As the Union army under General Rosecrans pushed into Tennessee, their first encounter with the enemy was the Battle of Chickamauga in September, 1863. This resulted in a resounding Confederate victory, and forced the Union troops to seek refuge in the city of Chattanooga. They were besieged by the Rebels, who also fortified the heights above the city, called Lookout Mountain. This gave them command of the Tennessee River, and a stranglehold on the city.

Initially the Union army suffered heavily from the siege and was in desperate straits when reinforcements began arriving. Over the next few months, their position was reinforced by units of Sheridan’s cavalry and Sherman’s infantry. U.S. Grant arrived to assume overall command. Thus began an effort to break the siege and eventually drive the Rebels from the valley. Events around Chattanooga were pivotal in the war, and gave Sherman a jumping-off place for his march through Georgia the following year.

This month’s speaker, Chuck Lahmeyer, is a new member of our Round Table with a long time interest in Civil War events. He has recently returned from a trip to Chattanooga, and spent his time investigating various Civil War locations in and around this region. A video of the area as it appears today will be shown as part of Chuck’s presentation.

Chuck has worked for over 25 years for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, where he builds electronics for planetary missions and for earth sensing satellites.

Please join us as we learn more about this important campaign.

Janet Whaley
Program Chair

 

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