LOVE & WAR:
MY BLOODY VALENTINE TOUR

Love & War – My Bloody Valentine of Chickamauga

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Step into Chickamauga’s past through stories where love and loss collided head-on with war. Love & War – My Bloody Valentine of Chickamauga is an immersive evening walking tour that explores the Civil War’s human cost—told through real romances, devotion, separation, and sacrifice that unfolded far from the battlefield itself.

This is not a traditional ghost tour and not a battlefield walk. Instead, the streets, springs, and former hospital sites of downtown Chickamauga become the setting for deeply personal stories of soldiers and civilians whose lives were forever altered. Using the dark origins of Valentine’s Day as a thematic lens—rooted in sacrifice, devotion, and martyrdom—this tour examines why love has so often been tested in times of conflict.

Stand where Chickamauga’s Cherokee history shaped family life, leadership, and relationships long before the Civil War, and where those lives were later disrupted by removal and upheaval. This chapter of the tour is treated distinctly, grounding the land itself in a longer story of endurance and loss.

Then move into the Civil War era, where downtown Chickamauga became a place of hospitals, waiting families, and wounded men. Hear documented stories of soldiers who carried photographs of their beloved into battle, women who followed injured men home, and poets who turned longing and grief into words. These are not legends—they are real lives preserved in letters, poetry, and historical records.

While this tour is firmly rooted in history, the past does not always rest quietly. Guests may hear accounts of lingering spirits tied to hospital sites, springs, and locations shaped by suffering and devotion. Light paranormal storytelling and occasional ghost-hunting equipment demonstrations may be included, always in service of the history rather than spectacle.

From ancient Valentine traditions born of blood and sacrifice, to Civil War romances marked by separation and survival, Love & War – My Bloody Valentine of Chickamauga offers a reflective, emotionally resonant journey into the town’s past—where love endured even when everything else was lost.

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Highlights:

• A history-driven evening walking tour focused on love and loss during the Civil War

• Distinct exploration of Cherokee history, family life, and leadership

• True stories drawn from letters, poetry, photographs, and records

• Downtown hospital sites, springs, and civilian locations tied to wartime life

• Light paranormal storytelling connected to real historical places

• A thoughtful alternative to traditional ghost tours or battlefield walks