Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-19
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Christian era.
The peoples Of two sections Of country,
unriyalled in commerce, teeming with wealth,
unsurpassed In industrial pursuits and yigor-
Gus advance Of civilization, had become en-
gagged in a war which swelled TO gigan-
tic proportions. Hitherto undeyeloped re
sources were brought to light and made
available, and the lustre OF ancient and
InOde-a warfare PaI,d before the great
American struggle. Every nation on the
earth watched and specg!ated IS to the
6nal result; for all had Ce.t and known the
value Of the commerce of the United States.
For four years the mighty struggle was pro-
longed. Near a million Of men had fallen
IN battle, and died o.; disease, when the
month Of April, ISIS. OPENED on ths com
batlnts.
The great. Army Of The United States, IN
der Lieut. Gen. { S. Grant, the most finely
equipped aud ordered the world has ever
seen, lay around Richmond and Petersburg.
General Robert Z. Lee, a. the head Of the
Southern Amy, occupied line Of intrench-
ments nearly arty miles in length. General
Sherman was confronted By General John
stOn-tbe former with his veteran and en-
during troops having made oac Of the great
est marches on record, frcm Tennessee,
southward, through northern, middle and
sou.hern Georgia, South Carolina, and all
= --.c N,-tN C.--rfr.
On the lst day Of April, Gsn. Sheridan
attacked the Southern forces at Five Forks,
Va, capturing three brisades. This was
the beginning. On Sunday, the "a OF the
month, general Grant commenced the
grand finale by ordering general assault
on the whole i1e in front Of Petersburg.-
The attack was made, and Gems. Wright,
Parker aud Ord broke through the Confed-
crate lines. achieving a brilliant victory,
and capturing twelve thousand prisoners and
tfty pieces or artillery. The day was
beautiful one. The people of Richmond, in
fancied security, assembled in pubic wor-
day was pregnant With Geographic speed
came the news Of the success Of the Union
arms, and the consequent necessity for the
evacuation Of the city. For the moment,
there way a paralysis, then the great rush
of departure. Jefferson Davis and his Cabi-
nat and officials made good their retreat
Southwark. Eve-y avenue Of exit was
crowded tos excess. Government Depart
ments and buildings we're thrown open, and
revealed quantities Of provisions, long stored
and boarded, sugar, coffee, Hour, meal,
meat and liquors, which nov became COM
mon property, or were destroyed. Night
closed in upon a scene Of confusion and
plumber.
The moroinZ OF the "a Of April was her
sldsdby the explosion Of a magazine Of pow
der which crushed windows, burst open
bolted doors, crum5led walls, and destroyed
many Nyes. The incendiagy torch vas ap-
piled TO the government property, and amid
Ihe roar and heat OF a terrible cond1gration
the Union forces, under Gen. Weitzel, oc-
cupied Richmond. Un tae 9Th, Gen. Sheri-
dan attacked and defeated the forces Of Gen.
Lee, driVing them across Sailor Greek. On
the sth, the Union forces turned Gen. Lees
right flank, cut or his retreat, and burned
large portions Of his trains, including his re-
serve ordnance wagons. On the 9th, Gen.
Lee surrendered his whole army 20 Gen.
Grant, at-Appomattoz c. H., Va. On the
18th, Mobile, Ala, was occupied by the Union
army. On the same. day Gen. Stoneman oc-
cupied Salisbury, y. c., aiter series Of
victories, having advanced on that State from
the West. A large amount oC military prop
erty was captured with tie town. On the
l4th, John Wilkes Booth assas..nated Presi
dent Lincoln, in Forl's Theatre, in Washing
ton City. On the same night an attempt was
made on the life OF Mr. Seward, Secretary
oGStGte, and himselfa aud sons badly wounded.
On -the 18th, Presiden; Lincoln died.
Andrew Johnson, Of Tennessee, Vice Pres
ident, took the oath prescribed BY the Con
stisutionf aud became President Of. the Uni
ted States. The same day tue flag removed
By General Anderson from Fort sum
ter, in 1861, was hoisted by him on the same
fort. On the ls.h, Payne, the author Of the
attempt 70 take the life Of Secretary Sew
ard, was arrested. General Sherman grant
ed an armistice and conc.1ded treaty with
General Johnston, which was not ratified,
and he vas ordered to resume hostilities at
once. On the 18Th, funeral Of President Lin
coin at Washington took place. On the
2lst, $3.50, 200 was offered a. a reward for
the arrest Of John Wilkes Pooth. On
the 2Gsb, Booth was shot and killed by 4
party Of cavalry sent out to arrest him.
On the same day Gen. Joseph Z. Johnston
surrendered al. the troops in his Department
TO General Sherman. near Greensboro, ,
NC.
In addition to these great and principal
I events, on the "a Of the mouth the United
States steamer General Lyon was burned
between Wilmington, n. c., and Fortress
Monroe, and four or i've hundred soldiers
burned. On the le,h and 18th, great fires
occurred in New York. Loss, IS, 900, O0O.-
0fthe 9th, the boiler of the steamer Sui
tana exploded on the Mississippi river, set
ting the boat on fire. Fifteen hundred
Union soldiers, just released from prison,
persisted. On the Goth plot was discovered
TO burn the city Of Philadelphia.
The events Of the month virtually ended
the bloody war, and sweet peace again
appears.