CWT Chickamauga 2018 Tour - the official thread

CWT member @richard has been added as a tour guide along with his topic. See "Tour Itinerary" section in the OP for the edit and add-on information. I am personally thrilled about this tour. The focus of my only other visit to Chickamauga was Hood's Texas Brigade. We did not visit the Wilder Monument or Alexander's Bridge or walk the ground at Viniard Field where the Union lines were. In looking at my 7 page thread from that Tour,I see that richard was a participant and contributed some good stuff.
 
I'm trying to book the room online and I used the group code CW8 and it says the hotel has limited availability and won't book the room. I've tried a couple of ways and it just says I need to go to another hotel. I can call tomorrow morning but is anyone else having this problem?
 
I'm trying to book the room online and I used the group code CW8 and it says the hotel has limited availability and won't book the room. I've tried a couple of ways and it just says I need to go to another hotel. I can call tomorrow morning but is anyone else having this problem?
Are you trying to book a single or double room?
 
I just booked our room but I had to call to do it, which is okay, BUT he said he only had two rooms left under that code and we got one, so probably only one left. Can that be true? All 20 rooms booked up already? He said he only had 2 rooms, queen beds, non-smoking left.
 
I just booked our room but I had to call to do it, which is okay, BUT he said he only had two rooms left under that code and we got one, so probably only one left. Can that be true? All 20 rooms booked up already? He said he only had 2 rooms, queen beds, non-smoking left.
I guess it could be true. I will have to check.
 
Here's the scoop. We still have 11 rooms left in our block of 20 on the nights of Thursday 10/25-Saturday 10/27. If you are planning to arrive earlier than 10/25 or stay longer than Saturday night 10/27 and stay at The Hampton on those earlier/later nights,you can't make reservations online for your full stay using the CW8 code. That code only works for the 3 nights in our block. If you are planning on staying there additional nights,you have to call the hotel for reservations and give them the code for the 3 nights of our block.
 
Don't dawdle, Mark! We are coming in a day early so we can go to Ruby Falls and leaving Monday. However, the receptionist today said I could use the CW8 code for all the nights. However, I noticed they take AAA or AARP and others for discounts too.
 
Had planned to do this a coupla weeks ago but didn't have enough information to launch. Myself,members @lelliott19 @Drew and @War Horse have been kicking this around. Here's what we have for starters.

Tour dates: Friday,October 26,2018 - Sunday,October 28,2018.

Accomodations: Block of 20 rooms(14 Double Queen,6 Standard King) at the Hampton Inn Ringgold - Ft. Oglethorpe,GA for 3 nights,Thurs. night 10/25 - Saturday night 10/27/2018. Our room rate is $129 + tax/night. To make reservations do as follows:

  • Calling hotel at 706-935-4800 and asking for the CWT Chickamauga group block for 10/25 - 10/27/2018 OR
  • Visiting hotel website, selecting dates, enter special code CW8 under "Group Code"
Unused rooms in our block of 20 rooms will released from the block by the hotel after 5:00pm on 9/25/2018. If we meet the room block,the hotel will comp a meeting room for us where in-house presentations can be made and authors or vendors,if any,can set up to sell books or merchandise. If we don't meet the room block,a meeting room,if needed,will be subject to a negotiable $75/hour fee.

The address of the hotel is: 6875 Battlefield Parkway,Ringgold,GA 30736.

Hotel website: http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/ho...inn-ringgold-ft-oglethorpe-CHARGHX/index.html

Meals: Free Hot Breakfast is provided for guests of the hotel. No other plans for meals have been made yet. Stay tuned for updates.

Tour Itinerary: Here is what we have so far. CWT member @novushomus will be giving a field presentation on Longstreet's Breakthrough on Sunday morning 10/28/2018. @lelliott19 has secured a commitment from Norman Dasinger Jr to do a full day field presentation on Longstreet at Chickamauga on Saturday 10/27/2018. @lelliott19 can provide more information on that gentleman. We are hoping to only need him for a half day. CWT member @richard will be giving a field presentation on Wilder's Brigade and Lilly's Battery at Alexander's Bridge and Viniard Field. That will be on Friday or Saturday,the exact day and time TBD.

We are leaving at least 2-3 half day or less sessions open for other CWT members who may wish to attend and guide a tour or do presentations such as a number of CWT members did at the CWT gatherings at Gettysburg in 2016 and 2017. If any CWT members are knowledgeable George Thomas at Chickamauga fans,it would be a great place to showcase your knowledge and share it with CWT members. Gen. Hood's wounding would be a good topic. That is a great place on the battlefield. I personally would love a guided tour/presentation on Cleburne's night attack. Anyway, time slots are open if any CWT members wanna showcase their knowledge of Chickamauga.

Other thoughts: In planning this event,I kept going back to the spirit in which @War Horse created this event in 2016. It is a friendly gathering of CWT members at a CW battlefield. The goal is to keep it simple and fun. This is not a business transaction with a professional tour organization. The plan is no tour buses this time unless we are overwhelmed with attendance and need one. We don't have any costs budgeted at this time. If attendance is gonna be big and a tour bus is needed or if attendees collectively want a professional guide,we may need to come up with some set registration fee for attendees so inclined. As the date of the event draws near and attendance is known,we may need to buy name tags or lanyards or folders for maps or itineraries or such and a per attendee fee may be asked. An accounting of any such costs will be provided.

Ringgold itself is a pretty historic CW town and we wanted a suitable hotel as close to the Chickamauga battlefield as we could get. There is plenty to do in nearby Chattanooga too for early arrivers and/or late departers.


I'm sure I'm leaving something out but there it is. The ball is rolling. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. I'm totally new at this and learning on the fly. :D

Edited to add: No trip to Chickamauga is complete without a visit to the Visitor Center. It is one of the best among the NPS CW Visitor Centers.
Just made my reservation!
 
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