Occupied Chattanooga

Occupied Chattanooga (HM143N)

Location: Chattanooga, TN 37402 Hamilton County
Buy Tennessee State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 35° 3.607', W 85° 18.556'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 697 views
Inscription

The Waterfront

Chattanooga's Tennessee River waterfront underwent major changes during the Civil War. The Confederate troops who occupied the town in the spring of 1862 constructed forts and batteries near the river. When Union Gen. William S. Rosecrans army shelled Chattanooga in August 1863, three forts lined the riverfront from near the present-day Hunter Museum of Art on your left to Cameron Hill on your right across the river.

During the Union army's occupation of Chattanooga (Sept. 9, 1863 - Summer 1865), the appearance of the riverfront again changed dramatically. Extensive logging operations stripped trees from the hills along the riverbank. A large sawmill at the base of Cameron Hill turned the felled timber into planks and framing for warehouses and other military structures that were built throughout the town. The army constructed a naval yard st Ross's Landing to repair and maintain the boats that ferried supplies into Chattanooga. Soldiers also built a wooden bridge - the first to span the Tennessee River at Chattanooga (it washed away in a massive flood in 1867).

Escaped slaves lived near the river at Camp Contraband, as it was called. They provided labor for the Union construction projects, and many of the adult men joined the U.S. Colored Troops. On November 26, 1864, a camp census counted 3,893 residents. Col. J.E. MacGowan supervised the camp; after the war, he served as editor of the Chattanooga Times.
Details
HM NumberHM143N
Series This marker is part of the Tennessee: Tennessee Civil War Trails series
Tags
Placed ByThe Tennessee Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, September 19th, 2014 at 8:28pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)16S E 654176 N 3881016
Decimal Degrees35.06011667, -85.30926667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 35° 3.607', W 85° 18.556'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds35° 3' 36.42" N, 85° 18' 33.36" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)423, 931
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 71-99 John Ross Bridge, Chattanooga TN 37402, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?
© 2025  Historical Marker Project.  All Rights Reserved.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HMP is owned and operated by 3RiverDev (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Disclaimers   |   About   |   Contact Us