The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-09-12

tage, not being accustomed to the
mountainous country about, but they
were waging furious fight all the
morning Of the 18th of September and
would have certainly whipped the bat
tie, but for the timely arrival of Cen
eral Longstreet from the Virginia
campaign with his legions of tigers.
Longstreet landed his men from the
train on the Western and Atlantic
Railroad on the 18th at a little station
called RiDggold. They had not been
on the battlefield half an hour before
they found themselves right in the
thickest of the fight. They entered
the engagement with that determine
tion which marked Longstreet's SOL
diers during the entire war and did not
cease fighting when night came.
The next day was Sunday, tho 18th
OF Soptember, and the two armies were
In horce engagement all day. 1t was
late in the afternoon of that day that
Longstreets men broke tho Federal
line near the old Brotherton House.
The exact spot is at the corner Of o
vast field and u neck Of woods, and Is
marked today by four handsome his.
tOrical tablets OF iron which the Ma
tional Military Park Commissioners
have had placed to mark this impor
tant incident in the battle.
Even after LOngstreet had thus
broken the backbone Of the battle,
General Thomas, of the Union army,
held his ground on SnOdgrass Hill with
obstinacy and bravery seldom e9ualled
in a battle between such desperate
men. He was finally ordered by Con
eral ROsecrans to retreat and did SO
with seeming reluctance. If he had
not held out 50 manfully as he did, no.
body can tell but that the Confeder-
ates would have followed up the army
of Rosecrans and swept them far back
into the mountains OF Northern Ten
nessee before General Grant and Cen
eral Sherman could have arrived on
the scene to get in their deadly work
which followed subsequently when
" the battle among the Clouds" and
the battle OF Missionary Ridge were
fought.
ABOUT THE DEDICATION.
There will probably he more old SOL
diers from both sides gathered at tho
dedication Of the National Military
Park at { Chickamauga than have ever
assembled since the war.
The celebration of the event will Oc-
cur on the 18th and Goth of September,
and the city of Chattanooga ID making
every preparation to entertain the
diiHlcS III Dlue una gray lnOSG royalty.
The President of the United States will
deliver an address and formally dedi-
cate the park. Both houses of Con-
gress have been invited to fttend, and
all the Governors of the States that
form the Union.
The annual encampment of the
Grand Army Of the Republic will be
held in Louisville, KY, the week prior
to the dedication, and it will be con,
venient for thousands of tn" veterans
| from the North to run ~ Chatta
nOoga, and W.T. -. uo"h t'Mest de
! monst.o.' :. ivnesss the gram iwo arm
! ~.U,atlon eyer had by the tand Lee
les that fought under Grant rousin,
1t will, in point of fact, be q No Souti
reunion between the men Of tlhuch tC
and the MOI tn and will do L an
ward obliterating secti0nalism H.
binding the men Of America in the
spirit Of brotherhood which should
predominate all else. There is vast
deal of interest manifested in the un-
dertaking through the South aud the
West and the North in common, and
the celebration gives full promise of
proving the climax to the recent sea-
son of liberality and loyalty between
all sections Of the Republic.