Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-09-26
ON HISTORIC GROUND.
National Military Park Is Formally
Turned Over to the Gov
eminent.

turned over TO the 0OV-
eminent.
Chattanooga, Tenn, Sept. 19.-The ex-
ercises incident to the dedication of the
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National
Military park commenced In earnest to-
day, and Chattanooga was the host OF the
grandest gathering of soldiers of the
the war; The memorable saying that
Peace hath her victories no less re-
nowned than war; was strikingly illus
trated here today when North and South,
reunited forever, joined hands in dedicat-
ing the park which was to perpetuate the
memories and to mark the scenes of the
two great battles of the Civil war. Thir-
ty years have gone by since peace was
declared, but today white-haired veterans
who. while in the prime of youth. fol-
lowed the lead of Grant, Sherman, Rose
Grams, Thomas and Fighting Joe" Hook
the stars and bars under Bragg and
under Longstreet. are gathering around
the campires and fighting their battles
over again.
The dedicatory exercises are the termi-
nation of five years work on the. part
military park. Originally $125,O0O was
appropriated by Congress for the purchase
of the land, the park comprising 1000
acres. Tennessee and Georgia also coded
to the government ten of the roads con-
Meeting the different fields of battle,
amounting to forty-two miles. Of the
monuments, Ohio heads the list with fif-
ty-fve at a total cost of 5000. New
York made an appropriation of $4,000,
of which all but $1,000 was to have been
spent on an observation tower, which was
intended to be the finest individual monu-
ment in the field The national govern
ment. however, objected to this, for the
reason that the tower was to have been
placed on Lookout mountain, while nons
but Confederate soldiers fought on the
summit of Lookout. For the present,
therefore, New York is represented by
nine tablets. Illinois will have thirty
seven monuments at a total cost of $751;
900; Indiana thirty-three, at cost of
$4,000; Wisconsin eleven, at a cost of
$40, 500; Michigan twelve, at a cost of
$4,000; Minnesota five, at a cost of
$4,000; Missouri five, at a cost of $4,000.
The total number of state monuments
will be III and the aggregate cost $780,
900.
The old soldiers have found a touch of
realism in the field in the shape of $50
mounted cannon, which have been dis
tributed SO that they mark the positions
of the various batteries. Chief of ord
nance, d. w. Flagler, and his assistant
captain, V. McNally. ransacked all the
arsenals of the country to procure old
cannon used in these fights, obtaining
thrty-nine Confederate batteries They
are mounted on cast-iron carriages, paint
ed so as to represent those used in the
battle.
The ceremonies took place ut Snod-
grass hill, whose sides for Il mile were
so thickly covered with dead thirty-two
years ago, that the survivors say one
could walk all over it from the crest to
base, stepping from one PROSTATE body
to another.
Hours before the exercises began the
battlefield was alive with those who had
come to attend the dedication. The first
event of the day was display of arms
by Battery +, Fourth United States
artillery. Then there was battalion
regimental drill, showing the new tactics
and field movements. under command
of Col. Holland. These exercises at
arms were of great interest to the vet
Grams. both the 'rebes" and "Yanks,"
lief that such tactics would have fallen
as timothy before a mower if placed
against those adopted during the battle
of Chickamauga.
yice-Presdent A. e. Stevenson pre-
sided owed the dedcatory exercises. He
was introduced by Gen. John S. Fuller
ton, chairman of the Chickamauga and
Chattanooga National park. When the
yice-presdent came forward he was greet
ed with loud applause.
The meeting was called to order at ~
o'clock and at that hour Snodgrass hill
was covered with people. The great nat
ural area selected by the national commits
sion on Snodgrass hill was so arranged
that nearly everyone of the tens of thou
sands of the auditors could hear the
speeches and addresses throughout. By
way of beginning there was Il national
salute of forty-four guns by the artillery,
followed by ''the Star Spanged Banner"
r,1o oil nv of 10 tat
fantry bands 1t was cheered to the echo
by veterans of the blue and the gray, and
in their patriotic enthusiasm many OF the
grizzled old veterans shed tears of joy.
When the applause had ceased. VicePres-
ident Stevenson made brief address, APP
propriate to the occasion. When he had
finished. prayer was offered by the lit.
Rev. Bishop Gailor of Tennessee.
America" the beautiful national an
them was then sung by the audience, ac-
companied by the band and every one
Of the fifty and odd thousand people as
sembled, blue and gray, sang it as if in
spired The great volume of sound rolled
up as if a tidal wave, and long before
the song was ended tears were coursing
down the cheeks of thousands of the old
veterans. 1t made the cold chills run up
and down the backs of even the most
hardened and battle SCARED veterans.
and those who shed tears were proud of
it, Not one of them was ashamed nor
was there anyone who would shame
them.
The addresses of Gems. Palmer and
Gordon, printed elsewhere, followed.
When Gen. Palmer, the venerable sena-
tor from Illinois, who thirty-two years
ago today risked his life on the battle
field, came forward his voice was husky
and had tremulous sound. And never,
in all his life, unless perhaps when he
was directing his men at Chickamauga
thirty-two years ago did he speak more
earnestly. He became grandly eloquent
as he advanced in his address and his
aloquence was fully appreciated. At fire.
quent intervals he was applauded with
vigor that showed the audience were in
touch with him.
Another patriotic tune followed Gen.
Palmer's speech and then the battle
SCARED veteran, of the Confederacy,
whom Lee called his fright arm" John
B. Gordon of George, was introduced.
He was greeted with no less applause
than that accorded to Gen. Palmer and
he spoke with fully as much enthusiasm,
feeling and patriotism