Peavine Church on Peavine Creek stood in a deeply religious farming region of Walker County, where churches often served not only for worship but also as community and social centers, and before the war a large farming community grew around and between the Rock Spring and Peavine churches, both prominent local landmarks. During the war, the site consisted of a small frame church building with an adjacent cemetery, and during the Chickamauga Campaign Confederate forces occupied and camped throughout the area while Federal forces at one time occupied the church grounds. In the days leading up to the Battle of Chickamauga, Confederate Corps Commander Leonidas Polk camped with his command in the Rock Spring area, and at 2 p.m. on September 13 General H.T. B. Walker was ordered to shift his entire division from right to left to strike enemy forces reportedly at Peavine Church, but before the order was carried out it was discovered that the enemy had left skirmishers to deceive the Confederates and had gone with its whole force toward Chattanooga. At 5 p.m. that same day General Braxton Bragg and his staff returned south to LaFayette, and the following day Polk and the rest of the Confederate forces also left the Peavine Church area to follow Bragg south. A few days later Confederate forces returned, and Leet’s Mill and Tanyard, a short distance east of the church, became a major staging area for the coming battle. On September 17, R. J. Jones of the 1st Confederate Infantry recorded leaving LaFayette at 4 p.m., arriving at Patton’s Store at 10 o’clock that night, and forming a line of battle through Patton’s fields. Leet’s Tanyard also served as Braxton Bragg’s headquarters just before the battle, where he met with his generals and planned the coming fight. Although Bragg left the Leet’s Mill and Tanyard area on the morning of September 18, Confederate military forces remained in the vicinity of Peavine Church during and after the Battle of Chickamauga, some Confederate wounded were treated at the church, and the cemetery is known to contain the graves of prominent wartime civilians including Arthur Leet, with several Confederate veterans and possibly men who died from battle wounds also probably buried there.

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: David Tibbs

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: David Tibbs

Photo: David Tibbs

Photo: David Tibbs

Photo: David Tibbs