Charles Oliver
charlesoliver@daltoncitizen.com
DALTON —
Seventeen years ago, Ken Sumner and a few other Civil War re-enactors began planning a re-enactment of the Battle of Tunnel Hill.
“A lot of people told us we would not be successful. Nothing would ever come of it,” he recalled.
This weekend, Sumner and some 500 other re-enactors will recreate the battle for the 17th time, and he says he can’t believe the changes that have taken place over the years.
“At that time, (the battlefield) was private property. Now, it’s a 19-acre county park. They’ve put a lot of resources into preserving the nearby Western & Atlantic railroad tunnel. We also have the heritage center, the railroad depot and the Clisby Austin House, which was built in 1848,” he said.
Sumner says all of those historical sites have been preserved through the efforts of Civil War enthusiasts and local officials.
“A lot of people made this happen, but it’s a tribute to the re-enactors. They didn’t let naysayers stop them. The reverence that the re-enactors have for the site is awesome,” he said.
Sumner says that one of the attractions of the Battle of Tunnel Hill to re-enactors is that it is one of just a few re-enactments that can be done at the actual site of the battle.
Five-year long observance
With the 150th anniversary observance of the Civil War slated to begin this fall, the Tunnel Hill Battlefield and many other historic sites in the area could become major tourist attractions — and local officials are working to make sure they do.
Though the official kickoff of the sesquicentennial won’t happen until later this year, Tunnel Hill Historical Foundation President Janet Cochran says she believes the increasing interest in the event will boost attendance at this weekend’s re-enactment.
“I certainly hope it will. I can tell you this, we have had a lot of inquiries this year from people who want to visit as well as to participate,” she said. “I’m hoping that the interest we are seeing is a sign to come, not just for this weekend but for all of the events planned for the sesquicentennial.”
Cochran says she is anticipating between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors over the course of this weekend.
Whitfield County will kick off its formal celebration of the sesquicentennial in November, near the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s election as president in 1860.
“The current schedule calls for events on Friday, Nov. 12, Saturday, Nov. 13, and Sunday, Nov. 14,” said Brett Huske, executive director of the Dalton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Huske says that on Friday, Nov. 12, the Hamilton House will reopen after being closed three years ago for repairs. Built in 1840, the Hamilton House, at 715 Chattanooga Road, is Dalton’s oldest brick house. It served as both a military hospital and headquarters during the Civil War.
Huske says the reopening ceremony is tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“We haven’t finalized this yet, but we hope to have some sort of sesquicentennial representation in the Veterans Day parade on Saturday morning (Nov. 13),” Huske said.
The official dedication of the Hamilton House will also take place that Saturday.
“The West Hill Cemetery spirit walk will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m., and that will have a Civil War theme,” Huske said. “At 7 p.m. in the freight depot, Dr. John Fowler of the Bandy Heritage Center will be giving a talk on the 1860 presidential election. And on Sunday at 3 p.m., there will be another spirit walk.”
Going forward, local officials plan to hold events that will try to maintain interest in the sesquicentennial for the entire five years it will be observed.
“We will be targeting dates or events that we can highlight and build around to attract visitors,” said Huske.
“In February, for instance, the trade center typically hosts a Civil War show, so we have decided to partner with the promoter and build his program up,” Huske said. “The show starts on Friday, Feb. 4. On Saturday, we plan to have Civil War lectures, and the trade center will, for the first time, hold a Civil War-themed dinner at 7 p.m. The servers will be dressed in period costumes, and there will be Civil War props there. We are still working on it, but we also hope to have the 8th Regiment Band there playing at the dinner or perhaps on Friday night,” he said.
After that, plans are more tentative.
For instance, May 3 will be National Train Day. May will also mark the 161st anniversary of the first train passing through the railroad tunnel at Tunnel Hill, and Huske says local governments plan to make May Train Month, with train-themed events at Dalton’s freight depot as well as Tunnel Hill.
Huske says local officials also hope to build events around the Battle of Tunnel Hill re-enactment and the Prater’s Mill fair. In addition, he says he is working with tourism officials at the state and regional level to make visitors across the nation aware of what Dalton has to offer. In addition to the Tunnel Hill battlefield, for instance, the Dalton area is home to one of the largest number of preserved and intact Civil War fortifications in the nation.
Huske says it’s too early to say what sort of economic impact these events will have on the Dalton area or the amount of visitors they will bring in.
“I do know that state officials and the other people I am working with believe it has at least the potential to have a significant economic impact. There’s always a large number of people with an interest in the Civil War that we can draw from, but with the 150th anniversary, that market should be even bigger and interest in the war should be even greater,” Huske said.
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The weekend’s event:
The Tunnel Hill battle re-enactment will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with the actual battle starting at 2 p.m. each day. The 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment Band will play both days. On Sunday, officers from Fort McPherson are scheduled to conduct a “staff ride,” an intensive analysis of the battle at the site.
What happened at the battle:
Tunnel Hill was the site of several skirmishes from September 1863 to March 1865, with possibly the most significant taking place Feb. 23-24, 1864. The Clisby Austin House, next to the battlefield, was the site of a hospital where many Confederate troops, including Gen. John Bell Hood, were taken after the Battle of Chickamauga. Union Gen. William T. Sherman occupied the Clisby Austin House from May 7-12, 1864. Sherman’s occupation of Tunnel Hill is considered by many to be the start of his Atlanta Campaign.
