Long before any soldiers came to battle, the Cherokee Indians gave the stream running through this area of Tennessee the name 'Chickamauga', which means 'River of Death'.
Chickamauga Battlefield, near Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chickamauga Battlefield, near Chattanooga, Tennessee
Long before any soldiers came to battle, the Cherokee Indians gave the stream running through this area of Tennessee the name 'Chickamauga', which means 'River of Death'.
The Cherokee named the area the 'River of Death' due to strange activity by a spirit or creature known as 'Old Green Eyes' that has plagued this spot. The creature is described as tall with glowing green eyes; it also has long hair and distorted jaws containing ferocious looking teeth. Some have witnessed Old Green Eyes as a full figure, while others have only seen the beast's head floating through the foliage.
The Cherokee believed that this was a spirit of death that awaits hapless victims. The spirit is known to corrupt a persons mind turning them to madness and causing them to become violent, even to their closest family and friends. In 1863, that was proven true. Here, the Union army suffered a defeat at the hands of the Confederates, killing more than 34,000 men.
After the battle, wives of the soldiers would scavenge the area with lanterns looking for their fallen lovers. The area echoed with the wails and cries of the heartbroken women. Grieving women that stayed on the battlefield throughout the night claimed to see a pair of glowing green eyes floating near them and the sound of a deep and sinister laughter.
The corpses of the fallen men lay there decaying for two months before soldiers were able to bury them. Because of the state of the bodies the soldiers deemed with the burial task were not very caring. Three to four bodies were often stuffed into one grave. The graves were dug shallow; it's not uncommon for people to uncover human remains in the area.
Today, the area is a state park that is haunted by the ghosts of soldiers killed in battle. People have seen the apparitions of both Union and Confederate soldiers in the area. Some appear with gruesome wounds. Many have seen the ghosts of headless soldiers walking the area.
Others have seen the ghosts of the soldier’s wives still searching for their lost husbands. Typically they are seen and heard at night, carrying a lantern and sobbing.
Park rangers are often startled by the sound of footsteps near them, but they are alone. In addition to footsteps rangers have reported hearing the sounds of horses galloping rapidly towards them, yet there is not anyone around for miles.
In addition to the ghosts of soldiers, many visitors are driven from the park after seeing the glowing green eyes of Old Green Eyes.
Some handy directions:
From Interstate 75: At Exit 350 take Battlefield Parkway (Georgia 2) west to Fort Oglethorpe. Turn left at the intersection of Battlefield Parkway and Lafayette Road. Go one mile on Lafayette Road to the park entrance and visitor center.
From Interstate 24: At Exit 180 take U.S. Highway 27 south (Rossville Boulevard) to Fort Oglethorpe. At the intersection of Battlefield Parkway, continue straight through the intersection onto Lafayette Road to the park entrance one mile ahead.