The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-05-13
BLUE AND THE GRAY
BRAVE MEN WHO MET ON THE
FIELD OF BATTLE.
Thrilling Stories OF the Rebellion
Old Soldiers and Sailors Relate Remi.
niscences of Life in Camp and on
the Fie1d-Incidents of the War.
Sherman in Atlanta.

aaliStic career had then commenced,
though / was unaware Of it.
When the Federals entered Atlanta,
a day or two after the battle of Jones
boro, my ineXperience in such matters
led me to expect to see grand parade.
/ supposed that about $4,000 conquer
ing heroes, with brass bands and BAN
ners, would march through the princi-
| pal streets, and | took it for granted
that the occasion would be one of tre-
| mendous magniticence. My memory
recalled Abbort's tiim-fiam descriptions
| of Napoleon's triumphal entries into
! various captured cities, and l was On
the alert and anxious to see everything
| of interest There was badly disap-
| pointed boy journalist on that memora-
bic day, and yet there was much to see
that would have interested the most ac-
complished war correspondent and his
| torian.
Gently as a shadow the blue wave
rolled over the town. and by high noon
| a wonderful change had taken place in
the outward appearance of things.
The business streets were filed with
wagons delivering cOmmiesary supplies
and suffers goods ut the Uig stores
which had been left vacant by the Con-
federates. Hundreds of newslOyS were
on the streets crying the Northern and
Western papers. Dashing officers in
handsome uniforms rode UP and down,
and thousands of soldiers came march
ing in every few moments.
Some $1,000 citizens still remained,
and they watched the busy scene with
intense interest What was going to
become of them? Would Sherman hold
the place, and would it undergo a siege
by the Confederates? These questions
worried the inhabitants not a little, and
they wondered what their fate would
be. In their distress and uncertainty
everybody asked for Sherman.
But the cOnqueror was in no hurry to
enter the city. He had various details
to arrange after the Jonesboro fight,
and it was two or three days before he
was ready to take IL little Eeeded rest
In Atlanta.
One afternoon in the first week in
September, '64, CHANGED to pass the
fine brick residence on the corner Of
Washington and Mitchell streets,
which, in its present enlarged shape,
is used for the girls high school. 1t
was then the handSomest dwelling in
the place, and its wealthy owner had
fled southwark to place himself beyond
the reach of the invaders.
The house was landmark, and IA
miliar one in my eyes. l knew its for
mer inmates well. and was accustomed
to see everything about the premises
arranged in a certain systematic way.
When l came in sight of this stately
mansion, on the afternoon in question,
a glance showed that it was practically
unchanged. The shrubbery in the
grounds had been spared and the same
familiar curtains were at the windows.
Possibly some member of the family
had remained to take care of the place?
was within a few PAGES of the front
gate when this idea occurred to me,
and was almost in the act of pausing to
make Inquiries, when an upward
glance all but froze my blood. Seated
in a chair Oh the front porth was an
officer, whose rather shabby uniform
made it evident that he wag a man of
high rank. A slouch hat was drawn
down over his eyes, and only the lower
part of his bearded face and a cigar
could be seen.
hN ntI
doubt about that. had seen his pic
ture too often to be mistaken.
As-he sat there that sultry September
afternoon he seemed to desire no other
company than his own thoughts. Sol
diers were drilling a hundred yards
away, on one side. and on the other,
short distance off, several pretty wom-
en- were chattering in a balcony.
But the stern soldier looked neither
to the right nor to the left. His eyes
were fastened upon his cigar Citizens
passed to and fro, but the man on the
porch looked at none of them, no mat
ter how loudly they talked. Occasion
ally he carelessly tilted back his hat.
and then the passers-by saw a scow!-
ing, wrinkled brow, and pair of cold
steel-gray eyes. 1t was not an inviting
picture, and the citizens who caught a
glimpse of it did not stop 10 prolopy
their gaze
That was the Sherman of war times:
the commander who wrote TO Hood.
War is the science of barbarism."
1t would be impossible to describe the
effect of that brief sentence upon the
people who were shut up in Atlanta
during the siege. 1t furnished the text
for volumes of comment, and the South
has not forgiven it to this day. But the
general did not mean that he proposed
to wage war In an unnecessarily bar
barous manner. His methods were Sc
we're enough, but he might have added
TO the horrors of the siege by training
more of his big guns directly upon the
dwellings occupied by thousands of
women and children.
This he would not do. He was al
ways anxious to have the noncomhat-
ants removed as far as possible from
the seat of war. and shortly after the
habitants TO move either north or
south. He knew, then. that 1t might
be military necessity to destroy that
town, and he wanted to have no unnec-
eSsary suffering
The general considered all citizens
nulsances, whether they were Union |
lists or secessionists. He did not want
to have them around when he was get
ting ready for battles and marches.
Sometimes prominent Union men
called on him to ask favor They
generally went away angry, with fam /
ing faces. To the amaZement Of all, |
the blunt soldier knew the status of
every visitor.
You claim to he Union man." he
said to one, ''and yet you took Confed-
crate contracts and devoted all your
resources and all your skill TO aiding
the enemies of your country. a pretty
Union man you are! Let me hear no