The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-17
WHEN ATLANTA EDITORS EDITED.
One or Them Recalls Their Deeds or Proweas
Whom aherman Marched 20 the Sea.

~ tth1A = nv ~.
ATLANTA, Ga, Oct. l5.-"Thcre WAS a time
said a veteran newspaper Colonel, l~ounging ut
his desk in an Atlanta office after the work OF
the day was done, when Atlanta journalism
numbered among its adhercnts the wealth IL
not the wit OF the community. That was during
the last days before Sherman captured tho
town, when there were seven daily newspapers
running In full blast. They cost only fifty cents
a copy in Confederate money, and an ordinary
citizen would buy n copy Of each and go homo
with the entire batch under his arm to read the
latest accounts of Yankee atrocities and
Southern victories.
"In those highly colored accounts of the cam
paiRps in Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia 1t
was made to appear that the gallant gray jack
cts were always ON the dead run trying to keep
in gunshot OF the fleeing Federals, and firing ut
every jump and n Yankee dropping at every
shot. One would have supposed, in reading
those narratives, that the Confederate Army
was made up of giants, who strobe forth only to
conquer and to pile up laurels us II stacking
hay around a pole.
1.-THE Yankees, of course, were a very info
rior race of people. wouldn't fight, and when
they did stop long enough to fire a gun always
aimed wide OF the mark, so that the loss on our
side WAS insignificant compared with the
myriads of our foemcn. who wcre'mowed down
~ y - nv Joh4 bAAiioNf "a 1Fl'.'
lost some of its brightest liars when the Can.
federacy fell. 1t was Just prior to III" siege OF
Atlanta, while Sherman was slowly drawing
the coils of his mighty host around the city, that
Henry W,attcrson made his appearance on The
scene, lie was then running a paper called
semi'occasionally, and running it out OF the
way of the Yankees. Watterson was in his
prime and in his element all ut tho same time.
Arrogant, vehement. fiery, and ferociyut he
ran the Rcbct with q. yeN, ana rom NASHVILLE,
FEDERAL Fsaoii "a Army HSr to Ai Ia. a M"' liz II ' coi " + f,iri%
blazed with defiance, and his accounts Of tho
dolngs Of ne Southern troop; rcnd ne tales ~
the valiant Crusaders of the Middle Ages.
But the Itebti did not thrive in the already
oyererowded atmosphere Of Atlan,a. and about
The time that sherman's advance guard GRO cd
the Chattahoocheo River the Rrtt| Sellcd iS
last yc!i: Watterson bechln" attached i" ~"
torial writer. That icwspap.r was Remarkable
for the ability OF its staff 10 keep away from tho
w yHHer; fr r. Re Ia6 to i5G H yen lrs's STd was en- no . led %d"iE 10
act an financial editor. and hi articles we're
mSrvcls of logical argnment going to snow IN
made worth $l.5 in silver or ~ in gold, ana ut
least $40 IN Yankee grecnuhcks,
sherman reached the Chattnhoochcu River only
one lived to tell the tale, That was the IIG"td
and skedaddlGd from An; nla before the siege
began and settled in Millcdgcvillr. For the sake
or the cause, however, he LEFT q small lGn Pres
issued a little strip prinlcd on one side, which
vas hlled up with The most glowing acronnts OF
Confederate successes IN Virginia and Yankee
disasters. II was nothing T. see the announce
nient Of 10000 or iO,0uO Federal troops shot
down by the Confederate riilomcn, with u very
triHing loss on our side. and to those who chose
TO believe such stories thn reports called Tor
of animal spirits. The tlre-eatcrs were in their
glory, and II was not until sherman crossed the
river that they began TO get out of the way.
Watterson finally left Atlanta, rctreating slowly
and stubbornly as far rs Macon and hurting de-
fiance from the top OF every sand ridge al Sher-
man aud bis cohorts OF invaders"