The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-11-18
An Inside View of Richmond.

An interesting account of occur
rences in Richmond during the war has
been furnished by correspondent of
the Washington Republican, from which
we quote as follows: " The people of
this city had two or three good scares
during the war, but during the closing
months the people of Richmond-the
heads of families and the women and
anxiety and dread. Hardly day, and
for that matter night, passed that the
roar of musketry and the boom of can
non did not call the citizens into the
street, with the mute inquiry in each
eye, what next? What increased the
apprehension was that General Buffers
negro troops lay Immediately in front
of the city, and the worst was feared
from them should they succeed in en-
tering the town. This apprehension
was without foundation, 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 re-
treated. | have been asked how the
people of Richmond managed to get
food during the closing days, when con-
| federate currency was so deprecated
| Although the bluebacks were so much
| deprecated, if you only had enough OF
| them you could purchase anything you
wished, and the volume of notes in cir.
culation was immense. | recOllect that
fellow from Jefferson county, who, or
some plea or other, was exempt from
service, and who was exceedingly con.
vivial in his habits, whenever he wished
] To 10 81 ho
or faro banks was accustomed to bt
followed by a stalwart negro bearing a
large valise crammed to the brim with
the confederate tokens of Indebtedness
perhaps a hundred thousand dollars OF
so-and he never braced up until he
had got rid of the entire pile, and i
didn't take him long, either, to do so
Contrary to the common belief, ther,
was no lack of provisions or delicacie
in Richmond at any time during tn,
war, but the prices measured by al
legged dollars were simply stupendous
do not remember that there was an
actual suffering among the people, al
though food and drink were, of course
economically dealt with. | recollec
also that there was a bread riot of S,
large proportions as to call for the in
tervention of the military, but tn
women, black and white, who were tn
chief participants, were of the loves
class, and were instigated not by wan
so much as pure deviltry, 1t is a Gu
rious fact that what are called the lowe
classes Jared better, as far as provision
were concerned, than the oflice-holders
or the Weather citizens. The salarie
: of the otfice-holders, both confederat
and state, were grossly inadequate t
: provide for their families, and tn
Weather citizens at the outset had il
! vested, almost without exception, a
their available means in the eight pc
: cent bonds of the confederate govern
! ment. Those who owned slaves, b
= hiring them out, obtained large return,
for labor was in great demands but tn
! trouble was that the confederate al
| thorities conscripted all able-bodied ne
= groes as drivers of mule teams, labo
ers on the Notifications, etc, Just q
, they conscripted able-bodied whites fC
t service in the field, and the hire give
f., to the masters was but 1.-THE of whf
t could have been procured in open ma
S ket. Nearly every house, and espe,
: tally of people of limited means, VIZ
=, filed with dodgers, and nearly ever
o other was an eating-house. The poort
: whites and blacks made money han
e over fist by cooking provisions and sci
e ing them from stands on the stree
= and at the depots to the huge swarm
n of hungry people who were constant
e coming and going. The populatio
e proper of Richmond was not fourth {
+ the vast crowd that daily and night
= congregated within its corporate limit
= 1t was the Mecca of the confederac,
e and the pilgrimages made thereto wei
Il constant in their coming. Officers an
n soldiers, Jewish merchants, "exempts
e blockade runners, refugees from Mar
i land and West Virginia, and from coul
n ties of the state held by the federal
u poured in a steady stream into the Ii
1t of the city, and the people of the CT
e made their living, and, indeed, it mi
e be said, in many instances, waxed ia
o in feeding and lodging the hung
n horde ~