Newspaper Page Text
2
Among Our Exchanges.
The News, Nashville. Mich.
DOWN IN DIXIE.
The Sherman-Johnston M ainmn CampfCgns.—
Atlanta, the Chi- igo of the New South. —
War Rernini-'-en •- and Incidents.
Atlanta, March 15. 1887.
Editorial Correspondence.
We reached Atlanta over the M est
ern & Atlantic Railroad, familiarly
known as the Great Kennesaw Route.
With Mr. Brown’s tine book, “The
Mountain Campaigns m Georgia, or
War Scenes on the W. & A.," as a
companion, we cannot remember hav
ing taken a more interesting trip than
the one from Chattanooga to Atlanta.
The route is not only picturesque, but
has become historic from being the
THEATRE OF THAT GREAT CAMPAIGN
Between Sherman ami Johnston, dur
ing the late war. Both armies fought
for the possession of the M . & A.
Sherman, especially, needed it as a
channel through which to secure sup
plies for his immense army, and all his
flank movements were made, primari
ly, to secure possession of this railroad.
Over eighty battles, including Chick
amauga, Missionary Ridge, Ringgold,
Rocky Face, Dalton. Resaca, Allatoo
na, Kennesaw Mountain and Atlanta,
were fought along this line. In fact
from Chattanooga to Atlanta is one
continuous battle-field, where for 120
davs the boom of the cannon and sharp
crack of the rifle were heard almost
without interruption.
As we glide along over the all-steej
rails of the W. A A. we observe upon
either hand, in the old earthworks,
many evidences of that famous cam
paign. Joe Johnston was a firm disci
ple of the Fabian policy in warfare
and selected positions so strong that
even the skillful Sherman could secure
them only by flank movements.
We passed through Cartersville, the
home of Sam Jones, and Allatoona,
famous from having been the scene of
an incident which gave rise to that
glorious gospel hymn,
“hold the fort.”’
As Johnston was pushed back and
strategic points fell into the hands of
Sherman, he fortified and garrisoned
them. This was the case with Alla
toona. In October, as Hood was mak
ing his famous retrograde movement
into Tennessee, he attacked Allatoona,
which was defended by Gen. John M.
Corse, with less than 2,000 men. Just
as this little army, assailed by furious
odds, were about to surrender in de
spair, there came that thrilling and
memorable message:
“HOLD THE FORT, FOR I AM COMING,”
which was.signaled by Gen. Sherman
from the top of Kennesaw Mountain.
Thus inspired the gallant heroes held
the fort with such undaunted persisten
cy that the Confederates beat a retreat,
even before the heralded reinforce
ments appeared. In this fierce and
bloody struggle the Union forces lost
nearly one-half the men engaged.
THE LOCOMOTIVE CAPTURE.
The little hamlet of Big Shanty,
(rightly named) is also famous for an
incident which occurred during the
war, and which we distinctly remem
ber reading about at the time. On
April 12, 1862, a brave and daring
Union soldier, named Andrews, and
twenty-one followers in disguise, seized,
whilst the train men were at breakfast, a
locomotive and three cars and dashed
northward, intending to burn bridges,
tear up railroad track, and otherwise
cripple this great iron feeder to the
Southern Confederacy. The Confed
erates securing another engine started
in pursuit and a thrilling race of near-
Iv 100 miles ensued, at the termination
of which the L nion men were captured.
Capt. Fuller, the man who was instru
mental in their capture is a grocer in
Atlanta: the identical locomotive is
still doing duty on the W. A A., but
the daring gallant fellows who attempt
ed to aid the Union cause, a quarter
of a century ago died an ignominious
death upon the scaffold. But such are
the fortunes of war. At Atlanta we
met a Mr. Hilton who claims to have
witnessed the banging, of Andrews.
He conducted us to the spot where the
brave man breathed his last, and stated
that he accepted his fate with undaunt
ed heroism, and met his death with un
flinching nerve.
The great battle of this campaign
was at Kennesaw Mountain on June
27th. At this battle Sherman had
100.000 men and Johnston 6<),0o0;
the latter however had an impregna
ble military position upon Kennesaw
Mountain, which overlooks the coun
try in all directions: and all the hero
ic assaults of Sherman upon him were
disastrous in the extreme; but later
the usual flank extension caused John
ston to retreat.
