During the American Civil War the home was used as Union headquarters for General William S. Rosecrans, just before the Battle of Chickamauga (September 18–20, 1863). During and after the battle the mansion was turned into a hospital. Wagons were backed up under the windows of the house so the severed limbs of soldiers could be tossed out and disposed of more easily. The floors were so covered in blood that mats had to be put down to hide the stains. Many soldiers wrote their last words upon the walls and the women of the Gordon family would copy the messages down and try to send them to family members of the fallen soldiers.