The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-08-21
.OUR WOMEN II: THE WAR.
THE FALL OF RICHMOND.

THE FALL OF RICHMOND.
AsMEkORABLE SUNDAY IN THE
CONFEDERATE CAPITAL.
Yrginm e. :gadc, Of Wa.aington, D. c., IL.
Charleston Weekly Ne,os.
81 The Spring Of 1866 found my younger
sister Fanny and myself living at tho
corner of Franklin and -------, - j streets,
Richmond, Virginia. We were ROOM
keeping there, and in the same house
lived tWelYeior fifteen other ladies and 9
few,geutlemen, mostly wounded and dis
charged soldiers, or men otherwise inca
,pacitated for duty in the field, and who
were now serving in the various Govern
tment departments. in the city.
As Groom. Keeping is q term and mode
.s;bf life which. had its. origin in the war,
ssoma explanation may be necessary.
s & Richmond was 30 crowded by the women
and children who had sought refuge
there when their homes werel taken
spossessioh Of BY tine advancing Federal
forces. that rents soon became incredibly
.-IhI;;efhs nda.-it was rarely the case that a,
single family, even of large means, could
afford to occupy whole house to them
selves, and even the mansions of the
rich we're pointed at. with indignation
and acontempt sif they were known to
have one unoccnpied chamber while 80
many homeless refugees were begging for
shelter. Consequently house of aver
age size would usually contain from two
to six families, each occupying one, two
or three rooms, and each having their
own; private table, but oil using a, COM
mon parlor; when the guests to beyenter-
tained were NOT intimate enough to be
brought to the family room. We had to
practice the closest economy even in the
Yeriest necessalies of life, counting out
the potatoes for dinner and the grains of
coffee for breakfast, when We were so
fortunate las to haye,the grains to count.
NY sister and slways managed to
( have q slice Of neat apiece once day,
vet, If an unexpected visitor came in the
slices would have to be judiciously cut a
little thinner to make them Ego aronnd." !"
The necessity, for such economy will be
readily understood whenI quote from my
book ofhousah expenses, March 1855,
one barrel -four $500, one pound coffee
$40, one pound butter $25, one pound
beefsteak $S, &c., &c. At the same time
! We were paying $50 pair for shoes and
$4,orS5 apiece for spool cotton.
However, ont of our very scantiness
ne Wasometimes made goodjokes; Usually
1e would be- but onet cook for the
entire household, a. colored woman who
would COOK often for five or ak. different
families, and it was wonderful how she
would keep the different lots of provis..
ions separate, always making for each;
family g loaf of bread hot for breakfast
every morning, and sending np to each
ssthe exact quantity Of -four or number of
potatoes sent down to her. I remember
though one very ludicrous mistake which
occurred in this connection. Ihad given
out for dinner for my sister and myself
two slices OF ham, two large sweet po.
tatoes andsaenp of rice; our dinner was
served, and my sister had just helped
herself to oneof the potatoes and broken
it open when q little mulatto girl came
running. in, in eager haste, exclaiming :.
tsAunt Chany say how dat Mis- Brown
tater you got I" And sure enough on
looking at the smoking tuber, which
i Fannie was at that moment raising to her
mouth, I found that it was, red skinned
titater," while all that ] had bought were
yellow. However, the mischief was
quickly remedied, the pieces placed
together and carried to- Mrs. Brown and
ii one which she sent back, I readily
recognized, by its rotund shape my own
golden Sweet" esS
"A MEMORABLE SUNDAY.
= Sunday was always 8 day prolific of
startling rumors, owing, I suppose, to
on that day being idle and prone
TO collect in groups at street corners and
other convenient places of rendezvous,
and any little passing spark of report
ofsa battle, 9 retreat, or any other mill.
tarY movement. was soon caught and
famed into fame, gathering in volume
as it flew from street to street.
On.the memorable Sunday, Cd April,
1865, having been kept from church by
the illness Of my sister, about the time
that supposed the congregations would
be dispensing from their various places of
worship / stepped to the-door to inquire
from any passing acquaintance the news
from ssthe front" for all that day and
for many previous the battle had been
raging around Petersburg, and the dis
tsnt Sosf pf fEartillery had been;s so1nding
incur cats theedeath .knelg We feared, of
dna1DyEofsour loved and loving ones, and
what was scarcely less dear to US, the
fate of the "Southern Confederacy" was
hanging in thebahnee. Atany moment
NE might hear either a;shoutsof triumph
brought from our victorious army, or the
news of a defeat which would be the
crushing out of our last hope, for on
Gen. Lees success there we all felt de.
pended the life of our young nation.
The first person saw at the door was
a fellow-lodger, Miss Bowers, who came
totteriug up the steps, pale and agitated,
exclaimiug: ooh have you heard the
dreadful news? Gen. Lees right flank
has given way be has been compelled
to retreat, and Richmond is to be evacu-
ated immediately While. DR.. Hoge was
intthe midst Of his sermon 6 messenge.
cana hurriedly into the church, walked
mp the aisle, handed him a note, and
quickly left. DR.. Hoge glanced anxious
ly over the mysterious paper, bowed bis
head for moment in silence on his desk,
then rising said: Brethren, trying
scenes are before US. Gen. Lee has been
defeated but remember that God is with
as in the storm as we'll as in the calm.
Go quietly to your homes, and whatever
may be in store for us let us not forget
that we are Christian men and women,
and may the protection and blessing of
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost be with
you ALL Tearfully, for the congregation
was composed almost exclusively Of
women and children, but with silence
that told more ,han words the intensity
Of their feeling, they all left the