Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-09

THE Civil War of 1851 to 1855 will
never be forgotten. Although AZ
u years have elapsed since the last
gun was fred and the bitterness Of the
strife no longer fingers In the breasts OF
those who participated, yet the people
have determined that the deeds Of valor
performed on both sides shall become
lessons for future generations.
To that end there have been set aside
as public parks five Of the most I'M
portnnt battlefelds. True, time has
wiped out every vestige Of evidence that
desperate conflicts were waged through
the patches of woods and open fields
and even the topography of the battle
fields have somewhat changed, but on the
sites where were performed deeds OF
yalor there stand markers that, in ST.
lence, tell the story.
The battlefields selected for parks are
those of Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Shiloh,
Anttetam, Chickamauga and Chattanoo-
r.. Upon these fields, each of which
embraces more than 1000 acres, there
has been done an enormous work, not
only by the government, but by the
states and the various organizations that
took part In the battles
The work of the government has been
largely that Of building avenues through
the fields, erecting itinerary markers,
showing the routes taken by the troops
to and from the field, tablets marking
the formation of the various brgades
and corps, their movements, etc.
The work of the states and veteran or
ganlzations has been the erecting of
memorials of bronze and stone, and on
the five battlefelds several million dol
lars have been spent for this purpose.
The money has been well spent, too, for
as one visits one Of the fields and sees
what has been accomplished there 1s
feeling that it IS well worth what it cost
In time, effort and money.
Black Gettysburg.
To the majority Of the younger genera
tion the battlefield of Gettysburg Will
always appeal because that spot Is cred
ited with being the place where the Con-
federacy received its deathblow and
the fearful conflict marked the beginning
of the end.
At Gettysburg the government has ac-
complished great deal. Nearly 1,4oo
acres of the most important part Of the
field is now beautifully parked and more
than 30 miles of fine roads wind In and
out and around the positions where the
most desperate fighting took place.
Nearly 400 cannon have been mounted
in various parts of the park to denote
the positions of batteries, while half
thousand iron tablets give the history
of the movements of the troops. III
addition there have been erected by the
70 nd ms rlra
of various kinds commemorating the part
that the various troops took Ia the light.
Many of these tablets, markers and
monuments have been erected by South
ern states, and thus one may read the
story of the battle as one goes over the
ground.
In doing its work the commission In
charge has taken its time and gone to no
end of trouble. No less than 900 COM
manders who took part In the conflict
have been consulted as to the move
ments of their respective troops on July
], 2 and 8, 1864, and from that informa-
tion, as well as from tours over the neld,
the great field has been carefully marked
so that there is not the slightest doubt
as to accuracy.
During the course Of 40 years many
natural changes take place. Noouiahu
becomes more dense In places and yet
disappears entirely in other places SO
that the commission has had to plant
no fewer than $4,000 trees to replace
those that have gone and keep up the
parts of woodland as they appeared at
the time Of the fight
A visit to Gettysburg is well worth
while, for there is much of interest to
see. Even In the town one may see,
here and there, markers, cannon, ETC.,
all of which tell the story, while from
the tall observatory erected just ON the
outskirts one can see for miles across
the rolling country, and, with Cemetery
Hill, the Round Tops, Culp's Hill and
other prominent points in view, 1t is not
difficult to gain fair understanding OF
the battle.
Standing at the ''High Water Mark OF
the Confederacy," as one gazes across
the open field across which the gallant
troops OF Pickett charged, 1t Is easily
understandable why that charge should
have ended as It did. From line OF
woods the troops came out into an open
neld and then had, perhaps, quarter
II mile to traverse without bit OF
shelter from the storm Of shot and shell