The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-06-16
The Sunny South.
To the Editor OF The Republican.
CHATTANOOGA. TENN. limo

tlon OF my trip here. left Washing
ton city June LIST at 1915 p. m, arrived
at Roanoke 7.20a. IN. June end. where
we had time for breakfast. A more
fertile valley | have never seen this
side of California. From this on |
had expected to find pine swamps and
sand hills, but l was agreeably sur
prlsed; not single pine swamp be-
tween Roanoke and Bristol, but large
line wheat fields and pastures of blue
grass and fine cattle.
The valley lands sell at about fiftv
dollars per acre; the wheat is up to
It's full height. We arrived at Bristol
100 p. m. and left 1910 p. M, so you
see we left forty-five minutes before
we arrived, and yet we had time
enough to eat dinner. The above
may seem strange, nevertheless it is
true. At this place wine was set be-
fore everyone. We had on our train
about seventy-five school girls from
Roanoke, and l noticed most of them
drank the wine. Part of Bristol is in
Virginia and part in Tennessee. At
this place special coach was put in
between the baggage car and the
smoker, and every colored person had
to get out of the other cars and go in
the one set apart for their special
benefit. The large cities in Tennes-
see have waiting room with a sign,
"Colored Waiting Room" This all
seems right to the people here, but to
us from the north it seems very
strange. We arrived at Knoxville at
3.55 p. m, and at Chattanooga at 7.2O
p. m. This city has population of
about 10000, and is within four or
five miles of the Georgia line. | make
this my headquarters, but 60 to Camp
Chickamauga every morning at $50
and return at 7.30 p. m.
Before l describe the camp want
to go back to Washington for a little
while. Saturday, May 2Sth, | was
sent by our department to go with
the Presidents party to Camp Alger.
l stood at the right hand corner of the
Presidents stand while 1000 soldiers
passed by for inspection. | felt as
had never felt before that war with
Spain was reality. Some people say
it is sign of weakness for a man to
weep. Well, if it is | may as well
admit that | am weak. As | stood
there it seemed to me | could hear the
call for noble men to come to the
front and defend our grand country
and its flag, with their life's blood. if
necessary. felt that the people now
passing by heard the call and are
answering saying, Here am |, send
me, and as | looked upon the boys
and especially those with the bloom
of youth upon their faces, a feeling of
sadness came upon me, which the fine
music that under ordinary circum-
stances would have cheered nv heart,
could not remove. After the inspec-
ton the President, with Mrs. McKin-
ley in his carriage, led the way around
through all the camps. The bows
would cheer and all seemed in good
spirits. In their open tents you could
see home made quilts and many little
useful articles. All this would say to
us louder than words could have told
that these boys had left homes where
loving hearts are watching and pray
ing for them.
Chickamauga Park is six miles wide
and fourteen miles long Here can
be seen many marks of the bullets of
the three days battle fought in Sep
TENDER, 1868. 1t was here that both
sides were whipped and about 80 900
of our noble boys, some in gray and
some in blue, were killed, wounded
and missing. To day we find
about $4,000 soldiers encamped here
not brother against brother, north
against south, but as one united peo-
pie, marching under one flag against
the foreign enemy.
For fear that | will take up too
much of your space and become tire
some to your readers, I will close.
Before closing l must tell about per-
sons meet. After | had my supper
Thursday evening | started out to
take in the town. On the first corner
from the hotel the Salvation Army
were preaching. On the third corner
man bare foot stood upon an orange
box preaching; so | concluded Chat
tanooga had plenty of preachers. |
continued my way and found one of
our boys, j. Lee McComas. Lee has
a nice position with the express com
pany. Still greater surprise awaited
me. When | went to church last
evening Rev. Arbuthnot walked in
and preached to US. This was a big
surprise, as had no knowledge that
he had gone into the army. This
morning | took first train to Park
Chickamauga, and after transacting
my business with Gen. Brook, look
ed up the LIST West Virginia regiment
and had the Measure of eatinp dinnar