DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Marcellus W. Darling papers, 1864

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1864-09-11-Page 03

I have been around through the Town some and saw the effect of our shelling while the Rebels were here, a great many of our shells lay around in the Streets some that burst and some that did not in front of our Corps there are a great many building nearly demolished large stores and dwelling houses all show the marks of war. all of the Citazens that remained in the place during the Siege had dug a "Goapher hole" or under ground Cellar for safety there they had to stay the most of the time it is hard I know but such is war and so it is we have all got to stand it.
There are some very nice buildings here four Churches a large female seminary and medical College court house and town hall with a great many other buildings of lesser note
The Stores are most all cleaned out of Every thing that is good for any thing some of the boys that came in here first got some Tobacco and other things but the town was pretty well cleaned out by the rebels before they left; General Sherman has issued an order to send south through our lines all of the citazens that can not support themselves and will not go north, this is a good thing for all we can get here we want ourselves, that is the rebel plan to put off on to us all the helpless and criples that can not take care of themselves when the rebels left they did not take all of their sick and wounded they left about one hundred in one Hosp't,, I saw, they all say Hood can not make his men fight any more after leaving Atlanta. I suppose we shall have a little rest now, and get pay before we start on an other Campaign they owe us eight months pay now and I should

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I have been around through the Town some and saw the effect of our shelling while the Rebels were here, a great many of our shells lay around in the Streets some that burst and some that did not in front of our Corps there are a great many building nearly demolished large stores and dwelling houses all show the marks of war. all of the Citazens that remained in the place during the Siege had dug a "Goapher hole" or under ground Cellar for safety there they had to stay the most of the time it is hard I know but such is war and so it is we have all got to stand it. There are some very nice buildings here four Churches a large female seminary and medical College court house and town hall with a great many other buildings of lesser note The Stores are most all cleaned out of Every thing that is good for any thing some of the boys that came in here first got some Tobacco and other things but the town was pretty well cleaned out by the rebels before they left; General Sherman has issued an order to send south through our lines all of the citazens that can not support themselves and will not go north, this is a good thing for all we can get here we want ourselves, that is the rebel plan to put off on to us all the helpless and criples that can not take care of themselves when the rebels left they did not take all of their sick and wounded they left about one hundred in one Hosp't,, I saw, they all say Hood can not make his men fight any more after leaving Atlanta. I suppose we shall have a little rest now, and get pay before we start on an other Campaign they owe us eight months pay now and I should