Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-11-16

Richmond during the war has been fur.
pished by . correspondent of the Wash
ingSon Republican. from which We quote
- follows:
The people of this city had two or three
good scares during tho war, but during
the closing months the people OF Rich
mond--the heads of families and the
women and children-lived in q perpetual
state of anxiety and dread. Hardly day.
and for that matter q night, passed that
the roar of musketry and the boom OF
cannon did not call the citizens into the
street with the mute inquiry in each eye.
what next? What increased the appre-
hension was that General Buffers negro
troops lay Immediately in front of the
city, and the worst was feared from them
should they succeed in entering the town.
This apprehension was without founda-
ton, as was proved by the good conduct
of these colored soldiers, who were the
first to enter the city when the army OF
General Lee retreated.
have been asked how the people OF
Richmond managed to get food during the
closing DAYS, when Confederate currency
was so deprecated. Although the blue.
backs were 80 much deprecated, if you
only had enough Of them you could pur-
chase anything you wished, and the vol
ume of notes in circulation was immense.
I recoIlect that a fellow from Jefferson
county. who, on some plea or other. was
exempt from service, and who was ex-
ceedingly convivial in his habits, when
ever he wished to make purchases or visit
the saloons or faro banks, was accustomed
to be followed by q stalwart negro bear
ing large valice crammed to the brim
with the Confederate tokens of indebted
ness, perhaps hundred thousand dollars
or so, and he never ''braced up" until he
had got rid of the entire pile. and it didn't
take him long, either, to do 80.
Contrary to the common belief, there
was no lack of provisions or delicacies in
Richmond at any time during the war, but
the prices measured by alleged dollars
were simply stupendous. l do not remem-
Der that there was any actual suffering
among the people. although food and
drink were of course economically dealt
with. l recollect also that there was q
bread riot of so large proportions as to
call tor the Intervention of the military,
but the women, black and white, who
WOiC tuO POI WCtC VI tuO
lowest class, and were instigated not by
want so much as pure deviltry. 1t is =
curious fact what are called the lower
classes Jared better, as far as provisions
were concerned, than the office holders, or
the weather. citizens. The salaries of
the Office holders. both Confederate and
State, were grossly inadequate to provide
for their families, and the weather. citi-
zens at the outset had invested, almost
without exception, all their available
means in the per cent bonds of the Con.
tederate government.
Those who owned slaves, bv hiring
them out. obtained large returns, for labor
was in great demand but the trouble was
that the confederate authorities conscript-
ed all able-bodied negroes as drivers of
mule teams, laborers on the Notifications,
etc. just as they conscripted able bodied
whites for service in the field. and the hire
gwen to the masters was but 1.-THE Of
what could have been procured in open
market. Nearly every house. and espec-
tally of people of limited means, was
filled with dodgers. and nearly every other
was an eating house.
The poorer whites and blacks made
money hand over fist by cooking provi-
sions and selling them from stands on the
stress and at the depots to the hugh
swarms of hungry people who were con-
stantly coming and going. The popula-
ton proper OF Richmond was not fourth
of the vast crowd that daily and nightly
congregated within its corporate limits.
1t was the Mecca of the Confederacy, and
the pilgrimages made thereto were con-
slant in their coming Officers and SOL
diers. Jewish merchants. "exempts, "
blockade runners. refugees from Mary
land and West Virginia, and from coun-
ties of the State held by the federals,
poured in steady stream into the lap of
the city, and the people of the city made
their living. and indeed, it may be said,
in many instances waxed fat. in feeding
and lodging the hungry horde.
Now have seen it stated somewhereithat
the Confederate authorities. in order not to
starve their officials to death, extended the
same privileges to them as it did to its
officers in the field, viz: to draw ration
and buy ration at the government valua-
ton. which was not one-tenth the cost of
provisions in the market. This is all a
mistake. AS far as the officials were con-
cerned. 'every tub has to stand on its own
bottom" If man couldn't live on the
salary of office, there were hundreds of
others anxious to take his place, and offer
a bonus for the opportunity. In fact,
when the fighting got to be fast and flu
rious. and the campaigns terrible in their
hardships. in the Richmond Examiner
John M. Daniel openly charged that the
Confederate and State offices had become
matter OF bargain and sale to the sons
of rich men who desired to shirk standing
up to be shot at with their compatriots in
the field.
The printers and newspaper reporters
and editors were organized in separate
body. and were really an effective force
for breastwork duty, as many OF them were
old soldiers who had been incapacitated
by wounds tor hard service in the held
Indeed, when the tocsin sounded. the en-
tire mae population Of Richmond. official
and otherwise, young and old, were ou
under arms.
don't know that the home guard were
ever actually engaged with the enemy
and perhaps they would have fought well
in the rifle pits, but it is certain that or
several occasions the vicinity of Richmond
was entirely denuded of the regular forces
and it was well for Richmond and its peo
pie that the federal commanders were no
aware of the fact or did not credit the re.
ports of their spies.