The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-09-16
Grana Army Encampment
Opens at Chattanooga.
BLOODY BATTLE RECALLED
Visitors Going Over Again se Scenes
of the Momentous Conflict at
Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain
and Missionary Ridge.


Chattanooga, Tenn, Sept. 16.-The
Grand Army of the Republic is as
sembled at Chattanooga, receiving fol
the first time in Its forty-seven years
history the hospitality OF the South
And the Northern veterans. with Their
Southern hosts as guides, are going
ever again the scenes of the momen
tous conflict that occurred here just
fifty years ago.
Chattanooga Is in gala attire for the
encampment. Survivors of the army
which caused the Confederacy to tot
ter in the bloody battle of Chickamau
ga, fought here fifty years ago. were
greeted with the same cordiality
shown the Union Confederate veterans.
The Importance of the Chattanooga
campaign has grown with the sober
retrospect of history. and the triple
conflict of Chickamauga. Lookou,
Mountain and Missionary Ridge. in
which $4,000 men were lost altogeth
er. is now regarded as second In i'm.
portance only to Gettysburg.
1t was on Sept. 10, 1863. that the
armies OF North and South. under
Roseerans and Bragg. respectively.
clashed ON the banks of Chickamauga
creek. a few miles south of Chatta
nooga, from which city Bragg had
been lured by clever maneuvers.
Next morning, Sunday. the battle
was resumed while Chattanooga citi.
zens were on their way to church.
Bragg ordered general attack
Rosecrans left a gap in his right
wing and Longstreet Immediately
drove five brigades through it. press
ing back the Union lines and catch
ing Rosecrans. Crittenden. McCook
and Sheridan in the crash.
Rosecrans, deciding that all was
lost, hurried to Chattanooga to pre-
pare for a retreat and left General
Thomas in command of the field.
Charge After Charge.
He seized Snodgrass hill and threw
up defenses of logs and stones. then
met charge after charge from the
flower of the victorious Confederate
army. hurting them back with deadly
effect to the bottom of the hill For
four hours he stood like an impregna
BILE rock; then the dazed Confede
rates retired, while Thomas still of
fered battle. The victory, however
lay with the South.
After a month General Grant came
and took command. replacing Rose
Grams. At the end OF the second
month. when 1t was starve. surrender
or fight, he determined to break out
through the Confederate lines.
On Nov. 23 he ordered a charge
and seized Orchard Knob, making that
his headquarters. The next day he
sent Fighting Joe" Hooker on
forlorn hope to seize Lookout Noun
tain, commanding the city, with its
strong Confederate battery That
afternoon and evening ragged the fa-
nous Battle Above the Clouds,
while the watchers below waited in
doubt and fear. Next morning the
stars ana STRIPES were seen nylng
from the mountain top.
Then came the third move of this
brilliant dash for freedom. Grant or
dered a charge against Missionary
Ridge, which commanded the valley.
and was strongly fortified by three
parallel lines of rifle pits and sur
mounted by fifty guns.
The order was merely to take the
lower line of pits. The Union SOL
diers, dashing across the valley in
ths ssce of a murderous fire, seized
the first line of defense, then. ignor-
ing orders, swarned up the hill, TAX
ing the second line. and the third
line, seiging the guns at the top and
driving the Confederates back in
utter rOut.