DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Andrew F. Davis papers, 1862

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03_1862-02-05-Page 03

of a tract of surrounding country which for beuty fertility and improvement is surpassed by none but sad indeed is the sights that now meets the eye as one ranges through the streets About one house in then is occupied by the owners, the rest have been abandoned by their occupants and now furnish quarters for the soldiers. A large majority of the citizens ware loyal consequently when the Rebels began to occupy the place they had to leave evrything and flee. Then the rebels would take possession of the houses, and use the fences and out houses for fire wood There are dozens of as fine houses as there are in Liberty or as Ridenours or Dr Hawleys in College corner which have all the appearance of haveing been occupied by people who had evrything the heart could wish for. The doors are now standing open the furniture broken or burned up, the fences all burt for firewood the nice yards and shrubbery turned out to the commons and in may places have been used for wagon yards. The buisness part of the town they burned when they evacuated the place. Yesterday I walked over the ruins. Around the main square there appears to have been about 20 or 25 large Store rooms burned, and you can form some Idea of the destruction but I cannot describe it. I saw several Iron Safes laying in the streets which had been rolled out and broken open before they would set fire to the rest of it. The ruins of the presses of two printing offices are among the rubbish. I next visited the Railroad, and here has been the most expensive part of the destruction. A very large engine house and machine shop was the first place I visited Here are the ruins of eight Locomotives with their tenders, all of which are consumed which would burn, also all the machinery which belongs to such a place all in one mass of ruins. The next was the passenger Depot which was also a verry large and fine building. The main thing in them appeared to have been Carrs but the number I could not tell but by the appearances of the empty trucks the building must have been crowded full. The next and last place I visited was the ware houses 2 in number where they had their army Stores and provisions Stored, and by appearances there must have been large quantaties on hand. The destruction of provision must have been quite large, also large amounts of camp equippage

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of a tract of surrounding country which for beuty fertility and improvement is surpassed by none but sad indeed is the sights that now meets the eye as one ranges through the streets About one house in then is occupied by the owners, the rest have been abandoned by their occupants and now furnish quarters for the soldiers. A large majority of the citizens ware loyal consequently when the Rebels began to occupy the place they had to leave evrything and flee. Then the rebels would take possession of the houses, and use the fences and out houses for fire wood There are dozens of as fine houses as there are in Liberty or as Ridenours or Dr Hawleys in College corner which have all the appearance of haveing been occupied by people who had evrything the heart could wish for. The doors are now standing open the furniture broken or burned up, the fences all burt for firewood the nice yards and shrubbery turned out to the commons and in may places have been used for wagon yards. The buisness part of the town they burned when they evacuated the place. Yesterday I walked over the ruins. Around the main square there appears to have been about 20 or 25 large Store rooms burned, and you can form some Idea of the destruction but I cannot describe it. I saw several Iron Safes laying in the streets which had been rolled out and broken open before they would set fire to the rest of it. The ruins of the presses of two printing offices are among the rubbish. I next visited the Railroad, and here has been the most expensive part of the destruction. A very large engine house and machine shop was the first place I visited Here are the ruins of eight Locomotives with their tenders, all of which are consumed which would burn, also all the machinery which belongs to such a place all in one mass of ruins. The next was the passenger Depot which was also a verry large and fine building. The main thing in them appeared to have been Carrs but the number I could not tell but by the appearances of the empty trucks the building must have been crowded full. The next and last place I visited was the ware houses 2 in number where they had their army Stores and provisions Stored, and by appearances there must have been large quantaties on hand. The destruction of provision must have been quite large, also large amounts of camp equippage