'twas Thirty Years Ago

Thousaiuls of the survivors oL the annies who fougbt in the hills and valleva aboal Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain have not had an opportunity td visit the localitiea sime the war. To these, niy comrades I write this letter. The true soldier is ahvays a lover of beantiful scenery, and where in all the world's battlefields can be found sucfa .smiling valleys, sloping hills and rugged mountains? 'Twaa thirty yeara ago. The army of the Cnmberland formed its battle linea just outside the village oí Chattanooga, turning iis back apon the town, whose niain DUSineBS strect was B streak of mud tlanked either side with one and tWO Storied frame houscs, wln.se nnly sign of elieer was that over the door of one - "Tipplinjj Grocery." If there was a white man in the town aside iriini uur soldiers between the ag B of 14 and 86, he must have lieen in the jail, a large briek buiding near the Tipplinj: Grocery. All the rest of the town was huilt at randoni, as if the architect had dropped the buildings from the clouds mi a windy day. I think 1 nin jastified in sayiti:; that the Annv óf the Cuinbêrland had do love tor ühattanooga then, bat remained tliere because they could not get away - gome are tliere yet. The Story of the, muy is an oft t I 1 tale, to which chapters will be added in years to come. The story of Chattanooga is vet tu be writteu. 'I'hi' Straggliug hamlet of war days has become a city. t rails along tiie valleya and mounUdn eidea have grown tn avenues and paved streets, along liicli, as ii ly magie, have grown palaces of granite md ïuarble. The small wiimlcn atructures, behind wbich shelter was sought trom the pitiless rain of sliot and Bhell from Lookout's crest, nave vanisbed Erom sigfat it not from memory, and tliere novv are the great brick palaees of trade. The Tippling Grocery has been crowded out of the line and tippling is no longer the occupatioD of the town. Wliere once was the auction block that sent families adrift is nou ihe savings bank, the laboríos man's "liarbor of refuge." Wliere ouce were your camps, where were your forte ainl rifle pits, even where were your skirmish lines and and picket posta are now schools, chumbee "'and bornes. Hundreds of bornea and thousands of beautiful rep now piess tlie sloping sules of Mission Ridge where once upou a day Sheridan's boys in platoons and eompaniea gave ap their lives for their country. As I stood at the foot of Orchard Knul) only clusters of llouers bid deflance where, at that other time, we stared in cannons' moutha. Maybé 'tis lht soldiere' blood that makes tíie roses opon the hillside so red. Maybe'tisthe chrysanthemums, white aa fleecy snow, that cause thrilla In one'a body, and maybe 'lis the Bunlight that briügs tears to eyea growing dim with age. Hit' city nou exteuds to Lookout Mountain. Beaotiful homes now adorn li" mouutain si. les where Hooker'e men fouglit. "Diil Hooker'a men climb tip this rocky sippe?" asked a womau ín my hearing, "Well, it they did, no wonder so iiKiny died. hy didii't they come up on the care?" Fightina Joe Booker'a men were in a hurry and couldn't wait for the cars. Two lincs now compete for the travelera and Bight-seers, as wel) as summer dente who seek thia resort of invalida and touriste. There ia little doubt but the old craga of Lookouf l'niiit will soon become a part of the great National park at Cliattanooga anti Chickamauga. Krom tliis point Jeflerson Davis looked down upon the armies hemmed in by mountains, rivera and lines of bayoneta. Now one looks down upon rich fertile valleys, upon farms and iactories. Here 011 clear davs seven states are seen. Tennessee, Xorth Carolina and South Carolina on the east, Virginia in the far northeast, Kentucky uorth and Georgia south and Alabamá southeast. In the autumu sun the river looks like a silver thread, spun by the hand of God on a field of golden cloth. Out upou the plain in the valley, above the tall tree tops in the sunlight, waves the nation's emblem, the glorious flag, that led uiers to victory. Now it is standing gaard o'er the graves of thirteeu thousand soldiers whose deeds furïiish inspiration to everv loyal American. Away through the valley is another cemetery where iu forgotten graves rest bondredfl of brave soldiers who did not wear the blue. Tliere waves no ttag. Bnrely Chattanooga and its surroundiiifjs are eostnopolit&n. Tlie merchants, nianufaeturers and fanuera nungle, representing all the states of tli l ilion. The bronze button of the (j. A. i. walks ana in arm with the confedérate veteran. Kowheré in all the world will the Btranger receive warmer hospitahty. Tlie latchstring