Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-24

became the urtiisRrOund Tor many OF Tho
volunteer companies who were hastily pre-
pairing Tor service In the field.
II was Sidewalk OF extraordinary width
and the locality was generally free from in.
tersuptiou, hence many OF the captains found
II 10 be good place TO drill their raw re-
cruits Ia the manual ana 10 the soldiers step
preparatory 10 the more exactIng duties 10
camp and on the picket-line.
so here huudrcds OF the defenders OF the
Coniederacy took their first lessons and were
soon afterwards sent 10 the Geld and Skin
mis0ed with the gunboats On the Potomac,
or followed Lee and Wise In the mountains
Of West Virgins, or met the enemy with
Magruder on the Peninsula.
IN CONFEDERATE HANDS
The Confederate Government as the sue.
cessor OF the United States Government
took possession Of the custom-house and
soon Installed some OF its chiei officers there.
In 1869 the following were located in the
eustom~house
President Davis-ofice on the third floor;
ascending by the stairs on Bank street the
entrance was on the left OF the passage,
second door FROM Bank street the room
until the ENLARGEMENT OF the building began
used by Clerk NJ. f. Peasants.
Citice Of the Presidents secretsry-tbe
room adjoining the Presidents. and until
recently used by the United states Marshal.
Once OF the Presidents sides-room op.
posite toe Presidents until the enlarge
Qent began the Office OF the clerk Of the
District Court w. d. WalD.
Down stairs the room receDtlv occupied
by Co'lector-oi. Customs o. IL Russell was
the Office OF Hon. &. q. MemmingeT, the
Secretary OF the Treasury.
The room uunl lately used by the District
Attorney was the Office OF the Register,
Robert Tyler. Esq.
What Is now Part Of The Office OF Coll
lector-Ot- Internal. Revenue Elicit was The
ohiss Of Treasurer EimOre. and the other
rooms down there. or most OF them, were
occupied by various other officials OF the
Treasury Department.
IN the thirt year OF the war the city post
Office was removed to the Spotswood Hotel
(wnere PAGES Block now ~. and the post
Office floor in the custOm-bOnse was used by
the Treasury Department, which thereto
fore had not been able to assem- Die all OF its
Offices 10 one building, its no,e-sgning bu.
reau, for instance. having been In the build
ING at the southeast corner OF Broad and
Fourth streets, now being torn down to
make room for a handsome modern dry
goods house to be occupied by Mr.. Kauf-
man, though whether the bureau was re.
moved from this location to the custom
house or 10 Columbia. 5. c., Is not at this
moment remembered.
sALAMANDER.
The custom.house came out Of the terrific
fire ~ the evacuation almost unscathed.
Far up the street and far down the street
the unressted flames ragged, but this structure
being separated from Ike nearest houses by
considerable spaces 81 vacant ground ana
having a good melal-roof, In addition 10 tole-
rsblv thick stone walls, suffered no great
damage. The worst that happened 10 II was
The cracking by heat OF some OF the granite
blocks in The wall on the east side. the di-
reciion from which the wind blew thst day.
Upon the occupation OF the city by the
victorious Federal troops the Federal Cow
ernmeut came into ITS own again and
promptly took possession, and put the Gus.
tom-house to various temporary uses until
the settled order OF things came about, when
il devoted it to the purpose originally de.
signed.
The frat Dosf.bciiJm postmaster was Dr.
Alexander Sharp. brOther-in'law OF Gene.
raj Grant. one u the first OF the national
banks here had rs clearinghouse in the ball
on the second noor At the end nearest Main
street and iurthest from Bank street.
In those IaVS there were no steps at the
Msin.strcet end leading down from The
second to the first floor; they have been put
there since the war.
PRESIDENT DAVIS A PRISONER IN THE CUSTOM
HOUSE.
Sitting In st. Paul's church on the morn
Ing Of Sunday, April 2. 1865, President Da'
Wis was handed 4 telegram from General Lee
informing him that the enemy bad forced
his way far 10 the right q the Army OF
Northern Virginia, and that now nothing
remained but TO eyacuate Richmond and Pe-
tersburg.
Mr. Davis rose quietly and went out OF the
church. That evening he left Richmond Tor
the south. aud was seen here no more urtil
the 18th OF MAY, 1867, when he was brought
TO Richmond q prisoner under the custody
OF General Barton, United states army.
lie bad been captured down in Georgia;
had been imprisoned at Fortress Monroe;
had been indicted by the United States
grand Jury for treason in leyVlng war
against the Unued states; bad been refused
a trial. though still kept in PRISON, and no"
was brought 70 Richmond on his petition Tor
a writ OF hQbe0S corpus.
lie came II the city Oy the river steamer
and was taken to the SpotswO0d Hotel until
the court met next morning.
Under such circumstances Mr.. Davis re-
turned 10 the city.
lie would have been received with an ova-
ton bad the OCCASION allowed 1t. Az 1t was
the people gave every possible evidence OF
admiration and all ction for the man. HIS
unjust treatment bad deeply incensed the
southern people. and IN the North Horace
Greeley and others were cl4morously de-
nouncng the policy Of the Government IN
refusing ether TO try or 10 release The ex-
President.
May 49, 1867. Mr.. Davis was brought be-
tore Judge Underwood, sitting 10 tie court
room adjoining she very Office where, rs
President Of the Confedeyacy, MIR. DAVIS bad
Tor four years administered the affairs and
directed the fortunes Of the ConfedeTacy.
William n EysEls and District Attorney
l.. II. ChSndler appeared for the Government
and CHARLES O'COnnor, ". b. Reed. george
shea, John Randolph Tucker, and Robert
Ould for the petitioner. After argument u
was agreed that hail be allowed IN the sum
OF 500. 600. Tbe following became The prl-
soner's sureties: Horace Greeley, Augustus
Scheli. aud Horace +. Clark, Of New York;
Arlstides welsh snd David h. J0ckman. OF
Philadelphia; aud w. IL. Mcfarland, Rich
ard Barton Haxal, Isaac Davenport, Abra'
ham warwick, William ". CrumD, James
LYONS, J0hu 4. Meredith, william Ii. Lyons,
John Minor Bolts, Thomas W. boswell, and
James Thomas. Jr., OF Richmond.
After the bond was duly signed Mr.. DAVIS
was dischargel from custody OF the marshal
TO whom General Barton had delivered bin.
MIR. Davis was driven rapidly to the
spotswood, but the people followed him AMI
many entered the hotel. He retired briefly
with DR.. Winnegerode to bus chamber, ana
after spending short time there came oul
into tue parlof where be received the con-
pratulatIous Of large number OF cluzens.
This was continued until his condition OF
exhaustion required that be should retire.
The Government never concerned itsen
with Mr.. Davis any more. He;e the case
ended, Il was not known then, but " Is
certain now, that the Washington authorities
consented 20 the baillpg ADD That Under