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2 The detachment crossed the stream, as ordered, and the work of loosening the planks was commenced by the others. The scouting paity, however, had scarcely begun deploying on the east side of the creek before the Confeder ates, who had been watching them some couple of hundred yards distant, at the edge of the woods on the sum mit of the elevation rising from the bridge, opened fire, from a couple of pieces of artillery. The very first dis charge secured the range of the bridge, and a bombshell exploding upon it, knocked up some of the planks, and killed one man, and wounded two oth ers. Almost at the same instant a volley of musketry was fired from the same position. The work of destruction of the bridge by the Federals instantly ceased, and there was a stampede for cover to the forest near by. The de tachment of cavalry on the east bank, seeing the folly of attempting to cross the bridge under a raking fire, gal loped northeastward, down the creek, endeavoring to find some other cross ing place. After going about a mile and a half and finding no regular ford, they swam their horses through the stream, and thus escaped. In the meantime, the Confederates charged across the bridge, dispersed the cavalry, and immediately turned downward, towards Alexander’s Bridge, about one mile and a half distant, and, after quite a struggle, possession of this was also secured. i Later on, during the day, crossing . was effected at several other points. : Accordingly, the next morning found Bragg’s army in line of battle, on the northwest side of West Chickamauga Creek. The struggle then began, which con tinued with such desperate fury, and resulted in such distressing carnage to both sides, during the next three days. Bragg’s object seems to have been to crush Rosecrans’ left wing, and secure possession of the road leading through Missionary Ridge, via Rossville to Chattanooga. The result of the battle is well known. Rosencrans’ army was routed and driven back to Chattanooga; and, but for the, stand which General Thomas took, on Snodgrass Hill, and his heroic defence of that position, and the check which he gave to the Con federates at that point, the defeat of Rosencrans would have been a crush ing one, and the sweep of the Confed erate advance may have extended back to Kentucky, and have almost changed the fate of the war. “But great battles are fought behind the stars.” The struggle at Snodgrass Hill was desperate and bloody in the extreme, and was characterized as being ‘unques tionably one of the most terrific musket ry duels ever witnessed; ’ but Thomas, having been reinforced by Granger and Steadman, who had moved, with out orders, to join him, held this posi tion until all the rest of the Federal line of battle had been routed, and only retreated on the evening of the THE GREAT KENNESAW ROUTE GAZETTE. 20th, under orders from General Rose crans himself. The total losses sustained have never been definitely ascertained ; but it is generally estimated that there were 26,000 men killed and wounded in the two armies, during these bloody three days, on and near the banks of the Chickamauga, or ‘ River of Death,’ as the Indians had prophetically named it. Among the killed was the Federal General Lytle, the author of the fa mous and beautiful poem, ‘ I am dy ing, Egypt, dying.’ Os his death the Nashville Union, a few days after the battle, said : ‘ He, with hundreds of his loyal soldiers, lias consecrated with his life blood the soil of Georgia to the Re public. Let us solemnly pledge our selves that the State thus baptized by blood so dear shall never pass from the possession of the Union. It isour heritage and the heritage of our chil dren forever, signed to us in the name of freedom and sealed with the blood of patriots.’ ~~jt~ SL— ° yce S ta ’ MAP OF Sg -CHATTANOOGA- MMOOGAM AND VICINITY. =--«,/ //-A, XVo SCALE OF MILES. i’ 4 •// Va i0i234 \y / Battie. ••rMU'fwuiA4«<>«< , • ■■ \ ./!> 1 A-Battle. Nov. ~ r _ \ WW3 N,„ : y } ' f 6 <; wo / #*■ hwliU raw . AW 11 " , WwW’u Maithw/s, Northrop it co., art-printing works, bufialo, n.y. The Confederates captured 8,000 prisoners, fifty-one cannon, over 15,- 000 stand of small arms, about forty standards, and an enormous amount of army stores. Tim battle-field was principally in a level, thickly wooded plain, where it was hard to use artillery with much effect, and where the movements of large bodies of trocps were veiled in obscurity. It is stated that there were numer ous instances of where portions of one army’s line were driven back by its enemy, and these in turn would soon find themselves caught by a cross-fire, or almost surrounded by a counter successful movement by the other side. The strength of Rosecrans’ army, during the three days struggle, was was 64,392 men. Bragg opened with 33,583 the first day; but during the second, was re-inforced by Longstreet’s