The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-11-24
THE SIEGE OF ATLANTA.
"Reminiscences OF Sherman's
March to the Sea.
How Georgia's Capital was B~eleagured
and Defended.

Notlng the discovery OF an old
bombshell by an Atlanta well-digger,
the Constitution of that city says:
During the seige of Atlanta in 1864,
it was a practical question and n of
vital interest how to dodge them.
Gradually the Confederate lines drew
nearer the city. The faint echo of
their guns was heard ten miles away.
When the lines fell back to the river
there was a universal wall in Atlanta.
The river had been regarded as a bar
rier beyond which the invader could
not come, and there was a constant
expectation that Johnston would do
something to paralize his enemy.
One evening about dusk came the
news to the city that the Confederate
troops had crossed the river and
burned the bridge behind them. That
announcement stilled a thousand
hearts in the beleaguered city. There
was then no alternative but capture.
The people knew the relative force of
the armies. They were we'll aware
that Sherman had over 1OO,O 900 men
elated with a successful march into
the heart of their enemy's country,
while opposing them were about 49,
OOO men in grey, who had been fight
ing a slow and desperate retreat.
After the river was crossed the
Federal army swept with little OBJ
.struction to the very outskirts Of the
city. Atlanta then had a regular pop
ulation of about 10000, but the con-
centration of war supplies and the i'm
p%ortance attached to it AS a pase Of
supplies had run the population up to
10000 or $4,000. The city was tenn
ing with people. all in great agitation
when they heard hat the invader had
set his foot on the eastern bank Of the
Chattahoochee.
How to defend the city was the next
question. It was answered by some
very practical and intelligent men
whose duty to the Southern C%onfeder-
acy had kept them in or around At
lanta. Chief among these was Colonel
l.. L. Grant the present president of
the Atlanta and West Point Railroad.
Colonel Grant planned three complete
lines of Notifications. One was to
skirt the boundary of the city. The
other was to surround the thickly-set-
tied districts, while the third was to
encircle the very heart Of the city, with
the Courthouse as a sort of final ram
part and stronghold. All these works
were duly constructed according to
Colonel Grants plans, and the defences
OF Atlanta, were famous for their
ingenuity and strength. But the
Federal forces fought their way on
until they were within cannon shot of
the city. They tried by several des-
perate assaults like that of July 22d, a
mile beyond the cemetery, and like the
bloody onslaught ON Peachtree Creek,
a few days later, to sweep right into
the city. In all these efforts they
were checked by a force hardly half as
great as hat of the invaders. McPher-
son fell in sight of the city. Many
officers Of minor rank fell. Men were
moved down like wheat by the de-
termined defenders of the city. It
must be a slow seige to win.
Sherman realized this fact quickly.
and accordingly adjusted his forces.
Batteries with the heaviest guns he
could command were placed In front
of the Federal lines. They were al
most completely around the city.
Their range was four or five miles, and
they had only a mile or a mile and a
half to cover Shells poured thick
into the city. and a reign of terror be-
gan.
Then came the bomb proof. 1t was
the only refuge from the shells Of the
beseigers. Every household soon had its
place of refuge. The bomb proof con-
sisted of a perpendicular hole in the
ground about four feet square. and a
tunnel of six feet which led into a
vault Of various dimensions. The av.
erage size Of the bomb proof was lOx12
feet, but many Of them were larger.
Some of them were luxuriously fur
nished, and Offered all the comforts of
home inb the retreat under ground
from the sizzling and popping shells.
So far as protection to life was con-