The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1895-10-04
CHICKAMAUGA.
A MICHIGAN EDITORS NOTES
ON THE NATIONAL PARK.
An Interesting sketch of tho Scenes and
Memories OF thut Historic Battlefield.
lockout Mt. rom. Sent. %, 'o5.

NAV be timely TO Introduce the writer
briefly. Our party consists of three in
search of health for one of the num-
Der. The writer is newspaper man,
and the observations which may be
made will be made through the eyes
of newspaper man.
The past week at this city has wit
messed the gathering of the hosts from
north, south, east and west, the occa-
sion being the dedication of the battle
fields of Chickamauga and Missionary
Ridge, being the thirty second ami
versary of the former. So much has
been written and wired to the press of
the country that any attempt at re-
sumo of the events of the three days,
the 18th, 10Th and 10Th, in detail
would at this time be late and super
tluOus.
The battle of Chickamauga was
fought at point ranging from ten to
fifteen miles from Chattanooga on the
18th and 10th Of September, 1862. The
battles of Lookout Mountain and Mis-
SiOnary Ridge were fought two months
| later From the extreme north OF
| General Sherman's position on Mis-
sionary Ridge TO the extreme south OF
| the position of General Crittenden, of
the confederate forces, is distance of
about eighteen miles. During the past
, four years the government has had
large forces of men engaged in reStOr-
| ing the historical features of this
stretch of country TO the condition ii
was in at the time of the battles. In
Vulnerable macadamiZed roads have
been constructed over the entire dis
lance, amounting in all TO nearly 200
miles. The locating of different brig
AIDES upon different days has been
accurately determined and tablets re-
citing these facts erected and are 10
be seen on every hand as one drives
along the elegant roadways. These
tablets are constructed of plates of
| iron about one-half inch thick and
ranging in size from 1x2 feet 10 6x6
| feet. The letters are cast in the iron
and then bronzed. The tablets are
| fastened to iron posts and set in the
| rocks. These tablets occur by the
thousand. There has been construct
ed throughout this stretch of country
donated TO the Chickamauga and Mis-
sionary Ridge National Park seven
observation towers, located in COM
handing positions upon the top of the
/
| historical by some special feat OF
valor or by being the position of the
| headquarters of some of the generals
In command. These towers are con-
structed of steel network. each about
- feet square at the base and 80 feet
in height.
| The most prominent features of the
! park, however. arc the magnificent
monuments of marble, granite and
bronze erected by the different states
of the north and south in memory of
the valor Of the boys in blue and gray
who fought over the different posi-
tons in the field. There are several
hundred Of these tributes erected by
the different statS, Ohio coming first
with 30 and Michigan second with 20.
The other states follow with lesser
numbers.
The one point of interest above all
others on Chickamauga's field Is the
site of Gen. Thomas headquarters on
Snodgrass hill. Upon the crest of this
hill is the finest observation tower of
the seven so far constructed. There
nre also here n number of granite,
marble and bronze monuments. A few
rods away down upon the hillside is
the Snodgrass house ut which Gen.
Thomas had his headquarters. This
house was occupied by the widow of
the. owner at the time OF Gen. Thomas
occupation up TO the time of the pur-
chase Of the farm by the government
about n year since. The house is a
typical southern hill farm house. II
consists of one room, Is built of logs,
has neither doors or windows. There
are holes in the walls for the purpose
of admitting light. which are closed
with rough wooden shutters. There
are two holes in the sides, ostensibly
for doorways, each about four and a
half feet In height. A few rough
boards hung upon wooden hinges
serve the place OF door. The roof is
of roughly split shakes, held in place
by logs laid upon the roof, which in
turn are held in place by wooden pins
driven through holes bored In them
and into the rafters. There is a stick
and mud chimney built upon the out
side at one end. The cooking is done
upon fireplace. At present the house
is occupied by one Of the Iaborers en-
gagged in government work. This
house is situated upon the left
side OF the crest of the hill as one
stands facing the east. Farther 10
the left is the Kelley farm, a son.in-
law OF Snodgrass. In front is n large
open field of several hundred acres be-
longing to the Dyer farm and to the
Widow Glenn, alleof historic mention
at the time of the battle. The Widow
Glenn house and that Of Dyer are of
little more pretentious order than
that Of Snodgrass. All of these
houses. as well as all others on the
battle field, are still in the same condi-
ton they were in at the time of the
battle. or are to DO restored TO that
condition. Many an "old vet" will re-
member the large spring i'm the low
ground in the open field below Snod-
grass hill on the Dyer farm. This
spring was the chief source of supply
Of water for the immense throng
which captured the battle field during
the past week. 1t became a little
muddy. but everything in the way of
water went. People were not fastid-
ious when walking under a scorching
Georgia sun with the temperature at
90 in the shade.
The grand stand erected for the ded-