Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-11-13
oHIoKAarAUGA
Changes Time Has Made In the Famous
EIaIl-

QelQ OF G4lchtlLL-AA8a VIII q party OF
veteran soldiers on their return from the
excursion to Atlanta. The battle field
lies to the east of Mission Ridge and on
the vest side OF Chickamauga creek.
The nearest point Of the field is about
nine miles from Chattanooga, and to
reach it you pass up the valley Of Chatta-
nOoga creek about five miles to Ross
Vile Gap, where the road crosses Mis-
sion Ridge into the valley OF the Chicka-
manga. The battle was fought
IS and 20, 1868. and was one
OF the severest defeats suffered by the
Union armies during the war The
points Of greatest interest are along the
Horseshoe Ridge, where General Thomas
met and repulssd 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
heavy growth of forest trees, many Of
which are pines with clean, straight
trunks running to a height Of Is feet
before the first limb is reached The
resin, continually eXuding from the
wounds made by bullets or Shells has
formed round excrescences upon the
bark, preserving with great distinctness
the marks of the battle which ragged
here twenty three years ago. In the
trunk of one Of these huge pines, stand
ing part way down the front OF the
ridge, L counted EiZty-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 it neces-
sary, in order to preserve their timber
from ruin, to forbid this mutlatiOn of the
trees, and to obtain these mementCs Of
the great battle it is now necessary to
buy a tree outright.
The oaks are not so proud Of their
battle scars as the pines, and their
wounds, healing over, have left no mark.
or at best only a slight irregulaEity OF
the bark not distinguishable from the
knots and excrssceuces natural to the
growth Of the tree. The ground Is Gov
cred thiczly with underbrush, which
makes it impossible to see more than a
few rods, though We were informed by
men living on the battle field that this
has mostly grown up since the war, and
that at the time the battle occurred the
woods were comparatively open.
Owing to these Instructions, and To
the fact that there is no Point from
which a comprehensive view of the field
can be obtained, it is very hard to gel
any clear idea of the positions OK move
ments Of troops. For these reasons, too
there is great confusion and many con
tradictions In the official reports, many
officers having entirely erroneous notions
as to distances, directions, and positions
This characteristic of the battle Is
strikingly illustrated by a story told me
| by NJ. S. Sheats, Of Dayton, a veteran OF
the Eleventh Ohio. A part Of his Tegi-
ment was depiOyed as skirmishers the
forenoon Of the second day, and IN the
readiustment of the union position the
line Of battle was Withdrawn from the
rear, but the szirmishers were not nOd-
fed Of the change. Advancing through
the woods, two of the mon became Eepa-
rated from the command, when they sud
denly encountered a body Of sixteen
rebels, who demanded and received theil
surrender COnversing with the capSOrs
the two soldiers found that the rebels
were as completely lost as themselves
/ being afraid either TO advance or retreat
! for fear OF running into the lines Of theI
/ enemy. The rebels had entered thi
army unwillingIy, having been recently
! conscripted, and it was finally agreec
| that they in turn should surrender Il
/ the two Union Soldiers, and all should
attempt to make their way together int,
| the Union lines. This they finally sue
/ ceeded in doing, and the prisoners WeT'
/ hurried to the rear.
! Over a winding road cut through the
forest We made our way to the SnOd
grass house, where General Thomas haC
his headquarters during the battle. Tn
house stands upon the Horseshoe Ridge
having an open field in its front, anC
faces the east directly toward ClicamaI
ga creek. The owner Is an old gentle
man Of 80 years or more, whose mann
consists Of the rather singular cOmbina
ton, George Washington SnOdgrass
He is feeble with age and rheumatism
and moves about with the greatest diff
Guilty. He is very intelligent, and i'm
pressed me as being scruPulOUsIy homes
in giving his recOlleclOns Of the grea
conflict. He has lived upon the tiel,
nearly all his life and both he and hi
wife remained in their house during tn
battles. General Thomas headq uaFter
were in q small fly tent erected a coupl
of rods from the house, and he spen
most Of his time under a large oak tire
In the yard. From one side of the tire
large root runs out, projecting abOv
the ground, and forming a very com
Portable seat.
Mr.. Snodgrass stood In his yard an
drew a diagram of the Horseshoe Ridg
upon the ground with his cane and the
gave us his story of the battle.
We asked them why they had staid
so dangerous a place through the battle
They explained to US that on the frs
day the fighting was so far away tOwar
Chickamauga a creek that there wa
scarcely any danger and they hoped
preserve their property by starving {
home. After the rebels advanced On th
second day the fighting reached so fa
around toward the rear that it seemed a
most as dangerous to attempt to 60
away as to remain where they were.
The old gentleman described yer
graphically how the battle surged bac
and forth through the woods down
the valley in front Of his house, gradJ
ally drawing nearer and nearer until tn
union line came inside the field upon til
slope Of the ridge, built slight breast
work Of rails, and held the position il
spite Of the repeated charges OF tn
enemy, who came up again and again
the edge Of the woods, but always brok
and fed as soon as they came intCe
open fsld.
Becoming enthused ia the progress {
his narrative, he finally consented to eI