The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-25

teen hundred acres of open field. Some
of the old buildings stands yet. but are
in all advanced stage of decay. All
the lines of battle have been ascertain
ed and marked by each state commits
sion and the national commission.
Some twenty-six state commissions in
terested and Il large number of par
ticipants in the battles have been able
accurately to identify the regmental
lines of battle ana majority of the
battery positions.
BRIGADE LINES OF BATTLE.
The brigade lines of battle cover
seven distinct fields. The Southern
states which had troops engaged. have
been also actively at work in ascertain
ing the regimental lines OF battle of
their troops and marking them by
monuments. The underlying motive of
the park commission. is the restoration
of the battlefield as it was at the time
Confederates alike. Most of the lines
are already marked by monuments
and historical tablets. About one
thousand of these tablets have already
been erected as we'll as a large num-
other guides to movements upon the
fields.
All fighting positions of batteries for
both sides have been indicated by the
erection of guns Of the same pattern
as those used by the battey in the en-
gagement upon iron carriages which
are an exact reproduction of those used
in the battle. Some thirty-five battery
positions on the Union side and thirty
three on the Confederate have been
thus marked by the mounting of over
two-hundred cannon. | might say
that majority of the battery positions
in the Chattanooga section have been
marked i'm the same way. The several
states in most instances have erected
large and handsome granite monu-
ments which adorn the battlefield and
will stand for ages. TO the present
time there are 146 shell and granite
markers on the field and 2SS cannon of
similar pattern to those used i'm battle.
The government roads comprising a
hundred miles are all macadamized
and marked by historical tablets.
showing the position of batteries and
distances in such manner that one
can almost trace the armies through.
These tablets which are erected by
the national commission are strictly
historical, showing the organization OF
armies, corps, divisions and brigades,
with their respective commanders.
even to regiments and batteries. The
historical text upon each tablet vary
ing from 250 to 500 words is carefully
prepared and passes through the hands
of each member of the national COM
mission and their historians and finally
must receive the approval of the secre-
tary of war before being erected upon
the field. The same method is observed
in regard to all inscriptions upon
monuments, markers and tablets must
also receive first the approval of the
commission of which General II. V.
Boynton is secretary and finally that
of the secretary of war before they
can be erected.
THE MONUMENTS.
The expense of purchasing the
grounds and erecting the monuments
markers is already more than a mill
lion dollars. The twenty three state
commissions. the veterans on both
sides are taking active interest i'm the
project. Ohio has appropriated for her
hfty-hve monuments, $4,000: New
York, $Sl 900 and other states proper
tionate amounts.
There are also steel observation
towers built by the government, seven
ty feet high. So placed on the fields as
to enable the visitor to ascend above
the tree tops and see all over the bat
tie grounds, Three of these are on
Chickamauga battlefield and two are