Chickamauga Creek's thick woodlands and muddy terrain made it an especially dangerous area to fight

It is a fact that Chickamauga Creek's thick woodlands and muddy terrain made it an especially dangerous area to fight. The terrain to the east of Chattanooga is a series of mountain ridges that stretch from northeast to southeast, with moderately rolling valleys in between. During the Civil War, portions of the fields were cleared and cultivated, while others were deeply forested. Several small farms were located in the valleys, and several of the combat sites, such as Snodgrass Hill, are named for the landlords. Chickamauga Creek twisted and curved through the valley to the east of Missionary Ridge and Pigeon Mountain. The undergrowth was heavy along the creek, and the ground was frequently swampy. The swampy environment and dense forests made it an especially dangerous area to fight. In Cherokee, the word Chicamauga meant "River of Death". And the Chicamauga was densely forested with huge roots and trunks, deep, and frequently flanked by rocky banks.

The battle of Chickamauga spanned 7,000 acres as men clashed with the enemy up and down the valley in treacherous terrain. Union troops were dispersed over 40 miles of ground before the combat began. There were thickets everywhere, preventing commanding officers from having a clear view of movements... with armies frequently colliding with one another. Coordination was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.