Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-09-20
BLUE AND GRAY.
Chickamauga's Bloody Field
Dedicated as a National Park.
One OF the Grandest Public Under
takings Of Modern Times.

The largest battle Of modern times The
greatest muster of old soldiers since the
civil war. These we're the double hOnors OF
ChickamaUga's bloody field on Sept. l9 and
20. when the Chattanooga and Chickamauga
battlefield was dedicated as national mill
tary park. Congress enacted last December
that the dedication should be a national af-
fair and notable and mem Jrable in many
WAYS.
About 400, 900 were there. President Cleve-
land and all his cabinet were invited to be-
present and participate, together with the
justices of the supreme court. Committees
Of Congress, both house and Senate, the lieu
tenant-general Of the army and large body
of regular troops the ranking admiral of the
navy, the governors of nineteen states with
their stats and detachments Of local militia,
and the survivors Of the several armies. union
and confederate that were engaged in the
Chickamauga and Chattanooga campaigns,
80 years ago, were in attendance.
The states represented by their governors
in person were Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, Vermont, New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Michigan. Wisconsin Minnesota,
Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Ken
lucky, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia
and Louisiana. Fully 10 per cent. OF the vet
erans Of the G. A. R., which has been in ses-
sion in Louisville, found their way to the
dedication, and an equal proportion OF the
sons of Veterans will come hither after their
battlefield encampment at Knoxville.
The yearly meeting OF the army the Cum
Deriand was called TO assemble at Chicka-
mauga on the anniversary of the battle, and
the army OF the Tennessee met in Cincinnati
and went in a body to the dedication.
On Sept. ~ there was a grand parade Of
veterans, north and south, dedication of the
Chickamauga section of the park and exer-
cises at Suodgrass mill, opened by Sec. La
mont. The orators were Gen. John NJ.
Palmer OF Illinois (uniOn) and Gen. John B.
Gordon Of Georgia confederate At eight
o'clock in the evening, at Chattanooga, the
exercises were conducted by the society of
the Army of the Tennessee (union) and the
Army Of the Tennessee (cOnfederate). Gen.
Granville NJ Dodge presided, The orators
were Gen 0. O. Howard tuniOn) and Gen.
Joseph Wheeler of Alabama lconfederate).
On Sept 20 the dedicatOry exercises of the
Chattanooga section of the park began at
noon at Chattanooga. The orators were
Gen. Charles II. Grosvenor of Ohio (union)
and Gen. VIM. II. Bate of Tennessee (con-
federatel At p. IN. at Chattanooga, exer-
cises were conducted by veterans of the
army Of the Potomac (union) and the army
of Northern Virginia tcOnfederate) Gen.
Edward c. Walthal Of Mississippi (confed-
erate) presiding. The orators were Gen. Or
landO Smith and Gov. William c. Oates of
Alabama.
Gen. W. S ROsecrans who commanded the
uniOn'fOrces at Chickamauga,ls in California,
too i'll and feeble to bear the journey to Chat
tanooga. Gen. James b. Longs treet, who
commanded the confederate left wing at
Chickamauga and Gen. A. P. Stewart, one of
his brigade commanders, were present and
took part in the celebration.
On Sept is, the day before the beginning
of the official ceremonies, the Ohio monu-
ments in the park. 81 in number, were dedl-
/
ment. Other states besides Ohio, including
Michigan Indiana and Missouri, also trans
ferred their monuments to the government.
The Chickamauga and K Chattanooga national
military park is the grandest reservation of
its kind in the world. The United States
government has spent on it $50, 600 since its
establishment was authorized in 1890, and
various state governments about $500. 600
more making total Of SIPS, 900. The
plan was to restore the old lines of the
Chickamauga and Chattanooga campaigns
Sent. 1920 and Nov 24-25, 1868.
The details of the six battles - the
Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge Lookout
Mountain, Orchard Knob, Wauhatchie and
Browns Ferry--are set forth upon historical
tablets within the park These tablets. num-
bering about 1000 in all, are castiron plates,
four feet by three feet, with embossed letters.
Each plate contains from POO to 400 words
of historical text. and are fastened to an iron
post set in concrete. They mark the posi-
tiOns OF army headquarters, corps divisions
and brigades, both union and confederate,
and the parts taken by each organization are
cOncisely stated.
1t has been left to the states having had
troops in the battles to erect monuments to
regiments and batteries. and to the military
societies and the larger organizations, such
as corps. divisions and brigades, to erect
their own monuments Nine handsome
oil q, 49,
United States regulars, have been set up by
the government at cost of Sl,500 each.
Eight pyramidal monuments. each ten feet
high, constructed of eiGht-inch shells, have
been erected to mark the spots where brigade
commanders on each side were killed
Each battery engaged is marked in its
most important fighting position by guns and
carriages OF the patterns used in the battle
There are 65 Of these positions for each army
on the Chickamauga field alone. Five OBJ
servation towers of iron and steel 70 feet
high, have been built, two on Missionary
ridge and three on Chickamauga field.
OF the 10 square miles constituting the
area of the park, something over 5000 acres
are forest, and about 900 acres open farms.
A central driveway, connecting the Chicka-
mauga and Chattanooga ends of the park,
and passing through and overlooking all the
heavy lighting ground, has been built, 20
miles long
Among the interesting sights around Chat
tanooga that stirred the veterans blood is
Point rock. On the morning of Nov "a,
/ 1868, the Sth Kentucky regiment scaled the
/ b utT and planted the union flag on this rock.
| Previous to this it had been occupied by the
! coniederates as signal point. Tn is the
| only point in America whore you can see
seven states; they are Georgia, Alabama
Tennessee Kentucky, Virginia, North Caro-
/ lima and South Carolina George Bancroft,
| the eminent historian, at the age of 81, stand
ing on Point Lookout, said of it "In all my
travels have never seen any scenes to ex
ceed its sublime grandeur
! The river form, the Indiln Mocassin in its
windings about the city, and is 1,70O feet
| wide directly beneath the rock. The views
from Lookout are not surpassed anywhere in
! the world. Chattanooga smiles back from
the plain below, and the beautiful Tennessee
river twines around her giittering arms of
silver. Lookout reaches Il height of $500
| feet above sea level.