.Iitnuiiry H7, 11)01.
Till': ILLUSTltATIil) 151013.
Where Iowa Troops
Fought at Vicksburg
After n long period of parley and pro
llmlimry surveys the roal task lias now bo
gun of restoring to the Vicksburg hills their
martial adornments of butteries ami breast
works, worn during tlie city's Investment.
The commissioners liavo signed the Willi of
tho 111 deeds necessary to convey the 1.231
ncres Intended for the great national park.
Surveyors are now laying out the long
scull-circular roadway marking the Inner
lint! of the confederate works, and with Its
completion the whole reserve will he easily
accessible.
At this time ninny of tho spots where
deeds were done are fenced In and culti
vated, or, on the union side, lie on isolated
summits not to he reached liy ordinary en
deavor. The confederates, having the llrst
choice, placed their Hue along n continuous
range of hills surrounding Vicksburg In a
half circle. Por some distance of the nine
miles an outer parallel range olfcrod a
crest for the federal line, an Ideal position
for opposing forces. l'"or tho rest, however,
tho union men planted their guns on such
elevations as happened to occur In tho
south half of tho formation.
It was tho government's purpose to sccur
CEMKT12UY AT
the i rests of tho hills and whatever locality
In the great ravine between had wintered
sorties or assaults. To do this the national
commission, Lieutenant (ieneral Stephen I).
Lee of Mississippi, Captain William T.
Klgby of Iowa and Captain James (i. Everest
of Illinois, were empowered to appraise nnd
condemn property whenever ordinary nego
tiations failed. The commissioners are
much gratified with the outcome, as no ex
treme measures were necessary.
I I I ii - of Mce Opci-nt Iiiiin.
When tho park is llnally complete, a mat
ter of years, depending upon the liberality
of congress, it will possess a unique dis
tinctive feature not nsplied to by the other
great reserves at (iettysburg, Chlckn
inauga, Shlloh and Antletam. The park
will give a picture of siege operations -urli
as look place nowhere else during the war.
Itichmoud was also a beleaguered city, but
tho Investment was at no time complete,
while at Vicksburg theio was no chance to
withdraw. Kvery gun or Its like In mako
and pattern will be restored to Its mooring
in that bloody half-circle. Kvery earthwork
and roadway will stand again as In May,
1803. It will be tho living panorama of one
of the greatest sieges of modern warfare.
Whether the large squad of men now at
work clearing away brush and laying out
the inner roadway will continue at their
tr.sk during the winter depends upon the
action of the present congress. Assistant
I 'ark Knglneer (1. ('. Ilnyden has mado the
complete surveys necessary for the manual
labor, but will be unable to keep his men
nt work more than a few weeks longer
under the present appropriations.
The original bill carried with It $t",noo,
an additional $8.1,000 being sot aside by the
last congress. These sums were adequate
only for the preliminary work. While nn
additional appropriation this winter is
virtually assured the commissioners have
some uneasiness icsi uie pans may uu
,,!.. I'll IIW'I' IILMI1IV 111 lll IIIII'I-V III II H HI I
The commissioners nave been greatly as
aifin in iiu.ir wiii-K nv ii ii i"i?n I I nils nil
illl'eu iy nit) ii'Kisiui 111 e u .Mtiarmi-iiu-
i 11... i i .. i . . .. ni.
1 1 r Ilhodo Island, Ohio. Iowa and Mis
tlons held by their state troops. Theso co
operative commissions have usually con
tallied one member from each slat'' reglnu n'
engaged who nre able to put thel'' fingers
on the desired spots from a personal know I
edgo of tho same.
