Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-06-07
SIEGE OF ATLANTA
The Inside Of Atlanta During The
Fight Outside.
4 Blood Red July Day that Brought
Terror and Mourning to the
Helpless Citizens.

Helpless Citizens.
After the first shell had plunged the
astounded population OF Atlanta into the
depths Of despair, sleepless night fol-
lowed, says the "OId Colonel" in the At
lanta constitution.
The streets resounded with the omi,
nous rumble of army wagons, and the
hurried marching and counter ching
OF thousands of man made the sultry air
thick with dust.
Many of the merchants had moved
stocks of merchandise the day before,
but hundreds had been unable to obtain
trans pOrtatlon, and were therefore com
PEELED to remain. The government
| stores were still in the itY, and the i'm
mence workshops continued in full blast
1t was out of the question 10 transfer
such a mass of material in few days.
The next day people felt more hopeful.
The famous battle of July % was raging
| just southeast of the town, but the dread
ed shells had ceased to fall. During the
fight the rattle of small arms was heard so
distinctly that the jewellers in the western
part of the city were most of the time firm
ly convinced that the forces were butcher
| ing each other on Whitehall street. The
| officers and couriers who every few NO.
ments rode furiously through TIE streets
wore bright, exuitant look, but they
had no time to talk to the crowds on the
| street corners.
"We've got 'em!"
'Whipping them liz Q hill"
"We'll ca pture Sherman's whole army!'
These were some of the exclam ations
of the couriers as they dashed along, and
their crude bulletins were received with
deafening cheers.
| In front of the pres ent KimbaH House
at that time the Atlantic Hotel, there was
a park, the pride of the Atlantese, al
though Eot a little the worse for wear in
those days. Near the hotel during the
progress of the battle Gen Hood sat on
his horse, surrounded by his staff, re-
ceiving messages every minute from the
scene of action.
A few citizens lOunged about the place,
watching the iron face of the general in
the vain hope of reading his thoughts.
| Suddenly the park was invaded by the
hospital corps. Long tables were stretch
! ed ont and a crowd of professional look
ing men in uniform took charge of them
and commenced opening their cases of
| instruments.
They were the surgeons!
It was not long before ambulances and
wagons rolled into the park by the dozen.
and the wounded were hastily taken out
and placed on tables.
After that it was cut and slash, for the
work had to be done in hurry. The
green grass took on blood-red hue, and
as the surgeons saws crunched through
the bones of the unfortunates, humid
reds of CORY arms and legs were thrown
into the baskets prepared to receive
them.
The CHASTITY sight was too much for the
citizen Iookers-on. They had seen one
| phase of the horrors of war and they
cared to see no more. One by one they
disappeared, and soon the park was given
up to the surgeons and their patients,
the grim general meanwhile awaiting the
returns few yards away.
With the history of the battle this chron-
icle has nothing to do. That has been
written and written many times. Ali
that the writer of these papers has in
view is to attempt to present the inside
of Atlanta during those stirring times;
the historians may take care of outside
events.
When the engagement was over the
people had very confused idea of what
had occurred. They knew that the city
had not been captured. They saw large
squads of Federal prisoners marched in.
They were told that Mcpherson had been
killed. With these facts to guide them
it is little wonder that they jumped to
the conclusion that the Confederates had
won big victory, and some of the most
sanguine predicted that Sherman would
| beat retreat.
Perhaps for the first time since John
ston's removal, the non combatants felt
| thoroughly satisfied with Hood. They
had found out that he would fight, and
how could there be any doubt as to the
result when the men in gray were p1tted
against the men in blue?
The rattle of musketry had dieG away.
The grooming wounded had been carried
to the hospitals, and the prisoners had
been disposed of. Once more the civil
life of the city was astir. People crowded
the stores, ard the roar of battle gave
place to the hum of traffic. The prudent
housekeepers, who had been laying in
supplies of provisions in anticipation of
a siege, continued their shopping.
Even on this opening day of the siege
many things could still be had for the
money. Coffee at $50 per pound, sugar
at SIS, flour at $500 a barrel-these were
still for sale, and there we're many other
things at prOportionate prices. No but
ter, however, no chickens, no veg etables,
and, in fact nothing that would tenn pit an
epicure. At restaurant a guest would
get plate of ham and eggs and cup of
coffee for $25. On this very day young
man stepped into clothing store and
bought felt hat for $3.50, pair of shoes
500, and sack coat of good durable
cloth for 5000. These prices seemed
reasonable enough to him, because at the
same place six months before he had paid
| $500 for shawl,
Then, as always, g daily newspaper was
the cheapest thing in the market. Fifty
cents would buy one, and it was richly
worth the money. The files of the At
lenta war newspapers will show degree
| of courage, cheerfulness, military knowl-
| edge and insight into the future more re-
markable than the journalism of any
country upon the face of the earth will
| show.
crowd of citizens collected around a
veteran journalist in one of the restaur-
ants TO hear what he had to say about
! the battle.
81 cannot promise you full details to-
morrow" the editor said. "The fact is,
my paper is conveyed by spies to Sher-
mans headquarters, and 1 have to be
very cautious"
"But. major" said an anxious listener.
''is it all right?"
The major frowned and glared at his
| interrogator.
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