Means of transportation: This item covers repairs made to park vehicles. iceable. Expense: This item covers miscellaneous work of all classes not otherwise classified. Field work: This item includes work in the forest, removing windfalls and dangerous trees, filling gullies with brush and rock, and hauling and spreading manure, and all work of like nature not otherwise accounted for. Inclosures and fencing: Includes all labor and material for building park fences. Trees and shrubbery: Includes all work done on account of reforesting park lands, including nursery work. Monuments, tablets, and towers: Includes all work done on account of maintenance and construction. Machinery. Covers pump repairs, repairs to road roller, and general machinery maintenance. Drainage: This item covers drainpipe for road construction (Lafayette road extension) and park ditches other than at roads. Bridges: This item covers reflooring bridges on the Ringgold road at Ringgold and Ellis Branch. Faving: This item covers the laying of standard paved guttering on road construction, and shows this paved guttering to cost 18.6 cents per linear foot, and includes all paved guttering larger than the standard cross section, of which there was at least 1,000 feet built during the term. The cost of this guttering per foot has steadily declined since the work was inaugurated as the men become more proficient in the work. MONUMENTS, TABLETS, AND TOWERS. Carnes's Tennessee Battery.-The monument to this battery was received, hauled to its site, southeast of the Brotherton house, and erected by our park force on a suitable foundation. South Carolina Memorial.-This memorial, as illustrated in Exhibit F, was erected, together with ten brigade and regimental markers, and dedicated May 27, 1901. A granolithic pavement 12 feet wide, with a granite curbing around the memorial, was built at the expense of the State. Battery C, First Ohio.-This monument at Poe field was raised 8 inches on its foundation, as it was in a low place, and was too low. Thirteenth Michigan.-This monument at Viniard's was raised 12 inches on its foundation, as it was too low. Neither of these monuments was taken down while this work was performed. Illinois Monument, Orchard Knob.-This monument, which is of the canopy type, developed several leaks, which were discoloring the stone. The canopy was carefully repointed, and no further leaks have developed. This work was done by the contractor for the State. Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania, Point Rock.-A copper plate, to serve as a watershed to this bronze tablet attached to Point Rock where dirty water from the top of the rock was discoloring the tablet, was provided and the trouble was corrected. King Monument.-The King shell monument in south end of Kelly field was taken down and removed to its proper location in the southeast corner of the same field and rebuilt. Battery A, First Ohio.-Two gun carriages, mounting two Napoleon guns, were erected on the west side of the Mullis field for this battery, on suitable foundations, with stone pedestals. Battery I, Fourth_Artillery.-Rodney's section of tais battery, located at the Reed's Bridge tower, was removed one-fourth mile east and erected on a suitable foundation south of the Reed's Bridge road, where it was in action. New York Memorial.-Ten yards of foundation stone suitable for this monument have been reserved and set aside in the Weathers quarry, while quarrying stone for other works. Shell markers.-Four bases to shell markers for the corps headquarters of Longstreet, Buckner, Hill, and Hood have been quarried and cut ready to be erected as soon as locations are determined. Wilder monument.-Plans and details have been partially completed for a metallic staircase with metallic landings, and the work was suspended during the absence of the engineer at the Vicksburg National Military Park. Tablets, Illinois.-All of the tablets on the Illinois monuments that were placed in position after monuments were erected have been cleaned and treated with a chemical coloring solution. Fourth Michigan.-The tablet of this monument became discolored from some cause unknown, and was thoroughly cleaned and treated with a chemical coloring solution. Tablets.-Corrections of clerical errors have been made on a number of historical tablets erected in the field. As these tablets were at widely scattered points, alterations were made in the field. Towers. The contract for painting the five observation towers has not been placed, as it is rather early in the season, and this will be done in the fall. Tower directory.-One hundred and thirty brass stencils have been purchased, and a directory showing distance and direction to points of interest from each of the five observation towers has been stenciled on each cornice, at the observatory platform. Flagstaff. A flagstaff, made of heart pine, in one piece, 65 feet in length, has been made and erected on the highest point at the Sherman reservation, near the site of the Trueblood house. This was fitted up complete with top block and with a 12-inch copper gilded sphere, and the flag is taken care of by the park workman living at this reservation. DEEDS AND RIGHTS OF WAY. Jay's Mill road.-A deed covering a small tract of land at the junètion of the Jay's Mill and Reed's Bridge roads, for right of way purposes, has been obtained from Mr. J. R. Peters by donation. As this road junction was just outside of the park boundary, the matter of fencing was very much complicated. This complication was removed by the acquirement of the land mentioned. Reed's Bridge road.-On the Reed's Bridge road, where it runs through a corner of lot No. 123, a right of way 50 feet wide has been donated by Mr. J. B. Beaver. Both of these deeds have been recorded. The portion of the Reed's Bridge road lying between the road running from Cloud Springs and the Lafayette road was built entirely on park land, but hardly far enough south of the park boundary line to properly maintain the road. Deeds have been drawn covering a strip 10 feet wide for the right of way of this road on the north side, and persistent effort has been made to obtain the signatures of the abutting property owners to them. Nothing has been accomplished to date, and the matter has been referred to the board of roads and revenues of Catoosa County, with a request that they put the United States in possession of this right of way, which is so necessary for the maintenance of the road. This board is now working to accomplish that end. Lafayette road.