USA > Georgia > Fulton County > Atlanta > Atlanta City Directory Co.'s Greater Atlanta (Georgia) city directory including Avondale, Buckhead and all immediate suburbs [microform] 1867 > Part 2
USA > Georgia > Morgan County > Buckhead > Atlanta City Directory Co.'s Greater Atlanta (Georgia) city directory including Avondale, Buckhead and all immediate suburbs [microform] 1867 > Part 2
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"The city was first brilliantly lighted with gas, manufactured from Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee coal, on the 25th of De- cember, 1855.
"The incorporated shape of the city is a circle two miles in diam- eter, with a handle of half a mile in length, and six hundred yards wide along the line of the Macon and Western Railroad. It cov- ers a portion of sixteen original land lots, each of which was laid off upon a plan to suit the views of the respective owners, and hence our streets are not all so regular in width and uniform in di- rection as is desirable-many of them being much too narrow for public convenience.
"The City Hall and County Court House is a convenient, com- modious, and handsome structure, erected in 1854 and 1855, at a cost of a little over $30,000. It is 70 by 100 feet in size, two stories high, of fine architectural proportion and design, well adapted to the uses intended, is elegantly finished throughout, surmounted by an imposing dome, and is alike creditable to the city and the artist. "The Medical College is now in its fifth course of lectures, all . delivered in the summer, with a larger class than any former one- numbering one hundred and fifty-six students: has had its day of probation, trial and difficulties ; but it is now a decided success, and its enemies and rivals have almost ceased to persecute it. It has an able and emcient faculty, and a very complete chemical aps- ratus, and is collecting a very respectable museum.
"The geographical position of Atlanta being nearly in the cen- tre of the southern section of the American Union, at the point of the great railroad crossings in a right line from New York to New Orleans, and nearly equi-distant from each; four prominent lines of railroad all centering here, and pouring into the depots and warehouses of the city an amount of trade, and transporting throughit a vast tide of travel : situated, too, just upon the dividing line between the cotton and grain sections of the State, altogether, give to Atlanta facilities for receiving and distributing the produc- tions and the commerce of the country from one section to another, greater than can be claimed for any other inland city in the South. Atlanta is now connected by rail with Chattanooga, Nashville, Memphis, and thence with the Upper Mississippi, also, with Loudon
22. CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
and Knoxville, Tennessee; Lynchburg, Virginia; and thence with the great lines North and east; on the south-west with Mont- gomery by rail, thence by water with Mobile, New Orleans, and all the Lower Mississippi; also with Columbus and all south-western Georgia, and Savannah, and the Atlantic, through Macon. By the Georgia Railroad with Augusta, Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, most of the prominent places in North and South Carolina, Vir- ginia, and the great Northern cities. Another Railroad is now in projection. and considerable progress made towards its accom- plishment, in the direction of Anderson Court House, South Caro- lina, through the beautiful and productive territory, known as North- east Georgia; and another, still, has been chartered from this point to the great and inexhaustable coal fields of North-eastern Ala- bama, destined to supply fuel and motive power to the teaming millions that shall inhabit these lands for untold ages. Forty-four freight and passenger trains arrive and depart daily from the city. "The city now contains thirteen Christian churches; and one more has been recently projected.
" It is not believed that any other city in the country is blessed with greater or better facilities for procuring building materials, the supply of granite near at hand, of a quality peculiarly adapted to building purposes, is literally inexhaustible ; bricks of good qual- ity are made in and around the city on reasonable terms. Lumber of good quality is also obtained at reasonable prices ; lime is pro- duced in any desirable quantity near at hand.
" The population of the city is remarkable for its activity and enterprise. Most of the inhabitants came here for the purpose of bettering their fortunes by engaging actively in some kind of busi- ness, and this presents the anomaly of having very few aged per- sons residing in it; and our people show their democratic impulses by each allowing his neighbor to attend to his own business, and our ladies even are allowed to attend to their own domestic and household affairs without being ruled out of respectable society.
"The mechanical element prevails in our city, and the major part of them are enterprising, thrifty and prosperous men, who are rapidly rising in the public esteem.
" The health of the city is almost unprecedented, being entirely exempt from the usual summer and fall fevers, cholera, &c. No. epidemic has ever prevailed here, and the bills of mortality show a state of health almost without a parallel.
