The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-11-07
THE BURNING OF CASSVILLE, GA.
An IntGrcfting Letter Concerning This Little
Town During the War.

!
| An IntGrcfting Letter Concerning This Little
Town During the War.
| Written for The Constitution
There is no place in Georgia around which
is gathered more historic interest than the
now quiet little village of CasSville i'll Bar
tow county. Situated it is in a beautiful
valley, surrounded by fertile farms and grand
scenery, with rugged mountains in the dis
lance ever and anon shooting their heads to
the clouds. while the golden Etowah' rum
bles not far away, CassvilIe is the ideal spot
for thriving town. Before the war her
streets presented a lively scene of commerce.
Colleges adorned her hills, fine residences.
churches and halls, Hastily laid-off squares
and well-kept yards showed that Cassvllle was
not only a place of Importance in CONNER
cial sense, but was also a pleasant place Ill
which to live A male and female college
was located there, and besides, 1T was the
county seat of the then Cass county. Some Oh
the most prominent men in the state resided
there, among them General william L. VOL
ford Judge Trippe, Colonel warren aln'
Judge Wright and others.
NV mother who was living there before and
during the war, gives many interesting
facts from her diary which she kept during
those stormy times. In this old book l nnd
the story of the burning of Cassvie by Gen
eral Sherman'S army.
General Joseph f. Johnston in his famous
retreat through Georgia. reached Cassvile
about May IS, 1864. The army rested until
next day and it is but justice to his soldiers
to say that they behaved with the utmost
decorum during their stay.
However, confusion reigned among the citi-
zens, who, of course, ignorant of the
intended movements of the army. 1t was
rumorcd that fight would take place there,
and this rumor was verified The fact that
they would soon be at the mercy OF cruel
enemy put to flight all the good resolutions
the people had made, and all WHO could 90
so left town. Those who remained consisted
of q few old men, q number OF women ana
children and several negroes
The hills which surround the town afforded
nvcel]eut natural fortifcations and long lines
of brpastworks We're soon thrown up: on the
east by the confederatcs ana on the west
by the federalS
The few who had remained i'll town met at
sunset and went into cellar for salety, as
tI,,. b,d bepn informed that the yankees
,yo,Id Shell the town that night Inc NIUE
crowd terrified by the stories they hau he"iu
.ua road of how defenseeSs women anu ciiii
dr.n were treated by the enemy when oitO0
:, their hands, and still more termed ps 'ie
oon,inuous roar of cannon, which lasted nlilia
nearly midnight, Were, after hours Oh wan
ing startled by the sound Oh approaching az,
rt.tans TWO federal soldiers appeared az
tha door and were met with ple'uihs an"
teaI,, for mercy. An oihcer' t"ioiiel OD !
coon came around and tod them 10 REMAIN
where they were until morning anu tnen ~
home. and they should not DE iho'eS'eu ui'' ',
thny were found giving information TO tne
t"oS ~ tbo+ event" said he, you Will
rebels. IN lhitC eN'H"
suffer-" .,,>, +,,oir homes
When these good people reach"a tielI n''I l
next morning they found them oeoui'eu
bue-coats who had rausackeo eNe'S '",a
from cellar to garret, and sent the hioe' '
mile articles to their northern homes do
rinI
and food they could find, tore "ei o' Twins
irto ebreds broke crockcry and furniture,
took what provisions they wanted anu hesaII
what they left in such manner th'' IL 'o".u
NOT be eaten. For instance, they ""ui" MA
sugar -four. lard. soap, lhoiassee'
preserves etc, together, thuS fciuVii9
whole unfit to be used for any PURPOSE III
MANY instances they behaved very uhoeconii.is
II, ,,sincc bad language and making ohchSNe
ronarks in the presence of poor women anu
children who could not resent tnchl. i"eS "''o
don,o,end the nearest mill to such an extent
that no grinding could be done thefe, pu' II
fortunately happened that an old homlhy mn
WAS found which had not peeh III use i
a number Of years. and the people "c'e "p i,
~ ,rnuor re something 10 eat until arrangement"
,ou,d M, made to 70 to the nearest i''i"'
which was about twelve mics away III p'o
,,,n+irnn both armies had gone, ana the
Yankee army had robbed the people oi nearly
everything they possessed AS thefe "el'
M mon to do ANYTHING. the women were coln-
noIled to do all. My mother describes !" Ilp
,,bich she and some of her friends matte 10
MIL Some grain had been concealed from the
Yankees and several families aSreeu 10 JUN
and tuke several wagon loads 10 NM az one
time The train consisted OF t"o-h'i'0
WAGON with fifteen bushels OF wheat ana 'ol"
driven by a stout young lady; niue ohe
horse wagon with small load ana an olo
do
,lIo ,corcnlv able to travel They TOOK an
aorly start and made good speed lor SeNcl"i
miles but in crossing q pfahcl inc "o''.
came ont of the little wagon ana INC si".i
Foil into the water. After much uouo'e' II
,1.os again reDlaced and the journey cohlhueu'
All went well until they came 10 h'',
which tho horses to the big wagon ieluseu
60 .snond In vain did the ladies, one after
,othar fry TO coax and persuade thelh' puI
they would not bulge an men. Inc Si'"t'i'"
hnca,ne alarming if not desperate wien,
oftnr removing the grain, the horSes "ouiu
not pull the empty wagon hAp"uS'e" ,'Nu
7iscourored after an hours hard work. lhey
:u r,.,, in 81 churchyard near by, and
tn come to their assistance; but imagine lht4f
foaIinys when they discovered that he was
GRAVY Ii seemed that everything was Nsn!"St
the1n on this trip. However, the luhl'le l'o
srnse enough to speak to the horses, anu tAieJ
ohav,ad his voice. The balance OF the DIS
rance was made without accident 1hS IL
Instrotes some of the hardships that women
were forced to bear in those days.
The Yankees killed every living thing they
saw. chickens cows, hogs and sheep not be-
cause they needed them for food: but 10 de
nrve their owners of the necesSarleS or lie
4 fayv COWS. however escaped, and my mother
tolls An interesting anecdote Of how she got
her COW after it was captured by the yam
KEGS. The ladies We're all required to take
the oath Of allegiance to the United States