The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-09-10
THE oH1oKAMAUeA BATTLEFIELD.
THE GREAT CHANGE ON THIS
FAMOUS FIELD.
A National Park Where the Hosts
Contended In Grim Array

tle grounds OF Chickamauga, and tn
National Military Park to be dedicate
Sept. 10th and 20th, in the presence Z
the President of the United States
Congressman and Senators aud all tn
Governors of the various States VIII
will find 1t convenient to be there
promises to be one of the great event
of the year, in which all the naSio
will be Interested.
Three years ago bill was passed b.
Congress appropriating large sums Q
money for establishing q National Mil
itary Park on this historic spot. 4
commission was appointed consistin,
Gems. j. S. Fullerton, Federal; Gen. A
p. Stewart, Confederate and Majo
Frank G. Smith, of the United State
regular army, andAto their care wa
entrusted the task of establishing sucl
memorials upon Chickamauga battle
field as might serve national military
object lesson illustrative OF American
patriotism, American pride, and Amer
lean valor.
During the three years that have
elapsed, the work of beautifying this
celebrated spot has steadily pro
gressed, and now the commissioners
announce ready for the opening OF the
park and invite the dignataries Of the
land and all veterans of the civil war
who wore both blue and grey, to join
in the celebration of the anniversary
of this historic battle, at the dedica'
tion this year.
More than 5000 acres of ground,
where the battle was fought, have
been purchased by the government,
hundreds of beautiful monuments
erected at heavy expense, observation
| towers have been constructed on every
hiotN Ns,io h oil ,f.v Df f,,p
| pike road have been graded through
the ground, and paved with crush
limestone, and the national flag now
waves from lofty pinnacle, over a
scene of beauty and rare charm.
The understanding has been colossal,
and executed upon no trifing plan.
At a cost of more than three-quarters
of million dollars the government
has wrought many changes upon this
historic field, every inch of which has
crumpled beneath the tramp of clash
ing armies and heroes of one of the
fiercest battles of the late conflict be-
tween the States. In addition to the
amounts appropriated from time to
three States have added, through
their Legislatures. large sums of
money donated for the purpose of
building monuments on the particular
spot which mark the deeds of bravery
of their respective troops in the en-
gagement.
The State of Ohio, which contribut-
ed more soldiers than any other State
in the Union to tho fight at Chicka-
mauga, appropriated 100000, and ap-
pointed q commission to make expen-
diture of money in the direction
named; the State of Illinois appropri-
ated nearly $4,000; Minnesota has
erected many expensive monuments
New York has q splendid representa-
tion; Missouri has expended $4,000,
diana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylva-
mia, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Wis
consin, Georgia, Florida, South and
North Carolina have appointed COM
missions to cooperate with the Nation
al Commission in the work of clearing
up all disputed points OF history.
Some of the monuments that have
been built by the States are expensive
and elaborate, the work being chiefly
of marble and bronze. The govern
ment has built eight pyramidal monu-
ments, which are located upon the
spots where fell the eight commanders
of the brigrade in this fierce and fu-
riOus battle-storm ; four of these briga-
der generals fell on the Union side
and four on the Confederate side.
There Is q world of interest in the
the traveller, driving through the
park, the monuments confront the eye
here and there throughout the great
area of wild woods, in conspicuous re-
lief Upon each of these monuments
is inscribed bit of history of the bat
tie, telling what happened upon that
peculiar spot during the three terrible
days of frightful onslaught of the two
armies.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BATTLE.
The battle OF Chickamauga, result
ing In the death Of $4,000 soldiers, as
brave as ever rushed into battle front
where the stitling smell Of smoke and
carnage came hottest has gone to his
tory as the American Waterloo.
The United States government could
not have selected a more appropriate
field for the building of a military
object lesson to exemplify the bravery
and heroism of American patriots
| than these battle grounds, and
| future generations will learn there for
years to come the measure and stand
ard OF American valOr and gallantry.
| 1t was on the 18th of September,
1863, that the first hombshell at Chick
amauga burst over Reeds bridge and
scattered CONSERVATION among the
armies that had encamped on two op.
posite hillsides close at hand. The
| Union army had sent a detachment OF
cavalrymen down to the bridge to re-.
connoiter. They had been instructed
to cross the bridge, ascertain the
whereabouts of the enemy's lines and
tear up the planks on the bridge in or.
der that the Confederates might moi
use 1t in crossing Chickamauga creek
The cavalrymen had just finished
loosening the planks on the bridge
when a bOTb exploded over their
heads and they were sent off galloping
down the creek to find another crossing
place, the she'll displacing several o
the planks they had on Reeds bridge
There was great deal of skirmish
ing Immediately after the first sho
from the Confederate batteries which
had been concealed near the bridge II
the thick underground that coveret
the whole face of that region of coun
try. But the battle of Chickamaug,
proper did not begin in dead earnes
until the next day when General Brag,
, In charge of the Confederates force
, clashed with the Union troops unde
command Of General Rosecrans an
precipitated what was promised in tn
> very outset to be one of the deadlies
battles OF the Civil War. The Unio