Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-22
AN EPOCH IN NATIONAL UNITY
Significance Of tho Dedication Of the
0hiokamauga Battlefield,
ADDRESS OF GENERAL C. F. HENDERSON
Historical nnd Reminiscent Review
G the Mighty Struggle that
DrcncIcd Hills ana Wales with
the blood of Men.

ROOu VIII NllHEsktu uuIluB lhV bH0N NNNN ~
tween the surviving members Of hostile
armies that fought for supremacy in and
about Chattanooga. The occasion was the
formal dedication of the Chiokamauga and
Chattanooga National Military park, and
brought together thousands Of men who par
.~icipated in the mighty struggle and a multi
lude Of the new generation-all animated by
The spirit of national brotherhood.
In addition to the dedicatory exercises
there were numerous reunions, chief among
hem being that Of the Society of the Army
Of the Cumberland. The orator Of the &C.
,aslon was General Charles f. Henderson of
Omaha, who spoke as follows:
"Mr. President, Ladies, Gentlemen and
Comrades Of the Society Of the Army Of the
cumberland: We celebrate an event. We
10 more. We mark an epochl
1--WE commemorate a conflict. We do
more. We record a new era!
THAT the celebration Of the event, the
.ommemoration of the conflict, the mark
ng of the epoch and the recording of the
lew era should be at the same place, WIN
identical natural surroundings, is most MT
ling.
Mighty hosts battling for the mastery
made these hills and wales a scene Of desc
lation a third Of a century ago. The earth
was torn and scanned by the dread enginery
Of war. The fruitage of those autumn days
was gathered by the grim reaper, whose name
is Death.
"a generation has passed away since that
shock Of arms. For thirty-two years the
spring rains have fallen, the m sun
has shone, upon the soil, once crimsoned by
he blood of the country's best and its
bravest, and how great the change!
Thine, the great healer, and nature, the
sweet %restorer, have labored hand in hand
20 wipe out the traces OF conflict and heal
he scars of 'grim-visaged war; The salient
and the bastion, behind which shone the
slistening steel and above which threatened
the black-muzzled cannon, are now leveled
TO the crop-producing earth. The SOL that
then drank, with fearful thirst, of the en-
riching blood of battle, now feeds the plant
and nourishes the flower. Broad fields OF
nodding corn and waving grain. yielding
abundant harvest to the knife and scythe of
The husbandman, gladden. the sight. Where
was heard the lannon's roar, the sharp rattle
Of musketry, the shrek Of shell, the hiss of
bullet and all the dissonant din of the
votaries of 'Moloch, horrld king now the
Consonant harmony of piping psace pleases
the ear, the song of birds melodiously ming
Ing with the hum of busy industry, lei2urely
rising and gently falling in symphonic uni
son. Our bruised arms hung up for monu-
ments' have gathered the rust and dust Of
he advancing years and have nigh forgot
their mission.
IAN tells of change!
MEMORY ERVES U LITTLE.
"The veteran returning to the field of
high emprise' meets difficulty in finding the
Nall phh bibohJ ipbAlA NhNi oliNC NV iSh
tile OF battle ebbed and flowed. There are
those Of us here present who have seen
where
Tracks of blood, even to the forests
And scattered arms and lifeless warriors,
Whose hard lineaments
Marked the dreadful path
OF the outsallying victors.'
peace hath emphasized her victories!
THE scattered hamlet, the objective point
of military pnUpayOr in 1Sf3 is the thriving
city, the center of commercial distribution
In 1895. Stately public ediflces, business pal
aces and artistic homes lining the well paved
streets Of a metropolis, afford most marked
contrast to the lowly and homely structures
that were strung along the country roads a
generation ago. The quiet Of the agri-
cultural village has given place to the activ-
iy of the manufacturing city. Fed by the
rich deposits of iron and coal the pulse of
trade throbs with vitalized energy. The vi
bration Of mighty machinery, the whirr of
revolving wheels, the tremendous movement
of the mighty mills, fills all the air and
shakes the very earth itself. A people few
in numbers. with petty ambitions, has given
place to a great population Of enterprising
citizens, instinct with energy, pursuing their
varied v~ocations with ~forceful power.
st is a Transformation wonderful indeed
And yet mingled with the new and
strange Is the old and familiar. With the
old time resemblance to the crouching lion
with paws extended lofty Lookout noun
tam sun Illus ltS PROUD neau, LOOKING out
over the confines of five mighty states of a
mightier nation. Mission Ridge, with its
steep sides and thin backbone, yet forms the
rim OF the semi-circular amphitheater in
which lies Chattanooga. Moccasin Point is
as prominent in the landscape as of yore and
Orchard Knob is in evidence before us.
THE Tennessee. like 'Tagus making on
ward to the deep still sweeps along carry
Ing its weight Of water to La Belle Rivierie,
the old boundary line of the middle north
and south. IL rushing on IN iOin the turhid
flood Of the Father of Waters, which now
indeed flows unvexed to the sea- Chick
amauga and Chattanooga creeks, as their
waters are swallowed by the greater stream
still tell the story Of the past that dignifed
their names and even little Citico is here to
whisper of that first days advance Of the
Army of the Cumberland upon the line in
gray on Orchard Knob. These witnesses
Of the memorable past are here to observe
the new condition.
GAPS IN THE RANKS.
"Most fitting, too, 1t is that the actors
In the tragedy played here a generation gon'
by should again be on the stage. Alas! moi
all are here! We recall with aching hearts
the tens of thousands of braves Of boil
contentious who paid the supreme sacrifice
for the cause for which they fought, ans
who proved their belief in the faith professet
by laying down their young lives for its ad
vancement. By instant killing and from
grievous wounds; with b~lighting disease an
from criminal neglect; upon the field o
honor, under the hospital tent, in the pes
camp. within the prison pen, they perlshed
To the glorious list Of the honored dead VIII
thus fell we add the many others who, sur
viving the conflict Of four long years, hav'
crossed the dark river.
"How rapidly are our mighty lines short
ening.
THE years that bring old age, ipfrmit.
and death are making greater havoc in on
ranks than did the fire of the foe. Tim
Is our most relentless enemy. File afte
file drops to earth and soon our vast hos
will be "A small battalion; yet a little Will
and but a squad viii remain and then-no
one shall live to tell the tale of persona
experience in the great war OF the rebel
lion. As In the hour of battle, so now
death is no respecter off person or rank
the great leveler calls for his victims from
the field and stan as we'll as from the ran
and hle. OF the great leaders who her
won immortal fame how few are left! Thci
passing away is Of the every day. In
deed
The air is full Of farewells to our dying
And MORNINGS for our dead
SIN the hearts and minds Of those who ar
left their names are enshrined and a CRATE
full country will ever keep their mehorie
green.
-AD-A--.y