-Between the north line of the park and Rossville there is only a right of way of 30 feet. No lands have been given by the abutting property owners to make the right of way sufficiently wide to meet the requirements of road maintenance. Deeds have been prepared covering this extra width between the points mentioned for a strip of land 10 feet wide on each side; and while nearly all of the owners have been seen, only 7,395 linear feet of this right of way has been obtained to date, although I am confident that some more can be obtained by persistent effort. Many of the property owners appear to feel that they have the road which the Government has built and is maintaining, and they need not concern themselves further. Of course this is not a proper view to take of the situation, particularly so when it is practically impossible in many places to pave the side gutters where it is very necessary, on account of the insufficient right of way; and they may realize this some day when their opportunity to be liberal may have passed. Gap and crest.-The deed obtained from Messrs. Rice and Corbley for right of way through their farm adjoining the Lafayette road, obtained in 1895, has been registered, as there were no interferences. Glass Mill road. The right-of-way deeds of this road between Crawfish Springs and Glass Mill on the Chickamauga have been prepared and are now in the hands of the abutting property owners for execution. When these deeds are duly executed the road construction will be ordered. Lafayette road extension.-On the Lafayette road extension there were five properties where the owners would not sign the right-of-way deeds. After the failure of our negotiations the matter was turned over to the Walker County authorities, who appropriated $500 and purchased this extra strip of right of way. As the only record of these transactions was in the form of county-treasurer vouchers, the precaution was taken to have these parties all sign deeds en practically the same form as were used where lands were donated, but with some modifications covering the altered conditions, that these transactions might be made a matter of record. These deeds were obtained, and have been recorded. GENERAL REMARKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. In the matter of the junk dealers, Messrs. Cohen & Cupperman, who were charged with having received and disposed of the bronze mountain howitzers stolen from Chickamauga Park, and for whom warrants were issued October, 1900, after the thieves who stole the guns were convicted and sent to the penitentiary, no returns on these warrants have been made and nothing has been heard of the matter, notwithstanding persistent inquiry was made at the office of the deputy marshal, Mr. Brown, located in this building, and I have never been able to obtain the status of this case. Roving stock to the number of 3,969 have been driven at stated. intervals off of the park. These were largely neighborhood cattle, as no branded cattle were observed among them. The work of fencing has progressed and some temporary fence was built on the western boundary near the railroad to stop some gaps, but there has been no appreciable diminution of the stock nuisance. The hogs have been particularly troublesome, as large areas of fine turf have been rooted up and many tablets smeared, and some tablets were rooted off of their stands. There is very little cooperation by adjoining landowners in this matter, and, on the contrary, considerable bad feeling has been engendered by driving this stock, although no abuse of the stock was permitted. This work has been continued regularly. With your approval, some park workmen (laborers), on account of continuous and faithful service, have been given a small increase in their per diem pay. These were principally men on permanent road maintenance, and pavers. In compliance with your orders of date April 24, 1901, in which your engineer was directed to proceed to Vicksburg for the purpose of making a thorough and careful examination of the Vicksburg National Military Park, and submitting to the Secretary of War a detailed estimate of the cost of a topographical survey of the park area, with the necessary map work necessary therewith, this park was visited April 30, 1901, and a report was submitted, as directed, on May 15, 1901. On June 15 your engineer was directed to proceed to Vicksburg for the purpose of inaugurating the work connected with the topographical survey of the Vicksburg National Military Park, and supplemental instructions were contained in a letter of June 15 to the acting chairman of the Vicksburg National Military Park Commission, directing me to confer with the Vicksburg Park Commissioners as to the entire road system of that park. These orders were complied with promptly on June 26. The matters relative to the road system were first taken up and a written report was made to their commission, which embodied the views which I held concerning the matters under consideration. The matters pertaining to the topographical survey were pushed, men and material were assembled, the work started, and is now under way. No fires have been started in the park for the purpose of burning the leaves and underbrush, and some fires by sparks from the railroad and by careless visitors were extinguished. Dedication ceremonies.-The exercises of the South Carolina commissions dedicating that memorial and markers was held at the monument site on Snodgrass Hill on May 27, 1901. A rostrum seating 350 people was provided and seats for 500 in the audience were provided. Great interest was manifested by the citizens of South Carolina in the affair, and a large delegation of citizens accompanied by a regiment of State troops were present. On October 9, 10, and 11, 1900, the park was inspected by a large number of veterans of all armies. Printed blank forms were provided upon which to record any inaccuracies of statement on monuments and tablets relative to the battle. As this matter has been thoroughly covered in report of your commission for 1900, no further mention of it will be made. On October 15, 16, and 17, 1900, Lieut. Col. Charles H. Heyl, inspector-general, inspected the park in all its details. All methods and accounts were thoroughly investigated, and the entire road system, covering at that time at least 60 miles of roadways, was traversed. As the Lafayette road extension was then under construction, all processes of road-construction methods were observed. These covered the road in the condition it was received from the State and county on through the various stages to the completed thoroughfare. A financial statement of park accounts covering a period of five years prior to September 30, 1900, was rendered in detailed exhibits. Exhibits accompanying report are as follows: Exhibit A.-Maintenance buildings. Exhibit B.-Maintenance roads, monuments, tablets, and towers. |