The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-04-03

Howard'S Grove, or Camps jackson or
Winder, or members Of the local brigade,
organized from the employees Of the Trede.
gar, Armory, and Arsenal, and from the
| clerical forces III the War, Navy, State, and
Postotfice Departments, and OF boys and
men'oi the city who were either too young
or too old for regular seryicein the army in
the field. Hundreds OF men walked on
crutches; many more carried one. or the
other OF their srms in siings-signs OF
wounds received in battle. tI;Il..lI
Though no record OF the texts oil that
day remains, it may be lairly inferred that
the preachers besought the people to be
courageous, TO be prayiul, to be submis.
aive. II was time Of great distress. The
storehouses were nearly exhausted. The
raiders, by invading the country and steal.
ing horses and burning farm.houses and
barns and carrying of the only agricnl.
tural laborers (the slaves) had put stop
TO production, while blOckaded ports pre-
vented help from the outer world.
-tl.'' BREAD RIOT. -- =
The army suffered for food, but in the
city the poor women and children, de-
prived by the necessities OF war Of their
neutral protectors, and often forced to call
at "the Commisary"lor help, suffered yet
more. Confederate currency was good Tor
gold only at rate Of from sixty to sixty.
five for one, and speculators bad "cornered"
many articles now regarded as Of prime
necessity. % 3u' .Gig
For the people generally, coffee had long
been banished; tea was just as scarce and
high. They drank, and many learned to
like, mixture made from grains OF wheat,
or rye, or beans. first toasted and then
ground and mixed as coffee. Rye was. re-
gsrded as best. Potatoes were sometimes
used, Sugar was very precious. Eight
tenths OF the people did not use it all.
That 10 be obtained was very coarse, and
sorghum took it's place. d.
At one time a great crowd OF women
many OF them excellent women, all asser-
tions to the contrary notwithstanding-in'
paroxysm Of distress and rage against the
speculalors rio,ed In the. streets, clamoring
for bread. Governor Letcher's appeal to
their patience and patriotism more than
the menance OF bayonets by the Public
Guard dispersed them. q
In these days no man kept family car
riage. The horses had all been "pressed"
| for army service, and spectral.looking OBJ.
jects they were; needing food as did their
riders. The iron OF the street-Car tracks
(laid from Ninth street to Libby Hill) had
been taken up for use either as armor Tor
an iron.clad or put upon battery at
Drewry's Bluffs
.a. .,fA SAD OUTLOOK.
Privation, wounds, desertion and death
had wasted Lees army. For Grants army
the winter of'G had been one Of accretioD;
for Lees, one Of depletion. Grant had
heightened the lines till Lee had not the
men to properly man his The time long
foreseen had come. Lee must drive in
Grants left wing, or bis own communica.
tions would be ruined. He massed several
divisions and fell upon the enemy; but the
object could not be accomplished. Retreat
only was left.
President Davis, sitting in St. Paul's
Church April 9, 1865, received from Lee a
telegram telling him that he could no long
or hold bis position. Soon thereafter the
evacuation OF Richmond was begun, The
horrors OF that afternoon and night no man
OF feeling then present can etlace from his
recollection. One Of the departments Of
the Government was in the present st
Glare Hotel, and at the ornerof Ninth and
Grace they commenced to make a bonfire
Of their papers. This advertised the news.
Panic followed. Later the warehouse was
fired by governmental orders, despite the
protests OF Major l. Ii. Darlington, Provost
Marshal, but before that rioting had com.
menced. All authority was attend. Hang.
ers.on oithe army, city ronghs, and desper.
ADDE'S who had made their headquarters
here, commenced to pillage. Honest men,
and women too, believing that the fire
would destroy everything, thought they
might as well help themselves to food and
clothing from the stores, and so they did.
THE BURNING CITY
The city afire lighted the country for
miles around. From zenith to horizon the
heavens reflected the flames AS morning
advanced out OF the hideous night the
great Confederate house Of powder, the
poor.house magazine, was fired and ex.
ploded, and shook every building In the
city and all but demolished some. Then
followed the explosion OF the irou.clads
ndwar.ships in the river. Then the hre'
reached the arsenal and armory, aud the
shells there stored commenced bursting.
THE coNvIcrs LOOSE. s.:
The Public Guard having been with:
drawn from Richmond, the care Of the
prisoners in the penitentiary devolved up'
ON A few officers Of that institution, who
long held Them in subsection; but the pris,
oners saw that the city was burning and
d;scoyered the absence Of the guard, and
raised mighty clamor for release. Pil.
layers entered the institution, and between
Them and tho prisoners who freed them.
seiyes the shops and other buildings were
robbed and fired. The convicts then
spread themselves over the city. After do
ING much mischief, many escaped entirely.
Others were recaptured through the ell.
iorts Of officer Caleb Jacob and by help OF
the military.
The conflagration OF the penitentiary was
only suppressed after great loss had been
inflicted.
OH, IT WAS FEARFUL. .'"s
oman knew where the tre would end.
| No man knew what the enemy, upon enter.
ing, would do. Hundreds were homeless,
and had what they had saved In the Capitol
SQUARE, subject to the general pillage. The
roads west Of the city were filed with tu-
eitiyes. The prominent men went out on
cans or horses; common'iolk fugitiyes
looted itup the canal bank or over the
IDanyille railroad. Very few Confederate