The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-11-17
RICH M0ND In 1868.
"REMINISCENCES or AN EYE-WlT-
NESS.

Records frtccs OF food' ti"th"E' ~
Thieves and Carrotcrs.
on n blight moIpirg in the latte
part of Fsbruars. 1865. a column z
uisarmcd Federal troo,s entered Rich
MOAB. Tbev were prisoners OF Wal
and we're escorted bv small guard q
half-clsd. half-sta'vtd Confederat
soldiers. The contrast was very strik
ING between the latter and their stal
wart caplivss. 1t vas curious to lol
upon such body Of men, moving tbsr
"a, der absolute control 81 few piece
of hollow c.rlridge loaded steel Tn'
measured tramp OF marching mel
brought The ciuz 'ns 10 their doors au'
wlpdo~s. Peoole stood It'll upon th'
Or, cts. women locked out with ~
from their windows. and mems heart
sweiled with PRIDE 1t seeing 40 90 dls
hos. csp,ufed from the enemy. Iber'
was 10 sign Of 'xuitaiion 4 soltm'
silence pervad,d the street. save only
The monot ne Of the ma ch. The p,i
topers Themselves showed no emo
ton, no agus Of rgfet. Only
sort Of falsful acquIesceuce was ~
their faces. They seemed more inter
csted uh.n. up m Teachlug the top OF
the hill near the Washington monu
ment. they eaw the hoTse aud his MA
icstIc ,ider They wefe o. their wsN
To- be- eDr' He'd at the provost marshal ?
Office on Broad street. As they turned
the corner and noticed for the first
time the CODfrdeia,e flag living from
the top of the Capitol. as II by "A single
impulse. the captive host sent up .
shout OF strange rounds there IN IN,
very neart Of the Confederate metropp
La Tuefe was ., mfihltg siuVulnly
surfing IN tins tumUituous OutOuist o.
voices. foreign 10 tone aud from m
fhToats If capuvos. In II "as neither
the note OF defiance nor acfy OF de-
.pair. But o. those no had ears t.
h,ar. US meuuirg could not b. misuu-
dcist0Cd. A soon as they hat been
enrolled, these same men moved
of to their. place Of cpuhue
mept. apparently with lgniei
hearts and ffeer sieps. They had DOW
been put UDOD re cor a. martyrs 10 then
cause. aud felt the proud 'DVcliou
that although they bad been brought
in captives they would 20 out conquer
ors from the COnft deTate capiial. The
ruth was. they knew what other
would not believe. They knew thu
the end Of The CoDleOeracy was q
hand aud they had sounded its deaf"
kusll in tnat shout whose stfa0se Doies
had j lst iollen upOJ uuaccustomed ear
IN m, + reels 81 Richmond.
The incident just gwen was not mis-
interpreted b. tue more thoughtful of
The community. They had for SOM
time discovered that the defeoses Of
Their struggling government we're stead
lily giving way before the power with
out. while lis decaying resources were
beng sarp from within. Inis. how
ever. wa, rot The case with the massts
OF the people. Ever boDeiul. buoyar'
aud brave. tney always had an apOl' gl |
for every mistake made by their rulers |
an explanation for each military mis- /
hap, aud rem,d y for eyerv impeuu |
ing crisis. Hence. wneu 1T last 81
thai fateful sunday morning the new
came that Richmond hal to be abar-
dOued. the Iauic was Ou'mensurateiN
great. aud IN IS hearts iallej them the
more. for want of due appreciation Of
what had for so long a time been The
real state Of affaIfs.
The ruth Is the elements Cf decay
had long been M work m every con
,titucnl part Of the COnlcderaCy pub
nc and private, s,cIsI ard economic.
People bad slowly add gradually ac
con mOdated themselves To ciTcUm
lances. until they scarcely IeailzeO
Nbat sulfeungs they wee enduring
v hat pr1vauOns they were uudeIgoI,
IT, for instance. a few years btfore
hey had be, n told that the time would
OOu G. me when they would be livlIp
M corn bread aud water. and would a.
1 cheeifuliy they would have rtvolteO
u the IDEA. Aud vet ttey diu it. Har
I b, en- predicted at the fame time ina
bey woL I'd one day give twenty dol
are yard for calico, two thousand
lOllar- for pair Of boots one hundred
or pound OF TEA aud twelve huLd,eo
or a mill airy cape OF the cOmmOpes
material. tbey Won Il hare been sui
noe IpcTedulDus Aud vet thesp thiuCe
lad me about. The price e.
needle then, Ilvall,d that Of
ewel now. Tue present generation ,
Culd scarcely be persuaded That in th
iublic markets al the close OF tn" wal
ruws we've pui chased Tor the liable IA Il
ttad Of T. chm Cnb3s. ana KID f. I
tmb chops Ri S Brought good prices
lre-h ana fat, esp, cialiy # "A Ietur' 90 /
PRISONER or a veteran from the field haO .
he chance TO efj ~ hi dainty cir,as~
'ot many months before the fali q
chmoud the writer overheard slbClt ,
en,a k. which. IN characteristic lap c
'uage Sud bumOr, exp e.sed the W ole
liustiOn. Two neg hbouug dluiog ,
DOM servauts were pissIUg. one o.
ach side If the stree I. one Wasreturu
lg iIOm market wiki his basket on NJ
Z IN, the other was on has way TO IN, (
ime place. The latter saiuiing hi. l
Iiend on the opposite pavement. face
ously "Isckoi ed he had caro- [
ioie TO market than ne h 81 fOtchtd
lck. - a hearty OUTLAW from the {
tn, I acknowledged The poiut 10 hav, 81
eco well made. b
The writer was at that time execu
We med cal officer 10 Charge at Gtmp u
&C. post, Dew the Fam G,ouuds. Upt, ,
idday on Sunday all was se,en, g..
that place. Upon getung INTO The ,
~ about noon "A & Tiaip amount ui ,
y,iaii"n among tho quarter master, q
uarted his attention. Especially wss q
lis noticeable when M,jpr John Ma,
AID, chi' qvarler- was hailed %
ding almost az full speed down The ,
rect. Busiaess with him REQUIRE. A
d iuteiview. Thus was sholt one r
e made DO reply TO important IQteT c
pit to SAY huriIelly tnai :
cIe were pOiteniOus matters ahead {
vi then stoop,ng down from his sad. L
. Whispered ibe et0Ttling inioTna 4
IN that Rcpmpnd vas To be evacu ted 2
at uigDt. In order 10 give a. cleaI an a
couot as possible OF what car nov Z
recalled aiter the lapse of more TIA. ~
'euiy Yeas. the reader vail have /, I.
limit hereafter to IA disagreeable but ii
'cessar, amount # egOtlsm. ID
Haviug rec, vered from the ttT ct OF f,
81 e Maynard = announcement. pro O.,
. ded To make preparatlOrslo IN Lee V,
iiiiug hines. Ia the meaUtime IL,
rgeou General bad not been foutd. y
3 totally unconscious Of what wa i,
}" ut to lsk- place. had Detaken him =.
II out % EmmaDuei Church. in Han. Il
81 county. to erjoy The fiue ayr a a,