Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-04-19


Maior John N. DznieI, Of Virginia,
gives the following graphic account d
the appearance and operations Of com
munisis in Richmond during the re-
bellion. and how they were suppressed
When Harper's Ferry was captured
at the beginning OF the war. al the
available mschinery' for the msnulac-
ture Of arms was taken 70 Richmond -
Hundreds Of workmen and theiT wives
and daughters bad been employed ia
the arsenals and machine shops. end
they followed the machinery TO the cap
Ilai in search Of employment. They
got It. For time they were regularly
paid in good money, and everything
moved smoothly. But ~ the currency
deprecated they began to suffer. The
money received by the workmen would
not support their families. As the war
progressed confederate notes became
almost valueless. Grant bad bis hand
ON the throat OF the confederacy ~ Pc
tersburg. Tire wages Of the workmen
would not purchase food for their iami-
lies. They protested, but IN vain
They were too patriotic 10 organize q
rsvo.ution. Their women, however,
formed secret society based on COM
munistic principles. They seem 70
have held that their husbands were
working for The confederaey, and that
the confederacy Was The only safety Of
the grocers aud shopkeepers. With
Vut clothing and provisions their hus-
bands and sons must stop work. THIS
would cut Of necessary munitions and
supplies, the government would fall,
and all be involved in one common ruin.
To avoid this, general division Of food
and clothing must be made. The wives
and daughters of laborers and mechsn-
res throughout the capital generally
ioined in the movement. a..,
While standing in Main street one
morning the major Witnessed m extra
ordinary scene Hundreds Of women
suddenly appeared. The broad evenue
was flied with item. They came FL
itag in from the cross streetsbya pla-
ICONS, and began TO sack the stores.--
HoIIow-eyed aud gaunt with hunger,
nobody dared resist them. A crowd OF
men hung upon tbe outskirts, offering
no interference and expressing nosym-
patty for the sbopkeepers. The wo-
man TOOK the torres in iinr, one after
the other. They proceeded systemati-
cally. The goods were piled upon
wagons drawn by horses driven By fe-
male sympathizers. Not word yas
spoken. The work was done with Ter
rible earnestness. When the mob en-
tered grocery certain percentage OF
them piled the goods upon the out
stretched arms OF the others, and they
were borne to the streets and dumped
into the wagons. The women hadis all
own way. Neither soldiers nor police
were in sight. Meanwhile the crowd
increased. Other women heard what
was going on, and flocked to Main street
for share Of the plumber. Not man
Joined them, and Tor long time no one
made an effort to stop them. At last
Congressman Baldwin Of Virginia,
jumped upon a dry goods box and made
an impassioned appeal for law and or.
der. He might as well have talked "a
the wind. No one paid the least atten.
ton 10 him. The women went on with
theirsacsing and the bystandersd drowned
Baldwin's voice with their whoops and
cheers.
"While was gazing at the scene, -
said the Major. 81 saw Captain Of an
Alabama cavalry regiment, with whom
had q slight acquaintance. We were
both. in uniform. We agreed that some
thing ought to be done TO restore order
and stop the robbery. AT his sugges-
ton we stationed ourselves at the door
ola store already overrun. In few
seconds q yirago tried to pass rs. lean
see her now. Her cheeks and lips
we're red. but she had a pinched
starved look, and an eye like hawk
She carried IN her arms q half dozen
bars of yellow soap. a piece of dress
silk, long box OF stockings, and some
raisins and behring's. 1 said: 49,. :
MADAM, beg your pardon; but you
are forgetting yourself. These goods
are not yours. You have not paid foI
them, and you will not be permitted to
leave this store with them
"She looked at me-" said the Major
''ih wild way, as though endeavorins
TO comprehend what ! had said. and
then went to the counter and threw
down the goods. As she came bacE
she deliberately took me by The arm
and slung me from her with such force
that | went spinning around like top
and struck the front of the building 81
hard that il took the breath out OF me
She then quietly gathered up her load
from the counter and walked out. The
Alabama Captain looked at her and
laughed, but kept his hands in his peck.
cts and SAID nothing. told him
thought we were out Of place, and he
nodded. We DconclUded after that to
remain simple spectators.
Meanwhile. the womea were. sap-
proaching the ysws' quarters TIE lie.
brews werecredited with great wealth.
twas said that they had made barrels
Of money cut of the confederacy, and
the female communists went al them
without qualm OF eonscience. Moses
and Isaac, however. had heard what was
going on. aboves and tried to protect
themselves. They put up their shnt-
ters, barricaded their doors, ran up
stairs, and watched The proceeding
from the second-story windows, but TIE
women were not dismayed. While
some OF them ran for axes. others found
q long piece Of scantling and used il as
a batteriag ram. The first door dew
open and amid the cheers Of the cut
siders, followed by wall ofsorrow from