The National tribune., 1898-05-12
From The National Tribune's own CORE
spondent in the field.

From The National Tribune's own core
spondent in the field.
CHATTANOOGA, TENN, May 8, 1898.
There has been a lull in military opera
fions at Chckamauga Park for the past
three days, since the departure of the
light artillery, the 9th Cav, and 9th lnf.i
only drilling being done to occupy the time
of the command. / was about 10 say
time and attention. but attention has
been directed for the past two days, to the
news from the Pacific, and IN intervals not
thus filled, to rumorS OF promotions to
greater rank in the volunteer forces OF
several of those officers now IN camp.
Some of these have been expected, others
come as surprises to those not behind the
scenes.
While this is not the time nor place to
discuss fully the merits, or want OF them,
of persons thus appointed, who have had
more or less experience in military affairs,
there can be no harm in calling 10 mind
the experiences of the civil war. and bring
ing to remembrance the lamentable failures
made by men who had only political Serv-
ices, to one or the other party, to recon-
mend them and the sad loss OF life on
several occasions caused by their lmbeclhty.
Already we read that this man or that, a
party leader, must be provided with an
Office of high rank regardless of the fact
that to the man who holds such position
must be intrusted, to a great degree, not
only the interests of his Government, but
the lives of those whom he commands. A
State Executive-who has never set a
squadron in array" who knows nothing
whatever of military affairs except as he
has occasionally had some of the militia
pass before him in review, and who it may
safely be said, does not know enough of
tactics to change the march of a company
from flank movement to that in line
thinks he hears the buZZIng of a military
bee in his hat and straightway it is an
nounced that he will take the field and
that to enable him TO do so with proper
dignity, he must have the stars fall on his
shoulders and is ready to receive them
regardless of fitness or the contrary.
Human life Is too precious to be in
trusted to untried leaders when 1t can be
avoided; nor should the interests and good
name of our country suffer for any mans
personal or political preferment.
But, when every citizen is willing to
sink his personal advantage below the level
of his country's veal, the millennium will
be SO near that the soldier s profession Will
have died out, and war be known no more.
CHATTANOOGA THEN AND NOW.
In the belief that many of the readers of
The National Tribune who served in this
locality during the war would enjoy a COM
parison of that period with the present and
knowing something of what has been done
In the way of erecting monuments on the
AicluS nave OtNoleu
two days to visiting Lookout Mountain,
Missionary Ridge, and points of former in
terest in the city, kodak in hand. and not
ing what thought would be of most value. |
am aware that large number Of old sol
dierS have, at one time OF another been
here, but thousands of others who hope.
read The National Tribune, have not been
able TO come; for them, more especially,
write.
No man who passed day in Chatta-
nooga during the war has forgotten how it |
looked, or how it felt, if it was rainy |
weather, or he had to go on guard at the |
guardhouse, corner of Market and 9Th |
streets, or the old military prison.
The slopes of Cameron Hill. where MANY |
q good man went into the hospitals only to |
come out corpse, are thickiy built over;
'the bottonlless pit" not far from the
Crutchheid House, where, it was said,
mules and wagons sank out of sight in the
mud, is now built or paved over: the old
guardhouse site supports fine business