Ringgold Gap Battlefield
Encyclopedia
The Ringgold Gap Battlefield, in Catoosa County, Georgia
, preserves the scene of the Battle of Ringgold Gap
in the American Civil War
.
According to the National Park Service:
The site was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
on March 12, 2011. The listing was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service
's weekly list of March 18, 2011.
A small pocket park in Ringgold Gap commemorates the battle. A monument to soldiers from New York who sustained heavy casualties stands near Tiger Creek at the Ringgold Water Treatment Plant. A new monument in honor of Major General Patrick Cleburne
and his men is located in the small pocket park. The nearby Western and Atlantic Depot still shows scars from the damage it received from artillery fire during the battle. The Ringgold Gap Battlefield was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2011.
Catoosa County, Georgia
Catoosa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 5, 1853. As of 2000, the population was 53,282. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 62,241...
, preserves the scene of the Battle of Ringgold Gap
Battle of Ringgold Gap
The Battle of Ringgold Gap was fought November 27, 1863, in northwest Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate victory by Maj. Gen...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
According to the National Park Service:
At Ringgold Gap, a pass nestled between White Oak Mountain and Taylor RidgeTaylor Ridge (Georgia)Taylor Ridge is the most northwestern ridge in the state of Georgia within the Ridge and Valley physiographic region and is approximately 40 miles in length. To the west the ridge is bordered by the Cumberland Plateau region and the to north Taylor Ridge becomes White Oak Mountain at Ringgold Gap...
, Major General Patrick Cleburne, leader of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, successfully halted Union Army advances through Georgia. The outcome of this November 1863 battle prolonged the Civil War and significantly delayed Federal troops from reaching the Confederate stronghold of Atlanta. The engagement between Major Generals HookerJoseph HookerJoseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, achieving the rank of major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although he served throughout the war, usually with distinction, Hooker is best remembered for his stunning defeat by Confederate General Robert E...
and Cleburne led to Cleburne's fame as the Confederacy's “Stonewall of the West.” Major General Cleburne protected the pass with strategic troop placement and concealment. The Army of Tennessee did not open fire until Union troops were within 100 yards, resulting in the loss of 500 Union troops; many of both sides were wounded.
Ringgold Gap Battlefield listing also includes a monument erected in 1898 by the state of New York to recognize the New York Brigade's (Union) participation in the battle, and the Ringgold Gap Wayside Park. The Works Progress AdministrationWorks Progress AdministrationThe Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) begun the Ringgold Gap Wayside Park project in 1939 and the National Park Service completed the wayside signs and park area. The bronze plaques commemorate the historic event at this site and its role in two important campaigns of the Civil War, the Chickamauga-Chattanooga Campaign and the Atlanta CampaignAtlanta CampaignThe Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
.
The site was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on March 12, 2011. The listing was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
's weekly list of March 18, 2011.
A small pocket park in Ringgold Gap commemorates the battle. A monument to soldiers from New York who sustained heavy casualties stands near Tiger Creek at the Ringgold Water Treatment Plant. A new monument in honor of Major General Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was an Irish American soldier, best known for his service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, where he rose to the rank of major general....
and his men is located in the small pocket park. The nearby Western and Atlantic Depot still shows scars from the damage it received from artillery fire during the battle. The Ringgold Gap Battlefield was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2011.