, 1866-07-16


py one elpglc sign Of war across The James
the landscape e1istened Ia the sun every
thing which met the ere spoke Of peace. and
made it Impossible to picture In imagination
tho scene which was to ensue. There vert:
but few people In the streets ; ro vehicles
sound vi the church bells rose into the cloud
less sky, and 1oatcd on the blue tide Of the
beautiful day. How was It possible to imag-
fne that IN the next twenty four hours war.
with ITS trim If horrors, was to enter tho
scene; that this peaceful ctr, secure nos-
that II WIS to be pEey to great conhagr8~
tiop, and that all tie hopes Of the Southern
Copieaeraty were to be consumed iu one dag,
Is kcro1l In the f1Eet
AS The day wore on, clatter and hustle In
the streets denoted the progress Of the evac-
untion, and convinced those who Ind been
InefeduIous OF It's reality. The disorder In-
creased each hour. The streets were throng-
d~with tugitive4 making their way to the
railroad dcpots pale women and little shoe
less children struggled in the crowd; oaths
aud plasphemous shouts smote the ear.
Wagons were being hastily loaded at the De-
partmeDt With boxes, trunks, etc, and driven
special train carried from Richmond President
Dnvis and fome Of the Cabinet. At the De-
partments all was confusion; there was no
tystem there Wis no answer to inqufries;
Important officers were invisible, and every
one felt like taking eare Of himself. Outside
the mass o' hurr5 ing jusitiyes, there were
collected hcrr and there mean visassed crowds.
generally around the commissary depots;
they were OF that brutal and riotous element
TINT Tevenges Itself on al communities in
time Of great public misfortune.
The ou1y eonyocation, the only scene of
council that marked the fall OF Richmond,
took place in dingy room In a corner OF the
upper story Of the Capitol bpilding. In this
obscure chamber assembled the City Council
ol Richmond, to consult on the emergency,
and to take measures to secure what of order
was possible in the scenes about to ensue. It
appeared to represent all that was left Of de-
liberation In the Confederate capital. It was
painful eontlast to look IN upon this scene;
TO trnverse the now almost silent Capitol
house, so often vocal with oratory, and
crowded with the busy scene OF legislation
to hear the echo OF the footstep; and last,
to clint. to the dismal show Of Conucilmen
in The remote room where half o dozen men
sat nt rude Table, and not SO many vacant
5dlers listened to their proceedings. a the
head Of the board sat m llliterate grocer 81
the name Of Saunders, who was making his
lost exhibition Of Southern spirit. and twenty
four hours thereafter was subscribing him.
self 10 some very petty Federal officers t'n,ost
respectfully, your most ooedient ser
yant." Here and there. hurrring up with the
latest news from the War Department, was
Mayor Mayo, excited, incohetent, chewing
ing the meitle oil the true Virginia gentle
man, stern and watchful to the last ih fidelity
TO the city that hts ancestors had assisted IN
founding, and exhibiting, no matter in what
cnmical aspects, conrnsye that no nan ever
doubted. When It was fsnally announced by
despatch from General Lee, contrary to
what be had telcgraphed in the morning, had
ceased to indulge such an expectation, md
that the evacuation OF Richmond Was fore
gone conclusion, it was proposed to maintain
order in the city hy two regiments o. militia;
to destroy every drop Of liquor IN the ware
housrs and stores and to establish patrol
through the fingers OF their officers the pa
trolls could not be found after certain hour;
aud In short white tho whrle city Was
plunged into mad confusion and indescribab1e
horTors.
But the horrors of that night in the Con-
IRON the eyes Of the enemy. The Federal
force on the north side ol the james River
consisted Of three divisions under the COM
mand Of. General Weitzel; while General
Ewell covered this approach to the capital
will, a force Of about four. thousand strong.
The Cnniederates were silently withdrawn
from Wei.ze1's front, their rcar-guard trp-
versing tho city before lsybreak. Weitzel
had been Instructed 10 push on, Whenever
satisfied Of his ability to euter Richmond.
During the whole day that Grant had been
engaged In front Of Petersburg, the entire
Wcitzel's command had orders to make as
great show Qs possible. He fired no gun
during the day, but as darkness came on, he
set aIl his bapds Of music to work upon na-
tional airs. The Confedcrates vtcd with the
musical entertainment; for many hours tue
night was flled with melodeors strains. But
about midnight complete aud absolute ST.
lcncc fell upon the lines. It was dead quiet;
a close mask to what was taking place iu the
doomed city; mud not until the morning
hours did the direful l,saxon in the sky pro-
claim to Weltzel that bis hour was come, and
that Richmond was at his mercy.
pie Of Richmond in the night which preceded
their great misfortune. It was M extrnordi.
nary night; disorder, pi!lace, shouts, mad
revelry Of confusion. In the now dimly light
cd city could be seen black masses Of people,
crowded around some object Of excitement,
besieging the comulissary stores, destroying
liquor, intent perhaps upon pillag3e, and sway
ing TO and trol In whatever momentary passion
possessed them. The cutters ran with H.
quor freshet, and the fumes filed the air.
Some Of the struggling soldiers passing
through the city. easily managed to gct bold
of quantities. Of the liquor. Confusion became
berrd with broken glass stores we're entered
at pleasure and stripped from top to bottom
yells Of drunken men. shouts Of rovlng pill
layers. wild cries Of distress, filled the mir and
made night 1Idcous~
But new horror was to appear upon the
scene aud take possession Of the community.
To tho r,guard Of the Confederate force
on the north side of the James River under
General Ewell had been Lett the duty of
blowing up the iron~clad vessels in the james
and destroying the bridges across that river.
The Richmond. Virginia, and M iron ram
at the wharves was fired, aud the three
bridges that spanned the river were wrapped
In flames as soon as the last troops had ira
ycrsed them. The work of destruction
might we'll have ended here. But General
Ewell. obeying the letter Of bis instructions,
had issued orders to fire the four principal
tobacco warehouses Of the city; one OF them
tho Shockoc warchouse-situated near the
centre Of the city, side By side with the Gal
lego Hour mills, just In position and
circumstances from which conaagration
might extend to the whole business portion
committee. OF citizens had demonstrated
against this reckless military order. The
warehouses were fired; the flames seized on
the neightarfn. buildings, and soon involved
wide and widening area; the conaagratfon
pissed rapidly beyond control !; and in this
OF their property, the citizens Of Richmond
had fitting sotsrenir OF the lmpruatuce and
rccklessuess Of the departing Administration.
Morning broke on scene never to be for
gotten. 1t was strange pIcture-fmpossib1e
to describe-the smoke and glare Of fire min
The great warehouse ou the Basin was
wrnpEed In flames the fire was reaching to
whole blocks Of buildings; and Us the smoke
rose matesttca1ly above the horizon, 1t bur-