If you visit Chickamauga this fall, some of you may want to be prepared with more than a vague knowledge of what transpired in this historic area. Most likely, the first thing to capture your attention will be the name "Chickamauga and Chattanooga Military Park" given to the area by the Park Service. The name represents a little more than mere geographic contiguity.

The Battle of Chickamauga occurred as an event in the larger struggle between both sides for control and possession of the important railroad and riverside terminus of Chattanooga. In war, just as in real estate, location means everything. The struggle for Chattanooga and the Battle of Missionary Ridge just outside it, probably had a greater affect on the outcome of the war than anything occurring at Chickamauga, despite the latter's ferocity.

If you want to satisfy your curiosity on this subject, let me recommend to you Wiley Sword's most recent work, Mountains Touched with Fire, Chattanooga Besieged. Some of you no doubt recognize Wiley Sword as the author of Shiloh , Bloody April and Embrace An Angry Wind, The Confederacy's Last Hurrah: Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville. Of course other books cover the same subject matter, but to my mind, no one narrates the overall story of a campaign as well as Mr. Sword. Touched with Fire proves no exception.

I won't spoil the story by revealing the details here. However, if you enjoy learning about how inept military planning, accidental coincidence and the simple courage of common soldiers have more to do with the actual outcome of history than most other things, you will enjoy this book.

I will say this though, the book contains an excellent quip about the "possum grin". The reference, for those who care to take note, originally comes from Sam Watkin's of "Co. Aytch".

"They were gunless, cartridge-boxless, knapsackless, canteenless, and all other military accoutermentsless, and swordless, and officerless, and they all seemed to have the 'possum grins', like Bragg looked, and you never heard such fun made of a parcel of soldiers in your life."