Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-07-19
A MORNING on LOOKOUT NOUN
TAIN.

invited me to drive to the top Of Mt
Lookout. the scene Of the famous Battle
in the Clouds" 1t was lovely morn
ing in mid April, and the bold. beauti-
ful outlines Of the historic mountain
stood out clear and distinct. and could
BY no possibility be lost sight Of for an
Instant wherever one might be on the
wide intervale at Its base over which the /
city is somewhat loosely spread. The
broad, taEny (Or nearly salmOn-cOlOred) /
Tennessee winds about as if in no haste
to leave the vide valley it has found /
after passing the northern flank Of Mis-
sionary Ridge and before it flows beneath
the lofty face Of Lookout 1t makes
here loop enclosing low peninsula |
which from its form is called MOccasin |
Point Opposite the sole Of the moe |
casin, across the river, rises abruptly to
the height Of 1900 feet the northern
face Of the mountain, Point Lookout, the
highest part Of the long ridge which ex-
tends thence southwark. Opposite the
upper part and toe Of the mOccasin lies
the city Of Chattanooga, on the same
side Of The Tennessee with the mountain.
and lying ia the valley between it and
Missionary Ridge. the ridge upon which
some Of the bloOdiest fighting in the
war was done. The long side Of Look
out mountain. equally PERCEPTIONS with
its face. lies toward the city, and a small
fordable creek flows at its base. This
is the Chattanooga creek so Otter allu-
ded to in accounts Of the battle
Moccasin Point and the land on which
Chattanooga is built is not perfectly
level interTale, but is diversified with
low knobs here and there, and these lit
tie hillocks are still crowned with the
earthworks thrown up when two great
armies were contending for the mastery
here. These earthworks do not cover
themselves with close green mantle Of
turf, as they would with Us in q dozen
years, but still show red as if the earth
were freshly wounded by the spade. On
the grand November day when Lookout
was stormed, all these little hills in the
valley at its base were volcanoes, blaz-
ing and laundering with the fierce ener-
gies Of battle. Gen. Grants headquar-
ters on that day were on Orchard Knob,
a picturesque knoll, in whose red crater
a battery was playing like heart Of
fever" all the while Hooker was making
his splendid dash into the clouds.
The peculiar feature Of the mountain
is its palisaded crest familiar to the
public by the numberless engravings
and photographs representing it II
looks as If il we're conscious Of its beauty
and grandeur. and were sitting for it
picture all the time. The top Of th'
mountain Is shaped like the roof Of I
monitor car, a long perpendicular wal
Of smooth glistening stone over one hun
dred feet in height resting upon tbs
steep and ragged pile Of rocks thinly
covered with forest trees, which formi
the base Of the mountain. These pail
sades bear aloft as a crest long. mar
row. well-vOOded plateau. and il Is &
this plateau We are to take our morning
drive. not however by the rough rOa
Hooker took with his brave boys in blue
but By perfect carriage road. then an
for long time previous in existencc
1t Is a road as good as the one b
which the ascent Of Mount WashingtO
is made from the Glen House. But til
road could be easily held by the rebe
50 long as they occupied the crest
We begin the ascent Immediately a
ter crossing Chattanooga creek. makiI
our way southwark as We 60 upward {
the eastern flank Of the hill Above
on the right, piles Of rough rocks, vi
an oak and dOgvOod growth thinly CO
ering them. The dogwood all blOssOI
ing white, and the oak just putting for
Its delicate rudy brown leaflets
over the tree tops thousand feet abo
US looms the long line Of palisades, &c
orally perpendicular occasionally lea
ing towards US threateningly. Fer
aud MOSES, violets, anemoDes, and ma
flowers. attract the eye all the way
large violets with occasional petals
the dark velvety purple Of the pan
and the mayfOweris our own sweet \
England floral pioneer, no whit cha
ed in petal or perfume. When at
We reach the foot Of the palisades
horses spring up a short. steep, narr
rocky way which opens to the sunni
and We come out all at once. as
Psalmist says. Unto large place"
The clOudless blue above visibly
pands to cover the widening earth
low. Hills peep over hills in vast !
sPective. all the way to the far-Of b
Eon. We overlook no less than Sc
states.-GeOrgia and Alabama. close
at tie south; the picturesque mounts
Of North and South Carolina at the e.
the Blue Ridge Of Virginia in the no
east, and the Kentucky hills in the
north below and around, the !
beautiful part Of East Tennessee
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