Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-10-23
THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL.
How the People of Richmond Lived
During the Seige.

During the Seige.
have been asked how the people
of Richmond managed to get food
dnring the closing days, when Con-
federate currency was so feariully
deprecated. was about to say
'dam6nO,' but on reflection | think
can give an easy solution of the
matter. And, first, will say that,
although the bluebacks were so
much deprecated, if you only had
enough of them you could purchase
anything you wished, and the vol
ume OfnOtes in circulation was im-
mense. | recOllect that q fellow
from Jefferson County, who, on
some plea or other, was exempt
from service, and who was exceed
ingly convivial in his habits, when
ever he wished to make purchases
or visit the saloons or faro banks,
was accustomed to be followed by
a stalwart negro bearing large
valise crammed to the brim with
Confederate tokens of indebted.
ness, perhaps 100000 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
so.
Contrary to the common belief,
there was no lack of provisions or
delicacies in Richmond at any time
during the wal, but the prices
measured by alleged dollars were
simply stupendous. | do not re-
member that there was any actual
suffering among the people, al
though food and drink were, of
course, economically dealt with. |
recOllect, also, that there was n
bread riot of so large proportions
as to call for the intervention Of
the military, but the women, black
and white, who were the chief par
ticipants, were of the lowest class,
and were instigated not by want
so mucn as pure devlltry. 1t Is a
curious fact that what are called
the lower classes Jared better, as
far as provisions we're concerned,
than the oflice.holders or wealthier
citizens. The salaries Of the office
holders, both Confederate and
State, were grossly inadequate to
provide Tor their families, and the
wealthiest citizens at the outset of
the war had invested, almost with
out exception, all their available
means in the S.per.cent. bonds OF
the Confederate Government.
Those who owned slaves, by hlr-
ing them ont, obtained large re.
turns, for labor was in great de-
mand but the trouble was that
/ the Confederate authorities con-
scripted 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
given to the masters was but a
tithe of what could have been pro-
cursd in Open market.
Talk about Washington being a
city OF boarding.houSes and res
taurants. Why it was not n cir
cumstance to the Confederate capl-
tol. Nearly every house, and es-
pecially OF people Of limited means,
was filled with dodgers, and nearly
every other house was an eating
house, The poor whites and blacks
made money hand over fist by cook
ing provisions and selling them
from stands on the streets, and at
the depots, to the huge swarm OF
hungry people who were constantly
coming and going. The popula-
ton proper of Richmond was not a
fourth Ofthe vast crowd that daily
and nightly cOngregated within its
corporate limits. 1t was tho Mecca
of the Confederacy, and the pilgrim
ages made thereto were constant
in their coming. Officers and sol
diers, Jewish merch ants, 'exempts'
blockade.runners, refugees from
Maryland and West Virginia, and
from counties of the State held by
the Federals, poured IN a 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, l have seen it stated some
where that the Confederate authOri-
ties, in order not to starye their
officials to death, extended the
same privileges to them as it did
to its officers in the field, viz: to
draw a ration and buy ration at
the Government valuation, which
was not one tenth the cost of pro.
visions in the markets. This is
all a mistake. AS far as the Off
cials were concerned, every tub
had to stand on its own bottom
If a man couldn't live on tho salary
of his office, there were hundreds
of Others anxious to take his place,
and offer a bonus for the Oppor-
tunIty. In fact, when the lighting
got to be fast and furious, and the
campaigns terrible in their hard
ships, in the Richmond Examiner
L. Al nnniol nnnnlr, ohnro.ol