ferry and learn how events at this crossing shaped what became the Battles for Chattanooga.
Not One Straggler Lagged Behind: The Union Assault on Orchard Knob
» When: 11 a.m.
» Where: Orchard Knob Reservation. Meet at the corner of Ivy Street and Orchard Knob Avenue.
On Nov. 23, 1863, Union forces moved out of Fort Wood and assaulted Confederate positions on Orchard Knob. Join a park ranger for this one-hour program exploring the history of this opening salvo in the Battles for Chattanooga.
Orchard Knob Reservation will be the focus of two programs on Friday, Nov. 23, concerning its part in the opening salvo of Battles for Chickamauga.Ranger-Guided Tours of Point Park
» When: 11 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m.
» Where: Meet inside the gate at Point Park on Lookout Mountain
Join a ranger for a 30- to 45-minute walking tour exploring the Campaign for Chattanooga.
Orchard Knob: Outpost, Observation and the Opening of a Battle
» When: 2 p.m.
» Where: Orchard Knob Reservation. Meet at the corner of Ivy Street and Orchard Knob Avenue.
The knoll known as Orchard Knob was a fortified forward outpost on the Confederate lines besieging Chattanooga. The Battles for Chattanooga opened when the Union attacked the position on Nov. 23, 1863. In this 90-minute walk, Jim Ogden will discuss Orchard Knob's role in the battles.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, NOV. 24-25
Cravens House open
» When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
» Where: Cravens House, 1060 Cravens Terrace, Lookout Mountain
Robert Cravens' home was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting during the Battle of Lookout Mountain. Cravens rebuilt the home after the war, and this post-war structure still stands. The house will be open and staffed for tours.
The Mountain Quaked: Artillerists Duel for Control of Lookout Mountain
» When: 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturday; 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday
» Where: Moccasin Bend National Archeological District and Point Park on Lookout Mountain. To reach the program area at Moccasin Bend, take the Manufacturers Road exit off Highway 27 and follow Special Event signs.
Programs at Point Park will focus on the Battle of Lookout Mountain from the Confederate perspective. Programs at Moccasin Bend will focus on the battle from the perspective of Union artillerists supporting the attack.
Ranger-Guided Tours at Point Park
» When: 11 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m.
» Where: Meet inside the gate at Point Park
Join a ranger for a 30- to 45-minute walking tour exploring the Campaign for Chattanooga.
SATURDAY, NOV. 24
A Vicious Little Battery: The Union Artillery on Moccasin Bend
» When: 9:30 a.m.
» Where: Moccasin Bend National Archeological District. Take the Manufacturers Road exit off Highway 27 and follow the Special Event signs.
Join Jim Ogden for a two-hour, two-mile walk to see the surviving earthworks that protected Union cannons as soldiers dueled with Confederate guns on Lookout Mountain.
It Took a Braver Man To Run Than It Did To Stand
» When: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
» Where: Cravens House, 1060 Cravens Terrace, Lookout Mountain
As Confederates encountered Union soldiers sweeping around the tip of Lookout Mountain, they periodically stopped to fire into the fog from behind rocks and man-made walls. Participate in a one-hour ranger-guided walk to the Confederate rifle pits, located near the Cravens House.
Engaging the Attention of the Enemy: Hooker's Demonstration on Lookout Creek
» When: 12:30 p.m.
» Where: Begin along Parker Lane off Brown's Ferry Road just south of I- 24, exit 175, in Lookout Valley/Tiftonia; look for the Special Event signs at Parker Lane.
While John Geary's "White Star" Division moved to sweep the western slope of Lookout Mountain, Union Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker directed other troops to move against the main Confederate positions guarding bridges over the creek.
Join Jim Ogden for a two-hour, two-mile walk through part of the Lookout Mountain battlefield that later became the perspective and foreground of artist James Walker's painting "The Battle of Lookout Mountain."
A Battle of Lookout Mountain Walk
» When: 3:30 p.m.
» Where: Meet at the Cravens House on Lookout Mountain
Jim Ogden will lead a two-hour, 1.5-mile walk exploring the "Battle Above the Clouds."
SUNDAY, NOV. 25
Lions of the Day: Raising the Flag on Lookout Mountain Living History Re-enactment
» When: 9 a.m.
» Where: The Ochs Museum in Point Park
On the morning of Nov. 25, 1863, soldiers from the 8th Kentucky Infantry ascended the summit of Lookout Mountain and entered present-day Point Park. Finding it abandoned by Confederates, they walked out on the point of the mountain and unfurled an American flag.
On Nov. 25, 2018, a small detachment of living historians will re-create this moment. For visitors who wish to watch at the scene, gather at the Ochs Museum in Point Park at 9 a.m.
For those unable to attend, or unable to walk down the steps to the Ochs Museum, park staff will broadcast the flag waving live on the park's Facebook page.
Lonestar Defenders at Tunnel Hill
» When: 10 a.m.
» Where: Sherman Reservation, 2800 Lightfoot Mill Road on Missionary Ridge
Texans positioned atop Missionary Ridge's Tunnel Hill bore the brunt of the Union assaults on that part of the Confederate line. Jim Ogden will examine the stalwart defense put up by those Lone Star men in a two-hour, one-mile walking tour.
"Still They Advance and Still We Shoot Them Down"
» When: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
» Where: Cravens House, 1060 Cravens Terrace, Lookout Mountain
On Nov. 25, Union soldiers left various positions in and around Chattanooga to attack Missionary Ridge. A park ranger will meet participants on the back porch of Cravens House for a 30-minute program discussing the assault on Missionary Ridge.
Car Caravan Tour of Ringgold Gap
» When: 1 p.m.
» Where: Meet in Ingles parking lot, 5044 Alabama Highway in Ringgold, Ga.
On Nov. 27, 1863, retreating Confederates turned and made a stand at Ringgold Gap. Join a park ranger on a two-hour car caravan tour of the Ringgold Gap Battlefield to learn about this final action in the Campaign for Chattanooga.
The Battle of Missionary Ridge: Bus Tour
» When: 2 p.m.
» Where: Tour will begin and end at Orchard Knob Reservation
Historian Jim Ogden will lead this bus tour exploring key sites along Missionary Ridge and the events of Nov. 25, 1863, that drove the Confederates from the area.
Reservations are required since seating is limited on the bus. To make reservations for this free program, call 423-821-7786.
- Compiled by staff writer Susan Pierce