Fort Oglethorpe was a famous US Army cavalry post during three formative time periods in US history
Spanish-American War
1898
World War 1
1914 - 1918
World War 2
1939 - 1946
World War 1:
Fort Oglethorpe was the largest German internment prison in the US known as "US War Prison Barracks No. 2"
3,600
Between March 1917 and April 1920, about 3,600 German Nationals were imprisoned at "War Prison Barracks No. 2." These were mostly men who were living and working in the US at the time the war broke out. Most of them were not given a trial, could not appeal, and none were ever told how long their sentence would be.
Social Classes
Within the 31-acre stockade, barbed wire fences split the stockade into two camps. Wealthy men who could afford to pay for better food and more comforts were housed in Camp A- the "Millionaires' camp"- while everyone else lived in Camp B and ate the same rations as the nearby American troops who were training for the war.
Military Sailors
The first group of German interns to arrive at Fort Oglethorpe were about 400 sailors who had been on commerce raider ships in the Atlantic Ocean capturing, plundering, and sinking dozens of Allied ships. This is truly one of the most fascinating stories in Fort Oglethorpe's history.
World War 2:
Fort Oglethorpe was the largest Women's Army Corps (WAC) Training Center in the US
From January 1943 to July 1945, about 50,000 women came through the 3rd Women's Army Corps Training Center. The Army trained these women in many career fields that historically were reserved for men only. The idea was that women could do these jobs and free up men to take combat roles. It's estimated that about seven divisions of men (about 150,000) were able to be sent to the battlefields because these courageous women stepped up to take part in the war effort. They had to overcome sexism and even racism. This had a lasting effect on women's roles in the family and US workforce that continues to provide new possibilities and opportunities for all women today.
The Gateway City
If we had to symbolize both the historic fort and the modern City of Fort Oglethorpe with a single nickname, it would be "The Gateway City."
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Gateway to Service: Over its 42-year history, Fort Oglethorpe was for tens of thousands of soldiers the Gateway of training for their military service. Men and women were readied for combat and combat support roles. The successful defense of America, her values, and her Allies is based on a solid foundation of professional training.
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Gateway to Technology: Fort Oglethorpe was the Gateway for innovative technology and methods being introduced into the Army. The key concept was mechanization- the transition from horses to vehicles. Early use of vehicles for battlefield medicine and the famous WW2 Army jeep were introduced here.
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Gateway Location: The modern City of Fort Oglethorpe is the Gateway to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, being situated at the north entrance of the park. The historic relationship between the fort and the park cannot be understated, their histories are inseparable.
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Gateway to Civilian Life: Following WW2, Fort Oglethorpe's last role was a demobilization center, the Gateway for thousands of soldiers back into civilian life. One can only imagine the feelings of excitement of getting out of the Army to go home, and the profound sadness of leaving behind those friends that had given the ultimate sacrifice.
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Gateway to History: Fort Oglethorpe was a stage upon which local, national, and international historical events played out. We can see direct activity at the fort in response to these events. Fort Oglethorpe is a Gateway for knowledge and understanding of history.
This photo represents the Gateway of mechanization, the transition from horses to vehicles. Photo credit: 6th Cavalry Museum (permanently closed) archives.
History Mythbusters
"The past changes a little every time we retell it."
- Hilary Mantel (1952 - 2022)
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This website may challenge some popular and cute stories that some people hold dear to their hearts, but which may not actually be true. A good example is the story that Dwight Eisenhower lived in the Post Commander's house on Barnhardt Circle.
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It is true that Eisenhower was stationed here during World War 1. Between September and November 1917, he was an infantry instructor in Company 6 of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (later known as Camp Warden McLean). The ROTC camp was located on the north side of Snodgrass Hill in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. During his short time here, he was an up-and-coming Captain, not a General. Eisenhower did not gain nationwide notoriety until he became a 5-star General late in World War 2, twenty-seven years after he was stationed here. This is a good example of projecting onto the past what we know today. ​
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Captain Eisenhower would have slept in the ROTC "Officers Row" with the other instructors. Chances are that Eisenhower never met the Fort Oglethorpe Post Commander, who at the time was Colonel Abner Pickering in charge of the 11th Infantry Regiment. In a segment of the WW1 training camps map below, the ROTC camp's "Officers Row" is marked in red while the post commander's house in the original fort is circled in blue (click to open map).
