Chattanooga,Tennessee and Chickamauga, Georgia Battlefield, 1863, 1883, 2014.

(Continued from here.)

Wilder's Brigade Monument, Chickamauga Battlefield, Georgia

123rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry officers listed on the base of Wilder's Monument

Across the border from Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee we visited Chickamauga Battlefield. There an attendant at the visitor center pulled up the “soldier details” for John Morgan, 123^rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, handed us a copy, and sent us in the direction of the monument honoring “Wilder’s Mounted Brigade” and the Illinois 123^rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry--of which John Morgan was a member. It was a breath-taking sobering walk through the past.

 

 The Wilder's Brigade Monument is 85 feet high and we were able to climb up it. The platform atop affords an excellent view of the battlefield and surrounding area. It marks the spot Col. Wilder's brigade occupied on September 20, 1863 and where widow Eliza Glenn's house once stood.

A newer metal plaque names the various divisions involved.

An interesting connect between Colonel John T. Wilder (later General) and President John Morgan is revealed here on this morning's Amateur Mormon Historian post. Twenty years after they served together on the Chicamauga Battlefield, Missionary Jacob Franklin Miller recorded that General Wilder was "jesting with Pres. Morgan about the Battalion he was now leading."

Take the time to read the entire Amateur Mormon Historian post here. You'll discover now sterile President Morgan's journal entries for that time are in comparison to his new missionary, and you'll see the terrific map of Elder Miller and President John Morgan's railroad trip from Salt Lake City to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1883.

From John Hamilton Morgan's Journal, March 3, 1883 – Saw many evidences of the recent disasterous [sic] flood on the Ohio River bottoms. Arrived in Cin. At 8 a.m. Changed cars and continued our journey to Chattanooga where we arrived at 10:25 p.m. Were met by Elder Snow. This long journey has been made without a single accident occurring or a failure to connect in a single case.

March 4 – Busy during the day arranging for the Elders to get away to their fields of labor. In the p.m. held a priesthood meeting and afterwards visited Cameron Hill where I met Gen. Wilder and others.

March 5– The last of the Elders left today, all feeling pretty well and desiring to do good.

(To be continued.)

Note:  Missionary Jacob Franklin Miller (set apart, February 26, 1883 returned March 27, 1885) from John Hamilton Morgan Southern States Missionaries List. John Hamilton Morgan Journal entries from my copy of his journal at Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah.