The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1895-09-21
HISTORIC OLD CHICAMAUGUA
Enormous crows Present at the Ded1ea'
tory Exercises on the Famous
Battle Field.

Chattanooga OCPC. OAAS ~~A~~
judge by the events Of the last 10 days
the Mason and Dixon line has been wip-
ed off the map. The friendly, brotherly
feeling that has been displayed here
this week and that which was shown
at Louisville last week by the boys of
gray toward the boys Of blue, proves
that the bitter sectionalism that SO long
divided the union, no longer exists. For
nearly fortnight now the doors of the
south have been thrown open to the
men who came here 80 odd years ago
bearing arms of slaughter and destruc-
ton. Not single incident that would
indicate a feeling Of hatred on either
side has been recorded.
"Yanks" and Johnny Rebs'' grown
gray with years have gone over the
great field together, discussed the
events Of those awful days, drank to-
gether and even i'll some instances slept
together without stirring up anything
like an angry thought.
At early dawn the town and sur
rounding country aWoke. In less than
two hours there was general exodus
from town to the battlefield. There
were bands of music, followed by regi-
ments Of militia. There were thous-
ands of men, women and children.
Then there were carriages, wagons and
vehicles Of every description in which
the people rode. Many of the vast
throng looked over the field of
Chickamauga sadly, remembering the
scenes of carnage and death that they
had witnessed there 80 years ago, but
all felt thrill of joy to know that all
old wounds had been healed and that
the hatred Of those days was no more.
Such were the conditions that prevailed
at the preliminary exercises attendant
on the dedication of that historic battle
field as national park, which will take
place tomorrow.
The first event todaywas the dedica-
ton of the Michigan state monument
at Snodgrass Hill, the point at which
there was probably more hard fighting
during the battle than any other part
of the field Governor John T.. Ricn
with staff and members Of the park
commission, arrived at the hill at 8
o'clock. Chairman C. e. Eelknap, pres
ident of the Michigan commission, in
brief speech told of the work done
by the commissioners and then intro
duced Governor Rich, who delivered
the address. Colonel Henry M. Duff1eld
of Detroit responded.
THE WISCONSIN MEMORIAL.
In the northeast corner of Kelly field
the monuments of Wisconsin were
turned over to the governor, w. H.
Uppham, who received and transfer
red them to the government. General
Henry Harding made the speech in re-
Spouse, after which speeches were
made by Colonel B. F. Bryant, ex-Gov-
ernor w. D. Heard and e. G. Timme
OHIO VETERANS
The veterans Of Ohio took possession
of Snodgrass Hill as soon as those from
Michigan finished. General John Beat
ty, president of the Ohio commission,
presided. Bishop Joyce invoked the
blessing.
General Charles H. Grosyenor ad-
dressed the gathering and said in part:
I'VE meet today upon this sacred
spot to celebrate the heroism of the
American soldier, the great results of
battle and the greater victories of
peace. We do not come with words of
elimination or with memories charged
with bitterness or envy. We join here
as American citizens upon one of the
great battlefields of a great war, to
dedicate for all time to the American
people these monuments and this bat
tlefield. We do this to remind those
Of the coming generations Of heroic
races from which they are descended to
exhibit them the enormous cost of In
stitutions bequeathed to them, and
placed in their keeping, and to forever
appeal to those who are to come after