The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1864-01-07
ssThe Pomp and Csrcumstaueess were
Yesterday.
Thanksgiving day at Chattanooga.
By BENZ. r. TAYLOR.

By BENZ. r. TAYLOR.
When soldiers address themselves
to battle they generally 60 ''like men
on business bound;" the old blouse is
good enough the old hat will ''an-
swer;" they look to. their guns q
thought more critically; they tighten
tn ir belts little and they are ready.
Officers seldom wear their fnery into
the field the torn bars, the witbersd
leaf, the clipped eagle, the dim star,
will do; but it is not alodys 90. I
have known a soldier make Q moss
careful toilette on the eve of battle, at
thing himself in his cleanest and best,
las if he were going home. Perhaps
tn ehancs OF such thing may havs
slrii.ed into mind perhaps he had halk
"A thought of anticipating the last hasty
Offices due the dead soldiers; but
have been too often surprised out OF
my preeonceived notions Of what mel
are thinking whe set forth to eight
that | have ceased TO entertain then
altogether. General Grant 10 a quie
gentleman in o snuff colored coat
Wood is :win brother TO his orderly
WHITAKER went up Lookout Mountain
in a shocking hat, a blouse "hutched'
NJ like Norwegian woman's bodice.
and his pistols thrust in his belt like
whaler's knives; Granger hurled the
5th Corps against Mission Ridge, II
uniform too sleek and slippsry for
young lieutenant's callow dignity. i
know Que General, however, who puts
on his holiday apparel when he goes
to battle. There is glitter Of buttons
and stars where be is, and they were
seen glancing like motors, at Stone
River, Chickamauga and Mission
Ridge, in the thickest of the fight II
want my men to know where / am,"
be said, adding with smile, "and then
those baables light man to danger
and duty wonderfully wel. He can ?
not decently run by star ligbtr' And
there is something in the idea westh
thinking about. II puts man upon
his.honor; We somehow associate mean
attire with mean actions, and it 10 as
easy to understand the feeling Of the,
General of the great composer who,
whenever he sat down to dash off sn
immortal score, arrayed himself in tAe
garments wherein he appeared before
the king. i Is
The day af;er The battle was.
Thanksgiving, aud we had services in
Chattanooga = sad, solemn, grand.
The church bells hnDg dumb in their
towers, indeed, You shall know why in
its time. but for all that, there were
chimes so grand that mcn uncovered
their heads as they heard them At
twelve o'clock, the great guns at Fort
Wood began to toll. Civilians said,
scan they be at itagain 2" and soldiers
said, s'the guns are not shotted, aud
the sound is too regular for work"
hastcned out to the Fort, and the guns
caimed on. A dim impression / bad
received before, frightened as / stoed
upon the parapet and looked over the
scene. W hat il vas like flashed upon
me in moment: the valley was grand
cathedral, Fort Wood The pulpit OF
the mighty minister, and far down The
deseebding aisle in front, rose Orchard
Knob like AN altar The dead were ".
ing there, far out to the eastern wall,
and Gods ch hudelier hung high in the
dome. They were the accents OF
praise was hearing; thirty four syllsr
blcs of Thanksgiving the guns vert
saying: so, give thanks unto tbs
Lord for he is good; for his mercy en-
dureth foreverl' And the hills took Vi
tie anthem and struck sublimely in;
from the Ridge il came. back, "giss
thanks unto the Lord" |" and Waldron}
heights uttered it, "for his mercy
endure tL ,r.and Lookons Valley sang
aloud, ssforcver, foreyer," and all the
mountains cried "ameD u