New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-29
CHATTANOOGA IN 1866.
THE SCENE THE TOWN PRESENTED AFTER DIS
MANTLING
r,, The Chattanooga Times.

From The Chattanooga Times
The following is description Of Chattanooga
Just after she was vacated as an a1ny , ps5T S
il was prepared for Times speclal lssue, III
1855 by the editor OF that paper ana nay rera
feike picture to the mind OF an ola cilzeh vi Ne'-
eran; oua IN 1886 presented most repeant
aspect to those who hoped to I've long enough 10
SEE upon il a hourshing city. There was hot one
Wers not thought Of except such as nature and the
pounding OF mems soles provided Inc cnei stIee,s
were have seen mules stalled with empty
army wagon The town proper was sur i oT ,s
tnterior line was Fort sherman located on the west
ern slope Of Brabsons Hill 1t and It's supports
and finest residences in the city In that work were
mounted thirty thirty Kod T GUNS Inns a ex
tended along the ridge crossing McCae-a ,, 5uss
back Snd the Ga We're ~S h% S
OMeara and Jones carving ten guns esT nd For,
tennessee depot This work was built, OF fne
Snd pafy Rs'
the freight sna 1sPS ese By
heavy earth curtain with Fort Lyle. near a.. TN, tns
Of Garter and HSeke s or west sr3 ot w
twenty The bsh CT sns
Occupied by Major King as United states engineer
headquarters tnow the paatai nome %, Zap i'm
Closure Of this large and very elaborate work.
From these forts. and connecting them, ran heavy
there developed into small redoubts; covered ways
and bomb-proofs were provided OUTSIDE OF an
this formidable line OF defences was Fort Wood
properly Fort Creighton-several intervening heavy
redoubts and Fort enormously called Fort
Negley These were connected with the interior
line by heavy curtains and covered ways. ana each
Of the main works mounted forty thirty FOUNDERS
and ten howitzers. -
IT supervised the dsmantling Of these lines in Feb
yuary and March, 1866, and my recollection Is that
the shipments covered 1919 cannon, including
howitzers to an cight-gun battery Of lO0-pounder
Parrots. on naval carriages. stationed on Cameron
Hill and in the fort that has since been converted
into reservoir by the water company. II will be
Surface of the city plot was in fearful state Of
dila pidation once the military had moved out,
leaving the forts strewn with debris the maya
zines vacant. the camps deserted dirty, repulsive.
Thousands upon thousands OF tons or earth were
piled In huge parapets where before had stood
the few handsome and costly dwellings Of the town:
OF bloody war, many years. no proprietor caring
70 undertake their razng until he had Il 40 II or
could probably occupy with buildings the ground
they encountered.
I'm April. 1866 there was not storeroom OF any
size fit 10 put a stock OF goods in--not one. The
great hulkng warehouses, built by the quartermas-
ters and commissaries, were bought OF the Gov
eminent. cut into two rooms each % feet front,
the walls covered with old tent Goth which wall
paper pasted These served for stores for
drygoods dealers and grocers. and rooms In the
nces for lawyers. doctors and other professionals.
Chattanooga was city OF dingy shantes, with
here and there old. low-storied, cramped BRICK
building Socially the town, began In 1865 with as
thrown together by the fortunes or war; nobody
bad much TO speak OF In this word's goods and
the people generally felt that ones interest was
the interest OF ALL and that must pull together
Y we would come TO anything respectable. There
hever was any bitterness at the bottom OF our po-
nrHA' contesta We were immensely noisy: some