Cleburne and Confederates versus Yankees at Ringgold Gap
Submitted by the city of Ringgold
No, the Bronx Bombers will not be battling opponents in Ringgold this weekend, but another battle will feature the Union army versus the Southern army. Spoiler alert – the South wins.
2011 marks the fourth year in a row that the 1863 Ringgold Gap Battle will be re-enacted in Ringgold. The weekend kicks off Friday at 2 p.m. with demonstrations and living history. The event, which runs through Sunday, includes camps, demonstrations and living history, food and merchandise vendors, and an authentic Ringgold Gap battle re-enactment. The weekend’s events will take place at Clark Farm, 237 Robin Road in Ringgold. Members of the 16 and 52 divisions will be participating in this year’s re-enactment.
The Ringgold Gap re-enactment has grown in size every year, and organizer Fred Ufford looks for the trend to continue this year. “We are excited about the turnout this year, especially as we get closer to the 150th anniversary of the battle,” Ufford said. “The smell of powder and the sound of guns will resound once again in Ringgold Georgia.”
The Battle of Ringgold Gap took place in 1863. Southern Gen. Patrick Cleburne and his division of 4,500 men faced Union leader Joseph Hooker and an army of more than 12,000 Federal troops. The Confederate victory by Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne gave the artillery and wagon trains of the Army of Tennessee safe passage to retreat through the "Ringgold Gap" mountain pass and caused high Federal casualties.
For more information and free registration, email savethesouth@gmail.com or call (706) 375-3289.
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