NA TIONA L GEM EfEl IY.
We spent half a day at Marietta,
Atlanta's charming suburb, and the
most important place between Chatta
nooga and Atlanta. It lias about 5,-
000 population. A national cemetery
containing the dust of 10,158 Union
soldiers is located here. It is a well
kept, beautiful spot. Noble, appre
ciative government to thus keep ever
green the grave- of your patriots.
hood’s offensive ta<’tic-.
After the battle of Kennesaw Moun
tain Johnston retreated across Chatta
hoochee river and took a stand within
eight miles of Atlanta. His Fabian
policy having become distasteful to the
Confederate government, he was re
lieved and Gen. Hood appointed to his
place, although the former asserted
that he could hold Atlanta forever.
Hood was the direct opposite of John
ston, and although he had an army not
much larger than one-half of Sher
man’s he immediately instituted offen
sive tactics. The terrible battles of
Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, and Ezra
Church, fought respectively on July
20, 22. and 28, only served to show
Hood his weakness and he was com
pelled in each instance to retire with
prodigious losses. In the battle of the
22d, the Union forces lost their gallant
General McPherson and the Confed
erates the daring Gen. Walker. The
spot where the former fell is marked
with a monument consisting of a 24-
pound siege gun, mounted on a gran
ite base and surrounded by a fence
made from gun barrels.
Although Hood was an offensive
commander he did not neglect to en
trench, and the ground around the
citv was
SEAMED WITH ENTRENCHMENTS
and earthen fortifications. We have
traveled from the center of the citv to
the four points of the compass, and
everywhere do we find those banks of
red dirt, which illustrate the tenacity
of secession, better than any feeble
words of ours. Fort Walker is in a
fair state of preservation, and being
located in the new park will be kept so
by the city government.
In the meantime Gen. Sherman,
also, was not idle and kept up a con
tinual bombardment on the enemy un
til Sept. Ist, when Hood evacuated the
place, and commenced his wild inva
sion of Tennessee, where at Nashville
he was annihilated by Thomas.
Journal and Herald, Springfield, N. Y.
What can give greater satisfaction
THE KENNESAW GAZETTE.
than a trip on the Western & Atlantic
Railroad, between Chattanooga and
Atlanta? The road is one of the
smoothest in the country. A man
might safely shave himself on the mov
ing train, so uniform is the track.
Then the line is unsurpassed for his
toric interest. Its whole length was
lately contested for by strong armies.
Manv forts are still to be seen and bat
tlefields innumerable are pointed out.
Among the passengers are sure to be
some who went “marching through
Georgia, and others who were obsta
cles to that march. Accounts of the
contests are told by the rival combat
ants, each giving the other side credit
for great bravery.
Atlanta is a beautiful, an enterpris
ing, a growing and a moral city. The
visitor i- at once observant of the. pre
valent uprightness and respectability.
Religious revivals are now drawing
hundreds to still higher planes of life,
and the large churches are nightly
filled with earnest audiences.
Thomasville (Ga.) Times.
THE W. A A. ROUTE.
The late Geo. C. Clark, a promi
nent capitalist of Chicago, thus en
dorses the old reliable Western A At
lantic Railroad, in a letter to Supt.
Marmaduke, of the Pullman Co.:
“I am very glad that the noon sleep
er to Louisville, via Atlanta, is to be
kept on. It is the most convenient
and pleasant train for parties bound
for Chicago and the northwest we have
ever had, and equally advantageous
coining this way. It would seem a
pity V take it off until travel north
westward bad pretty well closed.’’
Ihomascille (Ga.) Enterprise.
The Kennesaw Route is one which
affords a great variety of scenery to the
traveler, and passes through the most
historic portion of our State.
Gainesville (Ga.) Eagle.
SOUTHERN ENTERPRISE.
* T} ie enterprise shown by
the Western & Atlantic Railroad —the
Great Kennesaw Route —in placing be
fore the traveling public its advantages
and attractions as a public highway, is,
certainly, unprecedented in the South.
