Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-03
EVACUATION DAY.
TWENTY-FlFTH ANNIVERSARY VT
THE SURRENDER or RICHMOND
A nsr. Op,,,pe of the Most Momentous
Event in the History Of the Ola
Dominion's Capital.


Dominion's Capital.
April 9. 1906, the Confederate forces
evacuated the city Of Richmond ana tne
Federal army occupied it.
TWENTY-FIVE years have passed since
then-an eventful quarter-century ',i 'no
history of Richmond. Virginia. ana 'ho
United States.
The Confederates began leaving the city
on Sunday afternoon and were aiI gone oY
sunrise Monday morning. Late SUNDAY
night the CITY was shaken from centre 20
circumference bv the blowing up y .no
COnfederates of their ironclad meet ~ o','..
river tonly few miles bel0" the cI't .t,,1t anu
Of tho powder magazine on noSd-irOb ,Sa rortb
hill--that is TO say, what is now Ihe h0i' 'n
end Of Fifth street. ,o
About davbreak of the Sd the tobacco
warehouses and bridges across the riNeI
were fred by the retrcatlng troops anu
while the air was then calm VINO, soon
afterwards arose and speeded the L4iuss
into Main and Cary streets from Nlhth ~
Fourteenth and all along the river-ironI
from the Tredegar Works to Shockoe creek.
THE FIRE.
Hundreds Of business houses were
burned. -..
was destroyed.
With the fire came riot and robbery.
/ Mayor Mayo. Judge Meredith, and mum
Der of the civil officials went out OF me
CITY a few miles on the Osborne turnpike
and surrendered the city 10 the enemyS
advancing cavalry, and forthwith th9
Union troops came in in great bodies anu
went 10 work assisting the citizens 10 heho
the flames
Inc State courthouse in the Capitol
Square was burned. The Capitol caught
but the flames were extinguished by MI
Henry Exall and Others.
The Gallego Mills. the State Arnory;
the Dispatch Office, American Hotel; and
DR.. Reads church eighth and FrankIln),
nearly oil the tobaccO-warehouses, the
Richmond and Petersburg and the hich-
mond and Danville and Mayo's bridges
across James river. and the Petersburg ana
the Danville railroad depOts were among
the buildings destroyed.
The Haxall Mills and Tredeg0r-Mo
escaped. SO did the Spotswood Hotel.
THE CONyIcTs LOOSE.
At this time, as for many years before
the Capitol. the State hrmOry, and the
penitentlary were guarded by the Pubic
Guard, uniformed company of infantry
troops III the permanent service OF the
State.
When the Governor and Legislature
Withdrew from Richmond the Public Guard
were also taken away. Thus the penlten-
tiarv was left in the hands of a few OF the
interior guard. The mob which bad been
sacking the city all night on Monday morn
ing broke into the prison and robbed us
stores. while the cOnvcts seized the op-
portunity to liberate themselves.
In the midst of this me,se the bullding
4 M
was destroyed before, with the ald OF the
Federal troops, the flames could be conquer
ed. Nearly all Of the prisoners escaped
few only were Tecaptured.
TURN ABOUT,
Libby prison, emptied the da7 before OF
| Federals (Who were sent TO their lines IN q
| fag-of-truce boat), was now filled with
| COufederates.
Colonel Robert Ould, Confederate CON-
missioner for the exchange of prisoners,
and Major Isaac II. Darlington, provost
marshal. were, some days after the eVac-
uatlon, among its inmates.
The military took possession OF the clty
and state. and we were not free from their
rule until Governor Walker was elected
/ Culv 6, 1869 and the State (sOme months
/ later) was readmitted to the Union,
! Of old the colored people celebrated
evacuation day with great parade ana
pomp.
+ fallen into deserved disuse.
why the City Wes Fired.
The reason for the firing OF the city is
explained in the following deposition
/ given by Major Isaac n. Carrington, Con
/ federate Provost Marshal OF Richmond, IN
/ a deposition in 1866 in the case OF GREENE
/ rs. the Mutual Assurance Society:
MAJOR ISAAC II. CARRINGTOS.
/ lam requested 10 state my knowledge OF facts
/ connected with the fire oi April 3, 1868, IN inc
/ CITY of Richmond. | was al that date Provost
I Marahal OF the city under appointment OF tho
/ secretary Of War Of the Confederate states.
| reported 10 General Ewel a. my commanding
! onlcor in all matters relating 70 the city
/ some weeks before the evacuation OF kicn-
mond General Hwcl sent for me, and informed
! me that ne had orders 90 destroy all tobacco,
cotton, and military and naval stores In the city
/ in the event that ITS evacuation became neces,a-
/ ~ lie instructed me to make inquiry IS TO me
amount and location OF these articles in the city.
/ soon after reported 20 him that there was no
considerable quantity OF any OF these articles
excepting tobacco, OF which there was largo
General Ewell took stems for having the leaf
tobacco IN tho city, a. far a. possible, Kept 10
! SbockOe and Won Gronlngs warehouses, on cary
street, and in the warehouse al The fetersOurs
40 had frequent conversations on the'subiect
in which he deplored tho necessity for execu-
ting the OldeT, anu tAptcSeod Aho H"PV s~o' -
on sunday April .. 1865. General Ewen sent
for me- informed mo that the city must be eVac-
/ uated, and directed me 70 prepare for burning
/ the warehouses aforesaid, but not 10 apply IRE
/ until the last moment. / sent officers TO these
| thrae warehouses with orders to prepare COM
/ bustiblcs In such manner that they could be
quickly fred. and 10 place sufficient guard AZ
! each 10 prevent any disturbance.
also sent an officer 70 communicate with me
Chief Of the Fire Department OF the city to in-
| form him Of the location OF fire. and to require
! him tO nave the fremen aud their onglnes on
/ the sroiul 10 prevent the spread Of the flames.
! ire officer re ported that he had communicate
/ with the person second IN authority, the Chlet OF
I tho Fire Department being out OF the city.
/ During Sunday night vas several times AZ
I tho orlce OF the Secretary OF war tGenerAi
BrocknTdgol. recollcci that informed MN
OF the orders had received. and OF tho action l
had taken lie said that ii was Rnecessity; that
| the orders must be carried out, with all precau-
lions taken 10 prevent spread OF tho IRE.
| NV final orders from General kwell were 10
remain IN the city a. long as could WIN safety,
and TO preserve order as far as possible with the
troops undor my command, and 10 hfe lhe 'o-
General Ewell and General Breckinridge left
the city together, by way ot Msyos oIloge,
about or q little before daybreak OF Monday, 80
Of April parted with them at the corner Oh
Fourteenth and Cary streets as they rode on.
General Ewell said to me. just as no left' tnat
the firing Of the tobacco could not DC longer 0e-
layed
gave the orders 10 two Of the men with me,
and they AT once communicated them 10 the onl-
GERS on guard at the warehouses. The nre was
applied at once 10 Shockoc and Won Gronlng :
| warehouses.
The officers at the warehouse the Petersburg
depot AZ n; me werd that number OF Wounce1
Coufed crate soldiers had been laid 10 thet ware,
house, and that they could not be removed.
directed the conbustibles collected at that place
10 be- removed, and cOuntermanded the order ior
burning it ,
The nisht was remarkably still. remarked
the fact several times during the night thsl
there was not a breath Oi air stirring. very soon
nfter the warehouses were fred the wind rose
from tbe southeast and I'm short time quile
breeze was blowing from that direction
LETT the city Just about sunrise Monday MORN