Events commemorating the 156th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga continue Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 19-22, at the battlefield in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.
Visitors are invited to join a series of ranger-guided tours, hikes, lectures and living-history demonstrations explaining the action of Sept. 18, 1863, and the three days following when Union and Confederate forces clashed along the banks of West Chickamauga Creek. At stake was the transportation hub of Chattanooga.
A complete program schedule, including times and descriptions, is available at https://www.nps.gov/chch/chickamauga156.htm.
RANGER-GUIDED TOURS
(All tours begin from Visitor Center)
Thursday-Friday, Sept. 19-20
* Car Caravan Tour of Battlefield: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., two-hour car caravan tour of the battlefield.
Thursday, Sept. 19
* Lee & Gordon's Mills: 11 a.m., one-hour car caravan to mill south of the park in Chickamauga to learn about the role of the historic structure in the battle.
* Chaos in Winfrey Field: 1 p.m., one-hour car caravan examining fight around Winfrey Field.
* Bloody Viniard: 3 p.m., one-hour walking tour examining some of the bloodiest fighting at the Battle of Chickamauga.
Friday, Sept. 20
* The Confederate Breakthrough: 11 a.m., one-hour car caravan covering the Confederate breakthrough in the Union line near Brotherton Farm.
* Crawfish Spring and the Gordon-Lee House: 1 p.m., one-hour car caravan to Chickamauga to explore fighting that resulted in the capture of the Union Army's hospitals.
* Fighting for Kelly Field: 3 p.m., one-hour walking tour about the fight around Elijah Kelly's farm.
Saturday, Sept. 21
* Bicycle tour of Chickamauga Battlefield: 9:30 a.m., bring your own bike and helmet or reserve a loaner bike at http://bit.ly/outdoorchatt or by calling 423-643-6888.
HIKES WITH PARK HISTORIAN
(Jim Ogden leads a series of in-depth hikes examining, in detail, specific actions and locations during the Battle of Chickamauga. Tours involve walking through uneven terrain and across unmowed fields. Dress appropriately for the weather, bring a water bottle, wear sunscreen and insect repellent. For evening hikes, bring a flashlight.)
Thursday, Sept. 19
* The Cut-Off Brigade Report and the Opening of the Battle: Meet at Jay's Mill, 9 a.m., for 90-minute, one-mile walk.
Friday, Sept. 20
* Snodgrass Hill and the Close of Battle: Meet at Snodgrass Cabin, 7 p.m., 90-minute, 1.5-mile walk to examine Union stand on Snodgrass Hill and Horseshoe Ridge.
Saturday, Sept. 21
* "The Scenes With Which I was Surrounded Had Taken Away All My Appetite": Meet on Viniard-Alexander Road, look for Special Program signs, 2 p.m., 3-mile, 2.5-hour walk exploring Hunt farms, where 25,000 men received care.
LIVING HISTORY PROGRAM
Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 21-22
Saturday times: 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.
Sunday times: 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m.
* The Veterans Return to Chickamauga: Meet at Battleline Road near the King monument, where living historians will stage a reunion and portray Civil War veterans and their efforts to create the park.