We have, within the past month, re
ceived from them two beautifully il
lustrated editions of their advertising
directory, which proves that “there is
life in the old land yet,” and that we
have business energy and judicious
management among the directors of
southern enterprises that is unsurpass
ed anywhere. The last one on our ta
ble is an illustrated and descriptive
history of the charming little city of
Marietta, with fine views of Kennesaw
Mountain and other striking scenery
in the immediate vicinity of the “Gem
(' i ty,” as it is appropriately called. No
wonder the Kennesaw Route has be
come the most popular one in the
South—that the beautiful scenery and
places of historic interest that crowd
its whole length possess attractions
that incite the tourist and even in
duce the business man to leave more
direct routes to travel over it. When
we have more such men as these to
show what the South is and what it
can be made, the question of immigra
tion and development will be solved
and our whole Sunny Land will bloom
like a garden. If the Air-Line and
Gainesville would only display the
sanw.sortof enterprise, *it would not
be long before our city and (Northeast
Georgia would attract equal attention
and* receive a fair share of the' patron
age 4 now to Marietta and the
V estern & Atlantic railroad.
Lewisburg (Pa.) Journal.
We have received fron the Western
& Atlantic Railroad Co., a co] \ G ihe
Battle-Fields Folder, which akunds
with news relative to the battle-fields
along the Great Kennesaw Route, nev
er before published. Aside from this
special feature it contains other valua
ble information.
Manufacturer’s Record, Baltimore, Md.
The Western & Atlantic Railroad,
of Georgia, has issued a folder giving
the local time table of that road, winch
is probably the handsomest local inne
card ever issued by any railroad in
the country. Mr. Jos. M. Brown,
the general passenger agent of the
road, Atlanta, Ga., is responsible for
this work of art.
Free Baptist Herald, Hampton, AV. Va.
Leaving Chattanooga, we ran down
to Atlanta, on the Western & Atlantic
Railroad. All old soldiers will remem
ber that along this line are the great
war scenes of Georgia. It is said that
Sherman’s Army fought over every
mile of the road. There is Chicka
mauga, where there were thousands of
brave men slaughtered; Dalton, Ring
gold, Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain,
Big Shanty, Allatoona Pass and doz
ens of other battle fields. Allatoona
Pass will be remembered as the place,
where Gen. Corse was besieged by the
Confederates when Gen. Sherman sig
naled from Kennesaw, “Hold the
Fort for I am coming,” which gave
rise to our famous gospel song. At
lanta is a fine city. Those who travel-
South should go via the Western A
Atlantic and take in all these points of
such great interest.
Thomasville (Ga.) Enterprise.
Mr. George M. Brown, of the “ohl
reliable” Western & Atlantic Railroad
has been in the city since last Satur
day, and will remain till the last of the
week. He says he cannot leave Thom
asville. We sometimes wish we could
move Thomasville to the line ot this
road, orelse bring the road down here.
AT WORK FOR THE W. & A. R. R.
Mr. Joe E. B. Love has been made
passenger and ticket agent of the old
reliable W. & A. R. R., at this point.
It seems that our wish, that the M A
A. R. R could be moved to Thomas
ville, expressed above, is coming to a
rapid fruition.
We congratulate the W. A A. on
securing the service of Mr. Love, and
we congratulate Mr. Love that lit has
secured a place with such a strong cor
poration.
Passengers to Cincinnati can leave
Atlanta via the Western & Atlantic
R. R. at 1:40 p. m. and arrive at (in
cinnati at 6:40 the next a. m. I hey
leave from the Union Depot in Arlan
ta. If going via the opposition to (he
Western & Atlantic, they leave At
lanta from the small station ovi r a
half mile from the Union Depot at
12:15 p. m., in order to reach Cincin
nati at the same time that passenger.-
leaving via the Western A Atlantic at
1:40 p. m. do. In other words, the
time Atlanta to Cincinnati, via the
Western & Atlantic, is one hour
ty-five minutes shorter than via the op
position, besides the advantage of
wq? from the Union Depot if you go el
the Western & Atlantic.
The Western & Atlantic is the only
line in the South running four through
passenger trains per day each way, fp’ lll
one terminal to the other. It, there
fore, offers advantages over all othei
lines for tourists going to Atlanta,
Florida or the Southeast.