Future President James Garfield participated in the battle of Chickamauga

Another interesting fact that we want to introduce to you is that future President James Garfield participated in the battle of Chickamauga. In 1861, James Garfield joined the Union army and distinguished himself in Kentucky, as well as at the Battles of Shiloh and Corinth. By September 1862, he had advanced to the rank of brigadier general and been appointed chief of staff to General William Rosencrans. When the Union defenses at Chickamauga were overrun, Rosencrans and his staff attempted to rally their troops before fleeing to Chattanooga.

Garfield, who had been prominent in Republican politics in his native Ohio, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives just months later, despite the fact that he was still in the army and had not campaigned for the position. He resigned his position to run for Congress, and in later years he would exaggerate the significance of his role at Chickamauga, frequently at the detriment of previous commander Rosencrans. Garfield was elected president in 1880, but he was assassinated four months later. The president remained in the hospital for over three months before succumbing to his wounds on September 19, 1881, the 18th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga.