The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-07-21

ISTER, TENN, JULY =
each regiment. Shouts from a few ne
groes were the onlyresponses. Through
throngs of.sullen spectators; along the
linz Of fire; in the midst of the horrors
of a conaagration, increased by the ex-
plosion of shells left by tile retreating
army, through curtains Of smoke;
through the vast arial and torium, con-
vulsed with the commotion Of frightful
sounds, moved the garish procession
of the grand army, with brave music.
and bright banners and wild cheers.
A regiment of negro cavalry swept by
the hotel. As they turned the street
corner they drew their sabrcs with saw
aye shouts, and the blood mounted even
in my woman's heart with'quick throbs
of defiance" I'd 10 upla,i't Nli ls
Meanwhile the fire ragged with un-
checked fury. The entire business
part of the city was on fire; stores,i
warehouses, manufactures, mills, de-
pots and bridges-all, covering acres;
the continuous thunder of exploding
shells sounded in -thsssa OF. fire and
in the midst oft was the long threat
ening, hostile army entering to seize
its prey. All during the forenoon fame
and smoke and burning brands and
showers of blazing sparks filed the air,
spreading still further the destruction,
until it had swept before it every bank,
every auction store, every insurance
office, nearly every commission house,
and most of the fashionable stores
The atmosphere was almost choking;
men, women and children crowded in
to the square Of the capitol fora breath
of pure air; but it was not to be obtain
ed even there, and one travelscd the
green slopes blinded by rcinders and
struggling for breath. Already piles
of furniture had been collected here,
dragged from the ruins Of burning
houses and in uncouth arrangements,
made with broken tables and bureaus,
were huddled women and children,
with no other home, with no other re-
siding place in Heavens great hollow
ness. .u.N N1 h.,
Some tardy attempts were made to
arrest the conflagration in the after
noon the military authorities organ
lied the crowds Of negroes as fire
corpse but the few steam engines that
played upon the flames were not suili-
cient to check their progress Ii was
late in the evening when the fire had
burned itselfout, 1t had consumed the
most important part Of Richmond
Commencing at the ShockhOe ware
house, the fire radiatcd front and rear.
and on two wings, burning down Main
street, half way between Fourteenth
and Fifteenth streets. and back to the
river through Cary and all the inter
mediate streets. Westward, on Main,
the fire was stayed at Ninth street,
sweeping back to the river. On the
north side of Main the flames were
stayed between Thirteenth and Four
tcenth streets. From this point the
flames are ragged on the north side of
Main up to Eighth street, and back to
Bank street The pencil Of the sur
veyor could not have more distinctly
marked out the business portion Of the
city m.t @ grLg. rl
The evening breczes had turned the
course Of the fire; and as these still
heavy mist clouds hung up
on the horizon, or streamed upwards i'll
the varying current of the winds. AS
night came on, there was painful re-
action after the days terrible excite
ment; strange quiet fell upon the
blackened city and its scenes of des-
truction. 1t was the quiet of a great
desolation Groups of women and
crawled under shelters Of bro
ken furniture in the Capitol square;
Of homeless persons laid
down to sleep in the shadows of the
ruins of Richmond; and worn out by
excitement, exhausted as by the
spasms of great battle, men watched
for the morrow with the dull sense that
the work for years had been ruined,
and that all they possessed on earth
had been swept away.
While Richmond was filed with hOr
ror and destruction, and the smoke of
it's torment ascended to the skies, very
different scenes were taking place far
away in the cities of the North. 1t was
a strange reverse to the picture we have
been contemplating. With those fer
vors and shows characteristic of the
Northern mind, Washington and New
York were celebrating the downfall of
the Confederate capital. Bells were
rung, wild and enthusiastic congratula-
ton rang along the street, and vast
crowds collected, whose fantastic exhi-
bitions of joy, not content with huzzas,
cheers, and dancing in the streets, broke
out into a blasphemous singing Of
hymns of the church. In New York
90, 900 persons in the open air sung the
Doxology. There was of course an
unlimited display of flags, and as evil
dence of this characteristic exhibition,
it is said that half an hour after news
of the fall of Richmond was known, not
a single large flag in the whole city Of
New York was left uupurchased.-I
These symbols of loyalty not only
flOated over houses, but were fastened
to carts, stages, and wagons. The
were mostly occupied with
spread eagles and maps Of Richmond.
The World expressed the opinion that
the event of the day ''more fully justi-
fled exhuberant rejoicing than any pre-
vious achievement in the history of the
vo-o rrbo Noxv yorl, uorald tho or