Catoosa

County

Civil War

Driving

Tour

Sponsored by Catoosa

County, Georgia

Chamber of Commerce

1960’s Tour Updated June 2011 by:

Patricia A. Silcox, president, United

Daughters of the Confederacy, Catoosa

Chapter 1987

William H.H. Clark, Catoosa County

Historian

DOWNTOWN RINGGOLD

1. RINGGOLD DEPOT (Marker)

Built about 1850. Gen. Hooker’s Union Headquarters

during the “Battle of Ringgold Gap.” South end

possibly destroyed by Confederate cannons during

the battle. Roof was blown off in an attempt to

destroy the building after the battle. Across the

street (now Benton Supply) was the Whitsett House, an

early two story inn for people arriving via the trains

2. WHITMAN HOUSE ( Marker)

(On Tennessee Street across from City Hall) Built by

Whitman in late 1850’s. Family watched “Battle of

Ringgold Gap” from the 2nd

floor. Only house in

Georgia in which General Grant of the Union Army

spent the night.

3. WHITMAN’S STORES (No Marker)

(Corner of Nashville and Tennessee Streets) Two brick

stores built by Whitman and Whitsett in 1850.

Second store had a hand operated grain elevator.

Stores were looted and the interiors burned by

Wilder’s Cavalry in September 1863. Nearby buildings

with a high roof line are pre-Civil War. Hitching posts

and the town pump were located in the park across

the street.

4. CATOOSA COUNTY COURTHOUSE (Marker)

Originally built on this spot in 1854, it was spared by

Sherman because

of the Masonic Hall

on the 3rd

floor.

Served as the

Buckner Hospital.

Ringgold hospitals

received patients

from as far away as

Kentucky. Present

structure constructed in 1939.

5. NORTHWEST GEORGIA BANK (No Marker)

(Previously located at 896 Lafayette Street) Two story

with columns all around. Owned by the Inman

Family. Printed their own pre-Civil War paper

money. Served as the Bragg Hospital.

6. PRE-CIVIL WAR CHURCHES (No Marker)

Methodist Church was located next to the cemetery

on Lafayette Street. Baptist Church located just west

of present structure. (Marker) Presbyterian (Old

Stone Church) still standing and located on Hwy 41.

7. ANDERSON CEMETERY (Marker)

(Located on Lafayette Street) Anderson family cemetery

and later used by the community. Resting place of

many Civil War Veterans. Burial site of 137

Confederate Soldiers who died in the Ringgold

hospitals and later were moved to the Confederate

Cemetery in Marietta. Marker inside Cemetery.

8. EVANS HOME (Marker located on Tennessee St.) (Destroyed by Tornadoes April 2011; previously on SW

corner of Nashville and Guyler Streets) A dog-trot log

cabin, served as a boarding house for two

Confederate Nurses, Kate Cummings and Fannie

Beers. Both left vivid descriptions of their

experiences in the Ringgold hospitals.

9. NEW YORK MONUMENT (Monument - Located

at the south end of Depot Street near Chickamauga Creek)

Commemorates five New York Regiments engaged in

the “Battle of Ringgold Gap.”

41 HWY/KEITH &

CHEROKEE VALLEY

RD. AREA

10. RINGGOLD GAP ROADSIDE PARK (Marker -

On Hwy. 41, ½ mi. south of

Ringgold) Civil War map and

statue of Gen. Patrick

Cleburne, Commander of the

Confederate forces during the

“Battle of Ringgold Gap.” Here

4,000 Confederates held the

Union Army long enough for

the Confederate Army (Photo by Graphic

to get reorganized at Tunnel Hill. Advertising)

11. CHEROKEE SPRINGS (Marker - Off Hwy 41 and ½

mile north on Cherokee Valley Rd.) Summer resort and

site of 500 bed Confederate convalescent hospital.

Patients included Gen. Bragg and his wife. Present

houses were part of the resort. Hospital moved to

Newnan, GA prior to the “Battle of Chickamauga.”

12. CATOOSA STATION (No Marker -Located off

Hwy 41 on right just past Cherokee Valley Rd) A platform

half covered with a shed used as a train stop for

tourist visiting the summer resorts of Cherokee and

Catoosa Springs. Longstreet’s Corps of 12,000

disembarked here prior to the “Battle of

Chickamauga”, because the railroad bridges to

Ringgold had been burned.

13. OLD STONE CHURCH (Marker - Located

on Hwy 41 at

Catoosa Parkway)

Presbyterian

Church built in

1850. Used as a Confederate (Photo by Patricia Silcox)

surgical hospital and as a stable by the Union.

Blood stains still on the floor. It is now the Catoosa

County Old Stone Church Museum open from 1 to 5

Thursday through Sunday.

14. OLD FEDERAL ROAD (Marker near entrance

to Tiger Creek School, a few yards on the right past Old

Stone Church on Catoosa Parkway) Road was built

through the Cherokee Territory sometime after 1805.

