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

Confederate capital were to be studlons
ly yelled from the eyes Of the enemy.
The Federal force on the north side Of
the James river consisted OF three di-
visions, under the command Of General
4 ethel; while Gen.. Ewell covered
this approach to the capital with a
force of about four thousand strong.
The Confederates were silently with
drawn from Weitzels front, their rear
guard traversing the city before day
break. Weitzel had been instructed to
pass on, whenever satisfied ofhis abili-
ty to enter Richmond. During the
whole day that Grant had been ell
gagged in front of Petersburg, the ell
tire lines north Of the James were per-
fectly quiet Weitzers command had
orders to make as great a show as pos
sible. He fired no gun during the day,
but as darkness came on, lie set all his
bands of music to work on national
airs The COnfederates WED with the
musical entertainment--fOr many hours
the night was filed. with melodious
strains. But about midnight a COM
plete and absolute silence fell upon the
lines. 1t was deep quiet; a close
mask to what was taking place in the
doomed city; and'not until the morn
ing hours did the direful blazon in the
sky proclaim to Weitzel that his hour
had come, and that Richmond was at
Ehis mercy. .gI .ag .l..s s..u,
There had been but little sleep for
the people of Richmond in the night
which preceded their great misfortune.
1t was an extraordinary night; disor-
der, pillage, shouts, mad revelry ofcon-
fusion. In the now dimly-lighted city
could be seen black masses Of people,
crowded round some object of excite
ment, besieging the commissary stores,
destroying liquor, intent perhaps upon
pillage, and swaying to and fro in what
ever momentary passion possessed
them. The cutters ran with liquor
freshet, and the fumes filled the air.
Some of the struggling soldiers pass
ing through the city easily managed to
get hold Of quantities Of the liquor.
Confusion became worse confounded; !;
the side walks were encumbered with
broken glass: stores were entered at
pleasure and stripped from top to bot
tom; yells of drunken men, shouts Of
rowing pillagers, wild cries of distress
filled the air, and made night hideous.
But new horror was to appear on
the scene and take possession OF the
community. 10 the rear guard of the
Confederate force on the north side OF
James river, under Gen. Ewell, had
been left the duty Of blowing up the
ironclad vessels in the James and de-
stroying the bridges across ther river
The Richmond, Virginia, and an iron
ram were blown to the Winds the little
shipping at the whaves was fired, and
the three bridges that spanned the river
were wrapped in flames rs soon as the
last troops had traversed them. But
Gen. Ewell, obeying the letter of his
instructions, had issued orders to fire
the four principal tobacco warehouses
of the city, one of them--the Shockee
Warehouse-situatetli in the centre of
the city, side by side with the Gallego
-four mills, just in position and cir
cu'hstances from which a confagration
might extend to the whole business
portion of Richmond. In vain Mayor
Mayo and a committee of citizens had
demonstrated against this reckless mil
itary order The warehouses were
fired, the flames seized on the neigh
boring buildings and soon involved a
wide and widening area; the contlagra-
ton passed rapidly beyond control
and in this mad fire, this wild. unneces-
sary destruction of their property. the
citizens of Richmond had n fitting
souremr of the imprudence and reck-
lcssness Of the departing Administra-
ton. '' .H''
Morning broke on scene never to
be forgotten. 1t was a strange picture
impossible to describe-the smoke
and glare of fire mingled with the gol-
den beams of the rising sun. The great
warehouse on the basin was wrapped
in flames; the fire was reaching to
whole blocks of buildings; and as the
sun rose majestically above the hori-
zon it FURNISHED the fringe Of smoke
with lurid and golden glory. Curious
crowds watched the fire. Its roar
sounded in the ears; it leaped from
street to street; pillagers were busy at
their avocation, and in the hot breath
of the fire were figures as OF demons
contending for prey.
The sun was an hour or more above
the horizon, when suddenly there ran
up the whole length of Main street the
cry of Yankees %" Yankees p The
upper part Of this street was choked
with crowds fpillagers-men provided
with drays, others rolling barrels up
the street, or bending under heavy bur
dens, and intermixed with them wO-
men and children with smaller lots of
plunder in bags, baskets, tubs and tin
pans. AS the cry of yankees" was
raised, this molly crowd tore up the
street, cursing, screaming, tramping
upon each other, alarmed by an enemy
not yet in sight, and madly seeking to
extricate themselves from imaginary
dangers. Presently, beyond this crowd,
following up the tangled mass Of plum
defers, but not pressing or interfering
with them, was seen small body OF
Federal cavalry, riding steadily along.
Forty Massachusetts troopers, dispatch
ed by Gen. Weitzel to investigate the
of affairs, had ridden without
let or hindrance into Richmond. At
the corner of Eleventh street they broke
into a trot for the public square, and