" The city is chiefly supplied with the very best free stone water, from wells usually from thirty to forty feet deep, though a very great number of excellent springs are found within the city limits. Among these we may not omit to mention the Chalybiate Spring in the western part of the city, which has within a few years at- tracted the public attention, and now forms one of the inducements for the sojourn in our city of those in search of health.
23
CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
" The public spirit of some of our citizens has recently projected considerable improvements at this point, whereby its attractions are greatly increased, and it is rapidly becoming a place of public resort. All things considered, we may safely assert the prophecy of that far-seeing statesman, John C. Calhoun, is in process of rapid fulfillment, who predicted, while passing through the place in 1847, that it was destined ultimately to become the largest inland city of the South.
" This hasty sketch has been prepared under very unfavorable cir- cumstances, in the midst of severe family afflictions, and other press- ing engagements, and will doubtless be found defective in many particulars, but it was called for in haste, and is given to the public, without further apology for what it is worth. G. B. H."
It will be seen from the foregoing, that Atlanta has, in the way of improvement, far exceeded the expectations of the most sanguine of its early settlers. In 1843 it was incorporated merely as a village, and in 1847, a lapse of only four years time, it had grown to such an extent as to demand the charter of a city. By the year 1859, twelve years more, she had attained a population of 12,000 ; presenting to the world a scene of unparalleled energy, enterprise, and prosperity. The real estate in the city, as assessed in 1859, amounted to nearly $3,000,000 ; personal property, cash, and other items of value in proportion : including almost every article of wealth known to the world. From the little " Village in the Woods," of a sparce population, supplied with pro- visions mainly from the countryman's cart, and clothed in the handiwork of our own noble women, Atlanta gra- dually, but rapidly, sprang up, until in 1860 to 1862, the minor means of transportation had been nearly sup- planted by the huge "Iron Horse," bringing inexhausti- ble supplies of provisions, &c., from more fertile regions, and our fair ladies relieved of the arduous task of manu- facturing their own fabrics, by the importation, directly or indirectly, of dry goods, and the various articles of wear, from almost every market in the world.
" But riches make to themselves wings and fly away." Prosperity is alike uncertain to countries, kingdoms,
24
CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
cities, and individuals ; and Atlanta has not proved her- self an exception to this general rule. From 1862, with no other apparent reason than the darkening of the political horizon, and the threatening aspect of the clouds of war, improvement in this hitherto enterprising and prosperous city, was considerably checked, except in point of population. About this time, the attention of our best manufacturing establishments was diverted from their legitimate business (that of domestic articles) to the manufacture of the various appliances of war. Would that we could, with propriety, avoid referring to so terrible a calamity. But we must act impartially. We must state the facts, to the best of our knowledge and belief, painting them in no gaudy hues, that each, in its place, may bear the impress of truth.
Atlanta advanced very little, except in population, from 1862 until after its destruction ; but it increased very materially in this respect, reaching, perhaps, 20,000 to 22,000 souls-many of whom were only transcient employees and attachees of the Confederate Government, whose business was the manufacture of various articles and implements of war. There were, during the three years, from, the commencement of 1862 to the time the city was occupied by the United States Army, manufac- tured in Atlanta, almost every article known in the annals of American warfare-from field ordnance to a first class revolver. Also, ammunition of every description from the largest shell to percussion caps, balls, &c. Swords, sabres, and in fact, almost every instrument destructive of human life, were made in great variety and abundance. To these manufacturing, war interests, is attributable the large increase of population during the years to which we have above alluded; and, had not the city been destroyed, there would not have returned to" Atlanta, after the surrender of Generals Lee and Johnston, nearly so many as were here prior to the commencement of the siege; perhaps not more than 18,000 to 20,000. Many good citizens, however, from Tennessee, Kentucky, and
CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
25
other States, have returned, and made Atlanta their per- manent home.
This city was kept under strict martial law by the Con- federate authorities from April 1862, until occupied by the United States forces. It was, also, headquarters for Quartermaster and Commissary-stores, hospitals, &c., for the Confederate Army of Tennessee, from March 1862, until they were removed for safety, by order of General Joseph E. Johnston. During this time, many of the most prominent buildings, public and private, were used -impressed when necessary-for hospitals, Government stores, &c. Among the buildings thus used, were the Empire House, American Hotel, (then known as Gate City) the Medical College, Female Institute, Kile's Build- ing, Hayden's Hall, and Concert Hall; the Gate City Hotel being latteraly used as the Distributing Hospital. There were also established large hospital accommoda- tions at the Fair Ground, and a convalescent camp near Mrs. Ponder's residence, on the W. & A. Railroad. The Confederate barracks, for this post, was west of Peach. tree street, north of, and not far distant from the Walton Spring.