It went from Athens, GA to Nashville, TN. It was the

Interstate of its day and is still visible in several places

in the county. It was used as a major transportation

route by both armies during the Civil War.

15. CATOOSA SPRINGS (Marker - Turn off Hwy 41

onto Catoosa Pkwy, go 1.2 mi. turn left on Keith, go 0.7

mi.; turn onto circle driving lane - Glenn Hefner Lane to

view marker)

Was a large summer resort known as the “Sarasota of

the South.” A three story hotel and cottages that

could accommodate over 3,000 guests each summer.

Used as a 500-bed Confederate convalescent hospital

and Headquarters for Union Gen. Oliver O. Howard’s

4th Corps. According to the historical marker,

drinking or bathing in the mineral waters of the

springs enabled many soldiers to return to duty.

16. LEE’S CHAPEL (Marker - Turn off Hwy 41 onto GA

2/ Catoosa Pkwy - 3253 Catoosa Pkwy) Methodist

Church built in 1860 on land donated by Dr. James

Lee. Assembly point for the Army of the Cumberland

and Army of the Ohio and starting point for

Sherman’s advance on Atlanta.

GA. HWY 151 (Alabama Hwy) AREA

17. YATES SPRINGS (No Marker)

House built in the late 1830’s and is one of the oldest

in the county. Built by Presley Yates who was an

early settler and owned several thousand acres of

local land. The first house on the property was

burned by the Indians the day before he was to move

in. Yates was one of the two delegates from Catoosa

to the secession convention in Milledgeville. Today

the spring is a major supply of water for the county. 18. NICK-A-JACK TRAIL (Marker - Hwy 151 to Mt.

Pisgah) Indian trail linking the Cherokee Capital of

New Echota with Leet’s Springs (Beaumont), Crawfish

Springs (Chickamauga), and Nick-A-Jack Cave on the

Tennessee River.

19. LEET’S SPRINGS & TANYARD (Marker – Hwy

151, turn on Mt. Pisgah, 0.1 mi past Nick-A-Jack Rd, just

before Beaumont Rd) Rev. A.I. Leet was a farmer,

tanner and Methodist minister. Col. Wilder’s Cavalry

was surrounded here but, after dark, managed to slip

through the lines, leaving his dead on the front porch

of the house. Bragg’s orders for the “Battle of

Chickamauga” were issued here. During the winter

of 1864, the Union lines extended from Catoosa

Springs, to Ringgold to Leets’ Springs.

20. WOOD STATION (No Marker – Hwy. 151)

John Wood built a station on the stage line from

Knoxville to Birmingham located just south of

Temperance Hall Road. Served as the first post office

on the Ringgold-Trion route. Across Hwy.

151 from the cemetery was an Indian community

center and tribal dancing grounds

Fort Oglethorpe, Old Lafayette

Rd/Hwy. 27

(Photo by Patricia Silcox)

21. Over 14 Historical Markers, Interpretative

Tablets and Monuments located on Old Lafayette

Road) in Fort Oglethorpe. (turn off Lafayette Rd at White

Street)

The town of Ft. Oglethorpe did not exist during

the Battle of Chickamauga; however, many

families’ homes were scattered on Lafayette Road

and throughout the county and on the fringes of the

historic Chickamauga Battlefield. Discover the

historic markers inside the City of Ft. Oglethorpe.

• 1st SHOT OF CHICKAMAUGA BATTLE ON SEPT. 11TH At 1 A.M. on September 11, Gen. Crittenden left

Chattanooga enroute to Ringgold via Lafayette Rd.

Capt. McCook being informed of the route, became

concerned for his commander’s safety and at 2 a.m.

hurried to overtake him. In the darkness and mist two

of McCook’s escorts were fired upon by Forrest’s

Cavalry and captured on Lafayette Road.

• UNION FIELD HOSPITAL AT CLOUD SPRINGS Union Army Hosptial, Left Wing located in this vicinity

because of a good spring, a church and several houses.

• NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST, PEGRAM & ARMSTRONG BATTLES/SKIRMISHES IN AREA OF OLD LAFAYETTE RD. (Several interpretative

markers)

• CLOUD’S HOME AND CHURCH & FARM USED AS HOSPITALS Col. Cloud listed in the Catoosa County 1860 Census as

a planter, from Savannah, had served as an officer in

the Georgia Militia. In 1854 Cloud began purchasing

land in the area now known as Ft. Oglethorpe and at

one time held nearly 1700 acres of land. Many of the

Civil War era maps display the Cloud farm on Lafayette

Road. Today Cloud’s name remains prominent in our

area – Hwy. 146 Cloud Springs Road, Cloud Springs

and Cloudland Canyon are named for him.

