The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-13
TExtract.I
IESiract.l
SPRING HILL, Tenn, !
December 20, 1865. !


General Il. T. Lee, Lexington, Va:
General, About the middle OF February
last / received communication from YOU
enclosing lac ,chich / iCdS directed TO
Cdrry ont. This law required "prepara-
tons to be made for destroying the cotton,
tobacco, &c, which the owners could not
remove, in places exposed to capture by the
enemy"
Immediately sent Major Brown, Of my
staff, to Mayor Mayo with the document,
and requested him TO call a meeting OF the
Common Council TO give their opinion as
to the measures proper TO be taken. after
q free discussion ioih some of the Council
and on their ddrice issued circular to
"the merchants and owners OF cotton and
tobacco" embodying the substance OF your
order and OF the law which accompanied
it. This | entrusted TO those gentlemen
and to Major Isaac ii. Darlington, provost
marshal, for distribution. Being informed
few hours later that il was misunderstood
as to take effect at once, issued another
stating expressly that the necessity had
not yet arisen"
Together tcih Mr.. Scott, tobdccO-olrner
and councilman. riSited and inspected all
the warehouses containing tobacco, and, Gf-
ter consulting The keepers, tce concluded
they could be burned. Without danger OF
q general confdgratiOR. Igdve Instructions
TO Major Darlington to make the necessary
ARRANGEMENTS, and requested Mr.. Scott and
the other members Of the Council 10 consult
nth him and giUe him their rietcS. The
Ordnance Department offered 10 furnish
barrels Of tarpentine to mir Nth the tO6dc-
co, so as 10 insure its burning but this !
declined for fear of setting fire to the
city.
/ sent for the Mayor and several OF the
most prominent citizens. earnestly urged
upon them the danger Of mob violence,
should we be forced 10 eyacuate and the
entrance OF Federal troops be delayed. and
begged them TO endeav0r TO organize
yolunteer-guard force for such an emer-
gency, profering the necessary arms. |
regret to say but one man volunteered, and
the rioters, as predicted, were unchecked.
On the night OF Saturday. 1st April, |
received a dispatch from General Long
street, telling me he was going 10 the south
side with two divisions; that Kershaw
would be left on the lines; directing me
to move whatever troops | could collect
down the DarbytoYn road, and to ride by
his Headquarters for further instructions.
left nv staff TO see TO the movements and
collection OF troops (of which only the
Cadets and three battalions OF conyalescents
were in town. and rode down, but General
LOngstreet had gone before / reached his
Headquarters, and | received orders from
his assistant Adjutant-General, Colonel
Latrobe, to relieve and send forward two
brigades left on picket, which was done
soon after sunrise by Colonel Shipp, COM
handing the Cadets and cOnvaescentS.
At 10 A. NJ. OF Sunday received mes
sage from Major Chestney, my assistant
Acknowledgement, to return 1T once to the
city, aud on doing so received the orders
for the evacuation and to destroy the stores
,ohich could not be removed. All that time
allowed was done. General q. w. Z.
Lees division being mostly composed OF
heavy artillery, was almost without trans
portation, which was procured by impress
ing all that could be found. All the guard
forces were required 10 take the prisoners
from the Libby and Castle Thunder, and
as the militia had dispersed (belng mostly
fOreiguers) no troops remained in town
except few convalescents. A mob OF both
sexes and all colors soon collected, and about
3 A. NJ. set fire to some buildings on Cary
street and began to plumber the city.
The c0nvalescents, then stationed in the
SQUARE, were ordered to repress the riot,
but their commander shortly reported HIM
self unable to do so, his force being made
ouate. then ordered all my staff and
couriers who could be spared 10 seour
the streets, so rs to intimidate the mob by
sboN Of force. and sent word to General
Kersbaw. w no was coming up from the lines,
70 hurry his leading regiments into town.
Nv daylight the riot was subdued, but
manu- buildings iohieh had carefully d.
rected should be spared had been fired by
he mob. The arsenal iodS thus destroyed,
and party OF men went TO burn the Tired
egar Works, but were prevented by GEN
eral Anderson's arming his operatives and
declaring bis intention TO resist. The
small bridge over the canal on Fourteenth
street was burned by incendiaries, who set
a canal-boat on fire and pushed II under
the bridge. This was evidently done in
hopes Of embarrassing cur retreat, and
Kershaw's division passed the bridge,
while on fire, ut doubie-quick.
By7A. NJ. the last troops had reached
the south side. aud Mayo's and the rail-
road bridges were set on fire.
From the hills above Manchester we