Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-09-19

OF north Georgia. This road was the dead line"
in the battle of Chickamauga. II its dust. It's
rocks and its trees could be animated and en-.
dowed with the power Of speech the story they
could tell would turn into sckly romance the best
pages OF heroic history. The struggle for pos
session of this historic highway was no less
heroic and deadly than the numerous assaults and
repulses at Snodgrass Hill The flame Of battle
swept the forest on each side OF the road with
fury that pen can describe.
Practically all of the first day OF the battle OF
Chickamauga contest for the possession Of
Lafayette road. The went down and dark
enveloped the field leaving the mighty hosts
still contending for the highway. The Confed-
crates had been driving west all day In an EFFORT
to break the Union lines and Lafayette road bO-
came the bloody lane" of Chickamauga.
The blood OF the two armies stlll flowed when
night threw its shadows the field. Neither
had been victorious. No more indescribably op-
pressIve spectacle well be imagined than
night brought to the two armies. They we're so
close together than the groans OF the wounded
and dying OF both armies could be plainly heard
The field was strewn with the upburied dead
By the close of the first days fighting the Con-
federates had become the aggressors. Their pur-
pose was plainly apparent, to break across La
fayette road and pierce the Union lines, cutting
the army in two sections, hopelessy dividing IT,
and annihilating each section in detail
Not until church bells in Chattanooga we're
calling the people to divine worship did the roar
or battle again feSounQ throughout the plain
But II came with a more deadly roar than any
which had swept through the forest on Saturday
The Union forces were steadily driven back from
Lafayette road, but doggedly held their position
in Dyer and Kelley fields against every assault,
inficting heavy damage on the Confederate col
umns. Through a jumbling OF field orders. the
Kelley field line of the Union forces weak
ened and Longstreet drove three divisions
against the weakened point. II was the oDportu
nifty that had been the hope of the confederates
all day. Rosecrans. Crittenden and McCook we're
caught In the break separated from Thomas
wing and retired to Chattanooga.
Tt is not surprising that the break In the lines
and departure of Roseerans for Chattanooga dis
heartened the Union forces and inspired the Con
federates. However, the ConfederateB had
great commander to contend with in the person
OF Gen. George II. Thomas. now the Rock OF
-Chickamauga' As the Of battle swept
through Kelley field # seemed that the Union
forces were doomed. snodgrass Hin rises some
three hundred feet high Immediately west of Ke
ley field. It's eastern side is PERCEPTIONS and in
some places rough
General Thomas rallied his snodgrass
Hill and here occurred the heaviest fighting Of
the entire engagement
The best regiments Of the southern armies
we're sent against Thomas at snodgrass Hill TO
be shot to pieces on the very brsastwoTks OF the
enemy. Some of the Confederate regiments lost
as high as 20 per cent. of their men in their at
tempts to dislodge 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 veritable 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 saw
handsome monuments Of marble and bronze
tributes of grateful people TO the vaior Of their
sons. But these memorials. embiazoned with the
deeds Of the living and the dead, carved Into
them by the chlsel Of an artist did not impress
me so profoundly as what through the gray
mlsts of fifty years. allowed my mind TO 70
back and / saw as heroic display Of human
courage as the world ever witnessed. The