Existing comment:
Battlefield Monuments:
Hundreds of monuments commemorate Union and Confederate units
More than 600 stone and bronze monuments were erected on the battlefields here between 1890 and 1930. Chickamauga and Chattanooga veterans designed and placed most of them under the direction of the Park Commissioners. Funding was provided by the U.S. Government, the states, and veterans' organizations.
The park's monuments are remarkable not only for their artistic and commemorative value, but for the information they provide. At Chickamauga, Union regimental monuments identify the places where units saw their heaviest fighting. Confederate monuments mark their farthest points of advance.
Of special interest are the bronze bas-relief plaques attached to many monuments. These depict battle scenes based on veterans' eyewitness accounts. Because there are no photographs of the fighting, these plaques are among the best visual records of the battles. |