Well, it’s done, I made it through my first day of photography for the “War Was Here” project. I was up at 4:30am this morning and was in the Dalton area before 6:30am. I was so focused on making images that I didn’t make any video. I will try to make a video tomorrow. I learned that with the proper planning and location scouting, things go really fast. I finished at each of the locations much more quickly than I thought I would. Below you will find list of the locations I made it to today.
1. Crow Creek Valley, where General Stevenson’s line crossed Crow Valley Road
2. Potato Hill, where an artillery battery helped push back the Union Army
3. Poplar Springs Church, a battery was on the hill behind the cemetery and also offered a good view of potato hill just to the east.
4. Fort Fisk, located on the side of Rocky Face Ridge, this was another artillery battery protecting Mill Creek Gap
5. Mill Creek Gap, where the railroad goes through the gap in Rocky Face Ridge
6. Dug Gap, where the Confederate soldiers used the rock formations and boulders on the ridge as cover during a battle. They also built a stacked stone wall after the lines stabilized the evening of the battle. It is still there and made for some great images
7. The Huff House, where General Johnston had his headquarters during the winter of 1863 and into the spring of 1864.
8. The Blunt House, where the first Mayor of Dalton lived. It was used as a hospital after the family evacuated during the Federal advance.
9. The Hamilton House, General Joseph M. Lewis, commander of the famed Kentucky Orphan Brigade, made his headquarters here during the winter of 1863 and spring of 1864.
Not a bad days work. Hope I made some really good images. I will find out later this week when I start editing and organizing the images. I filled a memory card today so I will have a lot of work to do. Tomorrow is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Tunnel Hill. I plan on being there to photograph the battlefield, train tunnel and the Clisby -Austin house. I will try to get to the “Old Stone Church” in Ringold if I have time.
War Was Here 