The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-10-31
THE SURRENDER OF ATLANTA.
A Glimpse of Geserai Sherman ~
ne Appeared In Southern Eyes.


Beyond the red clay fortress-oyer
the fragments Of army wagons and
eaissons, with averte1 eyes from the
skulls and bones that cleaned ike &C
many white horrors in the fierce sun
light, the little band With the flag of
truce rode on the mayor at the head.
Tbsy passed the rife pits and in
trenchanents Of the enemy. Not a
human being. not living thing was
| In sight. Two, three, four EIiie<, and
not sign Of the enemy. A sudden
turn in the road brought them face 20
| face With marching detachment OF
men in blue A brief halt, q hurried
expianAiion. A federal colonel rode
up TO the spot and asked q few aues-
tons. The white fiag, the appearance
Of the strangers in citizens garb, and
| the calm. measured words OF Mayor
| Calhoun, satisfied the officer, and an
orderly was 1t once detailed 10 guide
| the visitors TO the commanders camp.
When the mayor and his friends
| were introduced 10 General Sherman.
1 they saw before them a man Of -,
| who looked fully 10 years older. His
bronzesl face, scanned with lines of care,
and his eyes told tale of sleepless
nights. His wrinkled brow and his
| rough, closely trimmed beard, together
| With his weather.beaten field uniform,
| made him look like anything but a
holiday soldier, and his appearance
eontrasted strikingly with the glitter
and haring colors OF the imposing stat n
around him.
still there was an air of leadership
and command about this man, and
the messenger from Atlanta would
have picked bins out among a million.
There was nothing stately or dignitied
about him. His face showed that it
had never been handsome one, and
his head. phenOmenally large and
bullying at the top, sloped .precipitate-
III down to the neck at its back. The
peculiar shape OF this remarkable
head had caused many officers at the
beginning Of the war 10 insist that its
owner was mentally unbalanced, bnt
our followers of the white flag did not
waste any time in such idle specula-
tons. They saw slocum's corps NOV
ing rapidly onward. and not a mo-
ment was to be lost in stating their
business.
The stern commander, after q
searching scrutiny of the faces before
him, looked down at the ground.
while Mayor Calhoun quietly informed
him of the helpless condition OF the
city, and briefly surrendered il upon
the condition that life. liberty and
private property should be projected.
Then the general looked up again,
and In a curt, businesslike way said
that he would grant the conditions re-
quezted He said that the civil author
tiles had taken the proper course in
seeking him, and expressed the hope
that their relations would be pleasant
and satisfactory.
But this Is war, you know" he
said in his abrupt way, yes --- ---
IL, this is war, and ! must place your
town under martial law. That won
hurt good citizens, but it will play the
devil with the bad ones 4"
Now that We have surrendered, y
remarked enc OF the citizens, you
will probably come in ut once7n
The general darted quick glance at
him.
Come iu," lac answered, II think
some Of my met are already there
they are marching IN that direction as
fast as they can walk +"
With few words OF parting the
committee started 10 return
'one word more" said Sherman.
i suppose IL Is understood that none
of your people will FIRE upon my
soldiers.
lie was assured that nothing OF the
kind would occur. and the mayor and
the others then rode back 20 the city
entering il with the advance guards Of
the Federals only few hundred yards
behind them.
shortly after midday the streets
were blue with eomp.nies and rcFi-
ments Of federal-.
All night the wagons and troops
were moving into the city, aud the
next day the place was crowded. There
we're billiard rooms and drinking
saloons over some OF the stores, and
bills were out advertising minstrel
show for that night on Decatur stree;
A dozen generals occupied the hest
houses, IN some eases compelling the
occupants 10 move into other quarters.
General sherman established himself
very comfortably in the present high
school building, on the corner of
Mitchell and Washington streets. and
engaged tor hoasckeeper an old la,iv,
who two days before had been de-
uoanclng him as "a savage for whom
even the worst fate was too good. The
two got along very agrecahly. and in
less than week the h0usekeeper told
her friends that the general was the
nieesi lnaT IN the world, aud had been
shaWetuilY siAn8ered.