93° and Sunny
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By Dennis Curtin, Troop 73 Troopmaster
September 18, 1863, Confederate forces under the command of General Bragg were preparing to meet the Union forces under the command of General Rosecrans along LaFayette Road at Chickamauga Creek South of Chattanooga, Tn. His object was to block the Union forces from taking command of the vital Confederate supply link where rail and water transportation connected to Memphis, Nashville, Birmingham, and Atlanta. The battles of Chickamauga Creek raged for three days resulting in Confederate victory. Later, in November, the Rosecrans, reinforced by General Grant, would meet General Bragg’s forces in Chattanooga. On November 25, the Union forces seized Chattanooga and its vital supply links.
On September 18, 2021, 158 years later, Troop 73 visited the battlefields associated with the beginning and the end of the Civil War’s battles for control of Chattanooga.
Most of the day was cloudy as we toured Chickamauga. Rain threatened, but little fell as we visited sites of several of the skirmishes including “Bloody Pond” where so many wounded soldiers went for water that the water took on a bloody red color. We also watched the demonstration of reenactors firing a Civil War howitzer and climbed the 130+ steps of Wilder Brigade Monument. Then we headed to Point Park where we could see why Chattanooga was important enough to warrant the loss of more than 10,000 Union and Confederate lives!
As we completed our tour of Point Park, we heard thunder from the clouds to our north and east. Being on the highest point of ground within several miles made us vulnerable to “attacks from the sky. As a result, we practiced our own retreat to vehicles, ending our tour of a historic site on a historic day!
As we drove down the winding road from Point Park (atop Lookout Mountain) to Chattanooga, the skies opened and began to “dump the rain.” As is often the case with our outings, the weather gave us all the opportunities we needed to complete our plan for the day but not much more. Our three vehicles headed for Norris with stops along the way for dinner. By 7:30PM, we were turning the last of the 10 boys who had participated in this historic trip back to the custody of their parents.
As is always the case with outings, the boys could never be exposed to the kind of experiences we offer without the support of adult leaders and parents. This trip was supported by Dan and Christy McClure and Assistant Scoutmaster Dennis Yankee. The boys and I owe you all a debt we can never repay. Thank you!
