The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-10-08
Relation NOtee.

me this far on my return home from the re'uh
ion OF this Army OF the Cumberland when tooi
place at Chattanooga, Tenn, Sept. 2'st ana SSo
! left Grant City, Missouri, on the 18th ana OIL
the evening of the 10Th Joined the excursion par
~ ct Chicago, composed OF old soldiers (witn &c"
sxceptionsl and jollier crew Than they were
perhaps, never 'struck tents" was very muel
disappointed In not hnding representatives o.
the severas regiments from La Sale county, ano
especially from our old regiment, the 10th. Bu'
our trip was pleasant one, nevertheiess' Sho
We are impressed with the idea that this the hrs'
reunion Of the Union soldiers to take place In
tie south is but the initiatory step to many such
reunions, and II we are to Judge from the recep'
ton given US at Chattanooga by the eI -conied'
crates, much good will result therefrom. we
base our prediction on the fact thatwe have mol
been represented by proxy, nor by delegate OF
some friend or non participant In actual service;
nor by some biased, sensational newspaper re-
porter to write it up or down; but brave men
where on one side Grecian valor and fortitude
were reproduced, and on the other Roman hero
ism and persistence we're exemplifed; meet,
clasp hands, and engage in friendly converse
fragments in which one was arrayed againstthe
other. They learn OF us that we are not their
enemies, but their friends; and our next reunion
will be held In Milwaukee, Wis.,, Sept. 22d and
sd. 1882, and ex confederate General b. Frank
Cheatham {" old fighting Frank'), whose ac-
ouaintance we had the pleasure OF forming, in.
formed us just before taking our leave, that he
now expected to attend the reunion in Milwau-
kee next September with thousand rx.confed-
crates; and he has the assurance that more
welcome set of men than they will not put in
their appearance on that occasion.
Chattanooga Is not the Chattanooga OF eight
cen years ago. Then place OF perhaps two
or three thousand, and to-day 1t IS live,
thrifty, enterprislng city of seventeen thousand,
teeming with the products of the country. 1t
has its IRON blast furnaces rolling mills, iron and
nail works, car foundry, tannery, fire clay works,
ice factory, compressed cotton works, U. s. OBJ
fervatory, water works, and here are confederate
and national cemeteries; the latter contains the
graves OF over 900 soldiers. We met quite
number OF our soldiers who have settled here
from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, some OF
whom are in business and doing well. Forts
Wood and Negely are about the only traces left
OF the war in this immediate vicinity; where our
principal lines Of breastworks were is now under
improvements. Chattanooga has passed from
local to q national reputation. Within the
space OF few short miles from this place were
some OF the most holly contested battlefelds OF
the war--Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and
Mission Ridge, made forever famous by the valor
OF the Blue. Lookout Mountain Is now to the
South what Niagara Falls are to the North. Its
attractions and surroundings are unique and its
peculiar line OF grandeur impresses the beholder
with wonder, awe and admiration, looming up
900 feet above the sea, afiording mag
nifcent views as the hills and mountains rise one
above another in amphitheatre style, and by the
aid of q powerful telescope now in the obserya-
tory on the point Of the Lookout we can look di.
rectly east to the Smoky mountains In North
Carolina; and the last range visible in the south
east, part OF the Blue Ridge, is IN North Caro-
lima, and Georgia is directly south on either side
OF the mountain; Alabama the second range OF
mountains west, known as sand mountains and
in direct northerly course we espy Cumberland
Gap, and bringing the telescope to bear upon this
particular point, we look through into Kentucky
and Virginia; and Tennessee, the seventh state,
lies at your feet. No human artist could paint
such q scene of beauty as that spread before
you. Only the masterhand that laid the
foundations OF the mountains and holds it's
towering stories In place could trace such a
scene. But we must leave this historic point and
retrace our steps. We left Chattanooga the
morning OF the 23d on our special train. Bridge
noIt, Alabama, presents very much the same ap
pearance " did in war times the old Notifications
there prominently yet; some little Improvements
in Stevenson, Alabama At Decherd, Tennessee,
where our regiment encamped several weeks, we
see several new buildings, but they are scattered
over considerable territory. We remained TWEEN.
ty.four hours in Nashville, but being somewhat
indisposed did not get about the city very much;
but we spent some time In looking over several
hundred volumes OF the newspapers In search OF
some OF the volumes published during the war,
which was OF far more interest to us than the
late improvements in the city. The Nashville
Daily Press, the leading journal of the city In
1853, had it's regular reporter to the front during
all our cam paigns and battles; and the following
we clip IRON ther ISSUE OF Decemoer ioln iooo'
Camp OF the l4th Army Corps, Chattanooga,
Tenn, Dec. 14th, 1868. notice that the cores
ponaent of the Cincinnati Commercial claims that
the l25th Regiment Ohio Volunteers were the
first to plant the national flag on the top OF Mis-.
sionary Ridge, at the recent stormng OF the enc
mys works there. This is an unjust claim. This
honor belongs to the 1Oith Regiment Illinois
Volunteers, of the 1st Brigade, LIST Division. This
regimen. charged over five distinct lines OF the
enemy's works, driving their sharpshooters be-
fore them, and planting their flag on the enemys
rihe.pits on the summit OF the Ridge, In advance
OF all others. The SSth lnciana Regiment was
the next to follow. The position ] occupied
commanded view Of the whole line, and my
statement can be vouchea for by dozen OF 9th
ers who stooG by me-" Signed "Justce." We
were slwsys under the impression that our regl.