The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-08-15
THE CHICKAMAuGA BATTLEFIELD.
Preparation for Commemorative the
Events of Thirty-two Years Ago.

Washington, Aug 14-The coming
dedication of the new military park on
the battle grounds of Chickamauga and
Chattanooga will Undoubtedly prove a
great affair, to be enjoyed by the sur
vivors of both the armies that took part
in the famous engagements there 1t was
happy idea to found on that spot a
national park which would be to the
West what Gettysburg is to the East.
These two are not the only battlefields
marked for preservation to a greater or
less extent, since Shiloh and Antietam
have also come more or less under con-
sideration. But Gettysburg and Chicka-
manga are already studded with monu-
ments and tablets, and already present
their story to the visitor.
The last report of Secretary Lamont
noted that the Chickamauga and Chat
tanooga Park at. that time comprised
1881 acres, that about 1000 more were to
be purchased, and that still more would
have been added had not the prices asked
been exorbitant. Forty -one miles of
roads had been completed, and twenty
three State commissions, besides COM
mittee from the Society of the Army of
the Tennessee, had been cooperating
with the Government commissioners in
establishing the lines OF battle. The
fifty live monuments of Ohio had then
already been completed, as well as the
monuments of Massachusetts, and Mi nne :
sofa.
Since that time the work of preparing
these memorials has been pushed ahead,
under the stimulus of the approaching
dedication ceremonies, for which the
government has provided. The govern
ment has set up something like 1900 cast
iron tablets, each four feet by three, with
inscriptions on white letters embossed on
the black background, setting forth the
positions of the forces. 1t is noticeable
that the Union and Confederate troops
are treated alike in this historical work,
the tablets indicating the headquarters
and positions of the armies, the corps, the
divisions, and the Drigades, with the
changes during the conflicts for both the
Union and the Confederate side. The
inscriptions also indicate briefly what
was accomplished. About seventy guns,
mounted on carriages of the sort used in
the actual battle, Indicate the principal
positions occupied by batteries at Chick
amauga. To denote where brigade COM
manders, both Union and Confederate,
were killed in that battle, eight pyramids
Of heavy shells, ten feet high, have been
erected For the regular troops nine
granite monuments have been set up.
1t will be seen that with such provision
by the government, and tho added monu-
ments Of States and military societies,
the number of memorial objects will be
very great. To add to the instructive
ness of the scene the old roads, as they
existed thirty years ago, have been re-
stored wherever they were aband oned,
and new ones dating since the battles
have been closed up. The main drive
will allow the visitor to ride twenty miles
from field to field, seeing most of the
scenes of combat; but for further knowl-
edge three metallic observation towers,
each 70 feet high, have been erected on
the Chickamauga battlefield, and two on
Missionary Ridge, commanding the
whole situation.
While Chickamauga and Missionary
Ridge are the great engagements thus set
forth, the battles at Lookout Mountain,
Orchard Knob, Browns Ferry and
Wauhatchie have received proper atten-
ton, so as to complete the story. Chick
amauga was one of the very deadly bat