The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-04-01
CHATTANOOGA AID LOOKOUTMOUN

Il bank Of the Tennessee river, uulu
about the year 1917 was an unbFOken
wild, inhabited only by the tufted
red men, or Cherokee tribes, who
roamed far and near over wooded bills
and towering mountains in search Of
game, knowing nothing Of the i'm
mense mineral wealth that lay bid
den amid those hills. AT that time II
was known among the Indians as
THE Crows Nest" Later on the
spirit ofpeace, i'm the form Of MOrayian
missionaries came and Christianity
was taught the ehih Of the forest.
He forgot his early teachings, be-
came more piOus than wise, aud at
last those mobile warriors, bid fare
well 70 their native hills and followed
their destiny towards the setting sun.
scarcely had the echo Of the last
WhOOp Of the brave Cherokee died
away amid the mountain tops than
the white man came and changed the
name Of the place 10 Ross Landing,
and Il became an important trading
cost Tt was finally changed 10 lis
present name, and 1t the close Of the
rebellion numbered only about 300
souls To-day it boasts of pOpulH-
ton Of nearly 1000 good, bad and in
different citizens.
During my stay IN the city one o.
the greatest pleasures experienced
was 10 ride up the mountain side, and
from It's lofty summit 20 look over the
old battle fields land hear anew
from the lips Of these who par
tieipsted 10 the struggle, the Story
Of some Of the exciting events that
took place, and view old fortress
aud Qualifications, parts Of which
stand to-day as suitable monuments
20 mark the spot made crimson by the
blood Of heroes.
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN,
with its grand old profile towering
1000 feet above the river, stands like
= giant sentinel on duty guarding the
gateway TO the South. IL would have
been my choice and pleasure 20 climb
the sleep ascent ana up the bluff ~
did the boys In blue on that eventful
November morning in 1868, when the
myth Of "the battle among the
Clouds Is said to have taken place
but having tried that once, aud hav-
ing painful recOllectiOns Of aching
legs and Tired back lingering with me
till this day, concluded 10 ride, and
Ia company with MOnteleO, 1.-THE boy
aerOnant," was soon on the summit.
And here one Of the grandest views
on the American continent spreads
out before US, II not the most wonder
full and enchanting pictures that this
world affords. Here We have
glance into seven States, viz: Ten
nessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama,
North and South Carolina and Viz
GINA.
TO attempt picture of the glorious
panorama which opens 20 the view,
seems like madness, and yet must
make some effort, else my sketch will
be incomplete.
At the base Of the mountain flows
the Tennessee river, It's peculiar
formation here making the "niocea-
sin, /" or q perfect outline Of human
foot In the valley lies the busy city
| Of Chattanooga, with the smoke of lie
| furnaces and factories ascending
heaveuward and settling on the mist
crowned SUBMITS Of the distant hills.
| Beyond, the battlefields Of Chicamuga
and Mission Ridge, CamerOn's Hill,
and WaldOn's Ridge. Then varying
the gaze, you behold range after range
Of mountain, stretching away into Al
ALBANIA on the south, with Georgia and
the CaTOlinas on the east, and far
away to the north the mist-cTOwned
bills Of Tennessee aud kentucky,-in
all presenting "A picture Of sublime
grandeur. Evening after evening""
says some writer, describing the vary
ing atmospheric scenes from Lookout,
Il have watched the sun sink behind
distant mountains amid ever chang
ing but ever grand and beautiful sur
A
gathered as attendant cOurtiers Oh
the king Of the day, and AS his glory
lighted up their fieecy folds il seemed
a lifting portal 70 the land that knows
no light and needs no sun. In the
presence Of such q vision the heart,
even Of the thOughtless and most gay,
Is hushed into mOmentary reverence |
and worship"
THE BATTLE ABOVE THE CLOUDS,
has long ago been exploded. Now II |
Is known that such q battle never |
took place. And yet it is a pity flor |
the sake Of TRUTH 20 spoil the pretty, |
poetic story that some Bohemian war /
correspondent created out of the |
skirmish that occurred on the open |
space, with the fringe of woods con- /
cealing the immense precipice that |
Overhangs the Nashville, Chattanooga |
and st. Louis Railway, as il skirts /
the river hank. The story told by |
General Hooker In his report of the 1
battle Is amusing now TO anyone /
viewing this peaceful spot. But /
Fighting JOen must have had a
heavy load OF "Old Tennessee" that /
day, for he reported that After two
or three short but sharp conflicts the |
plateau was cleared, the enemy with |
his reinfOrCements driven from the /
walls and pits around Craven's House, /
the last p0inr at which he could make /
3 stand In force, aud all broken and /
dismayed were hurled over the rocks /
and precipices into the Valley
What has become Of those rocks
and precipices" is now a question that
even Fighting Joe Hooker" or the
Bohemian correspondent would not
be able 10 answer
The local guide books say the facts
seem 20 be about as follows: "On /
November sd, 1868, General HOOker's
corps encamped In the valley. A bat
terry Of rifle guns WAS placed on Moe
casin Bend, In front. The federal AZ
my occupied the city of Chattanooga.
The COnfedeFates were In possession
Of the mountain top, and occupied
the palisades and plateau, and the
valley on the esst, IS well as distant
Missionary Ridge. About II o'clock
on the morning Of the oath the bat
terry on MOecasin Bend opened furi-
Ously on the valley occupied by the
COnfederates, while Hooker advanced
from The west. Skirmishing began on
the western side of the mountain,
cloud slowly settling down upon the
COnfederates upon the plateau and
entirely conceallng them from the
federals. The fedenls could not be
seen by the confederate brigade az
Cravenis House until they arrived
within q few yards Of them. Fer half
an hour the confederate General
Wathal-kept up q sort Of running
fire, slowly falling back, until fully
one half Of his men we're made prison.
ers. Very few were killed on either
side, owing to the darkness, tor the
occurred 10 the cloud and
not 0bOus Il. The firing Of artillery
In the MOccasin and from Fort Neg !
ley, near Chattanooga, gave Hooker /
bis idea Of the "rOar Of battle" And ,
yet Gen. Grant says, There was no
battle fought on, Lookout Mountain"
During the night firing was kept up l
% short intervals Is the cOnfederates I
evacuated the mountain and when
the morning daWned the fiag Of the