Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-06-08
THEY TELL OF SOLDIER LIFE.
TWO OF Our Soldier Bows at the Front
Relate Their Experiences and Enlight-
en- Censor Readers about Camp Life
Fare. Etc.-A Journey 10 Old Lookout
Mountains
CHICKAaAUGA PARK. TENN.
Ga.xE, fNnnal.d NJ, ~ tasl

1 Mountains
CHICKAMAUGA PARE TENN.
CAMP THOMAS, May Is, 1888.
; EDITcR CENSOR: 4 will try and give
you few more points concerning the
camp at this park, as was not prepared
and not acquainted when / wrote last.
This is beautiful night and under a
: glorious moonlight sky, with the excep-
; tion of slight cloud in the south and
occasional lightning 1t rains very easy
Ia this country and it is absorbed
quickly, although we have had no very
hard rains since coming here, but what
we have had has been absorbed by the
hot eun in the mornings, although to-
day has been cool and very nice breeze
going, SO you can see or imagine that
the northern boys hail the cool DAYS
with Joy, and all is song and laughter
IL the csmp tonight We are camped
on The southeast side Of the old Kelly
heid, as it is known, and perhaps some
VINO read your paper remember the lay
OF that field 1t is field of about
ninety acres; in it is slight ravine run
ming north and south through the entire
length OF the field, and the slight raises
on either side afford an excellent
parade ground, as We are camped, with
the field in the front and the Lafayette
road IN the rear, leading to what is
known as Chickamauga Creek. We are
III heavy oak timber, which forms
very good camping ground. To the
west, about mile, is what is known as
Snodgrass hill. and to the right is what
is known as McFarland's Gap. which
the union soldiers used as gateway to
the coun.ry beyond the hill and sur
rounding.
Stopping here for moment I will ex-
plain sham battle viii ii took place
there this week between three brigades, |
two attacking and one stationed at the
gap. They were dressed differe ntly in
| order to tell the boys apart. The battle |
lasted from 4:30 to 11:20, and some of |
the boys in the service seemed to think |
to go into that kind of foot race was |
no fun, as you could see them laying |
along the roads aud different places 10 |
the woods tanning themselves. Some
were taken pris Jners and were hustled |
to the camps of the capturing parties |
ana recruited up and then they we're
permitted to take their muskets and pro-
coed on their way, and they were all |
the afternoon coming in. But to con-
sid r all, it was not so much sham as il |
mi ght be, for the blanks were loaded |
with war plugs on top of the powder,
and, the consequence was that sever
al we're hurt at a close range, one lieu
tenant loosing his eye One man in
Go IL was shot on the hand and his
| fin gers pealed. One man fell and broke |
his leg, and several were injured in diff
ferent ways.
Well, to go back to the camp, to the
country and people. The people are
all negroes here in speech, but not in
locks. One thing that has puzzled me
since coming here is the usual Wilderness
of she skin of the people, especially the
women, and also the beauty of them |
One thing is noticeable, that is most of |
toe cheering and compliments come
from the negroes. But this country |
shows lazy ana INDECENT class of peonle, |
as the fields are not titled in any Shape
or in any way. | have not seen pillow
since L left Indiana. The people haye |
few peach orchards and the weather !
is mild, and SO they live on the weather |
and not GA the industries of an intelli-
gent class of people. They do not have
clothes to any extent, especially the
mes roes [ have seen some whites from
he ~ h,t -hn |
well dressed, but the poorer classes are
shsbbily clad, and as the climate al
ways warm, they do not have tbs energy
of the northern people
This camp, or Chickamauga park, is
large tract of land. 1t contains $500 |
acres and is located in three different |
states Georgia, Alabama and Tennes- |
see AS we are in the southeast part OF
tn park, we are in Georgia. This park
is covered with heavy timber, oak and
occasionally pine, and is slightly roll
| ing and the hundreds of monuments to |
be seen while traveliEo through mark |
the place where the heroes of '63 fell, |
and where the different brigades and |
divisions were, and where different |
battles took place. Also the old cannon
stand 10 the same position as then and
show the locations of the different divi-
sions; and the old log houses, which
stood at the time of the war, are still |
stb pding, and they form part of the points
of observation. TO the many thousands
who have never seen a real battlefield, |
this is indeed large ground.
There are about 10000 men here now,
and they are fast forming army corps
and fitting out. The soldiers are to
have brown duck suits, MEXICAN suits,
they are called, and every man has to
be vaccinated, and today you can hear
the boys yelling, "look out for my arm"
There has been great many SICK In the
camp and a number have died. One
man, from Illinois, died from eating a
pie 1t was asserted that there was
poison in the pie. Some of the boys
are not very careful about eating.
/ All we have at times is bareback, bacon
and coffee, and when there is chance
to Guy pie or cake they make themselves
sick.
Leaving the camp and going from
here to the city and on to the top |
of Lookout mountains, is one of the
pie asures we have. One is permitted to
lock upon some Of the finest scenery In
the world, and is considered such by |
au horities. Directly in front of the
city of Chattanooga looms up one of
the finest structures that nature ever
formed, and it's beauty is indescrlbable.
First it is 2,400 feet above sea level and
1900 above the city aud directly in
front of it, and straight up the mountain
Is railroad that seems strange. The
cars that run on this road are called |
cable cars and they are run by machln-
cry on top the mountains. This road
is about 1000 feet lopg and the steepest
incline is 81 feet to every 100. In going |
up this incline, it makes one think of
everything below. This range is 50
mites and about an average of miles |
wide. At the point of landing is very !
foe hotel, called Lookout jim" 1t is |
800 feet long and is a very pretty place. |
Going from this point to what is known
as point Lookout, you can see at one
lock on scenery that is worth a life
| t;,,s m co1a ,,pnn Ono oap lo0k into