The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-01-05

Four G rsas Bettieiis ,is Preserved 90 Fu.
fura Ganerneanua

Four Great Bettlefls lis Preserved TO Fu-
ture Generations.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.--Among the
inst bills passed by the house at the
present session was one making an ap-
preparation of S75. 900 for establishing
q national military park at Shiloh. and
another appropriating $20. 900 for the
dedication. next September, OF the
park already founded ON the battle.
fields OF Chickamauga and Chatta-
n0ogn.
The promptness with which these
measures were acted upon is significant.
-Four of the most famous fields of the
civil war are now to be preserved for
the wonder and study of future gener-
ut ions, and that, too, with the hearty
cooperation and by the mutual desires
OF victors and vanquished ON the fields.
aestysbarg.
The frat field to be set apart was
naturally Gettysburg, the place of the
most tremendous battle ever fought on
this Continent. A. statement in Secre-
tary Lannon'S report Of last year
showed that, besides the large sums ex-
pended on this field by the memorial
association and other bodies and by I'M
dividnals, no less than $s63, ,Ol8 had mp
10 that time been contributed by states
whose soldiers took part i'm the battle.
Tracts of land have been bought, roads
Laid ont and monuments and tablets
srecten.
Ghiolsamauga and Chattanooga.
The Chickamauga and Chattanooga
park ID 70 the West what Gettysburg is
to the East. OF the 5,52l acres COM
prised In the Chickamauga and Chatta-
nooga paxk, 2, 100 have been cleared Of
undarbrush to facilitate the work of the
states in locating the positions of their
troops, and 800 remain to be cleared.
Roads aggregating Al miles have been
completed. A committee from the So
cietysof the Army OF the Tennessee and
% state commissions have been CO.
operating with the park commission in
establishing the line Of battle. 80
I.anas Held Too High.
Some OF the lands ON Missionary
Ridge and Lookout Mountain desired
for tho pafk have been held at such ex-
orbitant prices that the commission
recommends the abandonment Of
efforts to purchase them; but the fur
ther purchase of about 1000 acres at
Chickamaugua is contemplated. The
monuments of Massachusetts and Min
nesota and the 55 of Ohio have been
completed as have also the nine monu-
ments to the regulars, while pyramids
&c shells mark where general officers
fell yarions tablets for army head.
qnartAss and to mark corps, Division
and brigade movements are up. and X
or more guns viii denote the position
of batteries by the end of the year
Thus far the sum Of 1851, I'll has beer
appropriated for this park alone.
Antietam.
Antietam is the third great battle
field preserved by the action of con
gress for determining and marking the
lines of battle. Here, however, the tasl
undertaken is different. The battle
was fought ON farms, and it is believed
that by leaving the land in private
hands, so that it may be used for farm
ing, the best method will be taken fol
keeping it as it appeared to the com
batants in September, 1852. However,
it is the purpose of the war department
TO acquire certain lanes and roads along
which the most severe fighting oc.
Cured, providing the land can be
bought at a reasonable rate and not
otherwise. Then tablets and markers
ON such roads will be set up.
Shiloh.
AT Shiloh, q national military park
is contemplated by the bill which the
house has passed. Options on the land
have been secured at an average price
of $l2 an acre, whereas the Chicka.
mauga park had cost an average OF $2s
per acre. A commission will be se-
lected from what were once known as
the armies of the Tennessee, the Ohio,
and the Mississippi.
Thus two great battlefields at the
East and two at the West will be ap.
propriately marked for preservation,
assuming that the Shiloh bill is to be-
come law. They will form aremark.
able series of memorials for future gen.