The U.S. Army needed an appropriate location to train soldiers for battle in the Spanish-American War. In 1898, the Chickamauga Battlefield Park was chosen because of its topography, climate, and accessibility to the rail lines through nearby Chattanooga. Camp George H. Thomas was created inside Chickamauga Park and consisted mostly of tents and simple wooden buildings strewn across the still-scarred Civil War battlefield. More than 72,000 troops would train here, but it would not be the last. Eventually, the camp was dismantled, and the battlefield returned to the park, but the Army liked the area and wanted a more permanent installation there. They purchased 814 acres immediately north of the Battlefield Park and began constructing a permanent cavalry post in 1902. The post was named Fort Oglethorpe in honor of Georgia's founder and first British Governor, James Edward Oglethorpe. Dedicated on December 27, 1904, it was the Army's largest and most modern cavalry post. Over the years, the post grew to hundreds of buildings, training thousands of soldiers, blazing new trails in modern warfare, and seeing the cavalry move from horses to a mechanized fighting force.

In 1898, the predecessor of Fort Oglethorpe- Camp George H. Thomas- was set up quickly in the Chickamauga Battlefield Park to accommodate the Army’s training needs for the Spanish-American War. Field sanitation as an Army concept was largely undeveloped, and the conditions in the camp were deplorable. A typhus outbreak occurred in the camp, killing almost 500 troops before they ever left for the war zone. This was more troops than died in combat during the Spanish-American War. In response to both World Wars, the Army again expanded the post across the Battlefield Park. During World War 1, most of the expansion was known as Camp Greenleaf, which became the most significant medical officer training camp in the United States. It was named for Colonel Greenleaf, the Army’s Chief Surgeon in the field during the Spanish-American War. World War 2 saw another massive expansion across the Battlefield Park when the 3rd Women’s Army Corps (WAC) Training Center was established at Fort Oglethorpe. About 50,000 women were trained in skills historically reserved for men. Following the war, the post was decommissioned on December 31, 1946, and many of the buildings were bought by private citizens, who then incorporated themselves as the city of Fort Oglethorpe in 1949. In 1979, the Fort Oglethorpe Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fort Oglethorpe was home to many military units, including six different cavalry regiments, medical detachments, a teaching hospital, mechanized cavalry units, and the Women’s Army Corps. A recruitment station was set up during World War 2, where many local residents from miles around joined the war effort. The post was also used to muster soldiers out of both World Wars. Here listed are a few notable units that called Fort Oglethorpe home:

7th Cavalry Regiment – 1904-1905

12th Cavalry Regiment – 1905-1909

11th Cavalry Regiment – 1909-1917

6th Cavalry Regiment – 1919-1942
Returns from World War 1 and is permanently stationed at Fort Oglethorpe until February 16, 1942, when the unit moves to Camp Blanding, Florida, to prepare for World War 2.

65th Medical Detachment – 1941-1944

3rd Women’s Army Corps Training Center – 1943-1945

The Northern half of Barnhardt Circle was occupied by enlisted quarters and administrative buildings, some of which are no longer standing. In front of you are apartments built to resemble the appearance of Enlisted (Privates through Sergeants) Barracks. Originally, there were six such structures, built in 1904 and 1905 for $43,000 to $53,000 apiece. Each was 27,514 square feet and held 180 men. The sidewalks in front of them were extra wide to allow for formations to be held. While none of the barracks survived, granite site markers were placed by Boy Scout Troop 52 (Fort Oglethorpe) to commemorate their locations. To your right is the Guard House, or Stockade. Built-in 1904 for $23,500, it held offices for the guards and cells to accommodate up to 60 prisoners. To your left is the Band Barracks. Built in 1904 for $14,000, it was home to the post band. It included sleeping quarters for 28 men, kitchen and dining facilities, and rehearsal rooms.

As soon as the United States entered the Great War in the spring of 1917, a special facility was erected about a mile north of this spot to house German civilian interns here at Fort Oglethorpe. It was the largest internment camp in the United States. By all accounts, these prisoners were treated humanely. In World War I, the prisoners had their own newsletter, the Orgelsdorfer Eulenspiegel. One famous intern was the former Conductor of the Boston Symphony, Dr. Karl Muck, who recruited 100 fellow interns and formed a small orchestra. Interns also had their garden plots and sold their arts and crafts to the locals. During World War 2, Fort Oglethorpe became the largest prisoner-of-war camp in Georgia. Prisoners were utilized for labor, including infrastructure and beautification projects. Some were tasked with working in the post bakery and served as cooks and servers in the Officer's Club. Some were allowed to work on nearby farms under guard to make up for the wartime home front labor shortage. Prisoners were paid for their labor in credit coupons that could be used like money at the post exchange.