• Tennessee and Georgia Monuments (Several

on Old Lafayette Road located in Fort

Oglethorpe)

22. CHICKAMAUGA -CHATTANOOGA

NATIONAL MILITARY PARK (Entrance on Lafayette Road/Hwy 27

Fort Oglethorpe)

“In north Georgia and south Tennessee, Union and Confederate armies clashed during the fall of 1863 in some of the hardest fighting of the Civil War. The prize was Chattanooga, a key rail center and the gateway to the heart of the Confederacy. “Fighting began shortly after dawn on September 19. The armies fought desperately all day, but the Confederates eventually pushed the Federals back to the LaFayette Road. On September 20, Bragg again tried to drive between the Union force and Chattanooga, but failed to dislodge Rosecrans' line. Suddenly, a gap opened in the Federal ranks and Confederates smashed through, routing Rosecrans and half his army. General George H. Thomas took command of the remaining Federals and formed a new battleline on Snodgrass Hill. Here his men held their ground against repeated assaults. After dark, Thomas' forces withdrew from the field to the defenses of Chattanooga. The Confederates pursued and besieged the city. By placing artillery on the heights overlooking the river and blocking the roads and rail lines, the Southerners prevented Federal supplies from entering the city.” (excerpts from: http://www.nps.gov/chch/historyculture/index.htm )

• Park was officially dedicated in September 1895 • 1,400 monuments and historical markers • Theater - 26 minute multi-media program “Battle

of Chickamauga” (tickets available in bookstore) • Driving tours, hiking trails • Visitor Center & Museum • Well-stocked bookstore

23. ALEXANDER BRIDGE (Marker – Hwy 27, past Chickamauga Park Museum, turn left on Alexander Bridge Rd, Bridge at end of road – currently the bridge is under repairs, not open to through traffic) Wilder’s Union Army met the Confederates here.

REED’S BRIDGE RD./ BOYNTON

(Old Highway 2)

24. REED’S BRIDGE (Marker)

Union Col. Minty’s men had just crossed this bridge

before Confederates came within firing range and did

not have time to destroy the bridge. Historically, this

exchange of fire was the beginning of the Battle of

Chickamauga, although firing had been exchanged at

Ellis’ Springs and Peeler’s Mill.

25. NAPIER HOUSE (Marker - Located on Burning

Bush Road) Built by Thomas T. Napier in 1836 of

heavy timber brought by ox-wagon from Augusta,

GA. In earlier years, Indians built a mile long race

track here and had horse races. House served as

hospital during Battle of Chickamauga.

26. PEELER’S MILL (Marker at Boynton & 3 Notch

Rd.)

Located on Boynton Road in the vicinity of Carlock’s

Store. 976 of Col. Minty’s Union soldiers met Gens.

Johnson and Forresters’ Confederate men here and

retreated after 3 Federals were killed. Years later the

mill was dismantled and moved to Flintstone, GA.

(Photo by Patricia Silcox)

GRAYSVILLE COMMUNITY and

OOLTEWAH-RINGGOLD RD.

27. GRAYSVILLE (Marker at Mill – Graysville

establish -ed 1849 - Hwy 41 N to Indian Springs

Community; turn on Graysville Rd– Mill is on left near creek

& Railroad)

John Gray and his brother were railroad builders.

The Plantation site of late 1840’s had 4000 acres.

Gray had grist mill, furniture shop, blacksmith shop,

horse track, lime kiln and a two story flour & grist

mill built of heavy stone on the creek. The Mill was

burned and rebuilt and is now a private residence.

The original John Gray home was spared by Gen.

Sherman because both Sherman and Gray were

masons. Union troops were stationed here after the

Battle of Ringgold.

28. THE “GENERAL” MONUMENT ( Monument)

(Photo by Patricia Silcox)

(Turn off Hwy 41 to Tennessee St., left on Ooltewah

Ringgold Road; monument near Rail line) - It was here

that the railroad engine “Texas”, running backwards,

caught the engine “General.” The General had been

stolen by Ohio soldiers, dressed in civilian clothes,

hoping to burn the railroad bridges between Atlanta

and Chattanooga. All were caught. Eight were hung,

some escaped and eight were exchanged. Those

exchanged received the first of what was to become

the Nation’s highest award for military valor, the

Congressional Medal of Honor.

Welcome to the Gateway to Georgia…. Our communities are a great place to live, work, and

play. Explore Civil War history at the Chickamauga

Chattanooga National Military Park, the Old Stone Church

Museum, the Ringgold Depot, and at the 28 Civil War

historical sites listed.

Discover Fort Oglethorpe’s namesake at the 6th

Cavalry

Museum. Taste distinctive flavors at the Georgia Winery,

the state’s first farm winery. Spend an exciting day at Lake

Winnepesaukah, the south’s favorite amusement park.

Discover hidden treasures and delightful eats at local shops

and restaurants.

Stop by the Catoosa Visitors Information Center

located in the Chamber office or visit us on the web-site at

www.catoosachamberofcommerce.com

We hope you enjoy your time in Catoosa County and

visit us again soon.

264 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold, GA 30736

706-965-5201

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