Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-15
RICHMOND STORIES.
SCENES IN THE STREETS THE LAST
DAYS OF THE coNFEDERACY.
The Fabulous Prices Of Everything No
Fiction-Going TO North Carolina
After n Young Lady.
IL. C. Mead in Vow York Ledser.l

RI. c. Mead in Now York Ledgerl
CHANGED to DO in Richmond just three
weeks previous to the surrender. Business
had made me frequent visitor to tho
metropolis of tho Confederacy during the
war and could always tell quite sccu-
rately how the war was going by the coupte-
nance and demeanor Of its inhabitants
which 10 me we're q more certain criterion
than the daily papers. Whenever victory
perched upon the Confederate banner tue
faces Of it's inhabitants would beam with
JOY each one would move with an elastic
step and renewed animation; but shoulu II
| be otherwise then sadness and gioom were
depicted upon zach countenance, even 70
the school-children who would truuBe
along with depressed looks.
As soon, therefore, "a stepped IRON il tne
tram on the occasion referred TO- hIeI
that something was wrong; thefe seetieu
a death-like stiffness 10 pervade the CITY
every one wore q haggaTd, scared look. as
il apprehensive Of some great impendihg
calamity dared not ask question, nor
had need to do so, as Ifelt too surely tnat
the end was near. My first visit was 10
nv banker. one who dealt largely IN CON
federate securities and knew TOO Wen the
ups and downs of the Confederate cause
by the fluctuations of its paper. AS soIn
| as he could give me private monlen' no
said in q sad, low tone :.
IF you have any paper money pun 10
into specie at once"
3" Is il rs bad as that, )" repued;
Yes, and much worse; another week.
and you will get nothing"
THIRTY DOLLARS IN sPEcrE.
! As happened to have about three thou
sand dollars in Confederate paper L drew
1t forth and requested him to get me "naI
silver it would bring.
The next morning he handed me thirty
dollars telling me mt the same time 10
feel thankful for that much" =,
At the house of friend with whom i
was staying asked the question, How
! do YOU think the war Will terminate
| The host simply took me TO his bed-room'
and raising the coverlet, showed me seVe-
raj barrels Of -four, sacks OF coffee, sugar,
and other groceries snugly slowed away.
/ This he said, / would find TO be the case
IN nearly every household in the city. In
every store / entered there seemed 70
| be the greatest scarcity OF goods, ana
| dissemination 10 sell. OF firearms
and ammunition there were mono,
though | was assured that nearly
every private dwelling was small arsenal.
/ Ill AIlf lew DhI-TDOnls HCdhbtAt0 RbDNN
liant ewes ever kept watch, and upon the
| first sound OF alarm the owners themselves
were ready 10 pour the fiery liquid into the
| CUTTERS. The fabulous prices PAID LOT every;
| thing were no fiction. The cry or Richard
! Ill, MY kingdom for a horse" was
| reality rs regards the Confederate paper
money, which was frequently offered IN
sums Of thousands Of dollars for barrel
Of -four or few pounds OF bacon. after
the surrender It was TO be seen strewed
along the streets, and served TO acorn
many a negro's cabin.
THE EvENTFJL 9D APRIL.
It was known about this time TO the peo-
ple of Richmond that the negro troops IN
| the Union army had requested General
| Grant 10 give them the honor OF beng the
| first to enter the fallen capital. Inls tact
! gave rise 70 fear that they would mite
| with the worst class of resident negroes
and burn and sack the city. When, there
| fore, the black smoke and lurid flames
arose on that eventful Sd of April, caused
! bv the Confederates themselves, the terror
stricken inhabitants at first thought their
| fears were to be realized. but were soon
relieved when thew saw the manful night
| made By many of the negroes ana Union
troops to suppress the flames. AT no time
did they fear their own servants; indeed,
| L was AIIRIWdLu hSNuItu llA1A lilo many ~
| groes who filed the streets and welcomed
| the Union troops would have resisted any
attack upon the households Of their old
masters. .,
The behavior Of many Of the old family
servants was very marked in the care ana
great solicitude shown by them for their
masters during this trying period; AS an
amusing instance OF this l VIII tell TINS IL
cident: .-.---.-.-.-, -
nm old lHdy hada very bright, good.
| looking maid servant, 10 whom some OF
the Union officers had shown considerable
attention by taking her out driving. The
| Girl came in one morning and asked her
! Old mistress If she would not take a drive
with her in the hack which stood at tho
! door, with her sable escort in waiting:
! Doubtless this was done not in spirit OF
! irony, but really in feeling for her old mis-
! tress.
In another family on the day the troops
entered the city. when all the males had
| fed leaving several young ladies with their
mother alone. "Old Nanny" the faithful
nurse, was posted at tho front-door with
| the baby in her arms while the trembling
! females locked themselves in an upper
room. When the hurrahing, wild Union
| troops passed along many struggled into
| the house and asked where the white ladies'
were. "Old Nanny" replied: Dis is dc
only white lady; all de res ar cullud
| ladies' and she laughed and tossed mp the
baby, which seemed TO please the soldiers,
who chucked the baby and passed on.
SPARTAN RICHMOND LADIES.
The ladies' of Richmond who bore such
an active part on that terrible 3D. OF April,
MANY of whom with blanched faces
mounted the tops of their roofs and with
| their faithful servants swept off the flying
frebrands as they were waited over the
CITY, or bore in their arms the SICK. "a
places of safety or sent words or comfort
| TO their husbands and their sons who were
battling against the fames-these were
the true women of the South. who had
never gwen up the hope OF final victory
until Lee laid down his sword at Appomat,
tox. They were calm even in defeat, and
though strong men lost their reason and
shed tears in maniacal grief over the de-
! struction of their beautiful city yet her
noble women still stood unflnching'
facing all dangers with heroism that has
never been equalled since the days OIL
Sparta.
Sauntering along the street, making, a
few purchases preparatory to leaving the
doomed city, was suddenly accosted by a
friend, who with trembling voice and ter
rifed countenance exclaimed:
| HIS DAUGHIEh ObA OFH'
"Sir. have Just heard that the Peters
burg and Weldon railroad will be cut by
the Yankees in few days. My daughter
who is in North Carolina, will be made
prisoner. will give all have to get her
| homel"
saw the intense anguish of the father,
and learning that he could not get pass
to GO through Petersburg / said:
"Mr. T., if you will pay my expenses
! will have your daughter here IN two
days"
He overwhelmed me with thanks.
crammed nay pockets full OF Confederate
notes, filed my hsversack with ratlons Tor
several days, and left next morning FOR
Petersburg. The train not being allowed
10 enter the city we had to make mile or
more in a conveyance of some kind at an
exorbitant price. Learning that the Wei
don trains ran only at night for tear OF the
Yankee batteries which were alarmingly
near, had time TO inspect the city. ltound
here q marked contrast 10 Richmond. AS
passed along its streets viewing the MARKS
of shot and shell on every side. hearing
now and then the heavy. sullen boom OF
the eneny's guns, seeing on every nanu
the presence of war, | noticed its business;
men had. nevertheless. calm, determined
look. Its streets were filed with women
and children. who seemed to know no rear
though at any moment shrieking shell
AVC