Atlanta being the great hospital depot for the above mentioned army, during the campaign from Chattanooga to this city, in the Spring and Summer months of 1864, especially, the most intense anxiety and solicitude pre- vailed among our citizens. Great numbers of sick and wounded soldiers, daily arriving at the Passenger Depot, were met by the ladies of our first families, with baskets filled with such delicacies, &c., as were most needed by them. It is estimated that, from time to time, during the war, there were in hospital at this place not less than 80,000 Confederate soldiers, and that of this number about 5,000 died ; 4,600 of whom were buried in the City Cemetery. There were probably 2,500 Federals, also, in hospital at this place, about 150 of whom were buried in the City Cemetery.
Up to this date, the remains of over 1,300 Federal
26 CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
soldiers, including those buried in the Cemetery, and over 800 from the battle field of Peachtree Creek, have been exhumed, and removed to the National Cemetery at Ma- rietta, or to their homes.
From the time the contending armies crossed the Chat- tahoochee river, which was about the 15th of July 1864, a state of panic existed, and the greatest confusion prevailed, until a great many non-combatants had retired from the city. Every available means of conveyance was either impressed by the Confederate authorities, or employed at exhorbitant prices, in removing the effects of such citizens as were able to obtain railroad transportation for the same.
To such as remained, for want of transportion, or for any other reason, until after the bombardment of the city by the United States artillery, had fairly commenced, a scene at once fearful and sublime was presented. Huge bumbs, and smaller shell, presenting, in the darkness of night, the appearance of glaring comets or meteors, fly- ing in every direction, bursting and dealing death and destruction amidst zealous firemen, soldiers, and citizens who were striving to extinguish the fiendish flames of a burning city, and driving, with precipitate movement, our frantic women and children into rude "holes in the ground," hastily prepared for their preservation, is a sketch of the facts-much too feeble and inadequate-of one of a series of evening entertainments given the citzens of Atlanta during the month of August 1864 ..
Atlanta was bombarded, at intervals, from about the 20th of July 1864, until evacuated by the Confederates. Latteraly, even the women and children became, appa- rently, regardless of these missiles of death, and children were not debarred of their usual amusements on account of their frequent visits. Comparatively few casualties occurred among the citizens during the contest for Atlanta. Most of the non-combatants were permitted to survive these terrible scenes, and to leave the city before the work of destruction had advanced to its full extent.
CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA. 27
During the siege, there were thrown up, by the cou- tending parties, continuous lines of fortifications around the entire city-a distance of at least eight or ten miles- in and near which were fought some of the most san- guinary battles of the war. In an engagement, near Peachtree Creek, on the 20th of July, the Confederates lost, killed and wounded, not less than 1,500, and the Federals lost, perhaps, as many. In another battle, extending from the Rolling Mill, on the Georgia Rail- road, to Decatur, the Confederates lost about 2 000, and the Federals 3,500. There were other hotly contested engagements around the city, in which great numbers were killed and wounded on both sides-the final and de- cisive battles being fought at Jonesboro, August 31st and September 1st, in which the Confederate loss was very heavy, while that of the Federal army was much less. The whole number killed and wounded around Atlanta, from the time the armies crossed the Chattahoochee river until the city was invested by the United States Army, including the Jonesboro battles, is unknown to the writer, but must have been at least 18,000 to 20,000 Confederates, and as many Federals.
How quickly fade from the memory of man impres- sions made by the contemplation of such a scene ! Yet, the citizens of this bustling city, however heedless they may be, sleep nightly in the midst of one vast grave- yard. Friend and foe lie shoulder to shoulder, and will take up arms against each other no more ; but must one day stand together before their Creator. Let us hope they died with such charitable feelings, and with such faith in their Saviour, as shall secure to them the salva- tion of their immortal spirits.
