The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-06-15
How Jefferson Davis Left Richmond.

President Davis and his family were III
their pew that morning. ! saw tine sex
ton 90 to that pew in the midst Of the
services and speak to the President, and
the President retire from the cOnGroga-
ton. | was not feeling very well that
morning. repaired ut once to my
lodgings on Second street DR. Morris
was President or General Superintendent
Of the telegraph lines in tho Confederate
States. Immediately on reaching my
lodgings | met II friend, who asked me If
| had heard the news.
responded: "No what is it?'
He replied: CDR Morris little
daughter was just over here, and said
that her father had just come home, and
stated that General Lee had tcIcgraphcd
President Davis that the enemy had
broken the Confederate lines; that the
army would have to retire further south,
and Richmond would have to be oyac-
uotcd.
The hours remained in Richmond on
that melancholy Sunday, after leaving
st. Pauls, We're among the saddcst Of
NY lllt. iNll lIlill Nlll 'tNNlN' NtN Wv -
the lost cause. Many of the scenes wit
messed by me rs went to and fro
through the streets Of that good old city
were hcartrcndmg, the bad news had
spread with lightning rapldity all over
town Having spent much ui the time
during the war IN Richmond, ! had
formed the acIualntanccs among It's mo-
BILE and hospltnble citizens; and, am
proud to say, some OF them became my
dearest friends The men general were
on the streets, and large numbers of the
ladies' stood III the doors and ON the steps
Of their houses, many bathcd III tears,
making inquiries and giving uttcrancc
to woeful disappointment and anguish.
About nightfall | took my seat in car ot
the train ut the Danvillo depot, preparing
To start southwark with its sad and dis
appointed human freight The Prcsl-
dent and his Cabinet were on the same
train. BY this time | had become much
exhausted by the fatigues of preparation
and visits to attached friends for the pur-
pose of lcave-talSing, and had almost sue
cumbcd TO the indifference resulting
from irredeemable loss and disappointed
hopes. My fellow-passengers, both male
and female, in the crowded car were very
much in the same plight. lnevcr knew
so little conversation INDUCED in by SO
largea number of acquaintance together,
for we were nearly all acquainted with
each other, and, l may say, fellow-fugi-
tivcs driven by the same great calamity.
Very few words were interchangcd.
Sleep soon overcame most of us. This,
/ well remember, was my case, for |
dropped to sleep before the train started
from Richmond, and was not aware of
its departure when it left. l slept quite
soundly nearly all the night through. |
believe we did not leave Richmond until
pretty late in the night, and when day
broke in on us on the morning of April
3 we were somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of Bushelville Junction, probably
between that place and Roanoke We
stopped at every station on the way,
crowds thronging to the train at each to
make inquiries, for the bad news in this
case preserved its proverbial reputation
for fast travelling. Everybody sought TO
see. shake hands with and speak to the
who maintained all the way
bold front, gave no evidence by word or
appearance Of despair, but spoke all
along encouragingly to the people. -
juige Bruce's "Reminiscences.