Sporting events are very important to military units. Not only do they provide physical exercise and recreational opportunities, but they also provide a basis for team-building and good-natured competition. Among the sports played on the fields of Fort Oglethorpe were baseball, softball, and football. At various other facilities, like the Gymnasium, soldiers participated in gymnastics, weightlifting, calisthenics, basketball, and bowling. In the nearby woods, fox hunts were conducted by the skilled horsemen of the cavalry units, their well-trained steeds, and a kennel of championship foxhounds whose pedigree reached back 200 years. But Polo was king on the post. Fort Oglethorpe produced many championship polo teams over the years. The sport's popularity even spread to civilians who picked up on it and carried it on long after the horses were gone from the post.

Women have been warriors throughout history. In the United States, women participated in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War behind the lines and in the heat of battle. During World War I, women served as members of the nursing corps or the Red Cross. As the United States entered a Second World War, a bill introduced by Massachusetts Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers passed and created the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Fort Oglethorpe would become the third of five WAAC Training Centers and could house more than 9,000 personnel, making it the largest in the country. The WAACs received six weeks of basic training followed by specialized training. WAACs were trained as bakers and cooks, military police, motor transport and mechanics, and medical assistants. Officer Candidate School and Extended Field Service training was also taught here. One year later, the “Auxiliary” was dropped, and the women became full-fledged members of the Army (WAC). More than 50,000 women had trained at the post by the war's end. One of the more famous WAC units was the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-African-American WAC unit to serve overseas in World War 2. They are famous for clearing a backlog of more than 17 million pieces of mail that was not getting through to the soldiers. The Army gave them a deadline of 6 months, and they cleared the backlog in 3 months.

The Southern half of Barnhardt Circle was "Officers’ Country." These buildings were smaller and provided separate housing for various ranking officers. You are standing in front of the Post Commander's Quarters, with the rank of Colonel; the largest structure for just one person (family) on post at 5,500 square feet. To the far right are Double Officers' Quarters for Lieutenants. Built as a duplex, it housed two Lieutenants and their families, who shared a common porch. To the near right are Captain's Quarters. Six were built, and five remain. These structures are larger than the Lieutenants’ Quarters, and each has its own front porch. Near the left is a single-family home for Field Officers (Majors and Lieutenant Colonels). These officers enjoyed their own homes with 4,600 square feet of living space. Around the curve to the left are the bachelor's officer's quarters. The largest building in Officer's Country, at 18,816 square feet, was shared by 16 officers who were either unmarried or did not move their families to the post.

Fort Oglethorpe was built as a Cavalry Post. Just before World War 2, the cavalry fought on horseback. So, the post had to be designed and built to accommodate thousands of four-legged soldiers and their human riders. Rows of large stables were built, and a veterinary hospital, livery shops, blacksmith shops, and other associated services had to be considered. To most soldiers, their mounts were more than just an animal to take into battle. The soldiers bonded with the beasts and formed a symbiotic relationship. During times of peace, when training was limited, soldiers and horses still worked together, but on more pleasurable efforts. Polo became a favorite pastime for the soldiers, and the post produced many championship Polo teams over the years. Push Ball was also a favorite sport where riders and horses played (a form of) soccer using a ball more than FIVE FEET in diameter. The sports provided a fun, relaxing way to stay in shape and improve horsemanship skills. Fort Oglethorpe also hosted prestigious horse shows and other equestrian events over the years that included participation by the civilian population.

As a military post goes, Fort Oglethorpe saw its share of dignitaries visit and even serve at the post. The die was set in the first days of the facility as President Theodore Roosevelt, a former Cavalry officer himself, visited during its construction. A future President, Dwight David Eisenhower, would serve here as a young Captain, teaching trench warfare in the Chickamauga Battlefield. General of the Armies, John "Black Jack" Pershing, conducted a troop review here. A young George S. Patton played polo on these fields and returned years later as a tank commander, conducting maneuvers in the area—Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Alvin C. York was discharged from the service here near the end of World War I. He came back to visit during World War 2 as a morale booster. Another sitting president would visit, as Franklin D. Roosevelt reviewed the new Women's Army Corps along with WAC Director Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby and Secretary of War Henry L. Stinson.