Tho Iowa commissioners have completed
their Inspection of ihe Vicksburg surround
lugs within tho Inst month. They have bei u
ablo to locato the positions occupied by
tho Twenty-eighth Iowa Infantry regiment
tho two cavalry regiments and tho two bat
teries of artillery engaged In tho slogo
Although tho Iowa commission has not
nnnouneed Its plans Its Informnl preference
Is for ono monument for onch of tho thirty
two regimenta onsaged located nt their re-
speetlve posts and one more pretention
memorial, whleh the state's generosity li.it.
made possible, to sigiiult.c the achlee
nients of all the Invvnns In the action. The
larger monument will either he along the
line of tjiilnliy's division of Hnotnorw
brigade this point Is directly east of tlu'
city, where Iowa regiments were central
ized or In the position of C'arr's division
of Luvvlor's brigade.
io( Itleli In Historic lntci-ct.
hauler's brigade was located In a less
accessible spot, but one rich In historic In
terest. Over tin' old east and west triuk
up the "railroad redoubt," the union troops
made the only assault of the siege whhh
succeeded III Ineakllig the confederate lllii
It Is a curious coincidence that the com
mand of Captain Itlgby of the pail; com
mission was engaged In this vicinity while
directly opposed to him on the confederate
lino was the force of Lieutenant (icncral
Stephen 1). l.ee of Mississippi, who Is now
co-operating witli hint on (lie samo board
In the restoration of the site.
Tho Massachusetts commissioners havo
also visited Viiksliurg ami have ascertained
MUM PHIS, Tcnn,
the important hut In., loitnpkuuus posi
tion of their troops Mu.is,u liuse its had no
place in the investment line, as Us regi
ments had been assembled elsewhere by
Ciraut to prevent any Interruption from the
outside. They faced away from Ihe city,
the Hue extending from llnyncs' blult on the
north to the railroad crossing on the llig
Illack river on the south. This territory
could not bo Included In the park, and after
consideration the Massachusetts commis
sioners decided to erect a single monument
In honor of their three Infantry regiments
In tho action, the site to bo at Grant's
headquarter:, live miles northwest of tho
city. 'I hey havo 115.000 nt their disposal for
tho purpose.
In all similar cases to Massachusetts,
where there were no troops actually In the
investmen Hue, the commissioners will
seek to induce tho states to erect their
memorials at tho commanding general's
quarters. Tho othor states which tho com
missioners rely upon most confidently for
co-operativ action are, first of all, Illinois,
which led In point of numbers, with fifty
two foot, ten horso regiments nnd
fifteen artillery batteries engnged; Ohio,
with twenty-six fcot,- ono horse regiment
and eleven batteries; Indiana, with twenty
four foot, two horso regiments and two lint-
KAILUOMl
MAY :
ItKDOl HT
12 1M13.
PHO.M NOItTII OP
Liimimvrj LirTKi?i
hoisp, NHAit vit Ksiii in;
" ON JACKSON UOAD. AT
lerles; Missouri, with fifteen foot, three
horso regiments and seven batteries, and
Wisconsin, with fifteen fool regiments, olio
horso icgliueiit al'd three battel icb. Tho
eastern states will also make a showirg,
although It was the great uoiihwcsi which
boiu the brunt before Vicksburg. Several
of thu tlulcs named will havo icprcscnl
ullvca at the ucM meeting ot the park com
mission In April. The .Mississippi board
will certainly be picsctil al thai time.
According to the plans of tho park en
gineering corps, the not ih entrance to tho
park Is Iwo miles above Vicksburg, opposite
tho great triumphal arch ol the national
lemotery, probably the mosl striking and
ptcltirctsquo ut national reserves. The ac
companying view, showing the crests of the
lulls purchased, opens as one rem lies the
eeniciery gate. The gorge is worthy of a
place among the Colorado i anions.
Tho parallel ranges extend in an uiibiokeli
lino for iwo and one-hull mllis wosiw.ud
i he inner bell then turning directly boiub
Ihe only Interruptions In all the nine unlet,
are al Glass' ami Stout's Imjous, uhowiiii.
tho Ideal position lor defense held by tlu
southern forces.
Old slilrlej lluiiNf.
