Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-31


stored 1t to the same condition 1t was
during those terrible September days.
The old lines Of breastworks have been
re-established; every house and fence
stands just as the old soldiers left it;
trees SCARED by cannon balls are care
fully preserved: mounted cannon are
placed in the position occupied by each
battery and monuments have been
erected for all the regular troops that
were in action during those days. His
torical bronze tablets show the position
of divisions. brigades, army headauar-
ters, prisons and hospitals.
| Pyradimal monuments of eight-inch
shells designate the spot where brigade
commanders were killed Besides this,
| five large observation towers have been
erected of steel and iron, seventy-five
feet high, from which a magnificent
view of the entire field can be obtained.
lgiving one a complete and comprehen-
sive summary OF the whole battle.
This is the work of the government.
Now all the states having troops in
these six engagements are requested to
aid in this commemorative work by
marking the positions of their state
regiments In monuments of enduring
bronze and granite. and this has all
ready been done by many states. Illi-
nois, Indiana, Kansas Kentucky, Mas
sachusetts, Michigan. Missouri, New
York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee. Wisconsin and Georgia have
all succeeded in obtaining from their
state legislatures appropriations such
troops deserve
| These appropriations range from
$4,000 to $95, GOO EACH
! Now am sure your state pride
makes you curious to hear how much
state of Iowa, whose war record was
unexcelled. What has she done in
honor of the men who gave not only
the best years of their life, but life
itself. for the preservation of this
union? How many monuments of en-
during bronze and marble has she
erected in grateful recognition of the
ten Iowa regiments and one battery en-
gagged in the battles about Chat
tanooga?
/ Four Iowa regiments were in the
foremost column which assaulted Mis-
sionary Ridge. bearing the brunt of the
| fighting, and Iowa's most distinguished
|
on Lookout Mountain in that dram
attic scene above the clouds. All the
1 Iowa troops were connected with the
brigades which did the most distin-
guished service of Gen Sherman
army, and the heroism of Sherman and
his troops has been heralded in song
and story. but the Iowa men who We're
4 a part of this army have been "unwept
great state of Iowa is concerned.
1t was fully expected that when the
national park was dedicated Iowa
would be represented in manner COM
mensurate, not only with her trans
actions during the war, but in some
just proportion to her wealth and her
position in the union at the present
time. But neither official nor memorial
representation was there and the Iowa
veterans felt themselves Inundated In
the presence of thousands of soldiers
from all parts of the United States.
And not only at Chattanooga. but
Throughout the entire war did Iowa
listing in 81 and so, some of them were
lin all the important battles of Gen.
EShermans army-Bellmont, Donaldson,
Bayou and Arkansas Post are familiar
names to Iowa soldiers. They were
part of the army that crossed the Mis-
sissippi below Vicksburg and in TWEEN
ty-two days fought five battles. They
ASSAULTED the defensive works of
! yicksburg's world famous fortress, and
Joined in the siege which resulted in her
surrender July 4, 1863. For forty-sis
/ paI dar
/ fire and nearly one third of the troops
were Iowa men.
They Immediately marched upon
army Returning to Vicksburg they
went by steamboat to Memphis and
thence 300 miles to the relief of Chat
tanooga. fighting at Missionary Ridge,
| Lookout Mountain and Ringgold.
1t was of the Iowa troops that Sher-
man, writing to Grant. said: They
FASTENED to the relief of Burnside at
Knoxville in the middle of the winter,
without any train. and many of the
men barefooted Seven days before we
had broken camp on the other side of
the Tennessee with but two days RAJ
tions, without change of clothing,
stripped for the battle, with but a
myself to the private included, and no
provisions save what we gathered by
the way. But we learned that $1,000 of
our fellow men We're besieged in the
mountain town of Knoxville, eighty
four miles distant, who needed relief
and must have it within three days,
and it had to be DONE
4 When the time for which they had
enlisted had expired many of the troops
re-enlisted and became the Iowa vet
Grams. fighting in every one of Sher-
mans battles. They We're in the cam
paign against Atlanta, being 100 days
under fire. Under Sherman's vigilant
eye they marched to the sea, entering
Savannah about Christmas time. After
a three weeks rest they started on
their last campaign through the Caro-
linas. The roads were almost impas-
sable They swan or bridged the
swollen streams; they overcame every
impeachment; they drove the enemy be-
fore them; they witnessed the disper-
sion of the rebel army under Gen.
Johnston, and then turning northward
they marched from Raleigh on to Rich
mond, where for the first time they
touched elbows with the great army of
the Potomac.