The Washington herald., 1914-08-18
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
August S lS64he BOmbadment Of Atlanta Federa Unde
Gen. w. T. Sherman Was in Progre-Sufenss the nhabiant,
"The Gate City of the South"
written expressly. for The washington Herald

Fifty years ago today the lombard
ment of Atlanta, Ga. by the Federals
under Gen. w. T. Sheridan was in prog
ress. The Union lines had been pushed
within two miles OF the business center
and the heavy guns were sending a rain
of missiles into the Confederate de-
fenses and the town behind them
For three weeks the Federals had been
hammering at the doors of The Gate
City OF the South" Great damage had
been done to many of the important
Confederate machine shops and to pub
lie buildings and. unfortunately, also to
private residences. The Inhabitants
emuIated the citizens OF Nicksburg and
dug bomb-proof shelters in their yards.
TT was painful. yet strange" wrote
Gen. J. B. Hood. Ito mark how expert
grew old men. women, and children IN
building their little underground torts'
in which to fly for safety during me
storm Of shot and she'll Often. mid the
darkness OF night. were they constrained
to seek refuge in these dungeons be-
meath the earth
From the Federal lines the scene at
night during the period Of lombard
ment was ''sublimely grand and terrinc
The great shells shot up from the bat
teries, leaving a trail OF fire behind
them in the sky. They dipped into the
CITY, now exploding in the air above II.
again hurting their fragments along the
pavements or crashing down through
the buildings to bury themselves deep IN
the earth beneath.
ON some DAYS, when the Federal FIRE
was especially heavy and destructive
there was n reign of terror in the city.
"An the fires of hell and all the thun-
dors OF the universe seemed 10 be blaz-
ing and roaring over Atlanta" wrote one
resident.
A pail Of sulphurous smoke hung low
over the city, obscuring the glare OF
midsummer sun. The impact and deto-
nation of the shells was heard in every
quarter of the city from daylight to dark
mingled with falling plaster and crashing
timber Great gaps were made In brick
walls and whole sides OF roofs were torn
away. The streets were filled with
debris.
To add to the confusion fires broke out
frequently, and the firemen and citizens
who rushed TO put out the blaze did so
at the risk OF their lives. A number OF
buildings were destroyed by fire after
they had been riddled by shot and shell
and bIackened ruins APPEARED in every
square.
Diary of the siege.
One Atlanta diarist noted the damage
done in a section of the city. Among the
entries are to be found
"A shell entered the house of Mr. Colds
burg, at the corner of Hunter and Lloyd
streets, exploding amidst the family,
wounding DIR. Gates, wife. and child.
Every building on Cherokee Block
was struck and each one considerably
damaged. Five shells passed through
Wesley Chapel from the rear end OF the
building and three from the front. One
shell passed through ten seats -Four
SHELLS struck the parsonage. doing 1t con-
siderable damage"
Two shots struck John Weaver's house
on Walton street, one of them passing
through the parlor. tearing up the fuS-
niture and piano"
Every house on Marietta street to the
gas works was struck and damaged in