The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-16
PARK OF THE BATTLEFIELDS.
APPROACHING DEDICATION OF THE
HISTORIC FIGHTING GROUNDS.

President LincoIn's Famous speech
at the Gettysburg Dedication Re-
caIIed-Origin of the Movement to
Form National Park in n News
paper Article by Gen. BOyntOn.
Passage by Congress of an Act Es-
tablishing the Park and the Work
Since Done by the Government.
beautiful View OF the BattIeheIds
Now Presented.
Chattanooga, Tenn, Sept 15.-Nearly
a third of a century ago. the battlefield
of Gettysburg was dedicated as a ma
tional cemetery. On that occasion Pres
ident Lincoln delivered an address which
was recognized as the philosophy, in
brief, Of the great struggle then impend-
ing between the north and south. In
this address, in words long since histor-
/ ical, he formulated the doctrine that
this nation under God shall have
new birth of freedom, and that a govern
ment of the people. by the people and
/ for the people shall not perish from the
earth"
On Thursday and Friday of this week
/ the Chickamauga and Chattanooga ma
/ tional military park will be dedicated
with ceremonies no less imposing than
that of Gettysburg made memorable by
Mr.. Lincoln's presence. The time chosen
has especial appropriateness, in that it
will be the thirty-second anniversary of
the fercely contested battle of Chick
amauga. in many respects, one Of the
most decisive Of the war, and one in
| which American pluck and endurance
were shown to the greatest advantage.
| The Vice President OF the United States
will preside. The Secretary of War and
general of the army will, by their pres
ence, lend official dignity to the occa-
sion.
Others present will include all, or nearly
all of the surviving federal and confed-
crate leaders who participated in the bat
tie. Among these are ex-senator Mander-
son of Nebraska; Gen. II. V. Boynton of
Washington City; Gen. Dodge. of Iowa;
Gems Horace Porter and Daniel Butter
field, of New York; Gen. Palmer of Him
ois; Gen. Gordon of Georgia; Gen. Wheel
/ er, of Alabama; Senator Bate, of Tennes-
| see; ex-senator Walthall of Mississippi;
Howard retired) of the regular army.
The Chickamauga and Chattanooga
/ park embraces the entire battlefield of
| Chickamauga and approaches The area
within the legal limits of the park is about
\ fifteen square miles. The approaches in
the vicinity of Chickamauga are mainly
the roads over which the armies reached
and left the field. Those about Chattanoo-
ga lie mainly along the lines of battle.
Those over Lookout cross Hookers battle
field and lie near Walthalrs, while the
great road along Missionary Ridge follows
Braggs line of battle in front of Gen.
Thomas army of the Cumberland and
Gen. Shermans army of the Tennessee.
Nearly all these approaches, well as
the roads within the park, have been re-
built by the government in the most
solid manner. Two of the number the
crest and state road, are constructed on
hfty-foot right of way. The scenery
alone over a part of this magnificent
boulevard is such as will give the drive
a national reputation. When to these re-
markable charms of valley, city, river
and bold mountain, a comprehensive and
distinct view of the battlefelds of Look
out Mountain, Orchard Knob and MIS-
sionary Ridge is added, this drive becomes
one that is without a parallel.
The government has acquired the site
of Bragg's headquarters on Missionary
Ridge and about three acres surrounding
it. Among other purchases which ii has
made in that vicinity is that of Orchard
Knob. This was the headquarters Of
Grant, Thomas and Granger during the
battle of Missionary Ridge. 1t is an so-
lated knoll about six acres in extent. The
confederate works and those erected after
the union forces captured it are still well
defined, and the general appearance of
the knoll remains unchanged.
The old roads which We're those of the
battle have been re-opened and improved;
while roads opened since the battle have
been closed and abandoned. The only
natural feature existing at the time OF
the fight which has been changed, is the
undcrbrGsh, which it has been found nee
essary to cut out in order to bring the
lines of battle into view, and to clear the
field. AS a result of this work, carriages
can now drive in all directions through
the forests and along the various lines of
battle.
The first steps in the development of the
national military park embraced only the
battlefield Of Chickamauga. This part
of the project had its origin in a visit to
the field, seven years ago, of Gen. Fred
Nandervesr, a noted officer of the Army of
the Cumberland, and Gen. H. V. Boynton
at that time the Washington correspon-
dent Of the Cincinnati Commercial Ga
zette, who commanded the Thirty-ffth
Ohio regiment at the battle of Chicka-
mauga. In a series of letters to the Com
mercial Gazette describing the conditions
of the field and reviewing the campaign
and the battle. the park scheme was thus
suggested:
1.-The survivors of the Army of the Cum
berland should awake to great pride n
this notable field of Chickamauga Why
should it not, as well as other fields, be
marked by monuments and its lines be ac-
curately preserved for history? There
was no more magnificent fighting than
both armies did there. Both sides might
well unite in preserving the field where
both, in military sense, won such re-
noWn."
1t will thus be seen that from the first
the plan differed essentially from that OF
Gettysburg, where, up to that time, only
the union lines had been marked The
suggestion was received with such favor
in the north that at the next annual
meeting Of the Society of the Army OF
the Cumberland held at Chicago a few
weeks later, a committee of five was ap-
pointed to take the necessary steps to in
augurate a movement for tine purchase Of
the ground on which that battle was
fought. Gen. Rosecrans, president Of the
society, appointed as members of this
committee, Gen. Henry NJ. Cist, Gen.