News Release

Nadine Turchin: A Woman’s story from Chickamauga

Date: February 23, 2024
Contact: Kim Coons, 706-866-9241, ext. 139

Fort Oglethorpe, GA:  On Saturday, March 9, at 2 pm, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will provide a 45-minute ranger-led presentation discussing Nadine Lvova Turchin, the wife of US Brigadier General John Basil Turchin, a very unusual woman for her time and not fitting into the strict role of a woman in the Victorian Era.  Participants will meet at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center before traveling out onto the battlefield for the talk. Please dress accordingly for the weather and a folding chair might be desirable.   

Born in Russia, Nadine was the daughter of a high-ranking Russian officer.  In 1856, she married Ivan Vasilovitch Turchinov, also a Russian officer, with whom she immigrated to the United States. Upon their arrival, the Turchinovs changed their last name to Turchin. John Basil Turchin became the only Russian-born general to serve in the United States Army during the Civil War. Not to be left behind, Mrs. Turchin traveled with her husband during the war and was always a force to be respected. She even managed to make her presence known on the battlefield of Chickamauga. She also kept a diary, which included her very outspoken views on her husband’s fellow officers, as well as the events that unfolded around her at Chickamauga. This special program will share her unique story. 
 
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.