Picture of the Day - September 20, 2009

"Chickamauga"

Photo courtesy of Jesse Adams.                       (Click on the photo for a larger view) 146 years ago today the Confederate Army of Tennessee handed their Union opponents one of their most significant defeats of the entire Civil War at Chickamauga, Georgia. Fighting virtually in their own back yard just across the state line, the Tennessee soldiers were bound and determined to take the battle to the enemy and prevail, at whatever cost in human blood. The victory turned out to be quite costly indeed, but prevail they did. Although the Confederates suffered well over 18,000 casualties during the two day battle, the stunning Union defeat at Chickamauga dealt a staggering blow to Northern hopes that the war would soon be over. Instead, it would drag on for almost two more years, and on that hot September day way back in 1863, the ultimate outcome of the war was far from certain. Today, the battlefield at Chickamauga sports a rather serene pastoral look, but the lonely cannon featured in today's picture is a stark reminder of the day the fields turned red with the blood of so many of our countrymen. Here are the camera and settings used to capture this image: Camera: Fuji FinePix S3000 Focal length: 11mm Shutter speed: 1/280 second Aperture: f/2.8 ISO: 100   Visitor Comments... Name: George Mabe Town: Pulaski, VA Chickamauga is a beautiful place to visit, Civil War buff or not. I highly recommend stopping by there if you're ever in the Chattanooga area. Great picture Mr. Adams.     Name: Ed Morrison Town: Dunwoody, GA I drive up I-75 quite often on business, and I have visited Chickamauga several times. I agree with Mr. Mabe - it really is a must-see if you're ever in the area.     Name: Barbara Stiltner Town: Eau Claire, WI I must admit that I had never heard of the Battle of Chickamauga before today, and I'm surprised about that since it was such an important battle of the Civil War. Thanks for sharing this photo with us and the story that goes along with it. This is why I LOVE this site so much!     Name: Alma Mae Johnson Town: West Memphis, AR What a serene view of one our nation's most important historic places. Great job Mr. Adams in capturing both the beauty and history of Chickamauga.     Name: Scott McVey Town: Beatrice, NE Thank you Mr. Adams. This is a great picture. Civil war battle fields always remind me of my father. He dearly loved Civil War history and we visited many battlefields including Chickamauga.   Comment on today's picture  |  View previous "Pictures Of The Day"  |  Submit a photo Why I publish the "Picture Of The Day"