Chattanooga and Chickamauga

[mt155]

I am planning a trip to the Chattanooga and Chickamauga MP in April. This will be my first time there so I'm looking for suggestions of what to see off the beaten path. Bookstores, shops, places for good eatin etc.

[blue_zouave]

MT, you're going to my favorite field, and favorite town! Let me dig around in my stuff and find some of what you're looking for. In the meantime, off the top of my head:

The Chattanooga Regional History Museum used to have walking tours of Civil War sites in Chattanooga. They're in the midst of moving, but by April they may be doing the tour again.

If you like ribs, try Sticky Fingers!

My favorite battlefield guide is Chickamauga by Steven Woodworth. I used it as a base for the tour I led several years ago for an online Civil War roundtable.

If you want to know the whole story in excruciating detail, read "This Terrible Sound" and "The Shipwreck of Their Hopes" by Peter Cozzens.

Like I say, I'll dig around in my stuff and find more information.

Zou

[mt155]

I'll have to try "sticky Fingers". We're real proud of our BBQ down here in TX but it's usually brisket. TN is know for their ribs so I hope they're as good as people say. From what I can tell Missionary Ridge is not in the MP. Is it difficult to drive and find related sites? Or is urban sprawl too vast? I am finishing up Sword's "Mountains Touched With Fire" and will read Cozzen's book next. Thanks for the reply and I look forward for anything else you can dig up.

[richard]

Missionary Ridge runs from Rossville to almost the river. On the south side at Rossville you will be able to drive up to the crest of the ridge on South Crest Rd. That will take you to the Bragg's Hq. From there North Crest Road will take you the rest of the way across the ridge and to the Sherman Reservation at the north end. There are plenty of markers along the way and a great view of the city. Half way between down town and the ridge off of 9th Street is Orchard Knob.

Downtown next to the river you can walk on close to the river. From Camron Hill just at the river bend east to the Hunter Art Museum were gun in placements aimed at the river and Stringers Ridge.

You may wish to take a dinner cruise. The food is alright but the cruise is great. The boat goes down stream to Brownsferry and then back to the waterfront.

If you have the time for a side trip take the road to Soddy Daisey and then from there to Dunlop. This is the road that Wilder's men took to get to Chattanooga. It is also the way that Wheelers men took after Chattanooga to race across Middle Tennessee and then back to Lexington, Al.

Have a great trip

[ole]

From what I gather mt, (I've not been there) Chattanooga takes a veteran CW freak to negotiate. It might be in your best interest to concentrate on Chickamauga. Easier to negotiate; much greater preservation.

For what it's worth.

ole

[richard]

I should add that Point park is an easy find on the top of Look Out Mt. Some of the trails could be taxing but well worth it and the views are fantastic.

[larry_cockerham]

Lots of contemporary photos of Grant and his boys scaling Point Lookout in the park, as Richard suggested, on top of Lookout Mountain. A fairly closed residential neighborhood on the ridge, but well worth the trip. Better plan on eating somewhere down by the river. The museum at Chickamauga, in nearby Rossville, GA has one of the larger collections of battlefield armament I've ever seen. A musket and or repeater for every man's fancy. Look but no touch. Chattanooga, except for "rush" hour, is a neat place. Rush means something entirely different down here in the south. Clogged might be a better word. We only build one road at a time.

[civilwarbuglertn]

Originally Posted by richard

If you have the time for a side trip take the road to Soddy Daisey and then from there to Dunlop. This is the road that Wilder's men took to get to Chattanooga. It is also the way that Wheelers men took after Chattanooga to race across Middle Tennessee and then back to Lexington, Al.

Have a great trip

I am from Soddy Daisy and my parents currently live in Dunalp. If you want to know about this area try to get a hold of william B Hazen's Biography to read.

There are a lot of nooks and cranny's to find things. Many of the old roads still exist if you know where to look.

Civilwarbuglertn

[Blockaderunner]

Its over seven years since I visited Chattanooga, so a lot might have changed. The Chickamauga field is superb. One of the best preserved. On a par with Antietam. Lookout mountain is also worth a visit. Incredible views. There is a lot of residential development on Missionary Ridge, and far more trees than can be seen in war time photographs. Still worth a visit though. When I visited, the Tennessee Museum of the Confederacy was at the bottom of the electric railway. Not sure if its still there, can't find any mention on the web. Unless it has changed hands, avoid the motel at the base of Lookout Mountain. Truly horrific. More people have died of disease caught in that motel than died in the fighting. One other thing. I may be wrong, but I think Chattanooga is in a dry county. I went looking for a pub, for a meal and a couple of pints, but couldn't find one. The state line with Georgia is only a couple of miles to the south and pints are readily available there.

[larry_cockerham]

Bootleggers and Baptists abound in Tennessee and North Carolina. They've voted in tandem to keep the place dry for years!