Atlanta Sept 5^th                                 

The Gate City of the South West  

    

Dear Parents                                      

I will not wait for an answer before I write this time on the 2^nd of sept our orderly came at four A.M. and woke me saying Palmer you are one of fifteen out of Co. D to go on a reconiseience (you will remember that in my last letter I spoke of going out and finding them in full force) so up I got and took breakfast of hard tack and coffee and soon after the word was scouts fall in we started and went on till we came to where we were attacked the day before not finding the enemy we advanced to the front of the city and our advanced to the rebel fortifications finding nothing in them we advanced and halted inside the enemys works pretty soon his honor the Mayor of the city came out with a flag of truce and surrendered the City of Atlanta to a detachment of men of the third brigade 3^rd Division 20^th AC then it was Dear Parents that I forgot the privations that I have gone through for the last five months and I am glad that I was one of the first yanks to go through the streets of Atlanta with a musket on my shoulder the people were verry cheerful and welcome but our shells have done some damage to the buildings in the city we then marched to the / Depot which is one of the finest buildings in the south and threw the stars and stripes to the breeze which was the first one that has been put up since Georgia absconded there are a good many Conn people in the city some of them knew the New Haven boys one knew Uncle George Sumner while we come in the rebel soldiers were going out some were so drunk that they were carried out in Army wagons and deserters are constantly coming in you can now see why we fell back to the river so that Sherman could swing the Eight around on the Macon R.R.d they have had a heavy battle on the right of the line 16 hundred prisoners come in last night more to come is the report old Hood is the best union man in the south during the six weeks he has been in command he has put 40 thousand of his soldiers out of the way the destruction of property is enormous you can read it in the papers there never was anything like it before cars burnt govmt property destroyed to prevent its falling into our hands one old man as the stars were being hoisted took off his hat and swung it hollerd out glory to God I have prayed for the old flag for four years and now here it is of course we cheered him I will close with love to all                   

 

From your Affectionate Son

G H Palmer

 

PS the Cromwell boys are well

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