April 13, 1863, Savannah Republican (Georgia)
The editor of the Lake City Columbian paid a visit to Jacksonville, and gives the following account of the destruction of that town by the Abolitionists:
Probably about one-third of the town was destroyed by the fires set by the enemy. A heavy rain and the efforts of the few citizens remaining, with the heavy aid of our troops as soon as they reached town, extinguished the flames in many of the buildings. Of the Churches, but two were burned–the Episcopal and the Catholic. The residence of the late Judge Pearson, and another dwelling near the former, was destroyed. Around the Catholic Church, pretty much all the buildings for the space of two blocks, were consumed. The Washington Hotel and the former residence of Mrs. Foster, and all for the space of two blocks in their rear, were destroyed with the exception of Mr. Hern’s house on the upper corner. The Court House and Jail were consigned to the flames. The four stores in the two-story brick block on Ocean street, north of Hoeg & Ambler’s block, were entirely destroyed. On Bay street, the following buildings were totally consumed: Bisbee & Canova’s block, T. O. Holmes’ block, Mr. Kipp’s house, Mr. Bisbee’s, Judge Dorman’s, Dr. Baldwin’s, and the four brick stores below Hoeg & Ambler’s owned by Messrs. Canova, Blackwell and Miller; also a brick store near, on the street running north. On the hill above the late Judson House, the buildings were entirely swept away, including the residences of Messrs. Geo. R. Foster, Emery, Gibbs, Fairbanks and several others whose names are unknown to us. In fact, from the railroad Depot to Mrs. Haddock’s place, (a distance of two miles,) there is not a building of any description left standing; even the brick church being burned and the brickyard destroyed. Besides this, an almost irreparable injury has been done to Jacksonville by the destruction of her beautiful shade trees. It was evidently the intention of the villains to destroy the whole town; but as usual, in their infamous and cowardly undertakings, they only partially succeeded.