The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1913-09-13

of north Georgia. This road was the dead line
In the battle of Chickamauga II its dust, its
rocks and its trees could be animated and en-
dowed with the power OF speech, the story they
could tell would turn into sickly romance the best
pages OF heroic history. The struggle for pos
session of this historic highway less
heroic and deadly than. the numerous assaults and
repuses at Snodgrass Hill The fame OF battle
swept the forest each side of the road with
fury that pen describe.
Practically all of the first day-of the battle of
Chickamauga contest for the possession OF
Lafayette road. The sun went down and dark
enveloped the field leaving the mighty hosts
st contendng for the highway. The Confed-
had been driving all day in effort
to break the Union lines and Lafayette road be-
came the bloody lane Of Chckamauga
The blood OF the two armies still flowed when
night threw its shadows over the field. Neither
had been victorious No more indescrtbaby op-
pressive spectacle can well be imagined than
night brought to the two armies They were
close together than the groans OF the wounded
and dying OF both armies could be plainly heard.
The field strewn with the unburied dead.
BY the close of the first days fighting the Con-
federates had become the aggressors. Their pur
pose plainly apparent. toy break La
fayette road and pierce the Union lines. cutting
the army in two sections, hopelessly dividing 1t,
and annihating each section in detail
Not until church bells in Chattanooga were
calling the people to divine worship did the
OF battle again resound throughout the plain
But 1t with more deadly than any
which had swept through the forest on Saturday.
The Union forces were steadily driven back from
Lafayette road. but doggedy held their position
in Dyer and Kelley fields against every assault.
infictng heavy damage on the Confederate col
Through jumbng OF field orders. the
Kelley field line of the Union forces weak
ened. and Longstreet drove three divisions
against the weakened point 1t the opportu-
nifty that had been the hope OF the Confederates
all day. Rosecrans Crttenden and McCook were
caught in the break, separated from Thomas
wing and retired to Chattanooga.
1t is not surprising that the break in the lines
and departure OF Rosecrans for Chattanooga dis
heartened the Union forces and insprted the Con-
federates However, the Confederates had
great commander to contend with in the person
of Gen. George H. Thomas. the Rock OF
Chickamauga. AS the roar OF battle swept
through Kelley field, 1t seemed that the Union
forces were doomed Snodgrass Hill rises
three hundred feet high Immediately OF Kel-
ley field Its eastern side is precipitous and In
places rough.
General Thomas rallied his men on snodgrass
Hill and here occurred the heaviest fighting Of
the entire engagement.
The best regiments OF the southern armies
sent against Thomas at Snodgrass Hill, to
be shot to pieces on the very breastworks OF the
enemy Some of the Confederate regiments lost
high 20 per cent of their men in their at
tempts to disodge Thomas, while the Union
regiments suffered almost as heavily. The shouts
OF the living. mingled with the groans of the
dying and walls of the wounded. made Snodgrass
Hill a vertable inferno OF death.
Not long ago | stood on horseshoe summit the
crater of Snodgrass Hill AS far the eye
could reach along the crest OF the ridge I
handsome monuments of marble and bronze.
tributes OF a grateful people to the valor of their
sons But these memorials. emblazoned with the
deeds of the living and the dead carved into
them by the chisel Of artist did not impress
profoundly what saw through the gray
mists of fifty years. l allowed my mind to go
back. and I saw heroic a display of human
courage as the world witnessed The roar