Walker's Headquarters Shell Monument - Chickamauga National Military Park - Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

This pyramid of cannon balls marks where Major General William H.T. Walker made his headquarters on the afternoon of September 20, 1863 during the Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863.

"William Henry Talbot Walker (November 26, 1816 – July 22, 1864) was an American soldier. He was a career United States Army officer who fought with distinction during the Mexican-American War, and also served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Walker was severely wounded many times in combat, and was killed in action during the 1864 Atlanta Campaign."
Source: Wikipedia - William Henry Talbot Walker



Text:

Headquarters
Reserve Corps

Major General W.H.T. Walker
Sept. 20th, 1863, Afternoon

From the marker located across the road at tour stop #2.


The second day begins
Morning brought repeated attacks on the Union breastworks here

By the morning of September 20, 1863, Gen. Braxton Bragg had organized his Confederate army into two wings -- Longstreet on the left and Polk´s here on the right. Bragg ordered Polk to attack at dawn. However, the attack was delayed, in the Federals used the first critical hours of daylight to strengthen their log breastworks.

Finally, at 9:30 a.m. Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge´s Confederate Division struck the Union breastworks at this point. Other Confederate units joined them as the attack spread southward along the line of monuments behind you. The pressure of these attacks forced Union commander Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans to move men from his center to stop the attack here on his left.

About noon the futile and costly Confederate charges ended, not be resumed until late afternoon. The federals stood firm behind their log wall, awaiting the outcome of the fighting still raging south of here.

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From the NRHP nomination form:

	Structure Number:	MT-480(see note)
	LCS ID:	003263

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Historical Significance:

	National Register Status:	Entered - Documented
	National Register Date:	10/15/1966
	National Historic Landmark?:	No
	Significance Level:	Contributing
	Short Significance Description:	Monument contributes to national significance of park under NR Criterion A because it represents the national movement among veterans & federal government to commemorate Civil War battlefields. This was the first U.S. national military park.

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Short Physical Description

6'2" square at base and 5' high, the monument consists of a pyramid of cannonballs set in cement & painted black, resting on a molded limestone base. Attached to base is a painted metal plaque identifying the headquarters site.

Long Physical Description

Pyramid is made up of artillery shells: 7 wide by 7 deep, and it is 7 layers high.

Monument located within the Chickamauga Battlefield in woods northwest of Tour Stop #2, map site #32.

Material(s)

Structural Component(s) Material(s) 1.  Superstructure Iron 2.  Substructure Limestone 3.  Superstructure Limestone 4.  Superstructure Concrete

Construction Period:	Historic
Chronology:	Physical Event Begin Year Begin Year AD/BC End Year End Year AD/BC Designer Designer Occupation 1.  Built 1893 AD 1895 AD Betts, E. E. Engineer 2.  Rehabilitated 2008 AD 2008 AD

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My Sources
1. NRHP Narrative
2. Wikipedia - Battle of Chickamauga
3. The Civil War Home - The Chickamauga Campaign - Confederate Order of Battle
4. Wikipedia - William H.T. Walker
5. Civil War Battlefield Monuments - Walker's Headquarters Shell Monument

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Note
Trailhead Graphics, Inc. has produced a map of the Chickamauga Battlefield showing the locations of all of the monuments and the markers on the battlefield. Each location on the map has a number associated with it that cross-references to an index on the back of the map that has the name of the marker (called the Chick-Chatt NMP monument numbering system). This number corresponds to the structure Number listed on the NPS List of Classified Structures that is normally prefixed with the letters MT for the Chickamauga Battlefield.

List if there are any visiting hours: Sunrise to sunset Entrance fees (if it applies): 0.00 Type of memorial: Monument Website pertaining to the memorial: Not listed

Visit Instructions:

*(1.)* Please submit a photo(s) taken by you of your visit to the location (non-copyrighted photos only). GPS photos are also accepted with the location in the background, and old vacation photos are accepted. If you are not able to provide a photo, then please describe your visit or give a story about the visit.
*(2.)* If you have additional information about the memorial which is not listed in the waymark description, please notify the waymark owner to have it added, and please post the information in your visit log.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   04/06/2011 Lat34North visited it