The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-09-12
THE OHIOK KAMAUGA BATTLEFIELD.
THE GREAT CHANGE ON THIS
FAMOUS FIELD.
"A National Park Where tho Hosts
COntended in Grim Array.

"A National Park Where tho Hosts
Contended in Grim Array.
The United States has wrought u
great transformation upon the old bat
tie grounds of Chickamauga, and the
National Military Park to be dedicated
Sept. 10th and Goth, in the presence of
the President OF tho United States,
Congressman and Senators and all the
Governors Of the various States who
will find it convenient to be there,
promises to be one of tho great events
of the year, in which Ill the nation
will be Interested.
Three years ago bill was passed by
Congress appropriating large sums OF
money for establishing q National Mil
itaiy Park on this historic spot. A
commission was appointed consisting
Gems. j. S. Fullerton, Federal; Gen. a.
p. Stewart, Confederate and Major
Frank G. Smith, Of the United States
regular army, and to their care was
entrusted the task of establishing such
memorials upon Chickamauga BATTLE
field as might serve q national military
object lesson illustrative of American
patriotism, American pride, and Amer
lean valor.
During the three years that have
elapsed, the work Of beautifying this
celebrated spot has steadily pro-
gressed, and now the commissioners
announce ready for the opening of the
park and invite the dignataries of tho
land and all veterans Of the civil war,
who wore both blue and grey, to join
in the celebration Of the anniversary
of this historic battle, at the dedica-
tiOn this year.
More than 5000 acres of ground.
where the battle was fought, have
been purchased by the. government,
hundreds of beautiful monuments
erected at heavy expense, observation
towers have been constructed on every
historic hillside, forty miles of turn
pike road have been graded through
the ground, and paved with crush
limestone, and the national flag now
waves from q lofty pinnacle, over Il
scene of beauty and rare charm.
The understanding has been colossal,
and executed upon no trihing plan.
At q cost of more than three-quar;ers
of a million dollars the government
has wrought many changes upon this
historic field, every inch Of which has
crumpled beneath the tramp Of clash
ing armies and heroes of one of the
fiercest battles of tho late conflict be-
tween the States. In addition to the
amounts appropriated from time to
time by the National Congress-, thirty
three States have added, through
their Legislatures, large sums Of
money donated for the purpose Of
building monuments on the particular
spot which mark the deeds of bravery
Of their respective troops in tho en-
gagement.
The State of Ohi"-rwhich contribut
| od m ~'-s'- 49,, y '"re. other State
s.ore soldiers than any o.u> Y, rs
in the Union to the fight ut CIicka-
mauga, appropriated 100000, and ap-
pointed commission to make expen-
djture of money in the direction
named; the State of Illinois appropri-
erected many expensive monuments !;
New York has splendid representa-
tion; Missouri has expended $4,000,
building historical markers and In
diana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylva-
mia, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Wis
consin, Georgia, Florida South and
North Carolina have appointed COM
missions to cooperate with the Nation
al Commission in the work of clearing
up all disputed points of history.
Some of the monuments that have
been built by the States are expensive
and elaborate, the work being chiefly
OF marble and bronze. The govern
luCuI HIS uutlO olS
ments, which are located upon the
spots where fell the eight commanders
Of the brigrade in this fierce and flu
rious battle-storm four of those briga-
dier generals fell on the Union side
and four on the Confederate side.
There is u world of interest in the
old battlefield as it appears today. To
the traveller, driving through the
park, the monuments confront the eye
here and there throughout the great
area of wild woods, in conspicuous re-
lief. Upon each of these monuments
is inscribed q bit of history of the bat
tie, telling what happened upon that
peculiar spot during the three terrible
days Of frightful onslaught of the two
armies
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BATTLE.
The battle OF Chickamauga, result
ing in the death of 26, 900 soldiers, as
brave as ever rushed into q battle front
whore the stitling smell Of smoke and
carnage came hottest has gone to his
tory rs the American Waterloo.
The United States government could
field for the building nf military
object lesson to exemplify the bravery
and heroism of American patriots
than these battle grounds, and
future generations will learn there for
years to come the measure and stand
ard OF American valor and gallantry.
1t was on the 18th of September,
1853, that the 6rst hombshcll at Chick
amauga burst over Reeds bridgc and
scattered CONSERVATION among the
armies that had encamped on two OPP
posite hillsides close at hand. The
Union army had sent detachment Of
cavalrymen down to the bridge to re-
connoiter. They had been instructed
to cross the bridge, ascertain the
whereabouts Of tho enemy's lines and
tear up the planks on the bridge in or
der that the Confederatcs might not
use it in crossing Chickamauga creek.
The cavalrymen had just finished
loosening the planks on the bridge
when boTb exploded over their
heads and they were sent off galloping
down the creek to find another crossing
place, the shell displacing several OF
the planks they had on Reeds bridge.
There was o. great deal Of skirmish-
ing Immediately after the first shot
from the Confederate batteries which
had been concealed near the bridge in
the thick underground that covered
the whole face of that region Of coun
| try Rnt the hattlo NJ IN mauUo