Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park

This park was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Chattanooga.  If you would like to know more about the park and it's importance to both sides in the Civil War here's a link to the park's site.  In short Chattanooga was a large railroad hub so whoever controlled it was going to prevail in the war because logistically they would have a huge advantage.

The park itself is beautiful with miles of walking trails and monuments.  The reason I liked it so much is because they've done an amazing job of making the battle come alive.  I don't know about you, but reading about a battle in school or looking at maps on a page simply can't compare to standing in front of a sign that tells you how many forces were there, when and how they fought, who won, etc.  Walking the trails you get a real sense of the scope and scale of the battle.  It's actually kind of sad and eerie to be standing in a beautiful park and realizing that thousands of soldiers from both armies fought and died on the grounds.

It also reinforced that this was a battle involving troops from all of the states; there are individual state monuments throughout the park.

I applaud those who fought to preserve the site in the late 1800's and to all those who are keeping it up today.

This view was on a ridge where a South Carolina monument stands.  As
you hike along the ridge the smaller monuments and signs describe the
battle as the soldiers fought their way up the ridge.

Missouri Monument