Before the evacuation of the city by the Confederate General Hood's army, the Rolling Mill, formerly owned by Messrs. Markham & Schofield, on the Georgia Railroad, about one hundred cars, and a great deal of ammunition, and other army supplies, were destroyed, and the rail- roads torn up to a considerable extent. On the morning,
28
CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
and until night, of the 1st of September, 1864, Maj. Gen. Stewart's Corps, Gen. Ferguson's Brigade of Cav -- alry, and the Georgia State Militia, were in the city, and a corps, under command of Gen. S. D. Lee, came within six miles of Atlanta, (to. Mr. Killis Brown's, on South river,) in the afternoon. Gen. Slocum's command were at the Chattahoochee river, eight miles distant. At night, the Confederate forces were withdrawn from the city, .: and the following day, the Hon. J. M. Calhoun, then Mayor of Atlanta, with a committee of some twelve citizens, after going more than two miles up the Marietta road, and first meeting with a Captain Scott, obtained an interview with Col. John Coburne, of Indianapolis, Indiana, the substance of which we give below:
After having been introduced by Capt. Scott, Mayor Calhoun said : "Col. Coburne, the fortunes of war have placed Atlanta in your hands. As Mayor of the city, I come to ask protection for non-combatants and for pri- vate property." To this Col. Coburne replied : " We did not come to make war on non-combatants, nor on private property : both shall be respected and protected by us." On this day, also, the command of Gen. Slocum regularly invested the city, Gen. W. T. Sherman, himself, coming in September 7th. On the morning of the 3d, the above remarks, on the part of Mayor Calhoun, were, by request, reduced to writing, and addressed to Gen. Ward, instead of Col. Coburne ; but the reply was not reduced to writing.
The headquarters of Gen. Sherman was at the resi- dence of Judge R. F. Lyon, corner Mitchell and Wash- ington streets. Gen. Thomas' headquarters was at the residence of Mr. M. Meyers, on Peachtree street ; Gen. Geary's at Mr. E. E. Rawson's, on Pryor ; Gen. Stan- ley's at the residence of Mr. Lewis Scofield, on Peachtree street ; and Gen. Slocum's at Wm. H. Dabney's, on Wash- ington street. The best store-houses, on the main busi- ness streets, the hotels, Medical College, City Hall, Female Institute, and other houses, were used, in turn,
CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA. 29
by the Federal army, as store-houses, hospitals, &c., during their occupancy of the city.
According to orders issued on the subject, soon after the entrance of the United States army into Atlanta, commenced the work of tearing down such houses as were found unoccupied, and not required for hospitals, store-houses, headquarters, or other army purposes, as they stood, and the conversion of the same into small, compact cabins-with chimneys and glass windows in many instances-to be used as quarters by the United States soldiery.
About the loth of September, Gen. Sherman issued an order requiring the evacuation of the city by all citizens, except those who engaged themselves as employees of the United States Government, as mechanics, clerks, watchmen, &c., allowing all to go South who wished to do so, and sending others beyond the Ohio river. This required an armistice of ten days, which was agreed upon by Generals Sherman and Hood. Mr. James M. Ball, and our late lamented fellow-citizen, James R. Crew, acting as a committee, appointed for that purpose by His Honor, Mayor Calhoun, carried the above order, and also a pro- position for an armistice, from Gen. Sherman to Gen. Hood, whose headquarters was then one mile below Lovejoy's Station, on the Macon & Western Railroad. It is also due to Mr. Ball, and other gentlemen coopera- ting, whose names are not known to the writer, as well as to the memory of Mr. Crew, to remark, in this con- nection, that they rendered assistance eminently valuable to the citizens, in the removal of their effects from the city. Col. LaDuke, Q. M., U. S. Army, from Minne- sota, and other officers of the Federal army, rendered every possible assistance. The Federals furnished the citizens transportation to Rough and Ready, on the Macon & Western' Railroad, and the Confederates from thence to Macon, and other points. Having only ten days time to complete the evacuation of a city of 20,000 population, and considering the distance, scanty means of
L.
31
30 CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
transportation, the great excitement and confusion, natural on such an occasion, it is not strange that a great deal of private property, (furniture, &c.,) should be left unprotected. ' Much of the furniture, according to an arrangement between Gen. Sherman and Mayor Calhoun, was collected and deposited in the Second (Trinity) M. E. Church, and protected by Gen. Sherman, during his occupancy of the city. This Church-full, however, consti- tuted scarcely a tithe of the vast amount of furniture left here by the exiled citizens.
