Fort Oglethorpe, GA: On September 2, at 11 am, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will host a 1-hour, ranger-led discussion on the weather during the 1863 Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns. This program will take place at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center.

Park staff often hear the disappointment in visitors’ voices when they finally make it to Lookout Mountain’s summit and the fog is so thick that they have a difficult time seeing several yards ahead. After all, they visited for the iconic view of Chattanooga, the Tennessee River, and the surrounding area, not the cloudbank that sometimes enshrouds the mountain, precluding the wonderful view. That is when staff get to remind them that they are experiencing the weather much as the soldiers did during the fighting on November 24, 1863, a battle that subsequently received the nickname, “The Battle Above the Clouds.” When visiting Civil War battlefields, visitors often like to tour when the weather meets their needs. They do not want to be too hot or too cold, and they want the sun to shine, but not too brightly, so they might pleasantly enjoy their excursions into history. What if visitors looked to explore these places when the weather was more reminiscent of its patterns during the war? This program will discuss weather during two of the most well-known campaigns of the Civil War and how it affected the everyday lives of soldiers and of the battlefield conditions in which they fought.

For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/chch