All of the historic upots will be given dm
prominence, and the couimissloiicrs already
havo several ot the none important in hand
They are now awaiting ihe appiov.il of the
War department before restoring to its
lortner btiiuiichnoss the old Shirley house,
belter known In federal ollleial reports an
"the white house," bemuse Its color
made of It a shilling mark. The dwelling
was within the federal Hues for a time
and again stood directly between the con
tending forces, so that 11 was badly shal
lot cil by solid shot and Is now m an ad
vanced stage of decay. To reach other biich
points ol Interest as this numerous brum lies
will radiate fium the main avenue within
tho confederate works. All the roads tised
during tho siege will be lestured ami the
total mileage within the park limits will
aggregate twenty-six ami six-tenths.
As a peaceful climax to the contentious
scenes about the hills uuu comes upon the
graves of lii,73ti union soldiers overlooking
Lako Centennial. Mosl of llieiii mado their
last light, around Vicksburg, ami the bodies
of only 1,0 10, less than a fourth, wero
identified. The small while tablets stud Hut
steep hillside to the summit. The peak Is
crowned by tho remnant of tho llraut
I'embertou moiiiimeiii rescued from relic
hunters al the scene of thu surrender and
brought under tho eye of tho siiperlmeude it.
Thu stone Is chipped and scarred until 11
hears the aipearanco of having gone
through the siege. Krom Die monument the
view extends for tulles along the heavily
wooded shore of tho Mississippi, with Lake
Centennial, a mammoth horseshoe, In the
foreground. It Is the finest prospect in the
valley.
So precipitous Is thu hillside that of the
sixty-live acres In the tract twenty-live have
been lost in the terraces. The landscape
gardening has been uf the best, and the
hillslilti hem s semblance to an heroic am -
iv. ,-XXZ -rx..
ItAILHOAIl SHOW IN(! THK SLOI'IC I I' W
SlilKLPY
IIOUSP,
t ' 1
known to i'i:iu:it ls s Tin: wiiitp.
1'OINT OP UUNKKAL LOOAN'S ATTACK
phltheater, the marble slabs act lug as sub
stltutes fo living auditors.
The superintendent of the eeineter.v liai
recently lompleted n catalogue of Un
known det d. Hitherto no slate has known
Its repre.ieutallon, as through some error
the hoilles were Interred as they arrived,
promiscuously, with no regard for tegt-
meut. The known dead nre from each state In
LOOKINU NOUT11 AMI KAST KKO.M
as follows Illinois, ST'i, Ohio, e.3.r, In
diana, I IS, Iowa, :t'.i7, regular army, -'.'I.
Missouri, 2F.2, Kentucky, 71, Michigan. CI.
Mississippi Marine brigade, t;.; New York.
ID; Minnesota, 31); Tennessee, 10; Virginia.
22; Kansas, Hi, l'ennsyl vnala, Hi; New
llaiupshiie, II; Massachusetts, 8; Louisiana,
; Khodo Island, Ii; Now Jersey, 3; Maine,
2; Vermont, 1.
,tl -in ili Ih Itiirlnl I'liice l) 'i'liiitl.'il,
Tho great burial place of I lie rank ami file
near Memphis, Tcnn., has been rather over
looked In the lev I veil interest taken by
Craud Army posts in tin- national cemetery
tttcrves. Theie 11,012 light lug men lie
burled, scarcely a commissioned olllcer
among them all, the name of only a major
heading the list. II Is, perhap.i, on Ihlsac
ccunl thai while funds have been set aside
lor state monuments at Vieksburg, Chlcku
mauga and elsewhere no nioie pretentious
memorial than tho small tablets set by the
government Is found at Memphis. The re
servo appears exactly ;ih II was laid out b
oritur of congress Ihlrty-threo years ago.
Hut the sht'do of no man resting there
Hffl
Mlf'll Till: IOW A TIlOOI'S ( II MtliKu
1
would feel shame I t ihe .pot whlih hold
Its substance The gioutids seem In con
slant readiness tor u du of Inspection.
iIioukIi even unotlh-tnl guests are rare, aa
tho reserve lien ten tulles from tho ;!;
Tho ceinetery's ioh adornments are n scor.
of captured ronfenlcrnto cannon, east In Iron
In tho old fashion.
Superintendent Mitchell Ih conscious thai
the gtouuds have n bare appearance In spite
of their fitting Idea l Ion In a brake of
cv press, mourning symbol of the older
Itoiuans.
