The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1867-06-27

e.
slowly up on both sides, aud meeting
overhead 10 a horrible arch Of slarin
lame and dense black volumes Of shok6
And in this awfulyista were rushipe hun,
dreds Of gaunt men, aud wild, halrclid.
hsit-fatnishing women. suatrhing at anI
dragging forth from the devouriug cle
lncnt everything they could lay Their
hands on ia the shape Of food or cloth.
lug. Some fought for fragments d
burning cloth; others knelt down in
groTps and scraped up from the earth
and ashes, with eager hands, the meal
that escaped from some shattered barrel;
while others still, desperate with famine,
would rush agaiu aud again into the
flames, TO be driven back scorched pan.
ting, sniiocatea By tho advancing elc.
ment. Aud farther on, upon shoeko
Hill, all around the Capitol Square, ex.
tended the Same horrible line OF fame.
while dense cloud Of smoke gathered
Ike ball just over the city, shutting
out the very sunlight, producing 4 dark
ness SO deep that at ons time / could
net distinguish the faces of those within
q short distance Of me- Across this sa.
Die canopy dlrtcd detached masses Of
fame and driitcd sparks in thick falling
showers, as Of u fiery rain. Aud through
all this horror, aud terror, aud confusion,
rushed the federal cavalry. up aud down,
TO aud fro, their horses all aioam, and
the naked steel cleaning in the lurid
light Of the ghastly fa,ses. Truly, il
was a sccuo to remember FOR life time.
Such was the first day OF the posses,
sion Of Richmond by ,ht Federal forces.
by the second day we began to learn
that onr antieipations oflawless violence
and brutality, such as had marked the
taking Of Columbia and other places ii
Sherman's course, were ungrouudeJ .and
that the officers at leastor the Federal
army were resolved in fccorianec With
orders, to preserve strict discipliue;2Snd
TO protect US from outrage or. Injustice.
observed, too, that nearly all the mea
we're good natured and cfsaf,s'and mauy
kind hearted and sympathising y When
my little supply Of food had given out,
having only Confederate notes 4 6nind
it impossible to procure provisions Of
any kind, / at length Reluctantly spoke
to Federal soldier who passed, and
asked for bread fr my little 6fes Ae
gave me handful Of army aseeaits,
which, soaked in water afforded two
days subsistence to the child. In this
time not morsel Of aDy kind passed
my own lips, aud then kind.hoarted
German gentleman, DR., S., sent
inc four dollars in greenbaeks, observing
that it WAS all be had Iaade since the
arrival Of the Fedcrals in the city.
Half Of this sum | gave to two gaunt
crippled, miserable looking confederate
soldiers, whom | found-to their own
shame--thc one begging bread Of ne.
gro cook, the other picking up and
eagerly devouring some refuse cabbage
leaves which Yankee sutler had thrown
into the street The sad, woe.begone
faces Of these men haunt me still.
And on the third day the saddcst
sight that had yet seen was expect.
edly presented to me. was passing
hastily along the street on some una.
voidablc errand, when there arose u
coInmotion amid the crowds Of soldiers,
aud all pressed eagerly forward to where
an immense United States fiag was
dropped across the sidewalk. l shrank
aside out Of the press, and cry arose
''fhe prisoners the rebel prisoners Of
Lees ARMY
Then they came, passing close to me,
the long, slow-moying line Of pale faces
aud e,naeiated forms, with their bare
feet their tattcrcd clothing, and band.
aged limbs. Never in my life have
seen spectacle more sad. A sort Of
stern and solemn stiffness bad settled
upon the faces Of all. in some were
eyes Of resolute and undyiug cnmity,
turned upon the jeering aud triumphant
yisages Of the Federals who pressed
closely arouud them. Others walked
on in stern aud unyielding pride, looking
neither to the right nor left. A few,
with compressed lips and eyes glisteninc
in gathering tears, glanced upward tc
the folds Of the flag which they were
sternly order TO ''pass under ? The most
Of them passed as | had seen them on
the night Of the evacuatiou--with stony
passive faces, aud automaton-l like steps.
0ne man smiled in a Oh stly way as hi
looked up to the triumphant emblem
above him, saying Il fought 10 twenty,
two battles for idis,e aud was imlne,
diately silenccd BY sharp blow on the
shoulder from the sword Of guard
Tho last crippled stragglers in the rear
were urged on in the same way--wlth
thrusts and blows--while more than ono
voice among the Federal lockers on eric
SHANE = aud more than one rough
face, as the line past, was turned away
10 hide gathering tears. ] found then,
what ] had known before and learned
aiterward, that there were Kind and
geptle hearts among cur enemics, aud
men who in even this hour Of triumph
would not wound or insult the fccling
Of conquered foe.
But looking at them---as the ruddy,
woll-fed, woll-clad. Fcderals, aud tIs
worn, weary, tattcrpd Confederatcs---l
said to mysnlG as cyoa the Norlherncrs
said, sHgw could these incE fght when