The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-10

A IDNIGHT-dark midnight

bursting shells and sky rockets
ever since nightfall, ara 1t kept our side
of the river in alarm, but General French
was over there with 1000 troops. fresh
from Texas. and these. with old Joe john
stons forces at Resaca. could whip Sher-
man all to pieces. Every now and then
we sent messenger over to General
French to know if all safe. Would
Old Joe certainly fight at Resaca. or
would he fire aud fall back.
More and more terrific the bombs kept
bursting and nearer and nearer and near
er they came. closer to the roofs OF our
houses. Another messenger was sent to
General French. but he assured US il was
all right. But about midnight the general
sent a message that Sherman had Cross
ed the river and would burn home ard
the bridges in half an hour and the troops
had orders TO move up the railroad.
Then came the tug OF war. IHe atliery
had already reached the crossin- ana
were loading the cars. with everything ia
a Jam. The highway OF Broau strce.
from one bridge to the other. was crowd
ed, and not a soldier could md elbow
room. But still they moved. We had
loaded our rockaway with baggage aid
my lovely wife and numerous children
walked along outside in silence to Keep
off intruders until we found ourselves
right in the thick of the soldiers. Some
were yelling, some were whoopinR. some
were cursing and pretty soon there was
a crash and a bang and the doors Of the
stores flew open and the soldiers rushed
In. Just then my old friend Meyerhart
yelled out: ooh. mine tobacco!" But
Colonel Cameron was desperate and rode
into the store behind them and whaei
1t
ordered them all out. but 1t made them
all mad to think they couldn't take the
tobacco the enemy would plumber In few
minutes They cursed and raved furious
ly, but 1t made no difference with 'he
colonel. Tobacco wasn't all. They Load
ed down with tobacco and then began
caps and bonnets and sugar and coffee.
After we had all crossed the bridge II
was funny cavalcade. Long lines ~
troops marching up the long cemetery
hill, arrayed with Momen's garments on
-bonnets and shaWls and But the pro-
cession didn't turn out of the big road.
1t turned up into the cemetery and be-
gan their vandalism there. They got
hammers and broke up the iron railing
and fumbled down the tombstones and
monuments and then knocked the SOL
diers' head stones 10 pieces. all except
one, and that was the handsome one of
Lieutenant Bayard Hand. of the United
States navy. They let that go untouched,
because he was a United States officer.
All the rest We're broken to pieces and
tumbled down the hill. Ny father and
son and brothers suffered the same fate
1T was shameful!
From the top Of that hill they burnt
the bridge and fired their shells across
the town and destroyed everything that
would burn. Then they followed us for
miles to Silver creek, where We're GO
ing to stop for coffee for we were expect
ed to take breakfast and rest. But camp
followers pursued us and told US the yam
KEGS were close behind and for us to get
up and hitch up and get away from there.
So we hurried the harness on and struck
a trot for Euharlee creek, and as we
crossed the bridge 1t wabbled like q
snake. Then we journeyed up q long
rocky hill and that night camped near
an old house and sent up there to borrow
a skillet to fry some meat and the old
man said he was washing his feet In it,
hut as soon as he got through he would
send 1t down.
Next camp was in the suburbs OF At
lanta and next morning we found that
two of our servants had departed to
Rome and we lost them for good. One Of
them came back. The other went u
Chattanooga The other came back to lis
last week and said / was just as good
looking as when / got married. and she
fiattered UP my wife so that she loaded
her down with fancy scraps and calico
and told her to come back, and she said
she "shorely would" She went on down
to JonesborO, where the children camped,
and from there we Went down to Ala
bamn to dodge the thick of the fight and
save our cotton and COW peas. But it
dident save the cotton and my wife and
children got away from there and she
escaped by a round about way to Covins-
ton and run over g lot OF soldiers and
from there to the plantation and took
refuge at my Wife's old river home and
took d rest where her father lived.
Our next move was homeward whore
we found darkness and desolation-not a
bed or bedstead or mattress or bureau or
chair or cooking vessel-nothing but the
naked floor. No lard or meat or sugar
or coffee; no nothing; not q hog or
chicken or COW. Well, I did find a COW.
for which l paid $500 In confederate
money. I had long before that sold the
cotton for a piano in Madison end the
yankees burnt it up. But we lived and
still lVe-thank the good Lord for His
mercies. Bill. ARP.