Happy fourth of July from the Chickamauga Battlefield in Georgia! We are standing in front of the 22nd Indiana Infantry Statue on the Battlefield. Our Great Great Grandfather Walter Harrison belonged to this regiment and fought in this battle.
The tour today began with a 26 minute video of the Battles in Chickamauga and Chattanooga. This amazing film set the tone for the sites we were about to witness in a 3 and 1/2 hour car tour around the battlefield.
The first place I got out of the car to get pictures was the headquarters of Confederate General Bragg. Walking into the woods to get the picture I was struck by the eerie sounds coming from the wooded area as small animals walked and raindrops fell through the dense trees.
I came back to the car and shared these thoughts with Kay and so at the next stop she walked with me to a grave site where we again experienced the quiet hush of nature and a place that deserved respect. This grave is the only one in this battlefield and marks the remains of Col. Ingraham a confederate soldier from the Chickamauga area whose remains were cared for by the community.
This monument was created to honor Col. John T. Wilder and his men, nicknamed the Lightning Brigade. Regiments from Indiana and Illinois served under his command. This 85 foot tower has 136 steps in a spiral staircase leading to the top where you can view almost all of the field of battle.
Look carefully at the top to see Shirley holding a flag from her school!
As I looked over these sites on our Independence Day, I thought about my three great great grandfathers who fought in the Battles of Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and Chattanooga, I was struck by the challenging terrain, terrifying noises of battle from the cannons, and the smell of death that certainly surrounded them. I am grateful to all of our veterans who fought for the freedoms I hold so dear. God Bless America!
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