The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-30
WHERE HEROES FELL
The Government at Washington Will
Keep Their Memories Green.
GREAT MILITARY PARKS
How the Battleflelds of Chicka-
manga, Gettysburg and Shiloh
VIII Look to the Com
ing Generations.
Washington Corr. Chicago Times-Herald.

| notable step toward public instruction
in patriotism by creating three elab-
crate national military parks on the
| three greatest battlefields of the civil
war-Chickamauga, Gettysburg and
Shiloh 1t is intended that they shall
serve as permanent object lessons of
American courage and valor, and each
of them will be constructed on a scale
of magnificence not to be seen else
where in the whole world. The Chick
amauga park, which was begun in
1890 as an initial experiment. is now
nearly finished, and the Gettysburg
and Shiloh parks, authorized at the
late session of congress. will be COM
menced at once and pushed rapidly.
None of these parks will be merely
ornamental pleasure grounds. The
| prime idea is to restore these historic
fields to substantially the condition
| they were in at the times of the bat
| ties, and, in harmony with that idea,
| the parks to be created on their sites
| will be devoted strictly to the illustra-
| ton of the supreme struggles which
| rendered them famous, for the benefit
| of future generations rather than of
\ surviving participants. In these parks
| every incident of the battles will be
treated from the impartial standpoint
! of history, without sectional animosity
!
monuments rigid justice will be shown
alike to the vanquished and victors.
Chickamauga and Shiloh were the
| most memorable contests of the war
/ I'M the west, and Gettysburg was the
| most momentous conflict in the east,
and in all three the most distin-
! guished generals, union and confeder-
! ate, commanded, and troops from typ
| zeal sections fought, so that by secur-
ing and preserving those fields intact
as representative examples of the
| greatest battles of the rebellion the
government will be able to perpetuate
| their history i'm a concrete physical
! form for all time to come.
| Each of those three battles, however.
was In a measure representative OF
| the whole country. Twenty-nine of the
| 30 states east of the Rocky mountains,
! which comprised the Union at the out
| break of the war, had troops in the
| Chickamauga and Chattanooga cam
| paigns, and five of those states-Ken-
lucky, Tennessee, Missouri. West Nir-
| ginia and Maryland-had troops on
| both sides. Nearly every northern
| state. and likewise nearly every south
| ern. was engaged at Gettysburg. and
| at Shiloh were troops from 20 different
states, north and south. The battle Of
Chickamauga Sept 10 and 20. 1863. in
which 80 Illinois regiments were en-
gagged. and eight Michigan. is regard
ed my military experts as the best
| demonstration of the pluck, endur-
| ance, prowess and strategy of the
| American soldier ever given. Meas
| ured by percentages of losses and the
duration of the fighting. it was the
| deadliest battle of modern times. Its
sequel and companion piece. Chattanoo-
! ga (Nov. "a and 25. 1869, i'm which s.
Illinois and six Michigan regiments
| participated. is considered the grand
| est spectacular engagement. So Get
| 1 nd
| pOnding with Chickamauga for east
ern operations. and SURPRISING it in
| WORLDWIDE renoWn, registered the
high-water mark of American cour-
age and achievement in arms, and
| stands to-day as the pre-eminent bat
| tlefleld of the western continent. As
to Shiloh, it furnishes an admirable
| example of the peculiar characters
| tics of the American soldier. and his
| adaptability in sudden and unexpect-
| ed emergencies. and constitutes fit
ting third in the trio of our greatest
battlefields.
| The Chickamauga Park is to be dedi-
/ Gated with most imposing ceremonies
| or Sept. 10 and 20 next, under the di-
| rection of the secretary of war with
| the president and cabinet participant
| ing, together with committees of con-
! gress. both house and senate. the su-
| preme court. the general of the army
| and the admiral of the navy, the gov
| ernors of the forty-four states and the
survivors of the several armies. union
| and confederate, engaged at Chicka-
| manga and Chattanooga thirty-two
years ago. The dedication will be a
| red letter event of the year
| When completed the park will be
the most comprehensive and extended
| military object lesson i'm the world 1t
| contains 1900 acres, and the central
| driveway, passing through and over
| looking all the heavy fighting erronpA
| is 20 miles long. The old roads of the
battle have been reopened and new
| roads closed. over 40 miles of the
| main roads Of the field have been re-
built i'm substantial manner. The de-
| tails Of the six battles-Chichama
Missionary Ridge. Lookout Mountain
Orchard Knob, Wauhatchie and
| Browns Ferry-are being set forth
upon historical tablets within the park
These tablets, numbering about . 900
in all. are cast iron plates, four feet
| by three feet, with embossed letters
] After casting. the plates were glazed
| black, and the embossed letters whit
| ened, making the inscriptions distinct
at a distance. Each plate will contain
from 200 to 400 words Of historical text.
and Will be fastened to an iron post
| set in concrete. They mark the Dosi-
lions of army headquarters, corps. di-
visions and brigades, both union and
confederate. and the parts taken by
each organization are concisely stated
Ii Is left to the states having troops
I'm the battles to erect monuments To
regiments and batteries. and To the
military societies and the larger or
ganizations, such as corps divisions
and brigades, to erect their own monu-
ments. Nine handsome granite monu-
ments. all different. to the United
States regulars. have been set by the
government, at a cost Of 1900 each
Eight pyramidal monuments, each 10
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 to he marked in it's most
important fighting position by guns
and carriages Of the pattern used in
the battle.
There are So Of these positions for each
army on the Chickamauga field alone.
Five observation towers Of iron and
steel 30 feet high, have been built two
on Missionary Ridge and three on
d