Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-13
THE NATIONAL PARK
eATTLE-cRoUNps OF cHIckAMAucA
AND MISSIONARY RIDGE.
Ten Miles Square Purchased BY tho q. 3.
Governnent-Progres Of the Work
Monuments to Southern Heroes
CHATTANOOGA. TENN. May 10. 1894

CHATTANOOGA. TENN. May 10. 1894
To the Editor OF the Dispatch:
Having passed a most delightful day
visiting the highly-imrroved battie-helds
Of Chickamauga In company with the HON.
a. Fulkerson, one OF the commissioners ap-
pointed by Governor O'Ferrail TO mark
the positions of the two Virginia regi-
ments engaged In this fight. i will give
you n brief account Of the preparations
now I'm progress to make this battle
ground "a splendid national park for all
coming generations. In the first place.
Congress has already appropriated si75,-
900 az beginning to this end. Ten miles
square, embracing the battle-ground Of
Chickamauga and Misslonary-Rldge have
been purchased, and Is now being highly
improved. Never have l seen superior
roads. now almost completed. The srade
is beautiful and the road-bed as smooth
as a floor. II will be, i find. an Eden for
the bicyclist. ! saw quite n number out
this afternoon. One Of these drives is
twenty-five miles long. The ground Is
beautifully undulating and most OF II
well timbered. The underground Is being
removed, together with all fallen trees.
stumps, &c, &c. Every stream Is well
bridged with granite and every cross-road
well provided with sign-boards.
THE TABLETS.
Heavy iron tablets. about four feet
square. designating the positions of the
troops on both sides. upon which are
raised iron letter inscriptions giving
name of commander division. &c. mum
her engaged. killed. wounded. and miss-
ing. These are in white, upon the black
iron ground, and IL they should fade they
can be freshened by rolling over them
peculiar instrument restoring the faded
colorlng ~ Il moment This work mas
not yet been concluded. but when done
II will be the most perfect ever known
before; better than that at Gettysburg.
which ! have seen. Three commits
sioners were appointed by Congress TO
supervise the work. and ] was glad to
find one of them in General Stuart. an
old army officer, but on the southern
side in the late war. He is from this
State. and has now been at work for
nearly three years. | was glad 10 meet
him and find him so agreeable. There are
now three steel towers, ~ feet
high, with a flagstaff and roof. making
the elevation Of 40 feet to the top
of staff. / was surprised to find con-
siderable vibration. though there was no
wind. 1t is proposed TO remedy this,
though there is really no danger now.
BEAUTIFUL VIEW.
The view of the battle-ground with the
surround ng mountain ridge in the DIS
tance, is most interesting and beautiful.
Two other towers are upon Missionary
Ridge" but had not time to visit them
TODAY: will do SO tomorrow. \ new road
has been built along the top of the ridge.
once occupied by General Bragg. what
surprised me most was to see three beau
tiful monuments to Confederate officers.
Who fell on the field, built 0hink of it,
by the government. These monuments
are OF cannon-bails. conical in shape.
about twelve feet high, and the sides
at base fourteen feet. There are 500 balls
in each monument. one is TO Benjamin
II. Helms. "mortally wounded here 10Th
of September. 1865" The two others are
to General Preston Smith and Peyton II.
Colquitt, brother to the late Governor
Colnultt. Others are 10 be erected.
This Is not like Gettysburg. II is on
southern ground. ! ind where we are
1tGoEillLtu dS biptHtIS' II hlht'ihS III
our ideas of duty.
DEDICATION.
This park will be dedicated next year,
and we may look forward TO a great oc-
casion. found commissioners from Ohio
who had spent two months here looking
after the positions of their troops. They
had | think. thirty or forty regiments
here The Legislature appropriated 3d.
Geo for the honoring of their dead. and
gave the commissioners 5000 for their
work Missionary Ridge is certainly very
strong position. but understand Grant
had "nfty-nine more regiments than
Bragg" and OF course could outfiank
him. ! find the battle OF Chickamagu was
a complete victory for the Confederates,
along the whole line. They broke the
Federal centre ana had General Fosters
advice 20 push the enemy beyond the
HopvIhc House "a poor position 10 make
n stanD. been followed, the whole Of
General Thomas's command would have
been captured Bragg said his troops
were too fatigued to pursue-a sentiment
rarely true.