Milford chronicle., 1885-11-20
THE SIEGE OF ATLANTA.
"Reminiscences OF Sherman's
March to the Sea.
How Georgias Capital was Beleagured
and Defended,

Noting the discovery of an ol
bomOshell by an Atlanta well-digge
the Constitution of that city says:
During the seige of Atlanta in 1856.
it was practical question and one G
vital interest how to dodge then
Gradually the Confederate lines DIRE,
nearer the city The faint echo O
their guns was heard ten miles away
When the lines fell back to the rive
there was a universal wall in Atlanta
The river had been regarded ps bar
rier beyond which the invader ,coul,
not come, and there was a eonstRa
expectation that Johnston would N
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 well aware
that Sherman had over 100000 men
elated with a successful march into
the heart of their enemy's country,
while opposing them were about 40,-
600 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
portance attached to it as a base of
supplies had run the population up to
10000 or 25,000 The city was tenn
ing with people, all in great agitation
when they heard that the invader had
set his foot on the eastern bank Of the
ChattahoOchee.
How to defend the city was thenext
question. 1t was answered by some
very practical and intelligent men
whose duty to the Southern COnfeder-
acy had kept them in or around At
lanta Chief among these was Colonel
L. P. 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
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 that 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. 1t
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
IF the Federal lines. They were al
most completely around the city.
Their range was four or five miles, and
hey had only a mile or a mile and a
lalf to cover. Shells poured thick
nto the city, and a reign of terror be-
gan.
Then came the bomb proof. It was
he only refuge from the shells of the
,eseigers. Every household soon had It's
,lace Of refuge. The bomb proof con-
listed of a perpendicular hole in the
ground about four feet square, and a
unnel of six feet which led into a
,ault of various dimensions. The av.
rage size Of the bomb proof was l0x12
eet, but many of them were larger.
jome of them were luxuriously fur
ished, and offered all the comforts of
ome in the retreat under ground
rom the sizzling and popping shells.
So far as protection to life was con-
erned they were perfect. No shell {
ould penetrate through the roof of {
oil, and there was not a chance in a {
lillion that any of the enemy's mis- I
lies would fall in the narrow entrance. G
he bomb proof was complete pro- S
sction from the enemy's fiery missiles, s
nd saved many a life in Atlanta. t
thousands of shells fell in the city o
uring the six weeks OF terror, and O
OF half a dozen lives were lost The d
lost fatal shell fell just in front of I
here James's bank now is. It ex-
Ioded in the street. One piece killed
shoemaker in cellar. Another frag-
ent murdered q mule on the street. Il
mother piece broke the stone post at II
ie corner which still bears the mark, "
does the gas post a few feet away, It
hich was almost cut away by the P
lrioua ahall Oi