The Lansing state Republican., 1865-02-08

= aDyut luItr niles Al ABOUT Inc same I'll
b tance, a little to the vest Of south, is Lool
+ out Mountain. properly the northern term
nus OF the mountain chain that bears III.
name, having at this northern summit q
{ altitude which may be roughly stated a
- 1000 feet above the Tennessee river. an
LOCO feet more above the sea level Wesr
ward, few miles, runs the range know
as the RaccOOn mOuntain-while TO th
north, across the Tennessee river. a rang
OF hills complete the landscape Thus h
city is surrounded by hills and mountain
on every side. Any large map OF this re
glon will show that the Tennessee her
forms ', the apex being at this place. th
arms Of the letter running Y. Z. and Y. "
After bend Of about miles. the rive
returns 70 within little more than anil.
Of the city, on the west. The high poin
OF land enclosed in this bend is called Cam.
eron Hell Lying just to the west ane
northwest Of this city, it overlooks it.
whole extent; and guns planted on its sum
nit are said 10 be capable OF sweeping III,
summit Of Lookout In the valley. and
upon the sides Of low hills close by the riv.
er, lies Chattanooga can believe that II
has been, but which it is far from being
now beautiful place. You can easily see
that II is Of great Importance in a military
point OF view. Perhaps, by reason Of this
Importance, it will once more bloom and
hoursh when the sound Of war Is over. bnt
under ihe present purely military rule
the appearance Of the place is br no means
attractive First Of all things that impres-
ses iiseli on new conner IS thing which
no one VIII deny 10 be military. irnot pure-
" so-mud, deep, thick, adhesive aud eye
rywhere abounding. At times and in pla-
ces, II seems almost unfathomable. and
pavements or sidewalks are few and seanfv
The mud OF Nashville equals it in vileness
and achesivcness, but its extent is limited
by the pavement; in consisteuce il com
pares with that oi Chattanooga, as ,rruel
with hasty pudding Here soldiers Use il
In the crude state, as mortar for their Chin
neys. The guards set at every street cor
ner, and around all headquarters. furnish q
constant reminder, even were other indjca-
uons wanting, that you are at q military
post. Civilians and private soldiers must
be provided with pass from the provost
marshal Commonly, the delegate Of the
Christian Commission finds that its badpe
furnishes pass that most guards will re-
spect without further question. Though
all the week the streets are swarmino, with
wagons, loaded and empty, marked L.
,, and drawn by six mules-driven after
the Southern fashion, by white or black
soldier seated on the near hind one-a CON
siderable number Of soldiers are or have
been, Of late, encamped here. detachments
from Tho lif,e-~~' ~~-r- IL. --- ..,
Sherman-kept behind as guards or in hos
pItals, but now going as rapidya as possible
to take their place in that grand army that
has done. and is yet to do. so much in real
ly pushing to the WALL the waning Con
federacy. What is the objective point" of
these men, is not yet certain. Let US hope
that it may be Richmond, and that they will
be in at the death Of that monstrous iniqui-
".
Chattanooga is an extreme post Of the
Army Of the Cumberland, though Dalton
and Cleveland are still held as outposts.
with force sufficient for their protection.
II has not been seriously in danger of re-
verting to rebel hands since the time when
Rosecranz brought back his army to this
position, alter the disastrous affair at Chick
amauga. Il has never been subjected IN
injury by bOmbardment Now and then.
one comes upon the fragment of a shell.
probably mementO of the two months
occupation Of Lookout and Mission Ridge
by the rebel army; from which almost no
harm resulted TO the town or to our army.
According to present appearances, the reb-
el flag will not soon again wave over this
place or the surrounding mountains. Be
sides all transient soldiers, a considerable
force are posted in camps and forts in and
about the city. In Fort Creighton on one
of the hills near by, is the famous LOOMS
battery, Go. A, lst Mich. artillery Of
which Capt Wilbur is the commandant.-
II present indications are not quite decep-
tive, this is destined to be, for considera-
bic length Oftime to come, a military post Of
much Importance. Before its capture bv
our forces, Chattanooga contained perhaps
5, 900 inhabitants. Now but few citizens
are to be seen, and most Of the fine houses
are used as military headquarters. hospi-
tails, or prisons. To the latter use one of
the churches is devoted; two Of them. the
Episcopal and Catholic, are used as arse
mails; in one only, now called the Post
Chapel, divine service is held on the Sab
bath. and every evening of the week. bythe
Christian Commission and the Post Chap
lain. A few ladies attend here; the rest Of
the audience is made up of soldiers.
There are in Chattanooga and vicinity.
four soldiers and an employees hospital.
The principal of the former are known re-
spectively, as Nos l and 9: No. 8 IS on
Lookout mountain: and No 4, lately es
tablished, is filed with small pox patients
and negro soldiers. on the ground formerly
occupied by the general field hospital
This find under the care Of a college class
mate Of mine, DR.. T. A. McGraw. OF De-
troit
Indeed, find there are a number Of
Michigan men in various places in Chat.a-
nOOga. Major Church, formerly command
ing the battery now under Capt Corbin at
NurfreesbOro, is chief OF artillery at this
post. Major Fox. OF the [. s. Engineers
formerly captain in the Michigan Mechan-
les and Engineers. is also at this post
Two Michigan regiments. the 9th and 22d
are in camp here Co. A dust mentioned
as garrisoning Fort Creighton and Co. I of
the lst Mich. artillery. are al this post
Having thus spoken Of the place and its
purpose in another letter.
to speak somewhat Of the Christian Com
mission and its wO.k. y
II IS stated in the annual report OF the
Chlei OF the Bureau OF Ordnance OF the
Navy Department that on the field Of Get
tyS0urg there were 7.574 Guns nicLa9 nm