The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-20


cuCcs ana adventures since leaving home.
We arrived at Philadelphia in good shape
but we seDaratcd at the Broad street
station. Several Cf WINS comrades were
Iuen who were unaccustOmvd to travelling
ana he wanted to give them all his attcn-
ton, and they were like boys going to the
circus or out for a holiday. Everything
was an enjoyment ana Il pleasure to
them and the anticipation of the visit
60 their old battlctclds was too good ana
too great to be altogether taken in at
once. | think the state of Pennsylvania
has done one of the incest things in its
history in making it possible for those
grand old veterans to revisit the SCENES
of their perils and hardships, their vic
tories and defeats of thirty-foCr years
ago. In the battles of Wauhatchic. Lock
out Mountain, Missionary Ridge and
Chickamauga they have covered the old
state they represented with impCrishable
relfown and 1t was a very graceful thing
that they have been sent down hero at
the expense of the state in their old age
to look over the ground where they shed
their blood.
WORST REBEL PRISON.
Our first stop Of any account at
tor leaving ~ iladolphia was at Sal
isbury, North Carolina, where We took
breakfast tho following morning. This
was where the worst prison, perhaps, in
the COnfCdcraCy was located. There are
l2,OOD graves here, Of which only about
400 are recorded. We had u very short
time here aftc- breakfast, but long enough
To go into the prison enclosure, or rather
the cemetery enclosure. as part only of
the old prison is included in the ceme-
terry. a portion of what was the orig
iEal prison grounds is built up now and
no traces of the prison are left. Our next
stop was at Ashevillc, y. &. In get ing
to this place we are obliged to climb
mountains that throw the .Alleghonies on
the Pennsylvania railroad into the shade.
In one place the road curves in and out a
distance of six miles to gain and oleva-
ton of only Il quarter of mile and all
along it the scenery is grand beyond de-
scrption. We stopped at the Battery
Park hotel. which is noted for its boauti-
ful situation and good living. Arrange
ments had been made for a visit to the
grounds of George Vanderbilt, esq, be-
fore leaving Philadelphia, and so as soon
as We had dinner carriages were i'm wait
ing and we took a drive through the
grounds of this modern kingdom of
ZCnda.
1t is called Biltmore and the cs-
tate comprises 10000 acres. There are
eighteen miles Of the most beautiful
drives you ever heard of and the building
itself and the grounds Immediately sur
rounding it remind you of some of the
palaces of the mOnarchs Of Europe or
Asia as we have seen pictures or read
descriptions of them. No newspaper re-
pOTters are allowed within the enClos-
urc at all and we could not ourselves, al
though the governor of Pennsylvania was
ono of the party, get nearer the castle
than about 800 yards. Men arc always
i'm attendance to warn away intruiers.
He has an army of men working on the
place the year Troublesome 500 or more in
number. In the center of all this mag
nihcent domain stands the cabin of an old
darkey who owns an acre of ground and
who it is said has resOlutely refused to
sell at any price, even to Mr.. Vanderbilt.
We left Biltmore, or. rather Asheville. at
II p. m. Friday and got here about $50
yesterday morning.
Up LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.
on our arrival at Chattanooga carriages
were in waiting to take us to the foot of
the incline No. 2, which goes up the side
of Lookout Mountain, cutting through the
palisades at the top and so steep as to
be almost perpendicular. After getting
our breakfast We came down the incline
again and got into carriages at the foot
of it to go out to the battlefield of Chick
amauga 1t was eleven miles to the first
point over splendid roads but rather
dusty. The first monument to be dedi-
Gated was that of the Sevonty-ninth
Pennsylvania. This monument was sur
mounted by a group Of bronze figures rep
resenting the saving of the colOrs and it
was located on tn" exact ground where
the incident occurred. 1t represented a
color bearer shot through the heart fall
ing on his knees. his left hand graspiug
his breast where the fatal shot had struck
II.
in his stiffening death grip. Another sol
dier holding his gun in his right hand has
reached out and grasped the hagstaff
above the hand of the dying soldier and
thus saves the cOlOrs from touching the
ground. The name Of the hero of tho in
Cident was NOndeISmith, of Lancaster,
Pa, and what added to the interest of
the occasion was that he was there HIM
self on the ground. The ceremonies were
very impressive and affecting. The old
| soldiers standing arOUnd the monument
could not keep the tears back but they
would roll down their cheeks and that
caused almost every one else TO follow
their example.
We next dedicated the Seventh Penn
sylvania cavalry manument. the 20 was
not any such affecting scenes here as at
the other and we did not have to stay
very long. 1t is said of the Seventh that
it was. all things considered, the best
cavalry regiment that went out of Penn
syvania during the war; but for this |
cannot vouch. We next went to tile Sew
enty-seVenth Pennsylvania volunteers.
The bronze tablet inserted in this monu-
ment illustrated very dramatic event i'm
the history of this regiment i'm this battle.
1t was a night scene. The rebels had
come on TO them and nearly cut them off
| from the rest of their line in the dark,
| they supposing them TO be some of their
| own men coming into position to MI a gap
on their right. The Incident portrayed
on the tablet was when discovering their
mistake they opened fire ON the rebs
more than ten times their IL mber and not
25 yards from them and the death of
General Preston Smith, the rebel COM
mander.
ANDERSON GUARD MONUMENT.
We next attended the unNcling of the
monument of the 18th Pennsylvania Cav
airy. the Anderson Guard. This regiment
was the body guard Of General Rosecrins
and was present on the field wherever he
went and did great service on the two
| days of battle. On going around to these
| different monuments we passed many
| beautiful Monuments belonging to. the
troops of other states and some that we
| had dedicated two years ago. We got
| back to the inn about g O'Clock ana then
| had 10 get ready to attend a reception
to the governor down in the auditorium.
| We managed to get there about $50 D.
m. and found the place crowded. Speeches
were made by the maVOr and M her His