The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-12-27
AS LEFT BY THE ENEMY.
ATLANTA, GA, December 7. 1864.

O AhAN1A AS LEFT By THE NEMY. /.
ATLANTA, GA, December T. 1864.
u" HIS ErceQency, Joseph E. Bro,cn, Gocernor
Of Georgia:
In obedience to orders of November 25, TO in
spect the State property in Atlanta. and the city
itself, and protect the same, have the honor to
make the following report:
The property of the State was destroyed by fire,
yet vast deal of valuable materials remains in
the ruins. Three -fourtbs of the bricks are good,
and will be suitable for rebuilding, if placed under
shelter before freezing weather. There is q guam
tty of brass in the journals of burned cars and in
the ruins OF the various machinery of the extensive
railroad shops; also, a valuable amount of copper
from the gutter'ng of the State depot, the flue
pipes of destroyed engines stop cocks of machine
'ry, &C., &c. The ear wheels that were uninjured
by fire were rendered useless by breaking the fan
ges. In short, every species of machinery that
was not destroyed by FIRE was most ingeniously
broken aud make worthless in its original form
the large steam boilers, the switches, the frogs,
&c. Nothing has escaped. The fire engines, ex-
cept Tallaluh No. 3, were sent Moth. Tallaluh
has been overhauled and new fire company or.
ganized Nos. and FIRE engine houses were
saved. All the city pumps were destroyed, except
one on Marietta street. The car shed, the depots,
machine shops, foundries, rolling mills, merchant
mills, arsenals, laboratory, armory, &c, were all
burned.
All business houses, except those on Alabama
street, commencing with the Gate City Hotel, run
ming East to Lloyd street, were burned. All the
hotels, except the Gate City, were burned. By
referring to my map, you will find about four hun
dred houses standing. The enemy have destroy
ed from four to five thousand houses. Two-thirds
of the shade trees in the Park and city, and of the
timber in the suburbs have been destroyed. The
suburbs present to the eye one vast naked, ruined,
deserted camp. The Masonic Hall is rot burned,
though the cornerstone is badly Scared by some
thief, who would have robbed it of its treasure but
for the timely interference of some mystic broth.
er
The City Hall is damaged but not burned The
Second Baptist, Second Presbyterian, Trinity and
Catholic Churches and all the residences adjacent
between Mitchell and Peter streets running South
of East and Lloyd aud Washington streets run
ming South of West safe, all attributed to Fail
or ORiey, who refused to give up his parsonage
to Yankee officers, who were looking out fine
houses for quarters, and there being a large num-
Der Of Catholics in the Yankee army, who volun-
teered to protect their church and parsonage, and
would not allow any houses a'jacent to be fired
that would endanger them AS proof Of their
attachment to their church aud love for Father
O'Riley, soldier who attempted to fire Colonel
Calhoun's house, the burning Of which would have
endangered the whole block, was shot aud killed,
and bis grave is now marked. So, to Father
O'Riley the country is indebted for the protection
of the City Hall, churches, &c.
DR. Quintard's, Protestant Methodist, Christian
and African Churches were destroyed. All other
churches were saved. The Medical College was
saved by DR. D'Alvigny, who was left in charge of
our wounded. The Female College was torn down
for the purpose of obtaining the brick with which
to construct winter quarters. All institutions of
learning were destroyed Could have arrived
ten days earlier, with guard of one hundred men,
l could have saved the State aud city million Of
dollars.
There were about two hundred and fifty wagons
in the city on my arrival, loading with piftred
plunder, pianos, mirrors, furniture Of all kinds,
iron, hides without number, and incalcuable
amount of other things very valuable at the pre-
sent time. This expectation Of stolen property
had been going on ever since the place had been
abandoned by the enemy Bushwhackers, robbers
and deserters, and citizens from the surrounding
country for distance of fifty miles have been en-
gagged in this dirty work.
Many of the finest houses mysteriously left un-
burned, are filed with the finest furniture carpets
pianos mirrors, &c, and occupied by parties who,
six months ago, lived in humble style About
fifty families remained during the occupancy Of
the city by the enemy, and about the same num-
Der have returned since its abandonment From
two to three thousand dead carcasses Of animals
remain in the city limits.
Horses were turned loose in the cemetery to
Craze upon the grass and shrubbery. The orna-
ments of graves, such as marble lambs, miniature
souvenirs of departed little ones are bro
ken and scattered abroad. The crowning act Of
all their wickedness and villainy was committed by
our ungodly foe in removing the dead from the
vaults 10 the cemetery and robbing the collins Of
the silver plates and tppings, and deposting
their own dead in the vaults. have the honor
to be, respectfully, your obedient servant,
w. p. HOWARD.