The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-29
ChickaInauga.

| It is quite possible that the measure In
! troduced into Congress at the present ses-
| sion for the establishment of q national
military park on the battlefield OF Chicka-
| manga may become q law before the twenty
! seventh anniversary OF the great fight, which
| occurs on the 10Th and Goth Of September
| next. The House Military Committee has
reported favorably upon 1t, and the fact that
80 much has been done for Gettysburg and
SO much more proposed is urged as reason
for establishing like memorial OF the Prov
ess Of the Western armies.
In the House, for example, q bill is pending
for very large appropriation to mark the
positions Of the Southern troops during the
three days fighting at Gettysburg. 1t pro-
poses to lay out twenty-four miles Of drive
way along the Confederate lines and to erect
hundreds of tablets indicating the organiza-
lions that occupied the various points. A
like work has already been done for the
Union troops principally by the States con-
cerned and by the survivors of regiments
which took part in the battle. New York
alone has expended more than $3OO,0OO for
this purpose mainly III monuments. When
this memorial work on the field of Gettys-
burg is completed it will perhaps have cost
millions; already 1t furnishes scene such
as can be foun nowhere else. 1t is natural,
therefore, since the Eastern and Western
lines Of operation were kept so distinct
during the war, that there should be some
similar memorial to the latter. While
Gettysburg was In the broadcast sense a
national field, where troops from Ohio,
Indiana Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minne-
sofa fought on the Union side and regi-
ments from Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas
on the Confederate, yet there Is q certain
justice in experimenting the great military
park Of the East with one at the South
1t may seem stra nge that Congress should
select for this purpose battle which was
technically Union defeat. But this consid-
Grafton evidently does not strike the House
Military Committee az being of particu-
lar importance compared with other points
in which the prominence Of Chickamauga
Is indisputabe:
There Is other field upon which all tho armies
were so fully represented There is probably other
In the word which presents moro formidable natural
obstacles to great military operations than the slopes Of
Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge while there
10 no field that surpasses ChcEamauga in the deadlness
and persistence OF its lighting Tho tactical movements
IF them remarkable Indeed both as noted In this
'esrect as in tho character Of tho hghtng.'
Exactly what the losses In killed and |
Mt Chickamauga were may not be |
altogether beyond dispute. But careful
estimate puts the Union loss at 1866 killed,
,740 wounded, and 4,77i missing, or total
If 1918; and the Confederate at $3.50 killed,
3,4l2 wounded, and 1908 missing, total Of
Z, sOi. The Union loss at Gettysburg, ac-
'ording to Col. PHIsTERER, was 49, 1856, In
'luding 1884 killed and 1900 wounded, and
he Confederate loss 81, G2l. Still the loss at
was greater than at Shiloh, and
IN tho Union side it was greater in killed and
than at Murfreesboro. The House
in fact, makes q special point of
he sanguinary character OF the fighting at
as compared with that in
some famous modern European battles:
WftLISGToS lost ~ per cent at Waterloo NAPOLEON
AZ pei cent at AusterliH and - per cent at MarepRo
HE average loss OF both armies at Magenta and Sol
er!no ia 7h" was less than per cent Al KGniggratz
II lNu' II was per cent At WORTH MARSHA Tour
'raTeotte and sedan in 1870, tho average loss was
u per cent Tho marvel Of German fighting In ~.
Franco Prussian war was by tho Third westphaan In
Antry at AArsla Tour. It took 5000 men into acton
and lost 4" 4per cent Next this record was the
iArde schnILen battalion, 900 strong At Metz which
ost 46 per cent There were several brgRdeS on each
tide az ChckamauCa and very many regiments WHOSE
Osses exceeded these figures for Mars la. Tour and
Meta The average losses each side for tho troopa
Elch fought through tho two days fully 33 per
snt while for many portions OF each limo the losses
cached 80 per cent, ana for even rs per cont
led renowned Us this for tho stu6b0rnnssI and bril-