A History & Guide to the Monuments of Chickamauga National Military Park

Book excerpt: The Battle of Chickamauga was the most significant Union defeat in the western theater of the Civil War and the second-deadliest battle of the war behind only Gettysburg. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park was established in 1890, the first of America's national military parks. Immediately after the battle, both Union and Confederate soldiers sought to honor those who gave their lives, and now Chickamauga and Chattanooga are home to more than seven hundred monuments, markers and tablets commemorating those who sacrificed. And much like the soldiers who bravely fought, each monument has its own history. Join Stacy W. Reaves and photographer Jane D. Beal as they recount the history of Chickamauga Battlefield and the monuments that memorialize its history.