"Tlieto are t.ltm men of Illinois littitc.i
heie," he said, "and l.onn from forty seven
Iowa tegtmelils Their bodies were gathered
nil along ihe east bank of the MIsMh-slppI
fiom I'ailuctih. K'v., to Helena, Ark. Then
'In re are rani from New York, Ohl.i and Mis
sour!, with other sections i epresetil lug everv
statu in the union. Pvcli'thc spaisely set
tled (ertltory of Nebraska was given a plot
with eight giaves. In the Vicksburg teserve
the H'., (Mm bodies were burled ItidlKcilinl
nalely as they came, but heie euro was
taken to give each stale Its own space Ii
would lie easy, therefore, for any stale to
slKualt.e the service of Its sous, nnd, while
Hi) position picvctits mo fiom taking the
initiative, I would go to any length to assist
In such a movement."
Superintendent Mitchell was himself one
of tho sluidlest and mosl untiring of those
who iilisweieil Lincoln's 111 Ht cull. Piom
tho 11 1 Ht shot of the war Mr. Mitchell solved
the Plisl and Third New .lot soy until
o.i I'oItT HILL. NKU irKKlll ltd
IMiO, when Hie need u.e. nvir lie miiis.d
none of the gicat Sbeiialidoah valley ell
gagelueiils and was wound, d at (icttyHhtlig
and Williamsburg.
i'or a iiunilier of years Mr. Mitchell was
in chuigc of the battleground cemetery al
Washington and was transferied to Mem
phis tour years ago. Ills lodge at the come
tery is sei iii a rich foliage of oleander,
evergreens and lOnglisli Ivy. Iliirdy roses
and astois ale blooming in piolusion about
the place al Chrlsimas lime. Theie Is a
I'luinlilleld crew of grandchildren, even to
the twins. In add human Interest, but In
spite of tills lively presence the lodge loses
none of Us picturesque charm.
IIIHi'I'lii'MN til' Old IIii.vn I.iihIiiu Stlim.
Tint cemetery, while still a lonely spot,
lias come Into more distinction with the
countryside as a point of interest since a
common enemy confronted tho north nnd
south. While Memphis' still bears no llow
ers to the cemetery on Decoration day,
directing Its elfoils rather to the erection
of a monument to (Ieneral Forrest, tho oily
feids a hi 1 1-1 1 more kindly Interest in the
federal dead. One seldom hears now, In
tho common manner before tho Spanish
war, the contemptuous reference to the
cemetery as "a graveyard for niggers and
mules." The term was unco applied ho
cnuso of the presence of the negro victims
of tho Port Pillow massacre. Tho bitter
ness of tho old days Is losing Its sting, and
now when the lodgekeeper ami Ills "crew"
run down tho colors at sunset It Is to usher
out an almost Invariable company of guests
Little attention has been drawn to the
Memphis cemetery ami It Is not appreciated
that only four outrank It In number of
dead of nil the eighty three government re
serves. There are moie graves tit Arling
ton, Prederlcksbtirg, Vli ksburg ami Nash
ville, though the inherence is not Important.
At Arlington, with Its hundreds of famous
names Inscribed on splendid tnoinorlals,
there tiro only l,.'ll!i unknown bodies among
the dead, and the headpieces over 11.011
graves bear tho names of the bodies there
Interred. The dead at Memphis, gathered
as they lay on a score of battlefields along
tho river, were Identified hut one in three.
Only fi, l.'.ii tabids hear the soldiers' names
above the regimental numbers, tho Hat
iuIhs having reference simply to tho bat
tleground being far In the majority.
SU'c th metery's establishment In
1M17 bodies of
federal soldiers havo been
auiiiii n il ami a
few laken awav. Hnmnvnls
il'i' Infrequent
however, for I ho families
Hid friends concerned feel
that every sorv-
be and distinction Will be
pa hi their
lean wniio the government stands, and that
i hey muv well rest where they be in good
'""'Paliy WILL II. WKLSIIANS,
