Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-10-05
From the ,Ooth o. v. L
ATLANTA. GA,
Sept. Il, 1864.


; .Hessrs. Editors:-Since my last letter TO
YOU. important movements have taken
place, and the proud city of Atlanta has
bean taken and occupied by our troops
the rebel army driven in confusion from
their line OF defences, and for the time
being, utterly and completely demoral-
! lied. The successful manner in which
the rebels were outgeneralled by Gen.
Sherman, has ere this been given to you
/ by telegraph, and l will content myself
by giving you a faint description OF At
lauta and its surroundings.
The city was evidently a beautiful
place before the fortunes of war made 1t
what it is. Even now, it presents an air
of faded gentility, reminding one OF some
,sedy individual who had seen better
DAYS, still endesvoring in a feeble way, to
retain highly digniied and aristocratic
demeanor. The town is spread out over
, considerable territory, and, except in the
business part of the town, almost every
) house has a splendid garden attached
which are luxuriant in trees, flowers. and
, evsrgreens, some of them presenting
: highly attractive and gorgeous appear
ance. The houses of the more wealthy
class are elegant and tasteful, and under
ordinary circumstances the surroundings
would be highly suggestive Of comfort
' refinement and elegance. Passing
through the city the effect of our shells
il plainly visible-the houses are COM
pletely riddled from top to bottom, while
here and there you come across masses
, of jumbled and ragged ruins, indicating
the locality where houses ought to be-
The loss of life must have been consider
able, but any intelligence in that line was
1 strictly prohibited fromsbeing published
in the papers. During the bombardment
of the city, = number Of the citizens
| availed themselves of bomb-proof caves
! for protection; you find one of them in
almost every garden. They are about
s six feet deep and eight feet square, the
: dirt being thrown up, being used as q
! thick covering over the planks which
' cover the top, you descend through a
i narrow doorway which is invariably on
u the south side.
About half mile from the city, on the
Savannah Railroad the wreck of the three
. large trains which were blown up by the
' retreating rebels, are to be seen. There
= were eighty cars loaded with ammunition
y and about a dozen loaded with provis-
! ions, &c. The explosion was terrific, be
. ing heard by US at Jonesboro, 70 miles
v distant. All that now remains is three
" dilapidated mangled locomotives, Ions
= rows of axles and wheels, and bent and
!. burned irons and bolts, besides innumer
If able shot, shells, round shot, and barrels
j. and locks of guns, &C., mixed up in one
- confused mass of RUNS.
! There were two daily papers published
, here, almost up to the evacuation OF the
:, CITY - the Confederacy, and the Memphis
$ Atlanta Appeal. There were Others pub
: Iished here, but had played out" some
: time since. All, or nearly all the types
u presses, &c, were removed before the en-
!, trance of our army On the night OF the
g evacuation, the rebel soldiery entered ey
/, ery store and plundered them OF every
;. thing that was not previously removed
II hardly anything remains except beggsr
e Iy account of empty honses, most OF then
VI riddled with shot and shell, and the dir
e and debris Of demolished structure
- which are TO be seen all over the CITY,
d For weeks before the evacuation OF the
n. city, the large foundrys and machine
shops, which for three years had been o
l such immense service to the rebel armies
'e in the way of furnishing munitionsof OF wal
: were being stripped of their machlner.
<. and sent further south, to Macon ah'
is Augusta. There is one large Foundry
er which by some neglect or oversight, wa
" left in complete running order, with al
-, Its machinery This will be oil consider
ry able value and Importance to US. ..
n Immediately upon the occupation
:. the city by our forces, General Sherma
issued an order, which will leave citizen
and civilians rather a scarce article in A
N lants.
The principal clause of this order is :
m fellows:
lie Especial FIELD ORDER, NO. 6i'
at l. The city of Atlanta being exclU
uh .ively required for warlike purposes, vi
be at once evacuated by all, except II
an armies of the United States, and sue
he civilian employees as may be retaine
as by the proper Deparement of the Gov
ernment.
Iar An armistiee of ten days, to close
We the evening of the 2lst inst. has bee
DIS agreed upon by Gems. SHERMAN and Hoo
ne to carry out the provisions of this orde
1Lry Those persons, male and female, wi
he have relations in the Rebel Army or syI
lit pathize with Rebellion, are conveyed ou
The side of our lines and turned over to the
IA Southern friends. while those whosre tr'
II to the old flag are sent North to enJ'
aa the blessings of Liberty. As may be su
ing posed, there is quite a sudden Increment
'tic the part of the citizens. The order
nus nus hard but fair. Let the Rebs feed the
ces friends. and the North will see that tho
rds who are true to their country do n
ion suffer.
en- en- The following deaths and casuaitl
,wn wv have taken place in our Regiment sin
be- my last:
ces- Can't. A. C. Mason, Co. c., died of feav'
August 9th; Frank A. Butler, Co,
nd' gun shot, 4th toe left foot, slight, Aug
up III, - So Lat q Sattiner. Co,