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About The Kennesaw gazette. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1886-189? | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1888)
Ijiglj @ibc at (Bettijsliurg; BY AN EX-CONFEDERATE SOLDIER. • • A cloud possessed the hollow field— The gathering battle’s smoky shield— Athwart the gloom the lightning flashed, And through the cloud some horsemen dashed, And from the heights the thunder pealed. Then at the brief command of Lee Moved out that matchless infantry, With Picket leading grandly down, To rush against the roaring crown Os those dread heights of destiny. Far, heard above the angry guns, A cry across the tumult runs — The voice that rang through Shiloh’s woods And Chickamauga’s solitudes — The fierce South cheering on her sons! Ah, how the withering tempest blew Against the front of Pettigrew ! A Kansim wind that scorched and singed Like that infernal flame that fringed The British squares at Waterloo ! A thousand fell where Kemper led ; A thousand died where Garnett bled. In blind flame and the strangling smoke The remnant through the batteries broke the works with Armistead. “Once more in glory’s van with me I” Virginia cried to Tennessee. “We two together, come what may, Shall stand upon these works to-day I” (The reddest day in history). Brave Tennessee ! In reckless way Virginia heard her comrade say : “Close round this rent and riddled rag !” What time she set her battle flag Amid the guns of Doubleday. But who shall break the guards that wait Before the awful face of Fate? The tattered standards of the South Were shriveled at the cannon’s mouth, And all her hopes were desolate. In vain the Tennesseean set His breast against the bayonet! In vain Virginia charged and raged— A tigress in her wrath uncaged— Till all the hill was red and wet. Above the bayonets mixed and crossed, Men saw a great gigantic ghost Receding through the battle-cloud ; And heard across the tempest loud The death-cry of a nation lost! The brave went down 1 Without disgrace They leaped to Ruin’s red embrace. They only heard Fame’s thunders wake And saw the dazzling sun-burst break In smiles on Glory’s bloody face! They fell, who lifted up a hand And bade the sun in heaven to stand! They smote and fell, who set the bars Against the progress of the stars, And stayed the march of Motherland ! They stood, who saw the future come On through the sight’s delirium ! They smote and stood who held the hope Os nation’s on that slippery slope Amid the cheers of Christendom ! God lives 1 He forged the iron will I That clutched and held that trembling hill. God lives and reigns ! He built and lent The heights for Freedom’s battlement Where floats her flag in triumph still! Fold up the banners! Smelt the guns I Love rules. Her gentler purpose runs. A mighty mother turns in tears The pages of her battle years, Lamenting all her fallen sons! Will H. Thompson, in Century. “I am willing to endorse what you record —that the Atlanta campaign of 1864 would have been impossible with out this road; that all our battles were fought for its possession, and that the Western & Atlantic Railroad of Georgia should be ‘the pride of every true American, because, by reason of its existence, the Union was saved.’” — Extract from letter written by Gen. W. 'l\ Sherman, Jan. 18th, 1886, to the General Passenger Agent of the Western & Atlantic Railroad. Acworth, with her fine climate, pure water, etc., will give you more than your money’s worth if you go there for the summer. Fixed at Both Ends. In conversation a few days ago with a distinguished gentleman who was a General in the Confederate Army of Tennessee in 1864, and who took a prominent part in the Atlanta campaign during the spring and sum mer of that year, he was telling us some incidents of the operations around Kennesaw Mountain during June. He said that the Federal artillery men used some shells, —“the like of which,” said he, “I never heard of before and have never seen since. They seemed to be what we might term combination shells; that is, they were percussion in front and fuse be hind, and so arranged that if they hit anything on the mountain the cap would explode the shell; whereas, if they missed it, the shell would go flying through the air over towards Marietta, and would explode in the air when the fire from the fuse reached the powder inside. “They were the most annoying things of the kind that ever I saw, and created not only more comment, but more damage than any other mis siles the Yankees fired at us. If one hit against the mountain side, we who were up there, were in danger of their flying fragments, whereas, if they went over and exploded in the air the pieces would fall behind the mountain right into the midst of our wagon train which was immediately behind it, and as we thought when we placed it there, sheltered by the mountain. “These pieces falling would fre quently hit a man or a mule, or would anyhow frighten the mules, and the consequence was the wagon train was in an uproar all the time. The team sters found it much more lively than had been their expectation, or cer tainly their desire. “All in all they were villainous missiles, and we had no end of annoy ance from them as long as we held position on the mountain.” There is not a road leading out of Atlanta which presents such a variety of beautiful scenery within its first fifty miles, as does the Western & At lantic. This is why it is the favorite road to all who wish to spend a day or two out of the city without going but a short distance. J? The Dead Angle. Visit of a Veteran to the Place where the Battle was Fought. Samuel Robinson, of The American typographical corps, formerly a mem ber of Company C, Rock City guards, First Regiment Tennessee Volunteers, Maney’s Brigade, Cheatham’s Divis ion, returned Saturday morning from a visit of three days to Cheatham’s Hill —Dead Angle —a little south of west from Marietta, Ga., where the battle was fought June 27, 1874. The old veteran went there to make a survey of the line running from the Marietta and Lost Mountain road to the east of the hill, where the left of Maney’s Brigade rested, and inci dentally of Carter’s and Strahi’s Brigades. The results will be put in an article, which will be read before Cheatham’s Bivouac shortly. He found the works in a