corps, which had just arrived from Virginia, and which made his total force engaged, 47,321. Longstreet’s troops arrived via the Western and Atlantic railroad, and de ployed from the trains at Ringgold and Greenwood, just below, and hur ried into the midst of the fray. As the result of this battle the Fed eral army was driven back into Chat tanooga ; and the Confederates occu pied Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain, from which latter they could overlook Chattanooga, and by the possession of which they were en abled to break Rosecrans’ communica tions by rail with Nashville. They also re-occupied Bridgeport.” The Western and Atlantic Railroad Company has a special “ theater-goer’s rate,” from Marietta to Atlanta, of 50 cents for the round trip. Numbers of people come down from Marietta to At lanta on the evening train, attend the theatre, leave Atlanta at 11 and reach Marietta before 12 o’clock midnight. Whenever necessary, the Western and Atlantic railroad holds the 11 o’clock train until 11:15 p. m., for the accom dation of theatre-goers. Over forty battles were fought along the line of, or within cannon sound of the Western and Atlantic railroad. Excursion round trip rates from Marietta to Allatoona and return, 75 cents. Allatoona is the place whereon was located the fort to which General Sherman signaled from the top of Ken nesaw mountain, near Marietta, “Hold the fort, for I am coming,” whence comes the famous gospel hymn. Only via the Western and Atlantic railroad can you go to Elizabeth, “the marble city of Georgia,” where there is the most wonderful marble cutting machinery in the world. Tourists will miss it if they do not stop at Ma rietta and go up to Elizabeth, only two miles distant, immediately at the foot of the famous Kennesaw Moun tain. The Western and Atlantic railroad is the only line by which passengers from the West are landed in the Union Depot in Atlanta, just across the street from the Kimball House and Markham House, the Southern Ex press Office and the Western Union Telegraph Office, and immediately in not only the geographical but the busi ness center of the city. Marietta, The Sanitarium of Georgia. While winter tourists are looking for the region which presents the best and most pleasant climate, it will be of in terest to them to read the following ex tract from the Marietta Folder, issued by the Passenger Department of the Western and Atlantic railroad, rela tive to “ Marietta, the Sanitarium of Georgia ”: “ It is also within one hour's ride of Atlanta, and with about a half dozen trains per day each way between the two cities, it can readily be seen that tourists stopping at Marietta can have practically the advantages of Atlanta without a great many of the discom forts which attend a bustling, active place of business. The water is pure free-stone, the drainage is unsurpassed, the surround ing scenery is very beautiful, the so ciety is noted for culture and refine ment and the climate is superb. The average temperature for six months, from November to dur ing a period of four years, was as fol lows: 1875-76, degrees; 1876- 77, 44 degrees; 1877-78, 474 degrees; 1878-79, 44| degrees. In this connection, it is worthy of note that on the sides of the famous KENNESAW MOUNTAIN there is a considerable growth of cactus, or prickly pear. This shows that the same atmospheric conditions exist at and near Marietta as in New Mexico, which is considered the SANITARI UM OF AMERICA for all afflicted with pulmonary or bronchial diseases, inasmuch as this growth abounds in the territory named. The dry, bracing at mosphere is very exhilarating to inval ids, and has been much resorted to on this account, and is greatly to be pre ferred, during the fall and spring months, to the damp, warm air of Florida. Marietta is also the southern termi nus of the Marietta and North Geor gia railroad, which penetrates the mountainous region of Georgia, and it has been said by a first-class authority that “ you never see the true glory of Georgia until you see her mountains.” The United States census reports show that this region is the healthiest in America, without exception, for those who are threatened with pulmo nary diseases. Out of every 1,000 deaths, only twenty-eight in North Georgia are from diseases of the char acter named. In North Carolina the number is thirty-two per 1,000, while in some of the New England States it runs up to as high as about 190 per 1,000. Such a contrast is really re markable. Hay fever has never been known among the inhabitants of this region. We may judge of the general health from the fact that the United States census reports of 1880 show the following death-rate per 1,000 of the living population in the counties named : Gilmer 8, Union 9 and Fan nin s—the5 —the latter, by the way, being possibly the healthiest county in Amer ica. Instances of striking longevity are noted in these counties.”