News Release

The Finest Body of Men and Soldiers: The Orphan Brigade at Chickamauga

Date: July 17, 2019
Contact: Kim Coons, 706-866-9241 x139

Fort Oglethorpe, GA: On Saturday, August 3, and on Sunday, August 4, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will conduct living history programs at Chickamauga Battlefield on the experiences of the Confederate Orphan Brigade.  Programs will take place at Battleline Road (Tour Stop 2) and are scheduled at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm on Saturday and 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm on Sunday. This is a free program. 

The “Orphan Brigade” was one of the most famous units in the Confederate Army of Tennessee at the time of the Battle of Chickamauga and a Confederate official once defined it as “the finest body of men and soldiers.” On September 20, 1863, the men charged the northern end of the Union line and suffered tremendous casualties, including their commander, General Benjamin Helm. Living history programs will explore how terrain, open vegetation, and well-positioned Union soldiers affected the experience of the Confederate Orphan Brigade during the Battle of Chickamauga.  

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