Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-07-23
A MEMORY OF THE WAR.
How the sheIlinR of Atlanta was
the Hungry Mans Opportunity
to Fiji Up.

1 doubt if / am the right person to
talk of this war, and don't talk much.
l prefer to listen to Brown, and from
his stories we can gather something Of
the stress of those days. Hear kim:
"In the year 1864 arrived in Atlanta
and went hobbling out Peachtree street,
making my way to join the Georgia
militia. AS 1 filed to the right about
where the First Methodist church yet
stands, 1 came upon an old soldier go-
ing my way. AS we walked along what
is now Wheat street the old soldier
turned to me and asked:
"'Old man, do you live in Atlanta?'
81 told him that did not, nor would
be a-near the dinged place but for the
fact that the conscript officers insisted
that l should come, and gave me no rest
till they got me off. 1 soon informed
the soldier that / had had nothing to eat
in three days, and that l was nearly
starving. Besides, / had had no sleep
except what little l had got sitting up
against stump, and that the pros
poets ahead Of me were as gloomy as
gloom could be.
"'You don't know the ropes said the
soldier-'you are fresh. You just stick
to me and 1 will see that you do not
starve to DEATH
This was no sooner said than he
opened q gate at house which l have
since known as the Calico house, cor
ner Wheat and Ivy streets, and he
strutted up to the front door as if he
had owned the place. a pretty young
lady opened the door, to whom the SOL
der spoke about as follows:
"'Will you please give me drink of
water? I'm so hungry l don't know
where am going to sleep tonight.
"The lady smiled, but answered
mildly:
81 think you deserve water to drink
and something to eat, which l will glad
ly supply, but for sleep you must find
some other place.
"She invited us inside, gave us chairs
and turned away into another part of
the house. A negro girl came with a
pitcher of water directly and pretty
soon after the young lady returned and
invited us TO dinner.
"At the table, when we arrived, was
sitting a colonel of the Virginia army
and in front of the colonel sat major
of the Tennessee army. They were al
ready arguing on the merits of their
respective generals, Lee and Johnston.
Just as we took our seats the colonel
remarked with considerable warmth:
why, sir, Johnston used to COM
mand the Army of Virginia, and it was
| oil fha tirDa IA
was there
He saved his men, though, retorted
the major, and if they would have let
him remain he would have captured
McClellan's whole army eventually
"'Captured the devil exclaimed the
colonel. 1T was retreat, retreat, re-
treat all the time he was there. From
Yorktown to Seven Pines, and there
when Lee took command the Yankees
were in sight of the flag waving from
the capitol at Richmond
"'They would have never got any
nearer said the major. That is Gen
Johnston's way of doing. He keeps
a-backing till he gets them where he
wants them, and then he will do then
up in good shape, just like he is going
to do old Sherman now in a few days
you'll see.'
The colonel laid down his knife anC
fork and would have said something
harsh, think, but before he could speal
the major began again and said:
"'You need have no fears about At
lanta falling into the hands of Sherman
: There will never be any harm done t.