Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-07-23
GEOGRAPHICAL:



of Fulton County, Georgia The inhabit-
ants of the surrounding plantations came
there for Justice and iUr trade Large
quantities of cotton and grain found here
either market or shipment for the sea-
ports. The people were active and indus
trious, and met with = merited growth in
wealth. a-.t
There are three railroads which termi-
nate at Atlanta-the Georgia road, con-
Meeting Atlanta with Augusta the Macon
and v estern road TO Macon, and the Wes-
tern and Atlantic road to Chattanooga,
Tenn. A few miles South of Atlanta
branches the Lagrange Railroad, connect
ing Atlanta with Nest point, on the
| Chattahoocbie river at the Alabam line,
ssYenty-tWo miles distant. By means OF
these railroads Atlanta in former times
was connected with all parts of the United
States, and until recently was the greatest
railroad point in the hands Of the enemy.
The city was laid out in ls45, and h us
| now become one of the most populous i'll
Georgia, In 1860 its population consist
ed of about twelve thousand resident in
habitants and since the war has increGs
cd almost double that number, the sur
plus being made upof government officials
and employees. The CITY contains Several
hotels, and some fine blocks OF buildings.
Since the war it has become an extensive
government depot and manufacturing cen
| ire. Here are located tho principal sP0Ps
0f-Cne rail- reads joining here; the most
extensive rolling mills in the South,
founderies and machine shops, pistol fac
tory shops for the manufacture Of mis-
eellaneous government article and two
laboratories. t a.- n.-.
THE GovEBNMENT WORKS AT ATLANTA.
OfSthese We viii give some details
| Many OF the works are owned by private
| individuals, but for the past two years
have been extensively engaged in supply
| ing the rebel government They are in
| consequence generally included under the
head of government works.
One mile below the passenger depot, and
on the west side of the Georgia railroad,
is situated the Atlanta rolling-nin. This
is the most extensive establishment of the
kind In the South. 1t was built in 1855,
and owned in 1868 by Sehoield i Mark
ham. 1t was at one time purchased by
the South Carolina Railrooad Company for
six hundred thousand dollars, exclusive Of
the negroes belonging to the mill, which
sold for au additional sum Of $4,000. The
mill has employed one hundred white
hands and like number OF negroes. 1t
is the only one III the South with accom-
modations for rolling railroad iron. Of
this work, however, it has done but little,
its fuu capacity being used in the manu-
facture OF gunboat plates; and so great
has been the demand for iron for that pur-
pose, that all unused rails from the differ
ent roads Of the South have been brought
here to be turned into armor for gunboats.
Even roads not part of chain OF commu-
nicattol- bss-r tysU important p01n -
have been torn up, and the iron appropTi-
ated to the purpose mentioned This mill
furnished the iron for the MeTrimac
Arkansas, the boats in Mobile bays
and in fact nearly all Of the iron boat
that the rebel government has ever built
have received plates from these works.
This fact alone rendered Atlanta 4 good
point for destruction. But its usefulness
rolling mill; following the railroad towards
the depot, and but short distance, Is
foundry and machine shQpfor the manu-
facture Of shot and shell exclusively. Fur
ther on, and On the same side OF the rail
road, is a pistol factory. Tins establish
jmept is owned by Spiller & Burr, and was
reconstructed in 1852. 1t is large build
ing, five stories high, and was formerly
used as q grist mill. 1t was built BY Rich
ard Peters, of Atlanta. The machinery
used for the purpose Of manufacturing pis-
tolls was removed from Holly Springs
shortly before its capture by our forces
This work has given employment to near
ly three hundred hands,
On tine other side of the railroad, near
the pistol factory, is a government arsenal.
This has been built since the waE, andhas
been in vigorous operation ever since, re-
pairing and making arms, building gun
carriages, and also has machine for roll
ing out sheet copper, for caps This estab-
'lishment employed about two hundred
hands. -1 a.. 1865
a short distance further up the railroad,
on the west side, are the machine shops,
round house, Sc, of the Georgia Railroad
and Banking Company. These works are
very extensive, and have done the repair
ingof engines and cars of the Macon road. |
Near the depot, on one Of the main |
streets Of the town, is the military store
house. Here large stock Of small arti-
oles used by the government are stored, and |
issued as ordered by the proper authorities. |
Three miles east of the city is the gov
eminent laboratory. Here were manufac-
tured percussion caps, Eliminating powder, |
fuses, alcohol chemicals, eteI In this /
were employed large num-
Der of both sexes and all ages and colors.
North of the depot are the machine shops |
and round house of the Western and At
lantio Railroad, and opposite is the Naval
Laboratory. Higher up and on the West
side Of the Railroad are Windship's foun-
dry and machine shops This establish
msnt has filed some Of the largest govern
ment contracts, aand kept in constant
large number ofhands. On
the other side of the Railroad are several
shops of different kinds, all recently en-
gaged in the nianufactue of supplies for the
rebel Government.
There are besides the works enumerated,
a large number Of pork packing and oil
also button factory
Many Of the buildings in the town were
used by the rebels for different purposes,
such as clothing, sbeey- artillery harness,
ETC., manufactures. s
THE OFFICER IN CHARGE.
Major NJ. d. Wright, of Nashville,
Tenn, had for some time had charge Of
the works at Atlanta, assisted by num-
Der Of subordinate officers, who exercised
an authority and severity over the en-
ployers of the shops which can only be
found inmen accustomed to the control Of
0thers.