state of most remarkable preservation, although it was twenty-four years since they were erected. The logs were intact in many places, and portions of the cheveaux de frize along that part of the line oc cupied by Vaughn’s Brigade were still lying around loose. The traverse m KENNESAW GAZEtiT?. from the right center of the regiment is, also, still intact. Places dug in the rear of the left of the regiment for sleep ing apartments, although partly filled with leaves and dirt, are plainly visi ble. Many of the trees about the hill have either been cut or withered, and a new growth of trees has come up. He found many minnie balls, some that had not been used and many that bad fulfilled their deadly mission. Mr. Virgil B. Channell owns the place and is speaking of clearing it off this fall so as to make it attractive and in teresting to visitors. The works are located on a hill that is too steep to be leveled. Mr. Robinson was the guest of Mr. John R. Ward, the County Surveyor, of Cobb County, who kindly surveyed the ground for him and furnished him every information necessary to his mission, and Mr. Robinson speaks in high terms of the reception accorded him by Mr. Ward and his family. — Nashville American. If you want to find a cool place, go to Cartersville, Ga», and ride out to the famous “Saltpetre Cave,” and go into it and spend as many hours as you desire. It has been explored for over a half a mile, and is probably much longer. The great “hall” inside is some one hundred and fifty or more feethigh, and quite wide. It is the “mammoth cave” of Georgia; and, like many other wonderful things, is reached only by the W. & A. R. R. Cavalry of the Confederacy. The cavalry of the Confederate States was different in its organization and character from any cavalry that has been seen in modern war. The infant ry regiments of the south possessed, though in less degree than those of the north, some nucleus of trained or par tially trained men in the various mili tia organizations. With the cavalry the case was different. The number of cavalrymen who on joining their com mands knew anything about cavalry tactics was extremely small. But on two essential points they needed no in struction ; all knew how to ride, and all were familiar with the use of their weapons. With the northern man it was, as a general rule, otherwise; he had nearly always to be taught how to shoot. Thus it happened that from the open ing of hostilities the southern trooper showed his superiority over his north ern opponent —a superiority which he maintained until the ceaseless attrition of war reduced the cavalry commands of the Confederacy to mere skeletons — actually as well as metaphorically — and enabled the northern horsemen to prevail by virture of overwhelming numbers, sufficient supplies and the training which they had acquired through years of campaigning, which had been, till near the close, generally disastrous to them. — New Orleans Times-Democrat. The towns in the beautiful and fa mous Chickamauga valley, are going to be the favorite resorts of the people of Chattanooga. The Western & At lantic Railroad runs ten passenger trains per day between Chattanooga and Dalton, thus accommodating the tastes of all as to hours for traveling. Think of it! To the top of Lookout Mountain in a palace car. If you go via the AV. & A. R. R. to Chatta nooga you can connect with the trains which run to the top of the grand and historic mountain, on whose summit, 2,400 feet above the sea are splendid hotels. The W. & A. does what it promises. Where to Spend the Summer. Are you going off for the summer ? If so, the Western & Atlantic Rail road offers you a string of splendid watering places and pleasant health resorts where you can find healthy cli mate, beautiful scenery, cultivated so ciety, pure water and other advant ages too numerous to mention. Marietta is conceded to be one of the prettiest summer resorts in the Southern States. Its hotel accommo dations are exceptionally fine. You can have your choice of the superb Whitlock House or the Kennesaw House or the tasty and well arranged boarding houses which are found in various parts of this beautiful city among the oak trees. The splendid drives, leading in various directions through the city, are very popular. The mineral springs at the foot of Kennesaw Mountain and the moun tain itself are every day sources of en joyment. Then if you desire to go farther up you can stop at Acworth where the term hospitality is descriptive of the people. Health, pure air and splen did water are here by a large majority. Cartersville, the center of the min ingregion of Georgia is beginning with considerable justice to herself to assume the position of a health and pleasure resort. The people in addi tion to showing you pretty scenery and giving you good diet can put you on track of more investments which will be to your profit than are to be found in any other little city in Geor gia. Then Dalton has long been known as a favorite place for people from the south and southeast to come to for the purpose of spending the summer. There are so'many places of interest around Dalton that we cannot take the space to mention them, and it will keep you busy hunting them ont. The far famed Catoosa Springs this year are being kept in splendid style. There are accommodations for several hundred people, and we venture the assertion that all who come will carry pleasant recollections with them when they are compelled by the lateness of the season to return home. Finally at the upper end of the Western & Atlantic Railroad we find hotels on the summit of Lookout Moun tain, and two railroads which lead from Chattanooga to the mountain top. Here 2,400 feet above the sea, the visi tor is not only fanned by splendid breezes but his eyes are feasted by some of the grandest and most inter esting scenery in America. Suppose you try it by beginning at Marietta and making the circuit clear to Chattanooga before the end of the season. We don’t charge anything for this advice, although it is worth a great deal to everybody who will take it. The Western & Atlantic is the only line in the South running four through passenger trains per day each way, from one terminal to the other. It, there fore, offers advantages over all other lines for tourists going from Atlanta to the north and northeast. 3
