Ringgold, Georgia (CSX)
The little town of Ringgold was the region's big town when the railroad was built. Nearby Chattanooga was a minor village called Ross' Landing (site of a ferry) in the 1840s. While you could watch CSX in Ringgold, the real reason for detouring is the depot and the Great Locomotive Chase. The rock depot was constructed from locally-quarried sandstone. After the big Civil War battle at Chickamauga, the armies moved east to Ringgold and fought again. The depot suffered major damage. It was later repaired using a different rock (limestone). The difference between the brown sandstone and the grey limestone provides an interesting contrast and shows just how much damage the building endured. There are several historical markers concerning the fight.
Two miles north of Ringgold the steam engine General, stolen by Andrew's raiders in Kennesaw, ran out of steam near the top of a slight grade. (See the Kennesaw description.) Because of the close pursuit, Andrew's gang had not been able to do much damage to the railroad. A marble memorial on Georgia 151 marks the spot where the General was captured .
