Fort Oglethorpe’s vital military history: Spanish-American War and World War I
The town of Fort Oglethorpe, in Catoosa County, Georgia, is a great example of recycling. City founders took a decommissioned Army post and had a ready-made town. While Fort Oglethorpe the town was founded in 1949, its roots go back to the 19th century.
Searching for an appropriate location to train soldiers for the Spanish-American War, the Army chose the Chickamauga Battlefield, still scarred from the War Between the States, and only recently set aside as a National Military Park to honor those who fought and died there. The climate and terrain were similar to that of Cuba, where the soldiers would be fighting. It was also near Chattanooga, a major hub of rail activity in the area. Camp George H. Thomas was created in 1898, mostly consisting of tents and simple wooden buildings. More than 79,000 troops would be trained at Camp Thomas. Remarkable when considering it was used only 109 days before the war was won.
The Camp was dismantled and the land returned to the park. Although used for only a short period of time, the Army liked the area and wanted to continue to use it as a place for military training. Just after the turn of the century, the U.S. government purchased 810 acres immediately to the north of the park to build a cavalry post. Work started on what was then known as “The Cavalry Post at Chickamauga” in 1902. In September of 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt, a veteran of the Spanish-American War, came to the new post to check on its progress and to dedicate a monument at the Chickamauga National Battlefield Park. The new post was completed and commissioned on January 8, 1905, and was named Fort Oglethorpe in honor of James Edward Oglethorpe, the founder and first governor of the Georgia colony.
Fort Oglethorpe was considered the largest, finest and most modern cavalry post in the country. It cost one million dollars and consisted of 74 buildings, housing 50 commissioned officers, more than 1,200 enlisted men and
1,500 horses. The first unit to be based there was the 7th Cavalry Regiment.
One of the earliest and last remaining features of the post is Barnhardt Circle and Parade Ground. An irregular oval surrounded by a large open field used for both ceremony and training. Around the parade grounds were constructed a headquarters building, officers quarters, non-commissioned officers housing, enlisted barracks, and the guard house.
Over the next decade, the post would be home to other cavalry units including the 12th Cavalry. The location of the post was in a sleepy part of the country, but played a very important role in bringing the U.S. military into the 20th century. The Army took the opportunity to increase the quality of training to create the most disciplined, well-trained military in the world. More emphasis was put on education, sending soldiers to
advanced classes in a variety of subjects, some not even related to their military occupations. Fort Oglethorpe was the vanguard of a new, modern Army, and a model for the rest of the service.
Also during this time, the sport of polo gained popularity among the officers and soldiers, fielding several championship teams over the years all while improving horsemanship and bringing civilians out to the post to watch.
The cumulative success of the post led to Congress authorizing an expansion of Fort Oglethorpe from a Regiment-size (1—200 men) to Brigade-size (2-5,000 men). Since more than 6,000 acres of land near the post was already owned by the federal government, existing budget dollars were used for buildings, expanding the hospital, more stables and infrastructure.
The timing of the expansion was fortunate, for the 11th Cavalry was moving to the post, and by the time the expansion was complete, the Great War in Europe was about to begin. The ocean
liner Lusitania was attacked and sunk by a German Uboat with 128 Americans killed. This would be the spark that pulled the United States into the conflict.
Here, in Fort Oglethorpe, the 11th Cavalry continued to train and now, the CMTC or Civilian Military Training Camps sprung up. A tent city arose on the parade grounds, facilitating the training of businessmen, students and professionals to be future officers in the Army.
The importance of Fort Oglethorpe as the most modern military post in the country was again emphasized as new technologies and strategies were tested here. For example, in 1917, Cavalry horses would share the training field with a mechanical beast … the armored tank. And overhead, biplanes buzzed around. On the ground, though, Trench warfare was the order of the day. One of the instructors in this method of battle was Captain (future President) Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Being the first “modern” war, World War One saw new, improved weapons, which — in turn — required new, improved medical treatments. Camp Greenleaf was created within Fort Oglethorpe. Lessons learned during
the Spanish-American War plus new advancements in wound care and sanitation proved valuable in preparing medics and soldiers for service in the muddy, stagnant, bug — and diseaseinfested trenches of France. Camp Greenleaf was hailed as “The West Point of Medicine.” During the Great War, 31,000 enlisted men and 7,000 officers completed their medical training here.
Fort Oglethorpe was also called into service to house German prisoners of war and civilian detainees. The prison was designated Camp McPherson and held 5,000 prisoners and detainees, such as Dr. Karl Muck. Muck was the Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra whose patriotism was called into question at the outbreak of hostilities. While in custody at Fort Oglethorpe, Muck organized an orchestra of 100 fellow POWs, and held outdoor concerts in the camp for other prisoners. Civilians parked their cars at the barb-wired fence to enjoy the concerts as well.
Following the Armistice, Fort Oglethorpe was downsized and maintained a peacetime posture until needed again. And it wouldn’t take long.