National Republican., 1885-06-13

bTlghues
The statements made by Gen. ID. ii.
Hill in tho June Century to tho effect that
Gen. Lees movement on the right Of
Gen. McClollan's army was rash and
hazardous one; that Gon. A. T. Hill
brought on tho first Of the Seven Days
battles before Gen. Jackson got up con-
trary to orders, and that tho federal
army after tho battle Of Gaines's Mill
could have marched into Richmond un-
opposed, except by Con. Magruder's
"rattlo," arc certainly nows to most of
tho men of the army Of Northern Vir-
glnia. Both Generals ID. II. Hill and
Longstroet, whom they take their pens in
hand, write about the war as "Sir
Oracles," but they took good care TO
keep we'll bottled up until Lee had gone
or to Join the vast majority. Now IL
W Ifgenerally understood in the army Of
Northern Virginia that tho only. time
Richmond was in imminent danger OF
capture was when Gen. Fitzpatrick made
his raid and Col. Uric Dalghren was
killed. There is not much doubt that
Fitzpatrick could have entered tho city
without opposition, except from tho home
guards, &C., and he might have had time
10 utstTOJ hnO HuDllC huu hho
Tredegar iron works, which latter were
of momentous importance to the confed-
eracy. But he could not have hold the
city two hours, for Stuarps cavaly were
close upon his hools, aud they would in
evitably have fought the federal troopers
out Of tho streets Of the city.
now RICHMOND WAS DEFENDED.
A great many persons think that Rich
mond was protected by armed fortihca-
tious, as was this city, but that is mis-
take. If the defense of the city had
depended on tho belt of rodoubts and
rifepits that surrounded the suburbs, 1t
could not have held out an hour against
a strong and determined attack. That Is
TO say, suppose, for instance, that Gen.
Johnston had been beaten back from
Seven Pines to this belt OF oartbworks,
ho must have evacuated the city, for II
would have been an untenablo trap fol-
his army. As we'll rs l remember. the
aforesaid reaoubts had very fow cannon
mounted, although there was q goodly
show of wooden "quakors," such as we
had ON tho works at Manassas and Cen
torvillo In 1861. 1t was these ''quakers'
that scared of Gen. Fitzpatrick, and per.
haps saved the city from pillage by the
hard-riding troopers Of that bold sabreur
ON THE INSIDE.
Ihave referred to these matters because
II is of the inside of Richmond during
the last year of tho war i wish to write
The people of this city had two or three
good scares during the war. but during
the closing months the people Of Rich
mond--tho heads Of families and thu
women and children-lived In perpetua
state of anxiety and dread. Hardly day
aud for that matter night, passed tina
the roar of musketry and the boom o
cannon did not call the citizens into tn,
street with the muto inquiry in each eye
what next2 What increased the appre
hension was that Gen. Buffers negr,
troops lay Immediately in front of tn,
city, and the worst was feared from then
should they succeed in entering the town
This apprehension was without founda'
tion, as was proved by the good conduc
of these colored soldiers who were tn
first to enter the city when the army o
Gen. Lee re.reated. l recoliect witness
ing ono Of these periodic spasms of torro
which seized upon the popu
lace. Our brigade (Corse's, of Pick
ett's division) was lying at Han
over junction, just before the battl
of Gettysburg, when dispatch came tina
large federal force was at Deep Bottom
aud was driving our small cavalry fore
back upon the city. Without delay til
brigade was packed upon rail
road train always kept waiting o.
US with steam up, and we wen
whooping down the track as fast a
the engine could pull us. No sooner ha
ne entered the city than men. women
and children, laughing and crying, AM
waving their handkerchiefs, presse
upon us tho best eatables they could pre-
cure. There was no doubling the warmt
and sincerity of our welcome-alboit "
knew it was not exactly disintcrestet
Before that the brigade had passe
through Richmond on several occasion
and as the people were not then PANT
stricken, and in no immediate need I
services, they took no notice of US wha
ever.
THE QUESTION OF FOOD.
have been asked how tho people
Richmond managed to get food during I'll
closing days, when confederate currenc
was so fearfully deprecated. | was abo,
to say "damfino," but on reflection
think | can give an easy solution of I'll
matter. And, first | will say that, a
though the bluebacks were so much d
preciated, if you only had enough
thom you could purchase anything yC
| wished, aud the volume of notes in ci
culation was immense. j recollect that
fellow from Jefferson county, who, q
some plea or other, was exempt fro
| service, and who was exceedingly col
NlNlhl III Mo uuuitot "houoNct ho Wioht
to mako purchases or visit the saloons
faro banks, was accustomed to be fc
lowed by stalwart negro bearing larl
yalise crammed to the brim with the col
federate tokens of Indebtedness perhal
a hundred thousand dollars or so, al
he never "braced up" until he had gottC
rid of the ontire pile, and it didn't tai
him long, either, to do 80.
NO LACK OF PROVISIONS FOR CASH.
Contrary to tho common belief, the
was no lack OF provisions or delicacies
Richmond NJ any time during the wa
but tho prices measured by alleged de
lars were simply stupendous. do II
remember that there was any actual 81
fering among the people, although 70,
and drink were of course economical
dealt with. / recollect also that the
was bread riot Of so large proportio
as to call for the intervention of tho mi
itary,b but the women, black and whit
who were the chief participants, were
the lowest class, and were instigatod II
by want so much as pure deviltry. 1t
Rcurious fact that what are called Il
lower classes Jared better, as far as pr
visions were concerned, than the oihc
holders or the wealthier citizens. Il
salaries of the otllceholders, both confe
crate and state, were grossly inadequa
to provide for their families, and Z
Weather citizens at the outset of I
war had invested, almost without exec
tion, all their available means in tn,
per cent. bonds of the confederate Cover
4 ment. Those who owned slaves, by h
ing them out, obtained large returns,
labor was in great demand; but I
4 trouble was that the confederate autho
j ties oonscripted all able-bodied negroes
drivers of mule teams, laborers ON I
A Notifications, &C., justa as they conscript