Catoosa County was originally part of Walker and Whitfield counties. Designated in 1853, its name reflects a prominent landmark, Catoosa Springs. Ringgold, the county seat, is named for Major Samuel Ringgold who died in the first engagement of the Mexican War. A large preserve at the site of the Battle of Chickamauga during the Civil War is in Catoosa County. Some 56,000 Union troops and 67,000 Confederates waged one of the bloodiest campaigns there, with over 34,000 casualties about equally distributed on both sides. Although the Confederate forces finally prevailed, it was called "a victory from which the Confederacy never recovered."