The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-07
A FEMALE COMMUNE.
THE LAST DAYS OF THE CONFEDE-
RACY AN EXTRAORDINARY
SCENE AT RICHMOND.

When Harper s Ferry was captured al the
beginning of the war, all the available ma
cbinery for the manufacture OF arms was
taken to Richmond. Hundreds of workmen,
and their wives and daughters, had been en-
ployed in the arsenals and machine shops,
and they followed the machinery to the CAPT
tai in search Of employment They got 1t.
For time they were regularly paid in good
money, and everything moved smoothly.
But as the currency deprecated they began
to suffer. The money received by the work
men would not support their families AS
the war progressed Confederate notes became
almost yaIueless. Grant had his hand on the
throat of the Confederacy at Petersburg. The
wages Of the workmen would not purchase
food for their families. They protested but
in vain They were too patriotic to organize
a revolution. Their women, however formed
q secret society based on cOmmunistic prin-
ciples. They seem to have held that their
husbands were working for the COnfederacy,
Of the grooers and shopkeepers. Without
clothing and provisions their husbands and
sons must stop work. This would cut off
necessary munitions and supplies, the gov
eminent would fall, and all be involved in
one common ruin. 10 avoid this q general
division Of food and clothing must be made.
The wives and daughters of laborers and me-
chanicS throughout the capital generally
Joined In the movement.
While standing in Main street one morning
the major witnessed an extraordinary scene.
Hundreds of women suddenly appeared. The
broad avenue was filled with them. They
came filing in from the cross streets by
platoons and began to sack the stores. Hol-
low-eyed and gaunt with hunger, nobody
dared resist them. A crowd of men hung
upon the outskirts. Offering no interference
and expressing no sympathy for the shop
keepers. The women took the stores in line,
one after the other. They proceeded system
atically The goods were piled upon wagons,
drawn by horses driven by female sympathiz-
ers. Not word was spoken. The work was
done with terrible earnestness. When the
mob entered grocery certain percentage OF
them piled the goods upon the outstretched
the streets and dumped into the wagons. The
women had it all their own way. Neither
soldiers nor police were in sight. Mean
while the crowd increased. Other women
heard what vas going on, and flocked to Main
street for q share in the plumber. Not man
an effort to stop them. At last Congressman
Baldwin, of Virginia, jumped upon dry
goods box and made q passionate appeal fOr
law and order. He might as well have talked
to the wind No one paid the least attention
to him. The women went on with their sack
ing, and the bystanders drowned Baldwin's
voice with their whoOps and cheers.
"While | was gazing at the scene,' said the
major, II saw a captain OF an Alabama cav
all y regiment, with whom | had q slight ac.
quaintance. We were both in uniform. We
agreed that something ought to be done tc
restore order and stop the robbery At his
suggestion we stationed ourselves at the door
OF a store already overrun. In few seconds
q virago tried to pass us. / can see her now
Her cheeks and lips were red, but she had o
pinched, starved look and an eye like a hawk
She carried in her arms half dozen bars OF
yellow soap, q piece OF dress silk, q long box
of stockings and some raisins and behring's
| said:
"'Madam beg your pardon but you are
forgetting yourself. These goods are moi
yours. You have not paid for them, and you
will not be permitted to leave this store with
! them
wild way, as though endeavoring to compre
bend what had said, and then went to the
counter and threw down the goods. AS she
came back she deliberately took me by the
arm and slung me from her with such force
that went spinning around like q top, anc
struck the front of the building so hard that
it took the breath out OF me. She then quiet
ly gathered up her load from the counter and
walked out. The Alabama captain looked al
me and laughed, but kept his hands in his
thought we were out of place, and he nodded
We concluded after that to remain simple
spectators"
Meanwhile the women were approaching
the Jews quarter The Hebrews were cred.
| tied with great wealth. 1t was said that they
had made barrels of money out of the Con
federacy, and the female communists went al
them without q qualm OF conscience. Moses
and Isaac, however, had heard what was
going on above and tried to protect them
selves. They put up their shutters. barri-
caded their doors. ran up stairs, and watched
the proceedings from the second story win
dows. But the women were not dismayed
While some Of them ran for axes, Others
found long piece Of scantling and used it as
battering ram. The first, door flew open
amid the cheers of the outsiders, followed by
q wall of sorrow from the Jews. sob, mine
Kott! mine Kott j! | ish ruined l ish ruined!
was the cry. But they made no further de
Tense. Indeed it would have been dangerous
robbers had been hurt the crowd Of husbands
and brothers would surely have avenged it.
"And So" said the major, 1.-THE spoliatior
continued. At last rumor ran through the
true. Down the hill came Gov. Letcher, ac
companied by his staff and few friends III.
assembled cart and made speech which
had as much effect as such speeches usually
do have. The mob OF women kept steadily al
work. and the Governor pumped himself dry
without producing the least effect The crowt
on the outskirts opened respectfully for hin
to pass out, and the Jews moaned more pitt
full than ever. The women pitched in with re
newed vigor, and shawls, sugar. poplins, bot
ties OF pickles, ribbons, washing soda, mus
Inns and bags ofhominy were pitched into tn.
wagons at the door. Then a second rumo
spread over the crowd. The President was
coming. This also proved true. Presiden
Davis rode down from the Capitol, followed
by Capt. Gay, with 100 OF the, guards. H
mounted a wagon, and everybody was silent
| had seen him several times, but had neve
heard him speak. SO I forced my way within
ten feet Of him, aud stood spelbound. 1t wal
the most eloquent speech ever heard. Tai
and slender, he swayed with emotion like tn
willow in the wind His words were CAREFUL,
chosen He spoke of his experience in thu
Mexican war, and, while expressing his deep
est sympathy with the sorrows and suffering
of the children of the Confederacy, sternl,
maintained the necessity OF law and order"
The major heard that many of the womel
stopped pillaging, and gathered at distanc
listening to the words that they could catch
At the close of the speech the President tool
out his watch and gazed at it long and earn