Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-16
CarCKA3I2CGA.
changes Time Has Made in the "a
nous Field.
From the Cincinnati Commercial.

CHANGES Time HaS l0dOC IA 'A
nous Field.
Fam tbs Cincinnati Commercial.
rode ont the other day to the battle
SAID nj Cbickamauga with party OF
80, soldiers on their return from the
axcursion TO Atlanta. The battle neid
los TO the eastward Of Mission Ridge ana
- tho west side of Chickamauga creek.
~. ,,a,rast noint of the field is about nine
NJ. ~ sfrom(yhattanooga,a and TO reach ltyou
nli ls,,r the valley of Chattanooga creek
R e. Miles TO Rossville Gap, where the
GOD crosses Mission Ridge lnto the VaIley
~ the Chickamauga. Inc DatCie was
sought on Sept. 10 and 70, 1900 anu was
ona of me severest defeats suuereu ny ~ rue
Union armies during the war. t .he
ra;nts Of greatest interest are along the
ip U,u Horseshoe Ridge, where Gen.
Thnrnas met and repulsed the desperate
ahnn,1Its of the rebel troops. after the
1.hnIa right wing of the Union army nau
beeu swept from the HELD.
mis- mart of the field Is covered Win q
heavy growth of forest trees, many OF
Tbich are pines with clean, straight
.rnnts running to a height OF seventy-nVe
eaot before the first limb is reached. Inc
eosin continually eXudlng from the
wonnd made by bullet or smell, mas
formed a round eXcrescence upon Tue
bark. preserving with great dlstlnctness
the marks of the battle which rageo mere
JIG three wears ago. In the trunk
~ ono of these huge pines, stand
inc mart wav down the front OF The
rI6ga I counted siXty-seYen or these
naTks The relic hunter has been mere
with ruthless hand, and there Is scarcely
a nine along the slope which mas not Deen
cbonned into for bullets. The owners OF
The land have found it necessary, In oroer
IN nrese We their timber from ruin, TO ior~
iii This mutilation of the trees, and to
obtain these mementos OF the great battle
n isnoy necessary to buy tree outright.
The oaks are not SO proud OF their oat-
file scars as the pines, ana their Wouhoe,
healing over. have lett no marx Ut az
host only slight irregularity of the bark,
mi 6istinguishable from the knots and
oycresences natural to the growth OF the
tree. The ground is covered thickly with
rnderbrnsh, which makes it Impossible TO
sec more than few rods, though we were
informed by men living on the battle neId
that this has mostly grown up since the
war. and that at The time the battle oc-
curred the woods were comparatively
open.
fact that there is no point from which
comprebensiVe view of the field can be
obtained, it is very hard to get any clear
idea of the positions or movements OF
troops. For these reasons, too, there Is
great confusion and many contradictions
in the etticIal reports, many ofncefs
having entirely erroneous notions as TO
distances. directions, and positions.
This Characteristic of the battle is
strikipgiy illustrated by story told me
t os 1" Of Ii the Eleventh Ohio. a
part of his regiment was deployed as
skirmishers the forenoon OF the second
day, and in the readjustment of the Union
position the line Of battle was Withdrawn
from their rear, but the skirmishers were
not notified OF The change. Advancing
through the woods, two OF the men be-
came separated from the rest OF the CON-
mand, wnen they suddenly en-
cOuntered body of sixteen
Confederates. who demanded and received
their surrender. CODyersing with their
captors, the two soldiers found that the
Eonfederates were as completely lost as
themselves, being afraid either to advance
or retreat Tor fear of running into the lines
Of their enemy. The Confederates had
entered the army unwillngly, having
been recently cOnscripted, and 1t was
finally agreed that they in turn should
surrender the two Union soldiers, and all
should attempt to make their way to-
gether into the Union lines. This they
finally succeeded in doing, and the prison
ers were hurried to the rear.
Over a winding road cut through the
forest we made our way to the SnOdgrass
house, where Gen. Thomas had his head
quarters during the battle. The house
stands upon the Horseshoe Ridge, having
an open field in its front, and faces the
east directly toward ChickamRuga creek.
The owner is an old gentleman of S0years
or more, whose name consists OF the
rather singular combination, George
Washington SnOdgrass. He is
feeble with age and rheuma-
usm, and moves about with the
greatest difficulty. He is very intelli-
gent, and Impressed me as being scrupu-
iously honest In giving his recollecti0ns
Of the great conflict. He has lived upon
Cue neld nearly all his life, and both he
ana mis- wife remained in their house
during the battles. Gen. Thomas head
quarters were in small fly tent erected
acouple OF rods from tine house, aud be
spent most OF his time under a large oak
use IN the yard. From one side OF the
tiee large root runs out. projecting
ABOVE tee ground and forming very
comfortable seat.
mr. Snodgrass stood in his yard and
0reW diagram Of the Horseshoe Ridge
upon the ground With his cane and then
gave US his story of the battle.
we asked them why they had staid in
., ~ dangerous a place through the battle.
tuey explained to us that on the first day
t Ge nghtlng was so far away toward
Nllckamauga creek that there was
scarceiy any danger, and they hoped to
preserve their property by staying at
HOne. Alter the ConfederRtes advanced
w inc second day the fighting reached so
LSI around toward the rear that IL seemed
almost as dangerous to attempt to get
away as TO remain where they were.
me old gentleman described very
graphically how the battle surged back
n anu lortn Through the woods down In the
laNey IN 'front.' of his house, gradually
TIIa"lng nearer and nearer until the
Tnloh line came inside the field upon the
Slope OF the ridge, built a slight breast
s "9tA OF rails, and held the position in
SpIte OF the repeated charges OF the enc
10y nl' VINO came up again and again to the |
ssuse Oh tne woods, but always broke and !
ted. An'o Ine open |
becoming enthused in the progress OF |
o ars narrative, he finally consented to |
th n.el our carriage and be driven along |
NJ F9 ~ ~p 81 the ridge to the extreme right |
VI me Union position a1thnu0b he hod |