Tuesday, October 08, 2019

History in their front yard: My afternoon at Missionary Ridge

Man's best friends stand guard where Confederates did in November 1863.
(CLICK ON ALL IMAGES TO ENLARGE.)
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Imagine the reception 50,000 Federals would get were they to storm Missionary Ridge today.  Perhaps  ...

"Get off my manicured lawn."

Or ...

"Please don't tip over those historical signs next to my high-priced home with the spectacular view. We hear they are quite valuable."

On ground defended by Confederates on Nov. 25, 1863, we now find the highest-priced residential real estate in Chattanooga, Tenn., with houses listed at $2.5 million and more.

Markers and monuments, placed here decades after the Civil War, dot hallowed ground carved up by developers. Cast-iron historical tablets double as unique lawn ornaments. Denoting the position of an Arkansas battery, a cannon sits yards from the driveway of a one-story ranch house.  "Been there forever, man," a resident tells me with a smile.

What an odd, interesting scene.

A cannon, yards from the entrance to a house, denotes position of a Confederate battery.
Yards from a house on Crest Drive, this stone sentinel on the Ohio monument stands watch.
   PANORAMA: A view of the Ohio monument in a residential area on Missionary Ridge. 
                                   (Click at upper right for full-screen experience.)

General Benjamin Cheatham's division defended this ground in 1863. Now it's occupied by home owners.
Historical tablets masquerading as lawn ornaments?
A cast-iron tablet for Confederate brigade in recessed area in a wall.
21st century meets 19th century on Missionary Ridge.
4th Ohio Cavalry marker steps from a Missionary Ridge resident's driveway.
A 19th Illinois stone marker at the base of this steep front yard.
A million-dollar house beyond the 19th Illinois marker.
Soldiers from Confederate General Alexander Stewart's division once roamed this neighborhood.
On Crest Drive, yards from a house, a monument honors the service of New York soldiers.

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4 comments:

  1. Thats sad that they built over hallowed ground.

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  2. Why is this the case all over Tennessee? Nashville - gone. Franklin - gone. Stones River - mostly gone. Knoxville - gone. The only reason why Shiloh isn't paved over is because its in the middle of nowhere. Were there no history-minded, preservationists living in TN in the early 20th century who thought maybe we should preserve these places for posterity, similar to efforts to preserve battlefields on the East Coast? Come on Tennessee!! Makes me so angry.

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  3. Anonymous1:56 AM

    As a Missionary Ridge resident, with hallowed rifle pits on our land, most all residents are proud to be a part of such sacred ground. We honor the land and try to keep "development" from creeping in, but it's hard. It's our duty and honor to keep the ten+ acres we own from such developments.

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