The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-08-16

| 1901 EyfyI Chlckamauga National ParK
kQ:4N Esd can hardly be comprehended
E9IN EIS unlessthe park is visited, says
| t;N2 lYH writer in the Minneapolis
| ES&2I1kA Tribune AT present 90 State
! Commissions are engaged in assisting the Ma
tionsl Commission in locating the position OF
| their troops upon the several lines-of- battle
| within the park and along its approaches. But
| to those who cannot visit the spot and see wit
their eyes the magnitude of the work, it may
be estimated in the mind Of the reader pretty
| clearly when it is stated that it is IL miles,
measured along the fighting lines. from Hook
| ers right at Wauhatchie to Shermans left at
Tunnel Hill; while from the latter portion
along Missionary Ridge and through the
Chickamauga field to the Confederates' extreme
left at CLOSES Mill il is % miles.
| Along these lines were fought the fierce and
! famous battles of Wauhatchie, Chickamauga,
Browns Ferry, Orchard Knob, Look out Mount
ain, and the battle of Missionary Ridge, with
| the battle above the clouds"
In these battles there were troops from 81
States in the Union. Out of that 81 the follow
| ing States have commissions appointed for the
| purpose of assisting the National Commission
in determining the location of the various
| troops: Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro-
lina Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mis-
! sissippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, New York, New
Jersey, Pennsy lvania, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa,
| Michigan, Wisconsin,, Minnesota, Massachu-
! sets, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio. Of the
! remaining four States application is about to be
made to the Governors of Maryland, Connecti-
cut, and West Virginia for their cooperation
in the way of appointing commissions, which
Gov. Jones, of Alabama, has already promised
| to do, and at very early date.
Tennessee and Ohio led all States in the
number of troops they had upon the field of
battle, each having Sc organizations. Ohio
has already appropriated 100000 for monu-
ments to her 56 regiments with So 600 to pay
| nf har ,icGin in fifr
| the lines Of battle, and this having been done
and the designs accepted and the work on the
monuments finished, they will commence to
arrive in about week, and will be rapidly put
| in position and everything got in readiness for
the dedication and nnvailing on the ami
verssry of the two days great battle in 1863;
| that is, Sept. IS and 90
| The State Commissions of Tennessee, South
| Carolina, and Virginia have each spent many
| days on the field during the last few months,
aud have done much toward correctly locating
| the lines, and the information which they
| gathered is Of great interest and valuable to
history. 1t is, in fact, the purpose of the var-
Gus commissions to obtain correct history of
| the battle to its mnutest detail. To that end
! the veterans of both. armies working.
! The result of the work so far has been to at
! last bring order out of chaos and to definitely
| fix the several lines-of-battie, and to so def
| nitely fix them that the National Commission
! will now be able to prepare accurate maps of
| both days battles showing the movements of
| the troops on each side l.. 4. Belts, Govern
| ment Engineer Mt the park, with Office in Chat
| tanOOga, has just completed a Typographical map
of the field, and the position of the troops will
| be plotted on this map by Maj. Frank g. Smith,
the army commissioner, instead of Col. Kellogg
Of the 5000 acres in the park about 2, 600
have been improved. By this it is not meant
that nature has given way to artifce-that the
natural beauty of the place has been marred
by the artificial means of man-but that the
ground has been restored so far as possible,
without changing its aspect, to the condition
in which it was when the opposing armies
came together in that fatal clash Saturday
and Sunday, Sept. 10 and 90. 1863.
Indeed there will bey but little effort made to
put the park in such ornamental condi-
ton as is popularity supposed to characterize a
park. In the usual sense of the word it will
never at any time be worthy of the name of
park, but it will be park and grand one, in
the sense of being place which may visit
with pleasure and profit to himself, reserved for
none in particular, but open to everyone, and
sacred to all.
One of the chief attractions in the grounds
will be the Wilder Brigade monument, erected
by the surviving members of that brigade, who
voluntarily gave liberal subscriptions to aid in
the work. The monument will be Is by Is feet
at its base, with hight of 100 feet The visitor
will be able to gain the top by means of spiral
tower. The view will be worth the climb, for
the tower will occupy such commanding posi-
ton that the entire country for miles around
will be visible. This monument is very nearly |
completed.
Another interesting feature of the park will |
be mounted cannon placed in the same posi- !
tions they occupied in the battle. These guns !
will be mounted on wrought-ron carriages and |
in design and finish will be exact counterparts |
of those used in 1863. One hundred ard forty |
have been delivered at the park, most Of which |
have been put in position. |
Eight mOrtuary monuments to mark the spot |
where eight Brigade r- Generals fell will be |
erected, composed of eight-inch shells arranged |
in pyramidal shape to hight of IL feet. |
Four have already been completed, and the |
other four will be finished soon. The eight |
Generals thus to be commemorated Brig !
Gen. W. w. Lyle, u. s. A. commanding First |
Brigade. Sherdans Division, killed Sept. 20; |
Col. Philemon p. Baldwin, U. S. A., command |
ing brigade Johnson's Division, killed Sept. 10; |
Col. Edward A. King, U. s. A., commanding |
brigade Reynolds Division killed Sept. 20; |
Col. Hands G. Heg, commanding brigade Davis's |
Division, mOrtaly wounded Sept. 10 Brig
Gen. Benjamin j. Helm, {. S. A., commanding |
brigade Breckinridge's Division, mortaIly |
wounded Sept. 20; Brig. James Deshler, |
commanding brigade Cleburne's Division, |
killed Sept. 90; Brighten. Preston Smith, |
commanding brigade Cheatham's Division; |
OoI IeytOu H. SoIquiIl, 4oLH ia, mOrtaiIy |
wounded Sept. 90
Besides the work above outlined as being |
either finished or in progress, hundreds of iron |
tablets being placed all over the field to |
mark the historic spots. These tablets are |
made of east-iron aud have a dimension of |
A 81 feet In plain letters, brought out I
clearly by a coat Of white lead, the field head
quarters of each corps, division aud brigade is |
shown on separate tablets, together with the /
names of the officers and the movements of the |
troops. Other tablets made of bronze and the |
more identifying the scene, will give the names |
of all officers down to the commanders of regi- |
ments, with the movements Of each. The tab |
lets will be mounted on iron pedestals and have |
concrete for foundation.
The dedication and lunvaling of Ohios /
monuments, Sc In all, and all of them handsome, |
ornate and appropriate, will be at the same |
time as Minnesotas monuments, Sep. 10 and 20. |
Three of these Minnesota monuments are to |
mark the position of Cd Mimi. at Chickamauga,
md a fonr IN I'm txuiIJ