Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1867-06-13

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4 the flames, to be driven bacl
4 scerched, painting, suffocated b,
f the advancing element. An(
D farther on, upon Shocko Hill, al
: around the Capitol Square, extend
: ed the same horrible line of flame
, while dense cloud of smoke gath
cred like a pail just over the city
, shutting out the very sunlight
: and producing a darkness so deer
that at one time | could not distin
, guish the faces of those within a
short distance of me. Across
this sable canopy darted detached
masses of flame and drifted sparks
in thick-falling showers, as of a
fiery rain. And through all this
horror, and terror, and confusion,
rushed the Federal cavalry, up
and down, to and fro, their horses
all afoam, and the naked steel
cleaning in the lurid light of
the CHASTITY flames. Truly, it was
a scene to remember for a life
time.
Such was the first day of the
possession of Richmond by the
Federal forces. By the second
day we began to learn that our
anticipations of lawless violence
and brutality, such as had mark
ed the taking of Columbia and
other places in Sherman's course,
were ungrounded, and that the
officers at least of the Federal ar
my were resolved, in accordance
with orders, to preserve strict dis
cipline, and to protect us from any
outrage CT injustice. l observed,
too, that nearly all the men were
good-natured and civil, and many
kind-hearted and sympathising.
When my little supply of food had
given out, having only Confede.
rate notes, | found it impossible
to procure provisions of any kind.
| at length reluctantly spoke to a
Federal soldier who passed, and
asked for bread for my little one.
He gave me a handful of army
biscuits, which, soaked in water,
afforded a two days subsistence to
the child. In this time not a
morsel of any kind passed my
own lips. and then nd-hearted
German gentleman, DIR. s.,
sent me four dollars in greenbacks,
observing that it was all he had
made since the arrival of the Fed
erals in the city. Half of this
sum gave to two gaunt, crippled,
miserable-lookihg Confederate sol
diers, whom l found-to their
own shame-the one begging bread
of a negro cook, the other picking
up and eagerly devouring some
refuse cabbage-leaves which a
Yankee sutler had thrown into
the street. The sad, woe-begone
faces of these men haunt me still.
And on the third day the sad
dest sight that l had yet seen was
unexpectedly presented to me. l
was passing hastily along the street
on some unavoidable errand, when
there arose a commotion amid the
crowds of soldiers, and ali pressed
eagerly forward to where an i'm
mense United States flag was drap-
ed across the sidewalk. | shrank
aside out of the press, and cry
arose-"The prisoners! the Reb-
ell prisoners of Lees armyT
Then they came, passing close
to me, the long, slow-moving line
of pale faces and emaciated forms, |
with their bare feet, their tattered |
clothing, and their bandaged,
bleeding limbs. Never in my life |
had / seen q spectacle more sad. |
A sort Of stern and solemn still |
ness had settled upon the faces |
of all. In some. were eyes of re-
solute and undying enmity, turn
ed upon the jeering and trium-
phant visages of the Federals who
pressed closely around them
Others walked on in stern and un- |
yielding pride, looking neither to
the right nor to the left. A few, |
with compressed lips and eyes
glistening in gathering tears,
glanced upward to the folds of
the flag which they were sternly |
ordered to ''pass snder!" But |
the most of them passed as l had
seen them on the night of the
evacuation-with stony, passive
faces, and automaton-like steps.