, 1865-04-11

Tspec1a, Dispatch to tho Chicago Tr,bune.]
RICHMOND, Va, April B-Eyeulne.
aESEnAL APPEARANCE or THE CITY.
THE following dispatch came too late for
yesterday mornings t1i lon.1
The flag under which Washington served
opcc more foated above his statue in
the State House square. Yankee bands were
playing National airs, negroes had violated
the unwritten Law Of the .capit2l aud invaded
the sacred common. Cavalry guidons wee
In front OF the executive mansion Of the Cav.
e1nor Of Virginia q at officers crowded tic
portleo, and the headquarters If Gen. Dcvens,
an old time New England Democrat, com.
mandinE the white troops in The city; within
these, we're the first points one observed In
sailiug ont from the Hpottswood to look at
Richmond from the Virginia State House,
naturally first entered
TILE STATE HOUSE.
In the rotunda within was another statue
Of Washington. Son one hand door opened
into the chamber of the Virginia Houae Of
Of Representatives OF the rebel Congress-
Each il plain room furnished with pine
deska and sp}int bottom chairs. a few oil
pain tiugs are on the wa11s, and the floor Is
coreItd with homemade rag carpets, and
abundantly supplied sptttoons: The
and unpsssed bills. Around the walls are
piled cords Of badly printed nnd worse bound
public documents.
NEW Uses or TIE CAPITOL,
Above is the chamber Of the V1rcipfa SEN
ate. now used By the Yankee Provost Mar-
shal Of the city, and opposite Is the chamber
Of the Senate Of the rebel Cong1e Ada
cent are the rooms Of the clerk Of the house,
and Of tue House military committee, each
Of which is strewn with confused da5rh of
official papers, aud from each of which I hb-
tanned important documents to be hereafter
lefe1rtd to more at length
GENERAL. IDEA OF RICHMOND.
Taking The State House as center, one
may readily form an idea Of the 1nte rebel
capitol. Echtnd and below it runs Main
street, parallel with the James Hv:r~-- Be-
low Main and down the river, to the east
wa,d Of the capitol. with the main portion
Of the city, a1e nov mass Of still smoul-
derine ruins, On the r'ght Of the capitol,
1ac'ng northward. Is the large grey stone
double house, built and furnish d by the
State as the residence OF ita Goycruor. On
the opposite SIDE is tic United States
Custom House, USED oflatc as the rebel
Treasury DEPARTMENT. It is unin-
@ured, and now :, under guard. In
font are re-. other @ buildings E. used ey The Guar
and looking out, alau upon the square, is st.
Pau1's Church. which reckoned JEFF. Davis
among its members and regular attendants,
a square further to tho northwArd Is the
large houee brught for JEFF. Davis, hy the
city Of Richmond, when The .ehel capital was
mosed heae t'om Montgomery, aud Of to the
westward are the aristoc1atic portions Of the
city-the burnt district.
II Cincinnati were to lie burnt clear from
Third street down to the river, aud from
the western road up the river to Pendletou,
It would have lost about as much IN proper
titn to its size as Richmond has By general
EweVs pleasant disersions.
wholesale stolcs, the tobacco warehouses,
most Of the great mills. many OF the banks,
and some Of the Newspaper Offices In short.
it embraced nearly ali The heavy business OF
the city, together With many Of the s4ualid
tenement houses Of the poorer classes. All
to The westward Of the State House,
Is unha1med. From the hill beyond
First street, looking ont upon Belle Island,
the rapids OF the James ars open to view, the
like of which one may well pray to be spared
seeing for os fur as the eye can reach, stretch
the fertile bottom lands that border the
James, green Ti'h The growing. wheat, and
bounded on either side with undulating for
ests, crowned hillsides, amid wnich may be
dist'ogu1sbed the fine old Virginia mansions,
To the left is the beautiful city, rich in the
stores Of EEeat cities, richer Ia Its fair
women and brave men richsst in It's
Ancestral stories and noble history ali-this
the last four Years must NOT, cannot blot out.
In fact, where ahould be the verf flower and
final concentration Of this cIty's wealth sud
growth, arc a vast, unhroken stretch Of ruins,
csumblipg wallis. yaHning door-ways and tot
tering steeplcs.
