Fire on the Farm: Artillery at the McDonald Place

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park invites the public to experience the power of Civil War artillery as park rangers and living historians tell the story of artillery during the Battle of Chickamauga by providing public demonstrations at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center.

On the morning of Sunday, September 20, 1863, an unexpected frost covered the ground, and an ominous stillness filled the air. Then, a rebel yell was heard, shot and shell streaked across the field, Confederate General John C. Breckinridge changed front, and the battle shifted to the south. Late that afternoon as the Union left retreated across McDonald Farm, groans of wounded and thirsty men filled the air. Then, a rebel yell was heard, and the day closed just as it began – with shot and shell streaking across the field. We hope you will join us as we share the compelling stories associated with the “long arm” of the army – the artillery.