National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-09-06
THE FINAL BATTLE.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS 0F,THE COLLAPSE
OF THE CONFEDgRACY.
Downfall Of Richmond and Petersburs-The
Capital City of the Confectionery a Prey to
Hordes Of Hungry Robbers - Disgraccful
Flight of'the Confcd crate Oficluls.

IL was'a sombor day, that April 1, 1865,
for the confederatos, who had for so long
held the lines in frontof Petersburg and
Richmond, whom tho news was spread
abroad that Sheridan had almost ami.
hilatod Picketts division ut Five Forks
and had dispersed to tho four winds of
heaven Fitzhugh Loe's cavalry. Although
every man of average intelligence In
Lees army knew that il would be impos.
sible much longer to hold the position
thon occupied, yet tho news Of tho day
before had boon so encouraging that all
hoped tho evil day of evacuation and
retreat had boon postponed for season,
that an indefinite pospite had boon gained,
for on the first day of sheridan's attack,
and before he had boon re-enforced by
Warren's 9th cor ps, his cavalry had been
utterly routed and driven back far
beyond tho lipOJ, which up to that time
they had occu Of ed. say that the report
OF the first encounter on tho right flank
OF the array was encouraging, and
although tho trenches were but slenderly
manned, ySo all believed that no front
attack could be made upon our lines that
would rot BIO repulsed as long as the right
flank tho most vulnerable point) was
not turned.
But as have said above, whom il was
kno @n that the victorious column Of
Sheridan was on the right flank and rear
OF the army, and moving swiftly to cut off
the only limo of Communication (the south
side road) with tho other states Of the
confederacy, we all thought that tho time
n d como Tor us to undergo the campaign
which Gen. Lee. had before that prefg-
ured in private conversation: "Why,"
yaid he, 'if they should forco us from
acre, would retreat to the mountains,
and could there maintain warfare for an
indefinite rariod." It was gloomy day,
indeed, for the gallant band who had for
four years upborne the blue-spanglcd
and the next day, April Q, the final stroke
fell, which put an end, for all time, to the
theory OF the disintegration Of the union
and tho independent government Of the
states south Of the Potomac. On that day
Gen. Grant made his assault on the right
wing OF Leo's army, forced tho earth
works, an d, after severe fighting, put his
troops In such position as to compel
Lees petr cat. The works Immediately
in front tf Petersburg, between the Apo
mattox nd the James river. and north of
VI,
were sti IL held by tho confederates at tho
close of the days fighting, but the right
wing having been demolished, tho doom
OF tho confederate capital was already
pronou need. The mystical handwriting
was ali,eady on the wall, so to speak.
On this, April ., about 4 p. M, the bat
TALON to which tho writer belonged list
Virginia. battalion of infantry, which
was stationed about two miles north of
Petersburg, on the Telegraph road, was
ordered to go into that city and bring
out tho prisoners, &C., then confined in a
large tobacco factory which had been
esed as guard house during tho siege.
We enteTed the city by tho Pocahontas
bridge, and before we got there we lost
some few men from the shells Of the fierce
ARTILLERY fire which was going on all along
the Tines, but tho danger was nothing
comp Aratively to that which assailed us
wheIi going through the streets OF the old
burlth. The shells fairly rained upon tho
dev oted city, and yet the inhabitants
were at the doors and windows watching
nh pass--old mon. women, and children,
oven mothers with growing babies in their
rms--and when the men Of the battalion
ducked their heads as a shell passed over
them closely, tho women and children
showed their amusement AS If indeed
they had seen something really funny.
This population, as far as fear of danger
from shells was concerned, had become
hardy veterans from custom during tho
investment.
The battalion, with its charge of pris-
oners, federal and confederate, crossed the
upper bridge before shutdown and re-
gained its camp. Shortly after dark
there was sudden blaze Of light in
Petersburg, and 10 could be seen that the
Ata tIa MI al th... -
storehouses had been set on fire simulta-
neously, and that combustibes had boon
added to make the destruction quick and
sure. The federal batteries, which for q
time had been almost inactive, now burst
forth in dreadful uproar, and the con-
federates replied as flercely. Ii was q
scene of grandeur such as few of gen
Grafton are privileged to gaze upon. The
billowing flames that rose high into the
air, waving and spreading, seemingly as
if the whole city was ON fire, the network
of dazzling light that crossed and re-
crossed the heavens, as the mortars and
heavy guns belched forth their deadly
missiles, each ono leaving trail of fire
in its path, and tho explosion OF powder
and shells in the magazines formed a
panorama that was as awe-inspiring as ii
was magnificently beautiful, and in con,
eonanee with the grandeur of the view
was the deep and laundering diapazon OF
the artillery. Whom gazing upon such d
sight ones mind could hardly take III
the thought that this splendid exhibition
of mans power was bringing woo aRt
ruin to thousands of happy homes.
Now it SO happened that on April 2 {
lieutenant and twenty men of the com
pany commanded as lieutenant (my
captain, Charles II. Davidson previously
thereto having been for u year or NOR,
detached as commandant of prisoners o
the army, had been ordered to P.ich
mVnd in charge of political prise ners
They were to have returned at 6 ID. IN.
but did not i learned afterwari tina
they had been detained by order OF Gen
Custis Lee to aid in the preservation O
order in Richmond, in view of tn,
emeutes and general lawlessness which
necessarily attend tho evacuation of .
city by an army in time of war, How
ever, didn't know this fact at the time
and sought permission to get an engn,
and run up to Richmond to soc! after tn,
boys--as / could go and return in thi
manner within three hours. Through
the favor of the railroad otilcials,' stimu
lated by peremptory order OF the pro
vost marshal of the army, \ got on al
engine with steam up about 5 o'clock p
m., and requested tho engineer IT,
let her go for all she was worth" and h
did so. In less than an hour wo were IL
Manchester and hero the scene batle
description.
The people of this suburb of Richmond
on the south side of the James river hat
been exceptionally prosperous during thu
war because of the position of the town
at the south end Of Mayo'a bridge Tn,
heavy hand Of war had scarcely touched
them except to take away their younI
men hitherto, and thoy had only onc'
during the four years of war had scare
when Gen. Boum Butler made his fantas
tic promenade toward them, and wa
promptly bottled up AT Bermuda Hun
dreds by Beauregard before no had gottel
Within ton milea of the tnwn Rnt nnN