Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-24
RICHMOND "REMINISCENCES.
General Grants yist 20 THIS CiU aud Oar
Press Peoples visit 20 Him.

General Grants VISIT 10 TIT. CiU aud Oar
Press Peoples ylsI, TO HIN.
From the day Of the bloody battle Of
second Cold IIarbor, in June, 1864, to
the Sd Of April, 1865, when our city
fell. General Grant was " before Rich
mond," with headquarters at City
Point, some eighteen and half miles
distant from here as the crow flies.
When Lee began his retreat Grant fol-
lowed, and was at Appomattox Court
house on April the 9th TO receive
General Lees sword "A figure Of
speech entirely, inasmuch as General
Lee never offered and General Grant
did not ask for his sword, and the terms
of capitulatlon did not require officers
to deliver up their side.arms.
No TRUMPHAL ENTRY.
The people here, when they heard of
the surrender of Lee. which they well
knew meant the extirpation OF the Con-
federacy and the annihilation of dear
hopes, feared that Grant would cele.
brate his victory by triumphal entry
into Richmond.
This was to run over their cup Of
misery.
The best part Of the city was in RUNS.
Fallen walls blocked Main, Cary, Pearl,
and ether streets. Smoke still issued
from the deJris. Wives and children
waited tremblIngly to hear the fate of
husbands and fathers who had been of
the followers OF Lee. Alas, many were
dead; many more were captured and
on their way TO prison, only to be re-
leased months afterwards. The slaves
were freed. How they would act TO-
wards their old masters was matter
of painful apprehension. Brigades Of
Federal soldiers occupied the camps
Lee. Winder. and Jackson.
The Confederate capital was gone,
and IN Its place was conquered city.
DARK DAYS.
Squads in blue policed the city. 4
Eadoral r~ovost -n'arshal adn.inistereJ
Justice. The flag Of the Confeieracy no
longer tloated from the Capitol; the
Stars and Stripes was in its place. Men
were quartered in the Capitol and their
horses were tied TO trees IN the Square.
Business had not been resumed, bread
and meat were scarce. and starvation
stared IN the face many who were rich
IN Confederate money, but poor in gold
and greenbacks.
Those were "dark days" but Grant
could have made them infinitely gloom
ier by triumphal entry. which at that
time was much talked of and greatly
dreaded by the people here. Happily
for US, We were not to have 10 submit
TO that additional trial. Grant, whether
from a lack of curiosity IN his mental
makeup or in merciful consideration of
our feelings, did not even come to Rich
mOnd. lie kept south Of the Appomat-
tox until he embarked for Washington.
Sherman marched his whole army
through Richmond en- route from North
Carolina to Washington. Grant dis
posed of some brigades at Richmond,
some at Petersburg, some at Fortress
Monroe. The others he embarked at
City Point for Washington. That
Grant knew well the feeling in Rich
mOnd there can be no question. lie
was always well posted as to affairs
here.
GENERAL GRANT AND MISS VAN
LEW.
Colonel ID. B. Parker. who was
during the war with Grant and subse-
quently United States marshal here.
said some years ago: " When we got
the news that the Confedcrates were
eyacuating Richmond General Grant.
who was at the front, sent back dis
patch to Colonel Ely S. Parker, of his
staff, to go into the city at once aud see
that order was preserved aud that all
Of Miss Van Lewis wants were supplied.
| accompanied him and went imme-
diately to Miss Van ew's house, which
we found filled with Union people.
Among them young Ross. who said he
wanted to keep out Of sight, as some Of
our men who had been prisoners in the
Libby had declared they would kill
him on sight. She was the possessor
Of a buckskin horse, q sorry animal,
and when the rebel authorities issued
an order during the last days of the
siege to seize all private horses and
mules for artillery service, she had
secreted this animal in her roomy man
sion, having carefully padded the walls
Of the room with bed-clothing SO that
no noise should betrsy his presence. +"
NEWS FROM RICHMOND GOES TO
GRANT.
Miss Van Lew sent General Grant very
valuable news from Richmond. How
she did Colonel Parker says: "She
had farm IN the country on the other
side Of James river from US, and be-
low Richmond. Every day two Of her
trusty negro servants drove into Rich
mond with something to sell--milk,
chickens, garden-truek, &c. These ne
gsOes wore great, strong brogans with
soles Of immense thickness, made by
q Richmond shoemaker, whose name I
will not gNe because he is still living
and doing business in that city. Shoes
were pretty scarce in Richmond in
those days, but Miss Van Lewis SER
wants had two pairs each and changed
them every day. They never wore out
OF Richmond in the afternoon the same
shoes they wore into the city in the
morning. The scles Of these shoes were
double and hollow, and in them were
carried through the lines letters, maps,
plans. &C., which were regularly de-
hvered to General Grant at City Point
next morning.
For this service General Grant made
Miss Van Lew postmaster Of Richmond
for eight yssrs, and through his india
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