The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-04-15


Onward into Richmond, at last, and the
representatives Of The Tribune are at the
"Spottswoad.'
FLIGHT OF DAVIS AND HIS CHAPLAIN.
At II, o'clock Sunday morning, while
seated in his pew at church listening to tho
iacuhrations of the Rev. DR., Hoge, Jei
Davis was handed dispatch from Cen Lee;
.rhereupon he instantly arose. and walked
hurriedly down the Isle, beneath the ques-
,,onings of all the eyes in the house. Inc
dispatch was to the effect that Richmond
must be evacuated during the coming night.
Aud So MS ex- Excellcncy, the late President
IF the late Confederacy. went forth rom the
sanctuary where rrophesied the tavorlte high
priest Of his realm to pack up his 'p"rtaoie
property in hasty preparation tor a Journey
On the Sabbath day. Ike th,et IN the
night, he stole away with trcpldasloh ana
i;.ar. and with an agonizing sense OF the
shortneSs Of time.
colcfed sexton handed him note from his
ox-Excellency. The face Of the preacher
waxcd sickiy with despair, while that OF the
sexton glowed with joy too great Tor con
c,alment. The chagrin OF the one was
quite as marked as the gain OF the other.--
The former begged his congregation to tarTy,
and told them in sad utterances that ne dlu
not expect TO minister to them any more -
Ills farewell over, he too proceeded turiousy
t. The hacking Of ''porable property he
also intended TO joarpey on the Sabbath -
1hi br. Hogp, it will be remembered, visit
ed England two years ago, ostcnsiby to
procure q supply of Bibles, but really as an
enmissary of the Rebellion. He was largely
teted by the British adherents Of the South,
and doubtless did much harm. Since his
return he has been in the habit of making
cam speeches. full of hot junction. and per,
grated with prcsumptious appeals to the God
If battles. A Pro. Slavery fanatic Of con
siderable ability, he his been pctted and
u,ed by Davis, whose own enormous cum
ming and wickeaness have nothing of the
element of tanatcsm. The two worthless
fed together. Rcqnit-Scati
THE EVACUATION CONTEMPLATED.
The evacuation, though suddenly deter
mined unon, had evidently been sometime
contemplated and provided for. Cores
ronlence of their Treasury and other De.
part,nents shows that as long rs q month
ago many of the public effects were sent to
Da lvllc. Augusta and Charlotte. Bat the
eyelt, when ii came, was under more stress
aud urgency than could have been expected :;
still II was conducted very SS tcluaticaHg
and with much completeness.
NECESSITY OF THE EvAcCATIoN--Ho 1T WA:
The overthrow d their array south Of Re.
trrshur. on Friday. Saturday and Sunday.
Us the magnificent fighting Of Sheridan and
the stOrining Of the works IN front oi that
cit, by Wright, all in pursuance Of comb
r.tion invoking forced marches, timely
demonstrations aud successful ruscS, though
cor luctcd thirty and forty miles away-the5e
won for us the city. Military considerations
oyerrpled mora! ones, pushed aside the die
tatcs of pride and state pretense, compelled
the evacuation aud the decision so promptly
made was rs promptly acted upon. Their
Government offices were stripped OF their
effects. the banks and treasury OF their com,
the houses of the officials of their valuablcs /;
al thc available means of transportation.
both of cars on the Danville Road aud of
horses aud vehicles in the city, gathered to-
gnther; lahorers, white and black, impress.
ed orders issued for the troops TO be with
drawn, for the destruction of the iron clads.
navv-vard. arscnals and laboratories. for the
TOBACCO warehouses to be fired. for all stores
OF provisions and large amount Of whisky
10 be dcstroyed--ia short they were won
dcronsly busy set of men, those officials.
Very few of the citizens, while they CON
iectured that the city was beng abandoned
by the Government, dreamed 1t was to be
done that night. They had no means of
going themselves hal they been never 50
much disposed to. They seem to haTs
looked on in dim and stupid an.aza, ANA
to have been Weakened to'the actual fact in
the early morning by the terrific explosions
and raging flames. wakene1 to find the Rcb-
els gone-the Yankees come.
TAKING POSSESSION.
Aui now let me narratc how the latter
cane.
hen Grant began the movement, Gen
Weitzel was left in command of our lin
north Of the river, with two divisions of
own CorNs the 2ith ""'"""d. H"d "o""l
Uevin's Division, the Third OF the Twenty
fourth Corps. At 80 A. NJ, Monday, Capt.
Bruce, of Devn's staff beng IN charge Of
the picket line, visited the out posts. and his
suspicious for some reason aroused, he sent
three men to reconnoiter. They penetrated
the Rebel line and found no enemy. These
three. like the three children of Israel dis
patched by Moses, spicd out the land of
Canaan. At once advancing his whole pick
ct line by skit.iishers, and opportuneiy fall.
ing IN WIN q u'Serter ny WHOM nc WAS t)liot'
cd. he, himself. first passed through. The
dcsertcr pointed out tortuous path through
three lines Of cheodu.r de- trieSe, which had
,,een used for egrcss and ingress of their
r;eket reliefs, and was, unlike the rest Of
the line, free from thickly planted torpedoes.
Ordering his men to depioy widely and con
time to advance, Capt Bruce rode rapidly
70 Gen. DcYns. who instantly tclegraphed
the facts to Weitzel. That energetic officer
by daylight was advancing his entire force.
BY that hour series of heavy explosions,
and the smoke and flames of Richmond
burning, put the fact of the evacuation be-
vond question. Major Stevens Of Wietzcls
staff, Lieut.. w. J. Ladd of Devin's, and
Major Brooks of the 6th Vermont, were the
FIST in the city-by virtue Of the excellence
of their horses. Within that hour Weitzel,
Deyins, Ripley, Shepley, and other Gener-
ais, had come up; the heads Of their col.
umns were pushing up parallel streets, and
all the prominent points were in our posses
sion. 1t is said to have been jolly sight,
the colored troops marching in great rap
tire, with long strides and ecstatic shouts,
their welcome by their brethren in the city,
who, men and women and piccaninnies,
embraced them, ran by their sides, cried
and laughed, and, in their own extravagant
way, thanked the Lord and took courage.
THE REBEL BURNING OF MOSCOW.
But the city was burning down; had heen
burning three hours. To prevent large
quantities Of tobacco and other stores from
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