The Ghosts of Chickamauga...

America’s battlefields are all quiet now and have been for well over a century or two, depending upon the war in which it took place. Most of the people visiting the parks and museums associated with these battlefields note feelings of reverence and serenity while exploring the grounds.

At least until the sun goes down...

Horseshoe Ridge at the Chickamauga battlefield by Hal Jespersen

During the Civil War, the bloodiest battles waged took place at Gettysburg, Antietam, Stones River, and Chickamauga. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that at the end of the siege, more than bullets and blood remained behind. We'll explore each of these battlefields in the days ahead.

First up...Chickamauga.

The battle at Chickamauga took the life of an ancestral Uncle of mine, and figures prominently in “Spiritof the Rebellion.” In 1863, from the early hours of September 19th through the 20th, the combined casualties totaled 37,129 men. At the end of this horrendous battle, countless bodies of Union soldiers, left lying in the field for weeks, were finally buried in makeshift graves. Various reports tell us they buried the dead in rows, head to foot and more often than not, several men shared a grave. Not a single marker would ever note their passing.