Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-04-14

its painful evidences .Or nat score OF years. AM
the only thing which will speedily alleviate the dire
distress that must prevail, and give the city
chance for a speedy recovery from its present stag
nation, is immediate peace. II Is Richmond only
s1ly1tton. The origin Of the fire and the incendia
ries are so well and positively known that no eX-
terd ID investigation on these points required II
seems that General Lee lod5 not responsible for Il,
! bm that JEFF. DariS and his Secretary Of Var,
Breckenridge, lcrs The destruction OF the supplies
and the arstnL involved the destruction otthe city,
AMI was so decided by the leading citizens. Gen.
well and Mai Darlington both protested against 1t
! in the most earnest manner as aid also commit
tee Of citizens but BrecSnridge, in reply, eXcllm-
ed hut he didn't care d-a If every house IN Rich
nnond ras co tSuned tie 61rehouse must be burned.
Thus this wretched rebel, foisted into powerful
position with no constituents, is responsible for the
dreadful ruin, and his master Davis is likewise re-
spousib!e, because he silently countenanced it.
The fire was started in two places among the sup
ply warehouses near the wharves, and at the Dan
vile dept. where there were 1900 hogsheads OF
tobacco belonging to the Confederate Government.
This consumed the Danvilie depot, also the Peters
burg depot and the bridge over the James TO Man
chester The famous Libby Prison and Castle
Thunder. as I have already informed you, were not
burned. They were reserved for far more ap-
propriate fate. l visited them yesterday and
found Castle Thunder used as guard house for
factious and theving negroes, caught in acts Of
pluu5er While the Libby contained 700 Rebel pris-
oners, officers aud priyates, temporarily shut up
together. They looked through the iron gratngs
With gloomy coUntenlnces, while the Union gua.d
outside seemed 20 richly enjoy the transition that
the famous building had undergone, evidently hav-
ipr been there himself. The whrligig Of time
makes all things even, aad the thousands of loyal
officers and soldiers who have suffered the t0rt1res
and horrors OF these dungeons may now contem-
plate their present uses T!tA serene AS!action and
vet without resentment.
A close inspection of Castle Thunder reveals one
of the most hideous dungeons that can be con-
ceyed We filled 10 see IL, however, in all its
filth and nastyness, for strong force Of men had
been engaged tw days in carrying out the accu-
imitation of the past three years The corporal Of
the guard who conducted Us through pointed o1t a
spot on the floor on one Of the main halls, not yet
cleaned, where the dirt three inches thick,
and alive with vermin and yet on this toor in this
condition, prisoners were obliged TO sleep either
upon the dir. itself or upon pallets OF decaying
straw.
But l will not descant further upon this vile relic
Of the rebellion. It's career is too we'll known
The prisoners confined here, will be recolected,
were those against whom special vengeance was
directed, prisoners Of State persons charged with
harbOring Union prisoners, Union officers charged
with being spies, blockade-runners, &c. Well has
Il been said that a confinement IN Castle Thunder
is a foretaste Of the tortures Of the damned.
This building, together with the Libby, belongs
20 the estate OF John Enders and was leased by the
rebel government. They were originally butt for
stores, but subsequently turned into tobacco manu-
factories. But their base uses are now at an end.
This is the fourth day OF the UaiOn occupation,
and the confusion in the city necessarily attendant
upon such an evacuation, and such an occupation,
is gradually subsdng. Could the RUNS Of the fire
be removed from sight: Richmond would present
an attractive appearance, for it is really hand
some city but, after all, the saddest scenes are at
the headquarters OF the Provost Marshal, the Com
missioner of Subsistence, and the odce Of SAM |
tary Commission, the latter being already esta6-
lished here. Gen. w ETHEL had no sooner esta6- !
lisned his headquarters here than thousands Of
citizens beseged him for rations. And as the city
is now shut out from all supplies from the country,
the crowd Of applicants for subsistence IS rapidly
increasing. This morning there was nothing in the
markets but few small! fish caught by negroes
The Capitol, the City Hall aud the Capitol Square
are filled with great throng Of all classes, condi
ton, sexes and ages, with basket in hand and an
appealing expression of face. Wha. the regula-
tiors yet in reflrd to the issue Of rations to
the citizens, do not know, but limited quantity
is being supplied them at present.
In order TO study this peculiar social feature of
the rebellion, l mingled with these crowds this
morning for a short time, to observe their temper,
desires and condition. They were, of course,
largely made up OF what appeared to be the poorer
classes, and many negroes were among them, some
for subsistence for themselves and some as servants
or families. l found many whose intelligent eX-
preston Of countenaace fair features and attempt
ed gentility of dress Indicated that they were Of
the higher classes, On whom the demands of want
and hunger were Unsuitable as upon those of less
position. | noticed several ladies approach the
officer in charge at tde City Hall, gsnteelly alfred
and with their faces so closely yelled to defy the
gaze of the keenest eye. They spoke in such tre-
mulous tones when giving their names as to cause
US to suspect their names were as foreign to them
as the hunger they now sought to appease had been
in days gone by. Many Of the wealthiest families,
however, who had the means, have far larger sup
plies of provisions on hand than was consistent
with the repeated appeals of Confederate officials
for such to spare from their bounty to feed the
army.
The exodus OF prominent citizens was confined
mainly TO those connected with the rebel govern
ment and few who had made themselves very
nS ptbeir chief assistants though not much of
their clerical force. got away The preparations
for the evacuation began very quietly among the