About the 15th of November 1864, Gen. Sherman found it expedient to divide his army, sending a portion of it, under command of Gen. Thomas, up the Western & Atlantic Railroad, and into Tennessee, for the purpose of intercepting and thwarting the designs of Gen. Hood, who had, by this time, instituted a flank movement in that direction, while he, with the remainder of his army, made his way to the sea coast, at Savannah, Georgia.
Before evacuating the Post of Atlanta, it was thought advisable, by officers commanding the United States army, to destroy the city, which was almost completely accomplished. There was scarcely one stone left upon another. Some of the buildings, the Macon & Western Railroad Depot, the Car Shed, or General Passenger Depot, (one of the finest in the United States,) the Geor- gia Railroad Bank Agency building, the Georgia Railroad Depot and Machine Shop, the Western & Atlantic Rail- road Depot and Shops, and other buildings required more powerful agents of destruction than fire, and were either battered down with battering-rams, or blown up with gun-powder. The churches destroyed were Dr. Quin- tard's Episcopal, corner Bridge and Walton streets; the Protestant Methodist, corner Forsyth and Garnett; Evans Chapel, M. E., on Nelson street ; the Christian Church, on Decatur street, and Payne's Chapel, M. E., on Marietta street. The Female College did not escape the flames. All the railroads and shops, and every foundry, machine shop, planing mill, &c., were completely
CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
consumed by fire, or otherwise ingeniously destroyed. The Atlanta Gas Works, built years ago, at an immense cost, were also destroyed, as if to make the dismal aspect more hideous by the darkness of night. In fact, such a destruction of public and private property has not been witnessed in any city during the war, except, perhaps, Columbia, South Carolina.
The Masonic Hall, a fine, three story brick building, on Decatur street, by the interposition of members of the fraternity, in the United States army, was preserved. Several good buildings on Alabama street, east of Pryor, including the Gate City Hotel, were also saved. To Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard, is said to be due the preserva- tion of the valuable residences left on Peachtree street. Through the instrumentality of Father O'Rielly, and of Gen. Slocum, the Catholic Church, Second Baptist, Second Methodist, (Trinity,) Second Presbyterian, and St. Philip's, (Episcopal-much damaged,) together with the City Hall, and other valuable property in that vicinity, were preserved. Dr. N. D'Alvigny interceded for the Medical College, which was, also, spared. Other persons, not known to the writer, doubtless, saved valuable property, and should long be remembered as public benefactors.
By those who returned to Atlanta soon after its destruc- tion, a disgusting and heart-sickening scene was wit- nessed. Ruin, death, and devastation met the eye on every hand. The legions of carrion crows and vultures, whose vocation it might have been to hover over and pick at the decaying carcasses of animals that lay among the scarred and broken walls of our ruined city, were surpassed by the hosts of Georgia's own sons, who might, otherwise, have been styled our brothers, congregated here from a distance of fifty miles, in every direction- not to guard unprotected property-but, many of them, to steal, and haul away the effects of their absent and unfortunate countrymen. There were, also, numerous packs of dogs, that had become wild, on account of the
32 CONDENSED HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
absence of their masters, attacking citizens, and belching forth their frightful howls, as if to render the scene still more fearful, gloomy, and desolate.
During the months of December and January, after the destruction of the city by the Federals, some of the citizens, who went South, returned home. A few found shelter in their own houses, while the majority of them were compelled to take up their abode in the houses of other parties, or live in tents with their famalies. The destitution consequent upon the scarcity of provisions and fuel, and the utter worthlessness of Confederate cur- rency, during the winter months of 1864;and 1865, pro- duced an amount of suffering beyond the comprehension of most persons who did not witness the facts. For want of teams, some parties were forced to carry their fuel a distance of nearly a mile, and many suffered severely from both hunger and cold. But they managed to survive the winter, and some had, by the spring fol- lowing, accumulated considerable little stores. On the surrender and parole of Lee's and Johnston's armies, however, as the soldiers were passing through Atlanta, en route for their homes, they made free with everything that came in their way, leaving many, again, utterly des- titute. So much for war, which, under every circum- stance, and for whatever cause, is demoralizing in its ten- dencies-rendering in some instances, the best men inca- pable of performing an act of kindness, or even of admin- istering simple justice to his fellow man.
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