The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-08-21
Our WOMEN IN FHE WAR,
THE FALL OF RICHMOND.
A MEMORABLE SUNDAY I'm THE
CONFEDERATE CAPITAL,
g'irginia E. Dade, Of Washington, D. c., in
Charleston Weekly Ner,.

sister tanDy anu myself living at the
corner of franklin and g. streets
Richmond, Virginia. We were room.
keeping there, aud in the same house
lived twelve ur fifteen other ladies and a
few gentlemen, mostly wounded and dis.
charged soldiers, or men otherwise inca.
pacitatcd for duty in the field, and who
were now serving in the various Govern.
ment departments in the city.
AS Groom keeping" is term and mode
Of life which had its origin in the war,
some explanation may be necessary.
Richmond was so crowded by the women
and children who had sought refuge
there when their homes were taken
possession of by the advancing Federal
forces, that rents soon became incredibly
high, and it was rarely the case that
single family, even of large means, could
afford to occupy whole house to them.
selves, and .ven the mansions of the
rich were pointed at with indignation
and contempt if they were known TO
have one unoccupied chamber while 30
many homeless refugees were begging for
shelter. Consequently house of aver
age size woald usually contain from two
to six families, each occupying one, two
or three rooms, and each having their
own private table, but ell using com.
mon parlor when the guests to be enter.
tanned were not intimate enough 10 be
brought to the family room. We had to
practice the closest economy even in the
yeriest necessaries of life, counting out
the potatoes for dinner and the grains of
coffee for breakfast, when we were 40
fortunate as to have the grains to count.
My sister and always managed to
have slice Of meat apiece once a day.
yet, if an unexpected visitor came in the
slices would have to be judiciously cut
little thinner to make them ego aronnd."
The necessity for such economy will be
readily understood when quote from nv
book of household expenses, March, 1866.
one barrel flour 5000, one pound coffee
$40, one pound butter $25, one pound
bcefsteak S3, &C., &c. At the same time
we were paying $50 pair for shoes and
81 or So apiece for spool cotton.
However, out of our very scantiness
we sometimes made good jokes. Usually
there woIld be but one cook for the
entire household, g. coIored woman who
would cook often for five or six different
families, and it was wonderful how she
would keep the different lots of provis.
ions separate, always making for each
family loaf of bread hot for breakfast
every morning, and sending UP to each
the exact quantity of -four or number of
potatoes sent down to her. T 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 DO.
tatoes and cup of rice; our dinner was
served, and my sister had just helped
herself to one of the potatoes and broken
it open when little mulatto girl came
running in, in eager haste, exclaiming:
"Aunt Chany say how dat Mis- Brown
tater you gotp And sure enough on
looking at the smoking tuber, which
Fannie was at that moment raising to her
mouth, found that it was q red skinned
"tater," while ali that had bought were
yellow. However, the. mischief was
quickly remedied, the pieces placed
together and carried to, Mrs. Brown, and
in one which she sent back readily
recognized, by its rotund shape, my own
golden ''sweet."
A MEMORABLE SUNDAY.
Sunday was always a day prolific of
persona on that day being idle and prone
other convenient places of rendezvous,
and any little passing spark of report
OF battle, q retreat, or any other mill.
famed into fame, gathering in volume
as it flew from street to street.
On the memorable Sunday, I'd April,
1865, having been kept from church by
the illness of my sister, about the time
that supposed the congregations would
DO dispensing fron .heiS yarioas places Of
worship I stepped to the door to inquire
from any passing aequaintsncs the news
for many previous the battle had been
raging around Petersburg, ard the dis.
tant roar pe artillery haa Heef + SO unding
In our Safs the.death. .knelf ! q feared, Of
many; of our loved and loving ones, and
fate of the "Southern Confederacy" was
hanging In thebalanee. Atany moment
we might hear either aIshoutfof triumph
news of q 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 sawsat the door was
q fellow-1odger, Miss Bowers, who came
totteriug up the steps, pale and agitated,
exclaimiug: "Oh /! have you heard The
dreadful news? Ger. Lees right flank
has given way he has been compelled
to retreat, and Richmond is to be evacu-
ated immediately While DR.: Hoge was
In the midst Of his sefmon messenger
cana hurriedly into the church, walked
up the aisle, handed him note, and
quickly left, DR.. Hoge glanced anxious
y over the mysterious paper, bowed bis
mead 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
Us in the storm as we'll as In the calm.
do quietly to your homes, and whatever
may be in store for us let Us not forget
that we are Christian men and women,
ana may the protection and blessing of
the Father. Son aud Holy Ghost be with
you ali.' Tearfully, for the congregation
was composed almost exclusively of
women and children, but with silence
that told mors than words the intensity
OF their feelings, they ell left the
Nsstycarb i AIRS j Potter from St. Paul's
Church, crying "Oht Miss Lucy, have
you heard that tho city is to be evacuated
immediately and the Yankees will be
mere before morning 2 While We. we're
10 Church hofssmaa dashed Gup to the
door, dismounted, and entering went mp
Ihe aisle and handed paper to ,.be
Presidens, then spoke in q whisper to
some members Of tile abtnet who were
mere I, and they all nrose' and went out.