of every home nanga outeide. A northernman will flnd many stfange sighte ín anv sonthern city, anii ChattaQooga ís no exception. ■' I met up with liim " on the busiest street 111 the city. llis was an ideal face one tliat reflected honesty and gentleness. Long, yellow curls of golden hftir matted and damp; a blonde, droopim moustache; soft liat, red ribbon tie" high top boots- 8urely a typical cavalryman oí John Morgan's bañd. Dpon either hip rested the end of a six-iuot pole, not unlike two flag Btaffs. Upon the upper end of each. with tina i unís iici last, were possums,haii:ni" head down, each one trying to reacb and bite the hands that held them aloft. How niuch for the possums?" some one Bfiked. "Filty cents lor the i)air, Bah. Tlii'v are right likely possums Bah. I done shuck tliem down froui a simmon tree last night, and tliev aro povverful fat." Tramping tlie woods all night with a 1H1(K Cl f I II il 1 ti i 1 u llwin il. . .1 ,..,v .v ví jviiuuo, uii'll opellUIUg tile UllV uu the .street for flfty cents ! Bat U's hard times in Dixie. Everything is gomg wrong; money's scarce and faces long. Hiat's the burden of ther song lts hard times in Dixie. But there is lots of fun liuuting possums. Tiie old rusty story of the minister, the boy and the woodchuck suits the present time. The stories of the war find Rvor rOa,u, listenere. New ones are told by the camp-fires every night. Tliis one is new to me, but so 'tis said that awayto the right on the field of J'.!!'ííma"8a'on he 19th of September, 1863, the Second Michigan cavalry were engaged in a running fight. The enemv vvere on the south sido of the river, our boys trying to keep them there. General Joe Wheeler, with liis "Vritter backs," forced a crossing at Glass' mili. Two cmipunios of theSecond, in advance apon the road, occupied a (trove of trees uponaknoll néara log farm1kiu.sc, tli:it beoam tago( for the opposing batteries, shelis going throngli ihc gable enda until oo gables were lert. it is saia now tiuit one ol the MichiganIers. in searching for a safe place to shooi ii'ipin, ciitcrt'cl the house, discover ing :i mother and two-days-old baby. Bverything in the house was standing n end bul mother and child. Broken crockery, dried pumpkint, red peppers and other medical supplies were in barmonious ((infusión Bbont the room. EJurrying out, dodging from tree to tree to escape the flyinc carbine shots of the enemy, he informed bis commadins officer of his discoverv. Boon a piece ií white cloth t'astcncd to a stick waved from tlip skinaiah line- a fia of truce. The firing ceased and a Confedérate officer advanced to our lincs. The blue and the gray entered the honse together. The niiitlier and cliild, witli the latter's wardrobe, were taken out of the ruina and conveyed to a place of safety. Then the truce wan off and the battle went on. The scars upon the log bouae have Dot healed. Time lias not replaced all the liin;lea. The house is nou occupied hy a colored brother and u great variety of hildren. " Uncle Toby, did caonon baila make those holes?'1 "Sartin.sah, ' hey did." "Well, uncle, winter is 1 ng on now; whv don't you flxtheml up?" "Sho nuff, kunnel, de ole oonian. she tuck straw in detu holes. Sonie day [se gwine to put glass in dem opening. oio massa sav before dia. ñam i,,,i,. let edicastran in the house. Since that time [se occupying myself shucking out grub for dem chilluiig. Beems like they liever git filled uj), dey dat hungry every l;iy." Chattaaooga has had i wonderfu] growth sime the v;ir. a bealthy building up of a great manufacturing i-ity. It had iis "lioi.ni days" also, ui farms up aad down the' river for miles were piatted i rito town Iota and manofacturing sites. X(,w niaiiy of these ambitious town Iota bave been reannexed to the farm, like a country girl taken home trom the city. Ii was to one of these riverside additions a Michigan man was laken to make tn investment. The dealer was accompanied by his colored coachman. The :apitalisl said tq the colored man, 'Bob, does thia land overflow in the spring 7 "No, sii', 'd 1 t don't, boas. Tlie ' nver never gets out of tbe banks here. I knowthis river all my life, and it never overflow8." "Now, Bob, are yóu telling the tnitli ?" '1 swear [ s, salí." "Bob, do yon belong to the clmrch?" "Cose I is, boas, [se a Mefodis, sah." "That's right, Bob; I ain a Methodist ai.su, aiici i kiiow you will be honest witli t brother in the cliurch. Now, teil me the truth." Uob seratched liis head a moment, then pointiug to the trees that bordeied the nver bajiks, said, "Bosa, dq you see that drift wood up there in the trees about iifteen feet hij;h? Well, howvou reckon hit got thar?"