The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-04-07

For the people generally, coffee had
long been banished; tea was just as
scarce and high. They drank, and
many learned to like, a mixture made
from grains of wheat, or rye, or beans,
first toasted and then ground and mix
ed as coffee. Rye was regarded as
| best. Potatoes were sometimes used.
Sugar was very precious. Eight
tenths of the people did not use it at
all. That to- be obtained was very
coarse, and sorghum took its place.
At one time great crowd of wo-
men-many of them excellent wo-
men, all assertions to the contrary
Observation-Disclosures parOXysm OF
distress and rage against the specu-
latOrs rioted in the streets, clamoring
for bread. Governor Letcher's APP
peal to their patience and patriotism
more than the menance of bayonets
by the Public Guard dispersed them.
In these days no man kept fam
"pressed" for army service, and spec
tral-looking objects they were need
ing 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 for
an iron-clad or put upon battery at
Drewry's Bluffs.
Privation, wounds, desertion and
death had wasted Lees army. For
Grants army the winter OF '64 had
been one of accretion 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 his own COM
munications would be ruined. He
massed several divisions and fell up
on the enemy ; but the object could
not be accomplished. Retreat only
was left.
President DaYis, sitting in st.
Paul's Church April 2, 1865, received
from Lee telegram telling him that
he could no longer hold his position.
Soon thereafter the evacuation of
Richmond was begun. The horrors
of that afternoon and night no man
of feeling then present can efface from
his recollection. One of the depart
ments of the Government was in the
present st. Clare Hotel, at the corner
of Ninth and Grace they commenced
to make a bonfire of their papers.
This advertised the news. Panic fol-
lowed. Later the warehouse was fired
by governmental orders, despite the
protests of Major /. H. Darlington,
Provost Marshal, but before that riot
ing had commenced. All authority
was at end. 4angers-on of the army
city roughs, and desperadOes 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 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 Confed-
crate house of powder, the poor house
magazine, was fired and exploded.
and shook every building in the city
and all but demolished some. Then
followed the explosion of the iron
clads and war-ships in the river.
Then the fire reached the arsenal and
armory, and the shells there stored
commenced bursting.
The Public Guard having been
withdrawn from Richmond, the care
of the prisoners in the penitentiary
deYolyed upon few officers of that
institution, who long held them in
subsection but the prisoners saw that
the city was burning and discovered
the absence of the guard, and raised
a mighty clamor for release. Pill
layers entered the institution, and
between them and the prisoners who
freed themselves and shops and other
buildings were robber and fired. The
conyicts then spread themselves over
the city. After doing much mischief,
many escaped entirely. Others were
Fecaptured through the efforts of Off
Ger Caleb Jacob and by the help OF
the military.
The confiagration at the penitentia-
ry was only suppressed after great
loss had been inflicted.
No man knew where the fire would
end. No man knew what the enemy
upon entering, would do. Hundreds
were homeless, and had what they
had saved in the Capitol Square, sub.
ject to the general pillage. The roads
west of the city were filled with fugi.
tiVes, The prominent men went