El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-15
A Battlefield Pilgrimage
The the Holly Region
Virgna-The Forts And Ea"thWorks We'll Pre-
served-A Paradise For Old Soldiers

). been witnessed upon this continent
than that of the fifth and sixth o.
May" Grant said of this struggle O,
armies in the wilderness.
'sBLooDY ANGLE"
Then began the contest for Spott-
sylvania, and "Bloody Angle" was
made immortal. In the ten days Gov
eriDg the Wilderness passage, and tn g
battle for possession of Spottsylvania,
Grant lost 2S, POT in killed and wound
ed, 47O6 missing, and sent back 1925
Lee lost In killed nearly as many, not
SO many wounded, but had twice as
many men taken prisoners. It was on
the 18th of May, between the Wilder
ness and Spottsy lvanis, in this net
| work of lanes and woods and farms,
with the losses on both sides running
thousands day, that Grant, on the
11th OF May, wrote to Washington his
famous declaration, avowing his ''pur-
pose to fight it out on this line If it
takes all summer"
Turning to the northeastward from
| Spottsylvanis, the pilgrim finds that
Fredericksburg, by the wide pike, Is
only twelve miles away. The pilgrim
age has been q drive of fifty miles. It
has encompassed chain of battlefelds
embracing more Of the tragedy of the
er locality of like metes and bounds.
Here, on 10000 acres of fighting
ground, nearly 100000 men faces
death, and nearly one-fourth of them
were killed, wounded or taken pris-
Oners.
PLAN FOR GOVERNMENT PARKS
The time has come when the govern
ment proposes to acquire these battle
fields and the connecting roads. En-
gineers ofthe army have within the
past few days gone over this intensely
interesting pilgrimage. They have
acted the lines which will embrace
within reservations the heaviest fight
ing. They have examined the earth
works running for many miles, and In
almost perfect state of preservation.
Their report on the expediency of i'm
mediate action and upon the cost of
the work of preservation will be made
to congress. The expediency of the
legislation will be strongly urged at
the coming session. Virginia has paved
the way 30 far as state action can go.
The plan Is comprehensive, but no
costly. These battlefields can be trans
age price of between IS and 81 an acre.
The roads were once well-built pixies,
and in parts were even planked. Stone
is obtainable nearby. The macada-
MIXING can be done scheaply. From
every point of view the movement to
save these historical evidences seems
highly commendable.
LESSONS IN WARFARE.
The pilgrimage from Notwithstanding
up Marye's Heights, out past Chancel-
lorsville, through the Wilderness, with
halt at Bloody Angle. the key Of the
Spottsylvania field, shows impressively
how Americans learned war. In the
ninety days was thought to
secession. And when Burnside sent
his army across the Rappahsnnock to |
storm the heights, it was with the idea |
seemingly that valor and numbers |
could overcome all natural obstacles.
looking down from the |
heights after repeated charges had |
been made and had failed, said he saw |
the Union dead lying three deep in
places. A field of ten or twelve acres ]
In q road which ran below grade,
"the sunken road" approaching the |
foot of the heights, the bodies lay one |
upon the other. The failure was not |
in the mistake of judgment |
which sent lines of battle against such |
q position. Franklin had crossed with |
his corps lower down the river. He
was to attack on the flank and rear |
while this effort upon the front of the |
heights was made. But he encounter
ed more opposition than was expected |
IN the way from his crossing place to J
The heights, and the cooperation did |
,ot take place.
81 thought as 1 saw the Federals
come again and again to their DEATH"
laid Longstreet, that they deserved
success If courage and daring could en-
title soldiers to victory
Stonewsll Jackson's was the strong
Lrm which reached out and held
franklin in check at a point on the
'ailroad four miles below Fredericks-
burg, place called Hamilton's cross
ng, until the storming lines had been
beaten back.
HISTORIC GROUND.
That advance through the city had
,een proceeded by a bombardment
rom the Federal batteries on the north
ide of the river. just at the foot of
he heights is slab which marks the
pot where Cobb fell, killed by a Fed
raj shell. On the choicest part of the
Heights still stand the brick mansion
# Gov. Marye, but with different
oor from the one which was there in
December, 1862. Federal gunners
rom more than q mile away put seven
old shot through that door. A part
# the Marye's Heights is where 16, 900
Union soldiers lie in long ranks, on
eternal camping ground.'
At Fred ericks Ii was all courage