Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-05
ESTABLISHED MARCH 30. 1885
"a MEMORABLE DAY.
To the Editors of the Union and American:

| In your paper Vi LIS lob inSt. IneIS
appears, under the above caption, an ex
tract from Pollard's Life Of Jefferson
Davis" purporting 10 describe the evacu-
alto of Richmond.
This man Pollard was well known in
that city as a hanger-on of John M.
Daniel, the brilliant and patriotic, but
bitterly prejudiced editor of the Richs
mond Examiner. That hostility to Mr..
Davis, which Daniel showed in able and
trenchant criticisms on his official con-
duct, Pollard claims specially to inherit
but he, unable to WELD the noble arms
of his master, is forced to descend to
gossip, scurrility and distortion Of facts.
Thus the story Of a rudeness offered by
| Mrs. Davis to members of Gen. Lees
family, which he so unnecessarily intro
duces, bears the stamp offalsehoOd on its
face. Equally imaginary are the "groans
Cor JEFF. Davis" which he imputes to
Longstrset's veterans.
The whole extract indeed is so Curl
ously blended compound of some truth
with much clap-trap, fustian and ro>
nance, that the easiest way to correct its
Measurements IS by short account Of
the same events.
Early Sunday morning Gen. Lees
lines were forced below Petersburg, and
about noon he telegraphed that unless he
could re-establish them, he must retreat
that night and give up the city. This
dispatch was brought to Mr.. Davis in
church, who quietly rose and went out,
sending the telegram up to the pulpit.
Rev. Mr.. Minnegerode read it and an
nounced to the congregation the great
disaster. In an hours time everybody
knew it; and never did city or an army
bear o like calamity with more quiet
courage than was shown by Richmond
and its garrison.
1t was not merely that we were about
to abandon the Capitol held with such
desperate tenacity during four bloody
years, and with it to surrender the last
glimmsring hopes of success-but also
that we foreboded exile or Imprisonment,
fer ourselves, and famine and sorBOw for
the relatives and friends whom we left
behind. Yet in neither man nor woman,
did see that day one sign Of the craven
terror which Mr.. Pollard so wildly
describes. The agony of those few
hours was such as those who endured
it may fairly hope never to experience
again; but there were no exhibitions of
unmanly fear-no want of self-control-
no unseemly lamentations. Few of the
citizens attempted to leave their homes
nor would it have been possible to do
30 had they wished it, as all the means
of transportation had been seized by the
government.
The environs Of Richmond were filled
with desperate characters-deserters
evading arrest and idle negroes-and it
was feared that they would rob and pill
lage in the interval between our with
drawal and the arrival of the Federals.
Accordingly Gen. Ewell, who commanded
the troops on the north side Of the
James, directed TIE officer commanding
the rear guard On the lines, six miles be-
low the city, to inform the Federal troops
in his front of the time Of his withdrawal,
and that the city waited their occupa>
ton. He withdrew little after midnight
before the Mayor and Aldermen had
assembled in the City Hall. If Mr..
Pollard, then, had accused them Of sus
pineness and slowness, instead Of "cow>
ardly haste" the charge would have had
more consistency.
We retired from the city about ~ a.
m, after setting on fire two or three
large warehouses Of cotton and tobacco,
which were burned under direct orders
from the War Department, and in the
face Of remonstrance from the COM
Hander already named, who feared the
destruction of the city. But these ware
houses were detached from any other
buildings, and have been repeatedly as
sured by citizens that Richmond YVES
burned by the mob, who were In full
possession of it within half hour after
We left. The citizens stated that the
fire seemed to break out in half a dozen
places at once, and that when some of
them got out the engines the hose was
several times cut, and their lives threat
ened if they did not desist. All agreed
that only the arrival of the Federals
saved the town from utter destruction.
Mr.. Pollard has peculiar ideas Of cour-
age and chivalry. During the war he had
no military ambition, and resisted the
Establishments Of recruiting officers with
great resolution. Now he sets up to
write the STANDARD Southern History of
the War" and with unblushing mendac-
ity claims that it is approved by Generals
Lee, Beauregard, johnson, etc. By way
of gratifying his intense hatred of Mr..
Davis, he writes his life, and uses it
chiefly as ayehicle Of personal abuse,
instead of criticizing intelligently his
many mistakes of administration. This
mode Of reVenging ones self on an enemy
is ingenious, but not original-Mr. Pol-
lard being but an humble follower of
Brick Pomeroy.
AN Ex-CONFEDERATE.