Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-17
ON CHICKAMAUGA's FIELD.
Laying Out Great Park Where the Battle
Was Fought.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
CHIcKAMAUGA, GA, Sept Is, 1892
Perhaps bu: very few of the readers of The
STAR are aware of what is now being done at
this place, which was the scene of one of the
most tremendous and bloody struggles of the
great civil war. On this field something like
$4,000 Union and confederate officers and men
were put hors de combat, and it is but fitting
that the scene Of such great event in American
history should be properly commemorated
and the time is coming when this battlefield will
be one of the most celebrated places IN the
United States, when it will become Mecca to
which pIlgrimages will be made by the de-
scendants of those who fought on both sides,
many of whom never returned TO their homes
Recognizing the importance of the battle
and the necessity Of Its being owned by the
nation a law was passed by which a commission
was appointed, to be composed solely of those
who had served in the battle. And a more ad-
mirable commission could not have been Sc
lected, comprising as it does Gen. j. s. Fuller
ton of the Union army, Lieut.. Gen. A. p.
Stewart of the confederate army and Col. 5. c.
Kellogg, now major of the fourth Z. S. cavalry.
a nel hew of Gen. Geo. H. Thomas. and his
faithful and efficient aid-de-camp in this battle
as he was in many others.
These gentlemen all well known in Wash
ington. Gen. H. V. Boynton was appointed his
torian to the commission. and TO no ADLER hands
could the task have been intrusted, for with
him it is a labor of love.
Authority having been granted about 5000
acres Of land comprising the heart of the bat
tlefeld, have been purchased, and it is cheerful
to see what has been accomplished here by the
commission in the way of defining the differenl
positions. clearing away the underbrush and
making durable and substantial roads. When
completed there will be nothing in the United
States to equal the Chickamauga and Chatta-
nooga National Park, for unlike Gettysburg
both Union and confederate positions will be
marked, and it is intended to build a beautiful
boulevard, which will be twenty miles long
connecting the Chiclamauga, Missionary
Ridge and Lookout Mountain battlefelds, a
drive along which will not be excelled in the
world.
Already NJ .aument to Gen. wilder's brigade
is in course OF erection, near the site Of the
Widow Glenn's house, made famous as the
scene Of the brigade's heroic charge. 1t will
cost about SIS, 900. will be In the form of =
massive tower, Ito feet high, and twenty-eight
feet square at the base. Appropriations have
also been made for the erection OF monuments
to nine regular batteries and regiments en-
gagged in the action. 1t is hard TO realize the
undergone and the seventies of the
endured here unless brought face 10
face with the tremendous physical configura-
ton of the land. Ranges of mountains from
1.s00 to 200 feet high, well nigh impossible
tortuous streams, rocky roads. when not
rivers Of mud, and a sparsely settled country.
will account for the slow results and tardy
movements of the western army; In fact. the
wonder is that they were able to move at ali.
Great esprit de corps exists among these west
ern soldiers, and at the meeting now being
held at this place it is pleasant to witness the
fraternal greetings that pass cmonz them and
the feeling of fellowship that exists.
The state Of Ohio has appointed commits
sion to designate the location of their COM
mands during the battle and that is now being
done, Col. Kellogg representing the park COM
mission. Among the well-known soldiers that
are here now are Gems. Baird, Fullerton, Boyn-
ton, Beatty, Wylie, Col. Grosvenor, Capt. Hun
ter. recorder Of the Ohio Commandery NJ. o Ii
U. g.; Maj. Barker Of Gen. Thomas staff, and
many Others who nobly did their duty on this
stricken field. A reunion Of the Army Of the
Cumberland Is also to be held here this week
which viii bring many more Of the veterans,
here to fight Chichamauga over again. This
place is the site of the celebrated 'Crawfsh
Spring." which was the location of one of the
hospitals scattered around the battlefield Il is
q beautiful lirlrid stream Of water that flows
into the Chickamauga river, and many sore
stricken man crawled here TO assuage his thirst
those two dreadful days-of the 18th and 10Th
OF September, twenty years ago. ID. +.