Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park invites the public to attend a special .5 mile walking tour to discuss Sam Watkins’ memoir, Company Aytch, on Saturday, July 2 at 2 p.m. This one-hour program will begin at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center and will highlight some of Mr. Watkins’ tales upon the very ground where they unfolded.
Company Aytch is viewed as one of the purest accounts of the common, everyday soldier serving in the ranks of the Confederate armies.
The book, written nearly 20 years after the war, went through several versions, each having some changes that seemed to fit with the emerging view of the “Lost Cause.” Some of those changes were reflected in his telling the story of what happened upon Chickamauga Battlefield. This program will dissect these events in order to see if Mr. Watkins' story matches the historic record.
Participants are asked to bring comfortable shoes, water, and a folding chair, if they wish.
For more information about upcoming programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, 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.