The Lansing state Republican., 1865-02-08
Notes Of Delegate Of the o. s. Christian
Commission.
CHATTANOOGA. TENN. -.
Jan. 23d 1868.

-a-tc ttiN VI SIX Weeks, III llDOF AZ In
point, an unexpected call sent another de
= egate and myself to labor at this place. -
We went upon freight car, loaded wi;
stores for the use Of the Commission at hi
point
J. My companion was a ministerial brOthe
from Ohio, Of about my own age, and a
pleasant fellow traveller as could be de
sired. To reach the car on which we wer
to take passage, we must 90 outside Of th
city limits. It was getting quite dark. tn
n city was guarded by night and we had no
the counterslgn. But our "ambulance
bore upon II, in large letters, the word
j. LIMITED States Christian Commission. an
we felt confidence in the ta.ismanic powe
OF those words. When we came TO the cit,
limits, we were somewhat suddenly rreete,
with the order 10 "halt." and in an upmis
takeable German accent the countersigr
was demanded. We informed the guard
that we had no countersign; were delegates
OF the Christian Commission on our appro-
pirate duties. "Oh, yaw de Christian
Commission 90 where he bleases." was the
answer, and through we went. Somewhere
in the Potomac army. this soldier had re-
ceived some avors fayors from the Conmis-
sion
Here let me record that. so far as nv Oh
servaiion goes no class Of our soldiers
welcome the Commission more cordially
Than the Germans A delegate cannot be
long In camp or hospital. without hearing
the call Have you any Xarnsang paper.r
and any bit Of reading in their native tongue
IS received with pleasure and thankfulness
The day had been wet and sloppy. but at
night 1t became colder, and a snow storm
came on. With blankets stretched on boy
es, we passed the night in none tine worst
style though l have rested in beds softer
and warmer
Before daylight we began 20 move. and
when we arose the train had passed La
vergne. The train stopped to wood at
Southern village, comprising three or four
poor huts with perhaps twice as many dirty
looking men, black and white. / asked
the name Of the place, and was informed
that it bore the scriptural appellation OF
Smyrna though its appearance would rath-
er suggest the severe words addressed to
Laodicea.
\ little further on we passed the battle
field OF Stone River, and just at the right
Of the reilrOad the monument raised to eel
ebrate the conflict there. II is not connie
ted, or at least has not yet reached the full
height indicated in the beautiful vignette
Of Nj. FitDh'o Annals or tiiv Amy or ,ne
Cumberland" Our lookout being only bv
the right door Of the car, we did not see
the town. nor any great part Of the fortif-
cations at MurtreesborO. The face Of the
country seemed in places, to be almost
covered with large fiat fragments oil lime
stone; perhaps to this circumstance the
/ river owes its name.
/ 1t is not very safe to judge of i country
/ by the casual observations made on win
ter's journey by rail. We saw little or no.
thing Of the large plantations that figure in
our usual conceptions of Southern life. and
used to be seen in reality along the banks
of the Mississippi There are to be seen a
few small cotton fields, in country which
could never have produced that article very
i largely.
The most noticeable sign Of the ravages
OF war, was TO be seen in the occasional
wrecks Of cars noticed along the route. and
in the rails torn up, bent and thrown aside.
which lined the side of the track. seeming
~, along the whole road from Nashville to
Chattanooga The latter part Of the route
lay among the Cumberland mountains and
these, with their neghboring hills and in
tervening valleys, afford some picturesque
and beautiful scenery.
The streams are spanned by bridges Gaze
fully constructed, and guarded from de-
struction each by a blockhouse or two.
built so as to resist musketry, and even to
hold out for time against artillery.
The railroad. like most other things in
this country at present, is a military road.
having been confscated from its former
prOpretOrs on account of their secession
sympathies and conduct Like many 9th
er things military it is shockingly rough.
though it could never have BEEN very differ
ent in that respect. Over the numerous
elevations and deOressiOns, the grading has
almost as many ups and downs as the hills
themselves.
Our train moved SO slowly that it was
nearly sunset before we reached Cowan. A
little beyond this, rises a chain OF the Cum.
berland mountains, which the railroad pas
ses through and over. An ascent of ll6
feet TO the mile, leads up TO the mountain.
through which passes q tunnel 2 mile or
more in length. We waited at Cowan till
dark for an extra engine-a '4pusher"
assist in passing up the grade. There our
engine began, like DR.. Watts ants. 10 la
Dor and tug and strive, the fireman plv-
ing it with wood while each time the fur
mace door was opened. the flame within
throbbed, like fiery heart, with the heavy
''theu, theur Of the laboring monsters
breath. Beyond the tunnel began the de-
scent through country full OF wild beau
ty, and not without natural dangers. as the /
wrecks of cars dashed down the hish en-
bankments bore witness.
The night was cold and the way rough
and the repose obtained hardly equal 10
that Of the previous night. Before daylight
we reached Chattanooga. Opening the
door Of one car, the first object to greet our
eyes in the clear starlight OF the morning.
was the peak Of Lookout mountain. tower
ing high in the South. and keeping is
ceaseleSs vigiis over the plain and the hills
below Grateful for safe passage thus
far, we repaired at an early hour to the
home OF the Christian Commission in Chat
tanooSa, 70 find in the director al this
point. Rev. II. N. Holmes, one Of Us col
lege classmate. the other a fellow student
in the seminary in days gone by. Bv the
kind help Of God. our way had been thus
far without dangers-though not many DAYS
LA1