The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-12-26

/ From that moment law and order ceased to ex-
list. Many of the stores were pillased, aud the
sidewalks were encountered with broken glass,
where the thieves had smashed the windows 10
their reckless haste to get their hands on the
plunder- within. The air was filled with the
wild cries of distress, or the yells of rowing pill
layers.
BURNING OF THE TOBACCO But q more
terrible element was to appear upon the scene.
An order bad been issued from General Ewell's
! headquarters to fire the four principal tobacco
warehouses of the city-nanely, the public ware
house, situated al the head of the basin, near
the Petersburg Railroad depot; Shockoe ware
bouse, situated near the centre of the city, side
| by side with the Gallego -four mills; Mayos
warehouse, and Dibrelfs warehouse, on Cary
street, square below the Libby prison.
| Late 10 the night, Mayor Mayo had dispatched,
by a committee of citizens remonstrance against
this reckless military order, which plainly put
In jeopardy the whole business portion Of Rich :.
mond. Fl was not needed Nothing was left
for the citizens but to submit to the destruction
of their property. the warehouses were fired
The rams in the James river were blown up
The Richmond, Virginia, and another one, were
all blown to the four winds Of heaven. The
Patrick Henry, receiving ship, was scuttled
Such shipping, very little in amount as was
save the flag of-truce steamer Allison. r.
The bridges leading out of the city-namely,
the Danville Railroad bridge, the Petersburg
Railroad bridge, Mayos bridge, leading to Man
chester and the opposite side of the James, were
also fired, and were soon wrapped in flames.
THE GREAT CoNFLAGRATIoN-ScENE OF
HoRRoR.-Mo Morning broke upon a scene such as
those who witnessed it can never forget The
roar of an immense confagration sounded in the
ears; tongues of fame leaped from street to
street; and in this balefui glare were to be seen,
as of demons, the figures of busy plunderers,
moving, pushing, riotiDg, through the black
smoke and into the open street, bearing away
every conceivable sort of plunder.
The scene at the conmissary depot, at the
head of the dock, beggared description Hun
dreds OF government wagons we're loaded with
bacon, -four, and whiskey, and driven off in hot
haste to join the retreatng army. Thronged
about the depot were hundreds of men, women
and children, black and white, provided with
capacious bags, baskets, tubs, buckets, tin pans
and aprons; cursing, pushing and crowding.
awaiting the throwing open Of the doors, and
the order for each to help himself
About sunrise the doors were opened to the
populace, and rush, that almost seemed to
carry the building off its foundation, was made,
and hundreds of thousands of pounds of bacon,
flour, etc, were soon swept away by clamorous
crowd
ENTRY OF THE U S. Troops INTo RICH
M0ED-ExcITING SCENE.-In the meantime
let what passing the Federal lines.
When General Ord withdrew to the lines in
vesting Petersburg. .he carried with him exactly
one-half Of his army. On the north side, occu-.
plying his entire line, he left Weitzel, with
Kautz's division of the Twenty fourth Corps
and Ashborne's.a and Thomas divisions of the
Twenty fifty Corps
While the lighting was in progress around
Petersburg, Weitzels entire line was perfectly
quiet, not shot anywhere His command had
orders to make as great show possible At
night he set all his bands 10 work upon national
airs, and the night was filled with meodious
strains.
Towards midnight this musical entertainment
ceased and silence, complete and absolute,
brooded over the eontending lines. At this
hour, the enemy's camps were startled into life
again, by explosions heard in Richmond.
To WcitzeEs brain the tull meaning Of the
event came home at once, and be did not need
the con6rmatory lurid light he saw hanging over
the Confederate capital to tell him that the hour
had come. His orders to push on, when
ever satisfied of his ability to enter the city.
Day had no sooner broke than Weitzel dis
patched Major A II Stevens: Of the Fourth
Massachusetts, and Major f E Graves, of his
staff, with forty cavalry, to investigate the con-
dition of affairs. The troops rode steadily into
Richmond. On a trot they proceeded to the
Capitol, and creeping to its summit planted the
stars and stripes The symbols of the United
States thus hoistsd by the halyards, consisted of
two euidons from companies Z and Ii, Of the
Fourth Massachusetts, cavalry, of which Stevens
was one of the field officers. The colors of the
enemy fu,tcred in the early morning light over
the Capital OF the Coufederacy.
AS the day advanced, Wei'zel's troops poured
through the streets of the city Long liues oi
negro cavalry swept by the Exchange Hotel,
brandshing their swords and uttering savage
shouts These shouts, the roaring OF devourlns
flames, the endless professions of plundeIers
passing from street to street, tugglng away the
prizes they had drawn from the hellish circle OF
the FIRE, made up an indescribable horror. Here |
were the garish Federal troops sweeping up to. |
wards the Capitol Square, with music and wild
cheers; every where almost, The pandemonium
of fire and pllage; and in the midst of all the !
wild agony, the fugitive distress Of women and
children rushing towards the open square for
breath Of pure air, all that was now left them IN
heavens great bollowness. And even that was !
not to be obtained there. The air, even in the
square of the Capitol, was almost choking; and
one ,trayersed it blinded BY cinders and strug-
Cling for breath Beneath the trees, on the .
sward, were piles of furniture, dragged from the
ruins of burning homes; and on carpets, !
stretched on the slopes of the bill, were family !
groups, making all SORTS of uDcouth orange |
ments to protect their little ones, and to patch !
up, with broken tables and bureaus, sope sort !
of home ia the open air.