The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-07-15
TO LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.
Camp Thomas,
Chickamauga Park,

LYLE, Ga, June q, 1898.
Historic Lookout Mountain was the
point of interest that MankatO's seven
representatives of Co. A visited Sun
day Bright and early Sunday morn
ing Messrs. Gervin, Pope, Soule,
Hawks, Burgess and Mansfield and
the writer, accompanied by several
others, were seen skirmighing around
brushing up their clothing, ETC., get
ting ready for an all days sojourn to
Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain and
other places of interest. A pass had
been secured, or rather furlough,
good from HOO to 500, six hours; but
we were allowed to leave earlier, leav-
ing camp at little before 700 a. M,
much earlier, we are thinking. than
most of us would get up Sunday morn
ing if we were home.
We reached Lytle, the point of
government supplies, at 500 o'clock.
three miles, which we walked, arriv-
ing just before a very heavy down
pour of rain. A trip on the railroad
of ten or twelve miles, along strip of
road and almost an exact reproduce
tion of the Wells railroad from Man
kato to Good Thunder. On the way
we passed National Cemetery and
and Mission Ridge, and the old mill
tary bridge across which Gen. Grant
went with supplies for his army en-
camped along the ridge. From the
station we took the street car for in
cline No. 2, two miles and a half
more. Arriving at the station of the
incline, we were very lucky in not
having to wait at all, but Immediately
took the car aud started on our sky
ward ascension of $50 feet above the
city, and $500 feet above sea level.
the length of the line being over 1880
feet. 1t stands first in steepness, has
modern safety equipments, etc.
Landed here, we Immediately pro-
ceeded to the points of highest inter-
est, leaving the minor ones until the
last, if we had sufficient time to take
them in.
The first place was the Point Park,
near which point the confederates
had three heavy guns and a powder
magazine, and which bombarded the
city Of Chattanooga for several days,
until Gen. Grants forces got in some
of their work, which soon drew it to
a timely end. A little to the left of
this is still to be seen the rifle pits
used by the confederates. A little
further is the most striking bit Of
scenery the writer has ever seen, and
we have travelled great deal, the
place being Point Lookout, which
place commands most elaborate
view, covering seven states, viz: Ten
nessee, Alabama, Georgia, North and
South Carolina, Kentucky and Vir-
ginia. also the Chickamduga, Mission
Ridge and Lookout Mountain battle.
fields, Orchard Knob. the National
cemetery, Chattanooga, Tennessee
river and Moccasin Bend. The Ten
nessee river is. l, $50 feet wide, but from
this point Of view, looks about as wide
as the water portion of the Mime
sofa near Union station. This point
is visited by all the foreigners of high
rank that visit this portion of the
country, and as the great historian,
George Bancroft, at grand old age, a
life filled with travel, said, "Was the
grandest view he had ever seen in all
his travels on this continent and for.
eign countries, he had never seen any
scene to excel it in sublime grandeur. !"
While the guide was instructing us
here, he told Of how, Immediately be-
low where we were, was the line
where the Johnnies and Yankees
used to exchange coffee for tobacco,
and said the Johnnies accused the
Yanks Of sleeping the coffee several
times and then drying the grounds