(Click to Enlarge)
The aptly named Pulpit Rock looks down about 1000 feet to the Tennessee River valley near Chattanooga, in the southeast corner of the state. Here Mr. and Mrs Scofield (it seems) and their daughter take to the rock. Beside them, on the right, is a robust plaque interpreting the Battle of Waunatchie, named for a suburb of Chattanooga. According to Wikipedia, this battle of Oct. 28-29 1863 was one of the rare night fights during the Civil War, and the fighting was confused on both sides. Lookout Mountain served as a, well, lookout for two confederate officers who were surprised to see, by daylight, a large union force marching along the river. When night well things went to hell. About 1000 – very roughly – were lost or wounded, with the Union army prevailing in part by luck and low light in its attempts to control a supply line to Chattanooga across the river on Brown’s Ferry. If you visit Lookout Mountain – a long ridge – on Google you will discover that it is now covered along its long summit with upscale homes. Perhaps you will also find Pulpit Rock. I did not.
Wauhatchie
Great map here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3e/Battle_of_Wauhatchie_map.jpg
1) it is Wauhatchie (Wauhatchie is at the base of the mountain as a “place”).
2) this is the rock formation commonly referred to as Umbrella Rock (lots of images online) it is on Lookout Mountain at the northern end in Point Park past the circumference of the sidewalks off of a trail.
3) the family could have possibly been in town for one of the many GAR events if he was a veteran, there was a studio right behind this formation. Photogragher may have likely been Linn or Judd.
4) currently the rock is gated off by the
NPS and entrance is only allowed during their Friends of the Park fundraising event with a photogragher hired to snap your image there but at a little bit different angle for safety concerns. The rock has obviously experienced some erosion and may not be as stable on top. That is the reason perhaps the original contributor was not able to see it, but they may have and not realized it was called Umbrella Rock.
5) the last time I saw a historical photo of “Pulpit Rock” it was covered with undergrowth, which makes me think it is on private property. I am trying to see if I can scout it out. There was also on further south on the mountain referred to as Pulpit Rock which also may be not as visible to the public any longer, I am trying to see about that as well as I only live a few blocks away.