The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-06-02
The National Military Park.

AA0 NoVAouAA m1IlCary S0rK.
Mr.. Rhdnlstine Writes an Mterestiu0
Letter About this Great Military
Centre.
Special Correspondence to the Posr.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn,
May 2l, 1898.
The patriotism Of the people Of
our great United States cannot be
fully appreciated until in times like
at present when our nation is at the
threshold of a great international
strife for the protection of humanity
and the maintenance ofright. Ever
since the l4th day of April, 1898,
the city of Chattanooga has been a
busy place in the preparation Of
mobilization of military forces for
the contendlng battles of the Span
ish-American war. As is we'll said
"history repeats itself" so in the
present case Chattanooga that was
prominently mentioned as military
centre between 1861 and 1865 stands
today at the head as the largest con-
centrating point of military man.
euvering in North America. The
National Park lies nine miles
south of Chattanooga in the state OF
Georgia, and all troops going to
that point which has been selected
by our government as the rendez-
vous for both the regular and vol
unteer armies have been passing
through here, so you can form an
idea as to the Importance and activ-
ity of Chattanooga. The first troops
to arrive consisted of the oath and
25th regiments Of Infantry coming
here in special trains from Utah and
Montana these two regiments were
colorsd, except the officers, which
of course were white men. The
regiments were met at the depot by
a tremendous crowd of people, and
when the trains pulled in the same
Union depot that sheltered the diff
terent armies thirty five years ago,
shout after shout went up for the
defenders of our country. This
was ON the llth day OF April and
from that time Il continuous
stream of soldiers arrived consisting
of infantry, cavalry, light artillery,
ambulance and signal corps until
April 10Th, when on that day tn,
estimated number Of regulars locat.
ed at the military park amounted
to eight thousand men, fifty fv,
hundred horses and mules, and ovel
three hundred vehicles, from the SIX
mule canvas back wagon down t,
the historic ambulance with the in,
sigma of the Red Cross. | stooc
on the battlefield of Chickamauga
close to Il monument erected by tn,
state of Ohio in honor of her brav,
men who fell on this historical felt
in our late Civil war, and watche,
the movements of this army. T'
the right | could see soldiers bath.
ing their faces in the noted "blood,
pond" so well remembered by ole
soldiers participating in the battles
around here in 1868; on the lef
stood the fourth artillery from for
Riley, Kansas, and Fort Monroe, Va
making preparations to leave tina
same day for Tampa, Fla Everything
packed, the bugler with bugle il
hand to which it seemed to me tha
every horse looked for note of in
struction. In the rear came tn,
train of army wagons, hauling lum'
Der, wood, tents, hard tack, amuni'
tion and everything necessary t.
sustain an army Of regular soldiers
How the poor teamsters had t.
work, the boss teamster riding W
and down the line with spurs on hi
boots equal to a small buzz saw, ant
using a mixture of language not in
tended to be heard by the arm!
chaplain. The mules seemed t,
fear him, as / noticed that when HI
came along they would turn theil
comic heads in another direction
not wishing to see his scowlin,
oountenance. As far as l could see
everything was moving, and remind
| ed one of busy ant. The soldier