Lookout! Wednesday, October 3, 2012

We decided to go to the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center of the Chickamauga & Chattanooga Military Park only. The trip up the mountain switches back and forth. There are houses nearly all the way... I sure don't think commuting up and down the mountain during the winter sounds very fun!

Many of the houses are very nice and quite large. The homes on the edge of the mountain seem to consistently have large decks or are otherwise built out over the drop-off. Although the view of Chattanooga in the valley is phenomenal, I'm not sure I would want to live in many of those homes.

We first visited the Battles for Chattanooga Museum. This store has a 3-D map of several battles around the Chattanooga area, including Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. There is an audio presentation while the lights on the map illustrate the troop locations. This gave us a much better understanding of the situation during the fall of 1863 in the area.

The official Visitor Center is next door and has exhibits that give additional insights and information about the various "players" on both sides of the conflicts. We then walked across to the Point Park and walked the trail. The views of Chattanooga were impressive.

This trip meant something to me (Kathy) because I have a photograph of my great great grandfather Francis Bryan with other soldiers on Lookout Mountain. He served in the Union Army with other soldiers from Ohio. I don't have the exact unit with me, but we learned soldiers from Ohio were there at the battles and that many soldiers had their photos taken on the Point shown in the photograph on the right after the Battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge (November 24 and 25, 1863).

I also need to check my other great great grandfather's papers (Samuel W. Reid) when I get home. I know he was captured that fall and began to suspect that these battles might be where he was. Today we learned that Major General Patrick R. Cleburne's regiment held right flank of Missionary Ridge for the Confederates against 10 times more troops. This regiment included Sam's company, the Napoleon Grays (Fifteenth Regiment of Arkansas Infantry) under the command of Major E. Warfield. According to Cleburne's official report, the 15th Arkansas engaged in heavy fighting all day long around Tunnel Hill and captured one Union battle flag. See map.  (Confederate Order of Battle)

The date of Sam's captured in nearby Graysville, Georgia, coincide with the Battle of Missionary Ridge.

I must learn some more about both of these grandfathers and their participation in the same battle, different sides. Later in their lives, their children married in Osage County, Kansas!

The history lesson for the day was over, so we headed west with the intention of visiting the battlefield at Shiloh, Tennessee tomorrow. (Yes, we seem to be steeped in Civil War history on this vacation!) Our new Waze navigation took us the quickest route, which meant we spent time in three states today (Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama). Tomorrow we will drive through a bit of Mississippi on the way back to Tennessee to the battlefield.

We remembered that we have traveled through part of this area a few years ago and were not able to visit Helen Keller's birthplace in Tuscumbia, Alabama, because it was not open the day we were here. Since out path was going by again, we stopped and will visit the home tomorrow morning, before Shiloh.

Last time we were here we stayed in a private campground, but tonight we are at McFarland Park, part of the city of Florence's city park system. There are large pine trees lining the road and we find the park nice for the overnight stop. Water is on both sides of the campground with herons inhabiting Cypress Creek.