The National tribune., 1902-03-06

! lIlIt pTOtetliuu IEOIl tHc Colu- Which
/ drove us TO the fires outside.
/ Our money was useless-there was
nothing to buy, and with q new campaign,
wintry weather. long marches and pTeca-
| rious rations awaiting us, we discussed
our future with gloomy forebodings. The
storm of wind and rain that made our
| lives miserable for three or four days at
Kingston ended on the 9Th with a clear
sky and sunshine.
A NIGHT OF DISCOMFORT.
| About noon the Colonel ordered me to
get ready and go with him to atlanta on
the next train. Packed up and went to
| the depot. Waited until evening, boarded
the train, ran few miles, overlook the
trains that had passed hours before, found
a locomotive off the track, and waited for
| it TO be set on. All the trains were freight
trains, with a caboose at the rear for pas
sengers.
As the sun set the air grew colder. and
we realized that a cOmfortless night was
| before us. A dozen officers were in our
car, but none had a mOuthful to eat. For
tunately, we found an opportunity TO reach
in the window OF a car and pull n few
crackers out of a box. Our car had no
stove, so we had to perform a sort of In
dian war dance to keep warm. Once |
stretched myself on a bench and fell
asleep, only to be joted off by tremen-
dous thump by the engine of train be
! hind US. The engineer had been asleep
while the trains were waiting TO move,
and our rear signals having gone out, he
started ahead and bumped into our train.
The night was filled in with stops and
starts.
At Allatoona soldier came to our car
and inquired how many trains were to
come yet Ii was too dark to distinguish
| the occupants of our car, so We informed
| him there were % trains loaded with
conscIipts like ours, and every member
of our party fired a question at him. dis
| playing such profound ignorance of the
situation that the soldier was nightly
tickled as he proceeded TO let us know
how much we didn't know about war.
| When our train moved away there was q
| burst Of laughter from our ear, which en-
! lightenad the soldier, and he bombarded
us VITA "cuss words" as long as he could
make himself heard.
Five miles from Atlanta, during one Of
our many halts. the Colonel became i'm
patient, so we left the train and walked
ahead with several officers, reaching the
city about sunrise, an hour before the
| train arrived. We sought our old camp.
where our headquarter tents were still
/ standing and few Of our comrades still
remained.
| 1t became my duty to make out the
muster rolls, and six officers of our regi-
ment, whose terms of service had eX-
| pired. were here mustered out and depart
ed for home, including Col. Van Tassel,
whose conspicuous bravery, firm discipline,
kindness Of heart and careful regard for
the comfort and welfare Of his men had
won their respect and love.
One of our officers who carried $4,000
to Chattanooga the day after we were
paid, to express il home for members OF
our regiment, returned TO our little camp
at Atlanta. He reported scene Of up
roar and confusion at Chattanooga, where
the most absurd rumors were afloat. Each
train that departed south was positively
! the last and witnessed n rush of officers
| TO secure passage before communication
should be severed with their commands.
] On the morning of the 9Th we were
! awakened by sharp firing on the picket
! line near our camp, and our little detach-
ment was called out under arms; but our
help was not needed-our pickets repulsed
an attack, losing two men, wounded.
DESTRUCTION OF ATLANTA.
On Nov. II, shortly after sunset, fire
occurred in the city, and was speedily fol-
! lowed by others in various parts. We at
| first supposed that the work of destruc-
ton had commenced, but afterward
learned that it was the work of incen-
hl'AiiCot NOubtiNHS HpihihAos "a lsiiEN Vu'iu-
tity of ammunition was seriously endan-
gered, and only saved by great exertion.
A building containing ratioEs was fired,
but the flames were eXtirguished. A
heavy guard was put on to patrol the
streets and arrest suspicious persons. A
number of soldiers were discovered aid
ing the flames to spread, and several were
wounded, it was said, in trying to escape
arrest. 1t was believed that soldiers were
responsible, because they feared the city
might be evacuated without being de-
stroyed, for such a feeling prevailed to
some extent.
The last train left the city Nov. IL, 60
ing north, and preparations were made for
the destruction of whatever might prove
useful to the enemy after our departure.
Several depot buildings were torn down