The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-19
THE FARMER: SEPTEMBER 10, 1913

one appreciates that as much as I do.
If it hadn't been for the responsible
ties "a polite way of spelling debts)
of fatherhood it might never have oc-
Cured to me that people made money
by writing stories Mr.. Vance's first
short story remained unsold for sew
eral years, put his second effort was
quickly disposed of for $25. For some
time he continued to draw his wage as
a clerk, and devoted his nights to lit
erature. His first big success was
scored in 1905 with Terence
O'Rourke, Gentleman Adventurer.'
Since then his spectacular romances
have gained a wide vogue, and the
author is no longer the slave of a
soul1ess corporation. He now spends
much of his time wandering about
Europe, and when he returned from
his most recent trip the Vance fam
lily luggage consisted of no less than
ninety pieces. AS a measure of fnan-
cial success, nothing could be more
convincing than to return from Eu-
rope with ninety 600 pieces of lug
gage!
Just fifty years ago to-day the ar
mics of the Union and the Confeder-
acy faced each other in battle order
on Chickamauga Creek, in Tennessee,
and began series of engagements
that were among the most spectac-
uldE anu deadly the history OF war ii
fare. The stand of Thomas against
the onslaughts of the Confederates
that earned for him the title Of ''Rock
of Chickamauga;" Fighting Joe"
Hooker's famous Battle Above the
Clouds" and the charge up Mission
airy Ridge, a terrific but successful
sacrifice that ranks with Ba1ak1ava,
were among the tragic dramas enact
ed by warning hosts on this grim,
mountainous theatre of war.
The semi-centenary of Chickamau-
ga will be fttingly celebrated to-day
and tomorrow by the Union veter-
ans gathered in Chattanooga, Tenn,
in the forty-seventh national encamp-
nent of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, and by the Confederates who
have met with them. Not long ago
the battlefield of Gettysburg, in Penn
sylvania, was the scene of a great re-
union of the Blue and the Gray, and
now the "Yanks" have invaded the
Southland for a peaceful session with
the Johnny Rebs'' on their own soil.
These two reunions have historic sig
nifcance as marking the final burying
of the Ratchet. A sham battle be-
tween regiments of the regular army
of a reunited nation, re-enacting the
deadly struggle on Chickamauga bat
t1e1eld half century ago, and a re-
production of the BATTLE Above the
Clouds" in fireworks, are spectacular
The morning of Sept. 10, 1853,
found the Union army under Rose
Grams and the Confederate forces I'M
der Bragg confronting each other on
each side of Chickamauga Creek. The
battle began at 10 o'clock, and ragged
with great 1erceness until dark, when
the Unions seemed to have the ad-
vantage. After night of terror, re-
sounding with the shrieks Of the,
wounded and dying, the battle was re-
sumed. With varying fortunes, and
with frightful carnage, the day wore
on. The blunder of a Union officer
gave the Confederates an opportun-
ity, and they charged with such effect
that the Federal right wing was shat
tered. CrumbHng before the shock,
the Union troops were soon seen fly
ing in wild disorder towards Chattan-
ooga, leaving thousands behind, killed
wounded or prisoners. With the tide
of defeat went Rosecrans, who has
tened to Chattanooga to rally his
shattered forces. General George H.
Thomas, command OF the Union
left, with nearly half of the army
of the Cumberland under his COM
mand, stood firm, and maintained his
position on a slope of Missionary
Ridge against repeated assaults of
the ConfederateS. He was, in very
truth. the Rock of Chickamauga,
and his Valor turned what SCENE ed GER
tain defeat into a drawn battle. He
stood his ground until nightfall. when,
his ammunition almost exhausted, he
withdrew his shattered forces to Ross
vile. The Union loss was reported
at 1926, of whom 1857 were killed.
The Confederate loss was about the
same, but 2,673 were killed. The Con-
federates were vtctors on the field, but
their triumph was not decisive, and a
few days later the immortal charge up
Missionary Ridge gave the Union ar
my a decisive victory. 'I did not
think it possible for men to accom-
plish so much,'' wrote General Thorn
cit was narvelous-the charge
of these immortal brigades. For one
moment they were lost in the smoke
of battle-the next their standards
were waving along the RIDGE