The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-11-07
ECHOES OF THE WAR!
Veterans Visit the Battlefield
of Chickamauga.
STANDING ON HOLY GROUND.
Sitting Upon the Historic koOt-A Pen
Picture OF the Scene OF
strife.
Kso1vILLE, Tenn, Oct. 20, 1886.

uelQ OI OulChAAduEA Win a parry VI
veteran soldiers stopping here on their
return from the excursion 10 Atlantis.
The battlefield lies to the eastward OF
Mission Ridge and on the west side OF
Chickamauga Greek. The nearest point
of the field is about nine miles from
Chattanooga, and to reach it you pass
up the valley of Chattanooga Greek five
miles 70 Rossville Gap, where the road
crosses Mission Ridge into the valley OF
the Chickamauga. The battle was
fought on the nineteenth and TWEEN tieth
of September, 1858, and was one of the
severest defeats suffered by the Union
armies during the war. The points of
greatest interest are along the famous
Horseshoe ridge. whore General Thomas
met and repplsed the desperate assaults
OF the rebel Troops, after the whole right
wing of the Union army had been swept
from the field
This part Of the field is covered with a
heavy growth OF forest trees. many of
which are pines with clean, straight
trunks running TO height of seventy
five feet before the first limb is reached.
The resin continually exuding from the
wound made by 3 bullet or shell, has
formed q round excresent upon the
bark, preserving with great distinctness
the marks of the battle which ragged
there twenty-three years age. In the
trunk of one Of these huge pines, stand
ing part WAY down the front of the
ridge, I counted sixty-seven of these
marks. The relic hunter has been here
with ruthless hand and there is scarcely
a pine along the slope which has not
been chopped into for bullets. The
owners Of the land have found il neces-
sary. in order 20 preserve their timber
from ruin, 70 forbid this mutilatiOn of
trees and to obtain these mementos of
the great battle il is now necessary 20
buy tree outright.
The oaks are not so proud of their
battle scars as the pines, and there
wounds, healing over, have left no
mark, or ~ best only slight Irregular
ity of the bark, not distinguished from
the knot and eIcrescences natural to the
growth of the tree. The ground is
covered thIckly with underbrush, which
makes it impossible TO see more than a
few rods, though we were informed by
men living on the battlefield that this
has mostly grown up since the war and
that at the time the battle occurred the
woods we're comparatively open.
Owing TO these distractions, and to
the fact that there is no point from
which q comprehensive view of the
field can be obtained, il 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 official
reports, many officers having entirely
erroneous bottoms as to distances, direc-
tons and positions.
This characteristic Of the battle is
strikingly illustrated by a story told me
by NJ. 5. Sheats, Of Dayton, a veteran
OF the Eleventh Ohio. A part of his
regiment was deployed as skirmishers
on the forenoon Of the second day, and
in the resdjustment of the Union posi-
ton the line of battle was withdrawn
from their rear. but the skirmishers
were not notified OF the change. Ad-
vancing through the woods two OF the
men became sep arsted from the rest of
the command, when they suddenly en-
countered body Of sixteen rebels, who
demanded and received their surrender,
Conversing with their captors, the two
soldiers found that the rebels were as
completely lost as themselves, being
afraid to either advance or retreat for
fear o. running into the lines of their
enemy. The rebels had entered, tie
army unEillingly, having been recently
conscripted, and it was finally agreed
that they in turn should surrender to
the two Union soldiers, and all should
attempt to make their way together into
the Union lines. This they finely sue
ceeded in doing, and the prisoners were
hurried TO the rear.
Over winding road cut through the
forest We made our way 10 the SnOd-
grass house, where General Thomas had
his headquarters during the battle. The
house stands upon the Horseshoe ridge,
having 81 open field in its front, and
faces the east directly towards Chicka-
manga Creek. The owner is an old
gentleman OF eighty years or more.
whose name consists of the rather
singular combination, George Washing
ton Snodgrass. He is feeble with age
and rheumatism. and moves about with
the greatest difficulty. He is very intel
scrupuiously honest in giving his recol-I
lections on the great conflict. He has
lived upon the field nearly all his life.
and both he and his wife remained in
the house during the battle. General
Thomas headquarters were IN q small
hy tent erected q couple Of rods from
the house, and he spent most OF his
time under large oak tree in the yard
From one side OF the tree large root
runs out, projecting above the ground,
and forming 3 very comfortable seat.
In the summer Of 1883 General Long
street visited the field with two compsr-
ions, whose names the old gentleman
does not recollect. Riding up TO the
fence he inquired If this was the place
where General Thomas had his head
quarters. On being informed that it was,
and being pointed to tbs spot where
Thomas tent had stood, he remarked
that If Thomas spent most OF the day
under the tree, IL was very reasonable
TO suppose that he had often sat upon
the root which have described. Seat
ing himself accordingly upon the root,
General Longstreet spent several hours
in lunching, smoking and talking over
the incidents Of the great battle. This
root is now worn quite smooth by Tisi-
tors to the field who are anxious to
absorb greatness By sitting where
Thomas and Longstreet sat. One Of the
patty approached the tree with like
intent, when the old gentleman ex-
claimed: hold on there, Yankee. Take
of your shoes. You are standing upon
hofr g-or,1fs nw- friends mOuentarV