The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-08


nus army; that this latter WI
indispensable to the Buccesef,
ending OF the war, BY way Of corrol
Grafton OF these views he told me SON
strange things. The officers on his lin
= were perfectly aware OF the state
Things IN Richmond. They knew tn
condition OF the market. the want
food and clothing. and actually Oh
number OF rations issued daily TO tn
troops scattered along our weak lin,
. Ihis Information and much more the
got by daily visits into the city unde
the guidance OF some Of our own people
lie said one Of his own officers had fire.
quently been through the town at nigh
uninterrupted, and that one of the higt
est officers ofo home guard had been 4
his own tent many times. Or course
made no enquiry AZ to the name of tbi
officer. and he did not reveal it. Blu
my desire to and 1t out was none tn,
less great.
day or two after these occurrence
an order was issued from headduarter
requiring Confederate officers to TAX,
from their uniforms all evidences o.
miiity rank. sincluding buttons. Thi,
was the finai blow to whatever claim
they might indulge to further recogDi
ton from their conquerOrs. and at tn,
same time deprived them of the onl,
remaining tie that had endeared then
to the service in which they had so Ions
been enlisted. Most OF them. like Mis-.
Flora McFlimsy, had nothing else tC
wear. consequently many wore the
gray coats and jackets shorn of their
glories to be seen on the streets. Some
Of The more obstinate covered over their
buttons with black cloth, thus evad'ug.
at the same time THAT they appeared to
be carry ing out. the orders.
And now about the great fire, its
causes, and what has been said in re-
gard to it. Many now living who saw
It, aud others over the country who
heard OF 1t at the time, regarded it as a
wanton and useless exercise Of power
ard the act Of desperate and vindict;ve
band OF military adventures. 1t was
considered to be deliberate ATTEMPT to
destroy the Confederate capital by
those who. because they themsel yes
were forced to leave it, had determined
that others should not continue to occu
by It. The motives which inspired its
contamination, they said, were not to be
compared with those that moved the In
habitants of Moscow TO the destruction Of
their ancient and sacred city. 1t was
deemed an act of base ingratitude on
the part of others who had been received
with more than kindness by its people,
whose sick and wounded had been
cherished and restored TO health
within its hospitable walls, ard whose
dead bad been tenderly laid away by the
side Of their own loved ones, amid the
oaks and holliss OF their own Gene
teries. These impressions were dill
gently fostered by our friends, the
enemy after their occupation Of the
ruined capital. and for purpose. 1t is
true that they did all in their power to
eltiDguish the flames, but at the same
time that they did this they were aDx-
ious to excite the animosity of our own
people against the late Confederate
government, and TO that degree at least
recommend the business Of their own
cause, For time many were affected
by the impressions described above, and
remained in that state of mind until
better advised. A change of opinion
was finally brought about by their
being informed of the facts of the case.
BY an act of the Confederate Con
gress, the date of which rs lmmaterial.
all officers tn command of armies. garri-
sons. posts or towns, upon beng forced
by the exigencies Of war to svacuate
their positions, were required TO destroy
..xr L. linn Ii 40
to the enemy which they should not be
able to remove. This included, OF
course, military stores, powder, ord
nance, food and clothing. But in the
act, particular mention was
made Of cotton and tobacco, because OF
the great value of these articles.
1t was known that the financial
OF the Federal Government
was causing great uneasiness at Wash
ingtou. Their currency was becoming
more and more inflated, and the price
of gold was beginning to rival that
in the Confederacy itself. Indeed, there
had been time when single great
disaster to the arms OF the United States
would have brought about a cessation
of hOstilities on their part, with a view
to a settlement of the questions at issue
between the two nations.
Cotton, the most valuable staple in the
world, because tho most necessary,
could only be gotten in large quantities
from America; and tobacco. the great
est luxury known to civilized man, had
on this account become a necessity. BY
these two articles com
manded the highest prices IN Europe,
and would, if properly employed, re-
store the falling resources of the gov
eminent that could secure the greatest
amount of each. Under these circHm-
stances and IN accordance with the re-
quirements of the act aforesaid large
quantities of cotton had been destroyed
In the South to prevent its falling into
the hands of the enemy, and much to-
baccO had been destroyed IN the West
for che same reason. When, therefore,
it became suddenly necessary TO give up
General Lee telegraphed to
Ewell, commanding the rear
Of the army, TO cause the destruction
Of all the military stores at
that place, and especially the
large quantity OF tobacco de-
DDrlltu III lnt ktNoN
Of the city. So unwilling was that
officer to run the REX Of inJurlng tue
town that he hssitated for time to obey
this order. Consultations had already
been held with leading business men OF
the city in anticipation of such con-
tingsncy, aud at one time II bad been
concluded TO roll the hogsheads into
the river rather than apply the torch to
30 large an amount of intiammabls ma
terial. 1t was concluded, however,
that the enemy could easily reclaim and
put to use most OF the article thus dam
aged, and that the orders would not
therefore have been properly executed.
l. had been also suggested 10 transport
his tobacco to remoteparts OF thecoun-
Try. but this was found TO be- not only !
for want of Transports
ion, bat that 1t would have been |
equally exposed 10 capture by /
he enemy. At the last moment,
with unwilling hands the
ire wa. applied first to Shockoe ware
house, under whose roof were thou
lands of hogsheads of tobacco. This