Signaling the past, future

The Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center at Reflection Riding is joining with the Chickamauga National Military Park on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013, to host a Civil War re-enactment encampment observing the 150^th anniversary of the Battle Above the Clouds. 

The event will feature a special historical signaling demonstration, and a barbecue luncheon.

“So many people in our country are interested in the Civil War and everything to do with it,” said Margaret Hill, Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center at Reflection Riding board member. “This signaling event is a way to show how the troops communicated with each other.  Of course, they didn't have cell phones, radios or walkie-talkies back then.”

They will set up in Candy’s Flat and signal to their counterparts above at Sunset Rock on Lookout Mountain. They will use a time-honored code to send messages back and forth, a practice that in the Civil War would have made the difference between life and death.

A display of Civil War artifacts - swords, guns, uniforms, etc. - in Humphreys House will also interest military and history buffs. 

The barbecue luncheon is set for noon to 2 p.m., on Nov. 23 featuring Sugar's Barbecue's famous pork and chicken. The cost will be $25 for adults and $10 for children under 12. There will be a spacious tent for guests to eat under. The Eighth Regiment Band, a Rome, Ga., group specializing in Civil War-era music, will provide entertainment for the guests.

“We have more than the Civil War history,” Hill said. “In addition to an unparalleled array of native plants and trees, trails and waterways, we have Spanish explorer and Cherokee history.  We hope these will qualify us for the National Register of Historic Places.”

Pre-registration is required. To register, call 423-821-1160 or to register and pay online, click here.

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