The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-09-16
THE BATTLEFIELD PARK !
Chattanooga is Preparing For Its Great
Dedication.
MANY PROMINENTS WILL ASSIST
The Elective Department of the Govern
ment Members of the Supreme Court,
the Governors Of all States and the
Veterans Are to be Represented.

! guiding hand of the secretary of war, act
ing through the authority of the congress,
| Chattanooga and the notable battlehclds
/ surrounding it have been prepared for n
national event without parallel. Great
throngs of veterans who fought against
each other are crowding into the city to
take part in the dedications, beginning on
| Wednesday, of fields made memorable as
national military park
As provided in the act of congress Sec
retary Lamont has invited the attendance
of the executive department. of the govern
ment, members of the supreme court the
lieutenant general of the army and the ad-
miral of the navy, the governors of all the
states with their staffs and the veterans of
the contending armies. All are to be prom
lnently represented.
A joint committee of twenty senators
and thirty members of the house will be
present. Members of twenty-six state
commissions who have been at work with
the national commission in locating lines
of battle of the troops of their respective
states will attend. The Society of the
Army of the Cumberland, of the Army of
the Tennessee, the Grand Army of the Re
public and the Association of Confederate
Veterans will be present in large numbers.
This official concourse is to be increased
by gathering of an army of visitors al
ready known to be so great that it will tax
the capacity of the railroads centering here
to their utmost capacity.
Lieutenant General Schofleld has cordi-
ally contributed every substance which
could be given from the headquarters of
the army and the movements of regular
troops from Fort Sheridan, Ford Riley,
Fort Thomas, Columbus barracks and
Pensacola has presented an instance of
rapid concentration of special interest.
The park which is to be dedicated is of
unusual Dimensions. 1t extends, wit h its
approaches, from Sherman Heights, in
Tennessee, six miles north of Chattanooga,
to Glass Mill, in Georgia, distance Of
twenty-five miles. The broad boulevard
between these two points is in fee simple
to the government as part of the park, and
full jurisdiction of the fifteen square miles
of the Chickamauga field and over many
miles besides of other approaches has been
ceded to the government by the states of
Tennessee and Georgia.
The central drive runs for eight miles
along Bragg's line of battle in the crest OF
Missionary Ridge. 1t passes along the
fronts of Sherman's S army, Thomas Army
of the Cumberland and army under
Hooker. 1t overlooks all the battlefelds
about Chattanooga, including Lookout
mountain and runs for twelve miles
through the center of the fighting ground
of the three days battle of Chickamauga
OF the territory over which jurisdiction
has been ceded to the United States for
park purposes ten square miles have been
already purchased in single block in the
Chickamauga field.
The entire crest about Bragg's head
quarters on Missionary Ridge, Orchard
Knob, headquarters of Grant, Thomas and
Granger during the battle of Chattanooga,
tract eight acres in extent, fifty acres at
the north end of the Missionary Ridge be-
ing the ground assaulted by General Sher-
man and defended by Cleburn, and tract
of five acres on another portion of the
ridge marking the left of the assault of the
Army of the Cumberland from portions
of the park. Congress has also added an
addition to the part of Hookers', Walt
hams battle ground on Lookout noun
tain. The park and its approaches, there
fore, embrace or overlook the fields of five
days general battle between the great
armies and three days of minor engage
ments
The plan of the park is to restore the fields
as nearly as possible to their condition
at the time of the battle, to close all the
roads and reopen and improve those used
in the battles and over which the armies
moved to and from the fields. The times
of battle have all been ascertained and a
vast amount of work toward permanently
! making them has been done
This is accomplished by historical and
guide tablets which point the way to and
= explain the movements upon every portion
of the line. These tablets show the organ
ization of armies, corps, divisions and
brigades with the names of their respec-
. tive commanders and their staffs on the
/ the field and the commanders of all regi-
ments and batteries. Full historical text
/ on each tablet sets forth the details of
movement al each point. There is no dis
5 tinction in the preparation of these tablets
between Union and Confederate force nor
l in any department of the work of establish
! ing the park is there any difference.
Besides the historical tablets which are
prepared by the government the states are
erecting monuments to mark the position
of their troops. Already nearly half a
million dollars have been appropriated by
} states which had troops here and all the
states but two of the twenty nine who are
= represented in the battle have commits
sioners at work marking their positions
for the monument.
ONSr tVO guns Oh Il6 batteries useu on
these fields have been obtained from the
arsenals, and 100 have already been
mounted upon iron gun carriages, which
are Of the pattern of the carriages used at
2 the time, and are set up and mark the po-
sition of each side in the battle. Event
ually the whole 600 guns will be in posi-
tion. Steel observation towers raised above
the forest at various commanding posi-
tions afford views of the entire battle
ground,
The official dedication, under the aus
pices of congress and the secretary of war
will occupy the 10th and goth inst, but
will be one of a general character and viii
occupy the whole day of the 18th and the
evenings of the 10th and goth, The dedi
cations Of the state monuments will occur
mostly on the 18th