The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-09-20
EVACUATION OF RICRKOND.

mt Petersburg was no longer tenable. he
Immediately sent a telegram TO Davis IN
Richmond, containing the following
words: "My lines are broken in three
places, Richmond must be evacuated
this evening" This occurred on Sun
day. April 81, and the dispatch reached
Mr.. Davis while he sat in church, where
Il was handed 10 him amid the fearful
silence and apprehension Of the con-
preratisn. The Confederate President
hurried from the church, and q rumor
was Immediately circulated that the CITY
xas 10 be abandoned. The folloaing
description is FROM POllard's HistoTy q
ne tndr.l
Men. women, and children rushed
from the churches, passing from lip
10 lip news of the impending fall of
Richmond. And vet il was diff
cult TO believe it. To look up to
the calm. beautiful sky of that
spring day, unassailed by one single
noise of battle to watch the streets
unvexed by artillery troops, away
into the quiet, hay atmosphere, and
believe that the capital of the Con
federacy, so peaceful, so apparently
secure, was in a few hours to be the
prey of the enemy, and to be wrap
ped in the internal horrors of a con-
fiagration!
1t was late in the afternoon when
the signs of evacuation became ap-
parent TO the incredulOus. Wagons
on the streets were being hastily
loaded at the departments with
boxes. trunks, etc, and driven to the
Danville depot. Those who had de-
termined to leave with the fugitive
government looked on with amaze
ment; then, convinced Of the fact,
rushed to follow the governments
Example. Vehicles suddenly rose
10 n premium value that was as
founding; and ten, fifteen, and even
a hundred dOllarsfin gold or Fed
cral currency, was offered for con-
veyance.
Suddenly, as if by magic, the
streets became filled with men, walk
ing as though for a wager, and be-
hind them excited negroes with
trunks, bundles, and luggage of
every description. All over the
trunks, bandbOxes, and their own
ers. a mass of hurrying fugitives,
filling the streets. The banks were
all open, and depOsitors were as
busy as bees removing their specie
deposits; and the directors We're
equally active in getting off their
bullion. Hundreds of thousands Of
dollars of paper money were de-
stroyed, both State and Confederate.
Night came and with it came
confusion worse eontOunded. There
WAS no sleep for uman eyes IN
Richmond that night. The City
Council had met in the evening, and
resolved to destroy all the liquor in
the city, TO avoid the disorder con
seduent on the temptation to drink
at such time. About the hour Of
midnight the work commenced. un-
der the direction of committees of
citizens in all the wards. Hundreds
of barrels of liquor were rolled into
the street, and the heads knocked
in. The cutters ran with liquor
freshet, and the fumes filed and i'm
pregnated the air. Fine cases of
bOtt ed liquors were tossed into the
street from third-story windows, and
wrecked into a thousand pieces.
As the work progressed, some
struggling soldiers, retreating
through the city, managed TO get
hold of quantity of the liquor.
From that moment. law and order
ceased to exist Many of the stores
were pillaged; and the sidewalks.
were encumbered with broken glass,
where the thieves had smashed the
windows in their reckless haste to ]
Law hands on the plumber within
The air was filed with wild cries of
distress, or the yells of rowing pilla-
gers.
But a more terrible element was
To appear upon the scene. An order
had been issued from General
Ewelrs headquarters, to fire the four
principal tobacco warehouses of the
city-namely, the puclic warehouse,
situated at the head of the basin,
near the Petersburg railroad depot
ShOekOe warehouse, situated near
the centre of the city, side by side
with the GallegO flour mills; MayO's
warehouse; and Debrell's ware
house, on Cary street, a square be-
low Libby prison.
Late in the night, Mayor Mayo
had dispatched, by a committee Of
citizens, a remonstrance against this
reckless military order, which
plainly put in jeopardy the whole
business portion of Richmond. 1t
was not heed. Nothing was left for
the citizens but to submit to the de-
of their property. The
were fired. The rams
on the James River were blown up.
The Richmond, Virginia, and an
other one were all blown to the four
winds of heaven. The Patrick
Henry, n recciving-ship, was scut-
tied. Such shipping, very little in
amount, As was lying at the Rich
nond wharves, was also fired, save
he fag-oftruce steamer Allison
The bridges leading out of the city
we're also fired, and were soon wrap
ped in flames.
Morning broke upon a scene such
Is those who witnessed it can never
orget. The roar of an immense O
sounded in their ears |,
ongues Of flame leapcd from street
o street; and in this baleful glare
we're to be seen, as of demons, the
igures of busy plunderers, moving,
rioting, through the black
moke, and into the open street,
earring away every conceivable sort
f plumber. The scene at the com
nissary depot, ut the head Of the
lock, Deggared description. Hun