Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-07-25
ealCEAMAUGA PARK.

one Of the greatest struggles Of the
Civil War, and one in which more
lives we're Lost than during the en-
tire conflict with Spain, bnt vet il
10 not entered in the list Of decisive
battles. -
Under ths common reckoning
the party holding the field at the
close Of battle il classed as the
victor, md from this point a view
i3rsss. 60. IS e1l.: s5erzsc .f.. ].
would be pat down Is ginning the
day. Yet, while he had held the
field, Bragg had lost Chattanooga,
the objective point Of the cam paign,
and ~ Rosecrans. backed by his
Union troops, had gained that city,
he also could rightly be called the
victor.
For these reasons Ohickamauga
10 classed as 9 drawn battle, and its
hard-fougbt field 10 today one Of
the most hallowed spcts on Ameri-
can soil. consecrated by the blood
Of thousands Of her sons.
The bodies of part of those killed
in this battle lie in unknown and
unmarked graves where they fell,
but ell the bodies that could be re-
covered rest in the National and
Confederate cemeteries at Chasta-
nooga. "Here rest in peace 10, 956
citizens who fell for their country
in the years 1861 to 1865" 10 the
inscription within the entrance to
the beautiful Chattanooga National
Cemetery, most Of their bodies COM
ing from the Ohickamauga battle
held, and of this number nearly
5000 are among the "unknown
dead" A separate stone is at the
head of each grave in the National
Cemetery, but the Confederate SOL
diers buried their dead in one great
trench, and above them single
monument is erected to commemo-
rate their yalor.
In this battle the sacrifice OF blood
was as great as any in the history
Of wars.
The battle of Ohickamauga closed
the long campaign which followed
the one ending at Murfreesboro
with the battle of Stone River.
The Stone River battle was fought
on December 80, 1862, and Janua.
ry l, 1868, and after it Bragg re.
treated toward Chattanooga, while
Rosecrans followed, slowly forcing
his way toward the gate city of the
South.
Nesting in the Chattanooga Val.
ley, just where the Tennessee Riv.
er bends like the curve of moe
casion as it winds it way through
the channel which it tore through
the resisting mountains ages ago,
with Missionary Ridge over toward
the east, and grim old Lookout
towering like . sentinel on the west,
Chattanooga 10 the city through
which passes the bulk Of the great
traffic between the North and South
for the territory lying between the
coast line and the center of Ten.
nessee.
Toward Chattanooga the forces
of both armies were working in the
summer of 1863, Rosecrans to Of
feet its cupture and Bragg to insure
its defense. Between Murfrees.
boro and Ohattanooga the Cumber'
land Mountains lift their beautiful
| forest-covered peaks as a barrier,
and the waters Of the majestic Ten,
nessee turn south through Alabams
to avoid them, bat the contendins
armies worked their way across ths
range, following the picturesqu.
route which was used by the Nash
vile and Chattanooga Railroad.
The advance from Murfreesbors
was started on June "a, 1863, and
it was while Rosecrsns was encamp
cd at Mount Eagle, on the crest Of
the Cumberland range, that th,
word reached the army Of the re
suit Of the battle Of Gettysburg ani
Of the fall Of vicksburg. Thil
word came as IN additional impetuI
to the Army Of the Cumberland
as they forced their way across thl
ridge to the Seequatchie Valley, bu
the campaign did not end With tn
defeat Of Bragg antil Novembe
s5. five months and one day from
the time it opened.
The battle OF Chicksmauga begal
on September 10, 1868. and on tn
day before, when Bragg attempte.
20 cross Chickamau9a Creek. Grit