Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-11-02
ATLANTA'S SURRENDER.
A GLIMPSE OF SHERMAN AS HE APP.
FEARED TO SOUTHERN EYES.

FEARED TO SOUTHERN EYES.
A Bronzed Face, Scanned with Lines OF
Care-PecuIiar Shape of Remarkable
Occupying the City.
Beyond the red clay fortress-over the
fragments of army wagons and caissons, with
eyes averted from the skulls and bones that
CLEANED like so many white horrors in the
fierce sunlight, the little band with the flag
of truce rode on, the mayor at the head.
They passed the rife pits and entertainments
of the enemy. Not human being, not a
living thing was in sight. Two, three, four
miles, and not sign of the enemy. A sud-
den turn in the road brought them face to
face with marching detachment of men in
blue. A brief halt, hurried explanation
A Federal colonel rode up to the spot and
asked a few questions. The white flag, the
appearance of the strangers in citizens garb,
and the calm, measured words of Mayor Cal
houn satisfied the officer, and an orderly was
at once detailed to guide the visitors to the
commanders camp.
When the mayor and his friends were in
troduced to Gen. Sherman they saw before
them man of As, who looked fully ten years
older His bronzed face, scanned with lines
of care, and his eyes told q tale of sleepless
nights His wrinkled brow, and his rough,
closely trimmed beard, together with his
weatherbeaten field uniform, made him look
like anything but holiday soldier, and his
appearance contrasted strikingly with the
glitter and fiaring colors of the imposing
staff around him.
AN AIR OF LEADERSHIP
Still there was an air of leadership and
command about this man. and the messen-
gers from Atlanta would have picked him
out among a million. There was nothing
stately or dignified about him. His face
showed that it had never been handsome
one, and his head, phenomenally large and
bullying at the top, sloped precipitately down
to the neck at its back. The peculiar shape
Of this remarkable head had caused many
officers at the beginning of the war to insist
that its owner was mentally unbalanced, but
our followers of the white flag did not waste
any time in such idle speculations. They saw
Slocums corps move rapidly onward, and
not moment was to be lost in stating their
business.
The stern commander, after searching
scrutiny of the faces before him, looked
down at the ground, while Mayor Calhoun
quietly informed him of the helpless condi-
ton of the city, and briefly surrendered it
upon the condition that life, liberty and
private property should be protected.
Then the general looked up again, and in
curt, business like way said that he would
grant the conditions requested He said that
the civil authorities 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, Eyes, - - it, this is
war, and must place your town under mar
tial law That won't hurt good citizens, but
1t will play the devil with the bad ones"
TAKING POSSESSION.
''Now that we have surrendered" re-
marked one Of the citizens, ''you will proba-
bly, come in at oncea'
The general darted quick glance at him.
''Come in!" he answered, 81 think some of
my men are already there-they are march
ing in that direction as fast as they can
walk"
With few words of parting the commit
tee started to return.A
''One word more" said Sherman. 81 sup
pose it is understood that none Of your people
will fire upon my soldiers?"
He was assured that nothing of the kind
would occur, and the mayor and the others
then rode back to the city, entering it with
the advance guard Of the Federals only few
hundred yards behind them.
Shortly after midday the streets were blue
with companies and regiments of Federals.
All night the wagons and troops were NOV
ing into the city, and the next day the place
was crowded. There were billiard rooms
and drinking saloons over some of the stores,
and bills were out advertising a minstrel
show for that night on Decatur street.
A dozen generals occupied the best houses,
in some cases compelling the original occu-
pants to move into other quarters Gen.
Sherman established himself very comfort
ably in the present high school building on
the corner Of Mitchell and Washington
streets, and engaged for a housekeeper an old
lady who two days before had been denounc-
ing him as savage for whom even the worst
fate was too good. The two got along very
agrceably, and in less than week the house.
keeper told her friends that the general was
the incest man in the world, and had been
shamefully slandered. Atlanta Constitution.