Chickamauga Land being developed.

[scone]

Words cannot describe the anger and heartfelt sorrow I feel right now..

The following was posted on the AC board..

by a friend of mine Lee White

Lee works at the National Park there at Chickamauga.

-----------------------------

If anyone is familiar with the photograph of the Lee and Gordon's Mill that is on the cover of the Time Life Voices of the Civil War, and wishes to see a modern view of the site unobstructed, you had better do it now. The land on the east side of the creek, outside of the flood plane is being developed. They had the dozers in yesterday, cutting roads and laying down tiles. This land would have been occupied by soldiers from Hindman's Division on Sept 19th.

Lee

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I had four relatives in Hindmans Division that fought there. All survived but one was wounded and captured Sept 20th

"3rd Great Grandfather" Daniel Marion Craft
Co. G 22nd Alabama Infantry / Deas Brigade

"3rd Great Granduncle" Moses Jasper Ball
Co. G 22nd Alabama Infantry / Deas Brigade

"3rd great Granduncle" George W. Harris
Co. F 28th Alabama Infantry Manigault's Brigade

"3rd great Granduncle"John G. Harris
Co. F 28th Alabama Infantry Manigault's Brigade
Who was Wounded and Captured and never seen from again.

This is more than likey the area that Lt. A. B. Renefro of 22nd Alabama Regiment who some days before the fight had got leave of absence to visit his home at Jacksonville, Alabama and his father had brought him back to the army in a buggy arriving there on the evening before.

Sunday morning Lt. Renefro joined his command and went into the fight gallantly carrying the colors of the 22nd Alabama and planted them almost within the enemy's line. Moving rapidly forward, amid a destructive fire of shot and shell, some 200 yards across an open field, the regiment became engaged with a second line of battle, which obstinately contested every foot of ground over which it passed. that is were Lt. Renefro fell pierced through the head with colors in hand. When he was last seen, his father was carrying his body off the battlefield in the buggy in which they had come.

The 22nd alabama went into battle Sept 20th with 31 officers and 340 men; aggregate 371.
There losses were over 50 %
In killed : Officers, 5; enlisted men 39.
Wounded: Officers 10; enlisted men, 151; Aggregate 205

May they never be forgotten ....

Steven Cone
A very proud desendant of those that fought there.

[johan_steele]

WTF?!? I thought that was part of the Park! Great now some _____ will be sleeping on hollowed ground...

[blue_zouave]

Originally Posted by johan_steele

WTF?!? I thought that was part of the Park! Great now some _____ will be sleeping on hollowed ground...

A great part of the Chickamauga field of action is on private property. I've been to the Lee and Gordon Mill replica (which is private property, about a mile south of the park), spent a wonderful rainy morning talking to elderly Mr. Brotherton there about the war, his ancestors and mine, and the mill business. Across the creek was an empty hayfield... now the site of the development. That same trip I stayed at the Gordon-Lee Mansion which is now a bed and breakfast, in the room where Rosecrans DIDN'T sleep the night before the battle.

The town of Chickamauga sits on the site of the field hospitals which surrounded Crawfish Springs. The town of Ft. Oglethorpe sits on the site of more field hospitals. Let's not even talk about Chattanooga, which sits square on the site of the eponymous battle!

We can't save it all, folks. Wish we could. I don't know what efforts were made in the Chickamauga area to preserve that hayfield. Will do some research.

Zou (whose favorite battle is Chickamauga)

[scone]

Due to lack of time every visit I have made to the park I have always missed the Lee & Gordon Mill.. I hopefilly i can get that way in the near future.

The Southern boundry of the park if I remember correct is just a few miles (3 or 4) North of the Mill Site.
Here is a photo of the mill taken in 1864 the site being developed is the fields behind the mill

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=Le...ages/chick.jpg

There was some Skirmishing in the areal days before the battle:

Sept. 11-13, 1863 - Skirmishes near Lee and Gordon's Mills, Ga.

Sept. 13, 1863 - Reconnaissance from Lee and Gordon's Mills toward La Fayette, Ga. and skirmish.

Sept.16-18, 1863 - Skirmishes near Lee and Gordon's Mills, Ga.

And the site was used as camp by various units before and after the Battle

Here is a map of the battle and its relation to the mill.

http://www.nps.gov/applications/park...CHCHmap2%2Epdf

[rivrrat]

I hate to see the encroachment on the battlefield. My Great Great Uncle died on the first day at Chickamauga. Sgt. Warren Hamilton Co. D. 35th Ill. Vol. Inf.

[lrd89]

This is terrible news. I guess I thought that when the park was established that ALL of the land pertaining to the battle was preserved.

[texascavcadet]

Is there anything we can do to stop it, pray, write the prestident, set up a protest in blue and grey uniforms, make a march in Washington, etc!!

SOMETHING!!!! I hate to see this happening to hollowed ground of the ACW, !!!!!



"Lord what must we do" - C.S Medical Docter
"Kill them sir! Kill every last man of them"

[whitworth]

I clearly remember my first visit to the battlefield, covered by businesses, apartments, homes, restaurants and Piedmont Hospital. If not for a small monument on the Piedmont Hospital grounds, I would never had known the location of that first Atlanta battle, which Hood lost.