Unfortunately, however, they did not reach Jacksonville in time to save that beautiful town from the flames, as a part of it was laid in ruins. On the afternoon of the 11th, some five or six hundred armed men, claiming to be a part of the force which had been stationed at Fernandina, arrived by railroad, and announced that they had come, by order of General Trapier, to burn the steam saw-mills, lumber, etc., which might be of value to the Federal authorities. No time was given to save property of any description. At dusk the torch was applied, and in a brief space eight of these immense establishments, forming nearly a circle on both sides of the river, were in a blaze. Immediately afterwards, the spacious and elegant hotel, well known to Northern invalids as the Judson House, was fired by unknown persons, together with warehouses, the railroad freight depot, etc., etc. All this property was a total loss to the owners, as no attempt was made to save or rescue any portion of it. The loss was estimated at half a million of dollars. The population of Jacksonville, before the war broke out, was about four thousand. It had a large trade, as the St. John’s river is settled with plantations, and is navigable for two hundred miles above the town for large vessels, and there were a dozen steamers running on it. The lumber trade was very extensive and prosperous. About fifty million feet of Florida pitch pine were sawed there annually. This business was ruined by the incendiaries. The exports of rosin, turpentine, etc., amounted to $100,000 annually; cotton, $250,000; cedar, $100,000, etc. The arrivals of vessels were about 400 yearly. The town was built mainly of brick, lighted with gas, and was a great resort for invalids, for its mild and balmy climate. The Florida, Atlantic and Gulf rail road, starting here, intersects with the road from Fernandina to Cedar Keys, twelve miles from Jacksonville, and then goes on to Tallahassee, the capital, one hundred and sixty miles, and thence eighteen miles to St. Mark’s, on the Gulf. General Sherman and staff arrived on the 20th, in the steamer Cosmopolitan. He immediately issued a proclamation to the people, assuring them of protection and peace, and calling upon them to continue their accustomed business. On the same day a meeting of the citizens was held, at which the most loyal sentiments were avowed, and a series of very strong resolutions adopted in favor of the Union, and denouncing the acts of the secession convention and the State authorities in a most emphatic manner. The resolutions also called for the holding of a Convention of the State to organize a State government for Florida, and called upon the chief of the military department of the United States to retain at Jacksonville a sufficient force to maintain order and protect the citizens and their property and persons.