Richmond IL to-day city Of aristocratic
residences Without fhe business heart that
should support them. It Is the gloHing
cheek, the tripping air. the sparkling erc Of
glorious woman, without one pulsAtion OF
the blood that should feed these arteries.
1EFr. DAVIS HOUSE.
From the State House. It was natural to
hunt up Gen. Weitxel, and that took us to the
late Executive Manaion Of the rebel Presi.
dent. It IL = handsome three story double
house, ranking among the largest in Rich
indeed, the most eligihiy located. A guard
paced to and fro on the pavement under the
Tag that waved from the window, and anoth-
er bar7.d the door with his muaket, while the
officer on duty was percmptory, in declaring
that nobody WIS admitted there on any bust
BY General Weitzel md General Ship
ley, and ukhered into their presence, in the
reception room Of judge Campbell, late one
Of the rebel peace eomnfssfoners to the CON
ference at Fortress Monroe. OF him and his
business there will be time to zpeal here
alter. For the moment mas more inter
eet&d In observing the residence Of the rebel
chief The doorway through which NC had
entered vas simple enough, but the rear Of
the building was occupied In accordance with
a singular fsshion that seems TO prevail here,
witf, = large po1tieo and = lofty colonade.
Across tLis the windows looked out
into we'll kept garden. The reception
room was. elegantly furnished, the
carved Italian marble mantcls we're
of exquisite workmanship, mirrors, curtains,
ception-room folding doors opened into a
large and elegant parlor, furnished in q cor
responding style. Everything was left pre-
cfsely as Il Mis-. Davis had been gone but an
hour. The card Of the French CoaRul, aud
those Of some Richmond magnatea werc IT,
Ing in little vase. There was even music.
articles Of ,v7u se.ttered about the rooms
were all arranged IL usual. Up.sta!rs the
sans order prsvailed. Tha dining-room and
the kitchen were we'll supplied, and 1t is very
| easy. .-.
| TIE VICE PREsDEST's RESIDENCE.
| On the opposite side Of the street, and a
little 10 the westward, stands another house,
modious and elegant residence, with : splen-
did garden attached. It bnre the name OF
Crepshaw, one OF the wealthiest people oi
the city, on the little door plate by the bell
handle, but within the house MAS found the
[ hastily removed plate bearing the mama OF
Alex. q: Stephens, the rebel Vice President,
| on II. He seems to have concluded upon q
| permanent IetiIacJ from Richmond on his
| Tetun from the Fortress Monroe peace nego-
| uations. His turniturt Was all removed, the
carpets were taken up, and altogether, the
Provost Marshal, Who had taken 1t
for bis messs, mas disposed to grumbIe st his
quarters. There was curious question, too,
about the ownerehjp. The French Consul,
whose nag was hyiDg from modest lissle
| bouse square or two further west, on the
| game street, came forward with claim that
Mr. Crenshaw had sold him the properly in
satisfaction Of come old mortgage, 0ar OIL
Gers, With their rude military sense of Justice,
sul's claim; and one Of them rather irrever-
entity remarked that he would like to sec that
mor1gage to sec whether 1t had the proper
United Statesfnterual revenue stamps upon 1t.
MRS. CEN. LEE.
| But short distance from this ia the resi-
dence occupied BY Mrs. Gen. 3 'bert E. Lea.
| The citizens sre all very anxious to tell us
| thst HRS. Lee Is an nyalid, though on that
point there are some shrewd suspicious. It
| ia whispered that she pe1emptorily objected
10 leaye Richmond. At any rate she fs far
safer here than If surrounded by her husbands
| veteran army. 4 guard is stationed Al her
| door to pr1vept improper intrusion, and
I hIlEA olNcah oatC oEeA kAfCA tAsAt Ill. p9Upbl
respect shall be shown her, and that she shall
be IN no way mvlested or interlered with.
GOV. ExTRA BILLY SMITH
| Leaving the deserted residences OF the de.
| parted cabinet officers, VIC return naturally
| TO the state house square and the executive
mansion Of the governor Of Virginia. aud
! passing through tho group of orderlics
| at Tic gale, md the staff officers. On the por-
tico, We come suddenly Into group OF ladies'
| with faces not altogether uniamil1ar-a afrs.
| Gov Smith and her two daughters. The9
bt n their sudden ELECTION With mora phllos-
opby than a. .one Tould bare thought Lay IN
ing circums' 'aneek When our troops