This bandstand was a focal point of many activities and ceremonies held on post. Large enough to hold a 28-piece band, the simple structure played a major role in morale-boosting. Also helping lift spirits were some famous entertainers who graced the post with their visits over the years. Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Ella Fitzgerald, John Payne, and Walter Pigeon were a few stars of stage and screen to entertain the troops. The post also caught Hollywood's attention by becoming the 3rd WAC (Women’s Army Corps) Training Center. Film studio MGM brought out their superstar Lana Turner to play a new WAC in the movie "Keep Your Powder Dry," telling the story of the newest soldiers that wear a skirt.

During the time Fort Oglethorpe was an active military installation, the United States Military was segregated by race. In the 1860s, the 44th United States Colored Troops occupied the area. In 1898, members of the 10th Cavalry, the "Buffalo Soldiers," trained at Camp Thomas for service in the Spanish-American War. In 1933, Company 1464 of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) based out of nearby Camp Booker T. Washington, participated in infrastructure and beautification projects in the area including repairing roadways and landscaping public areas. In 1942, a detachment of 900 African-American recruits trained at Fort Oglethorpe. Post Commander Col. Duncan Richart, addressing the troops at a Labor Day event, said the men were "the best group of recruits, black or white, I've ever handled." In 1945, Fort Oglethorpe welcomed a group of 855 African-American members of the Women’s Army Corps for their extended field service training. These women would be the only all-female, all-African-American unit deployed to Europe during World War 2. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion cleared a logjam of 17 million pieces of mail to Allied soldiers in record time, working in Birmingham, England, and Rouen, France. In 2022, the Unit was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for its service.

When Fort Oglethorpe was built at the turn of the 20th Century, Cavalry units fought on horseback. Even before the United States entered World War I, there were signs that the horse's days were numbered on the battlefield. A new mechanical beast was being tested at Fort Oglethorpe for use in the European Theater ... the Tank. A motorized vehicle, plated in armor, capable of firing a cannon, moving, and firing again quickly. Motorcycles, armed Scout Cars, and motorized ambulances were also field-tested for viability in a war zone. In the early 1940s, Fort Oglethorpe was again on the leading edge of technology as newer, more powerful, and better-protected tanks were developed. And the new Bantam car - better known by its nickname "Jeep" - was tested here. It, along with newer ambulances and tents capable of housing operating rooms, was tested as the Army developed its idea for a forward-deployed Mobile Army Surgical Hospital capable of treating wounded soldiers much closer to the front, saving precious time ... and lives.

The Post Chapel is the spiritual center of any military post. Weekly services, marriages, and other ceremonies are held within its walls. Fort Oglethorpe's Post Chapel still stands today as the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Oglethorpe. During World War 2, a second chapel was added across LaFayette Road. The building has experienced many changes through the years. Today, it is St. Gerard Catholic Church. Another popular place for off-duty activities was the Post Theater. Built during post-expansion in the 1930s, motion pictures were shown, and some live performances were held in the theater, providing much-needed entertainment for soldiers. The post-theater stands today as Hope Church Catoosa.

The large gymnasium was used for both recreational and social activities through the years. It was one of the busiest buildings on post. Upstairs was a basketball court that doubled as a dance floor. Dances were popular activities for soldiers and their dates. There were also areas for weightlifting, gymnastics, and calisthenics. Downstairs was a two-lane bowling alley, firing range, showers, and dressing rooms. In recent years, the gymnasium has been used by retail businesses. The gym was completed in 1905 for $23,406, with a 5,622 total floor area above the basement.

Originally, 12 stables were built in this area to house the horses used by the Cavalry units stationed at Fort Oglethorpe. They were built between 1904 and 1905 at a cost of between $8,000 and $13,000 each. They're easily identified by the shed roof and a vent ridge running the roof length. Stables on the ground floor held 86 horses each, and there was a 2,228-square-foot loft to hold hay. In 1918, the Spanish Flu struck Fort Oglethorpe with 3,553 cases of influenza and pneumonia. There were so many deaths that several horse stables were converted into temporary morgues. By 1942, the 6th Cavalry had adopted the Jeep and mechanization and moved with 500 vehicles to Camp Blanding, Florida, to prepare for service in World War 2. With the horses now gone, some stables were re-purposed as Women's Army Corps classroom buildings. Only one of the stables survived and is currently being used for retail business.