Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-04-03
monetary fnconvsnisnce from which We
suffer to the expense Of building the City
Hall.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

tox occurred Six Gays later. linus the
four.years' war ended. and slavery was
abolished and the relation Of the States to
the Federal Union was vastly changed.
Twice during the progress OF thst
bloody war the two armies lag before
Richmond for long periods. and often the
city was threatened by the presence OF
the raiders OF the Federal army. Once
one of these parties reached Blk. GRrEs's
farm, on the Westham (Cary-stree)
turnpike, aud was there met and turned
back by the youths of the city. who had
been formed into local-defence companies.
At another time they came TO Westbrook,
which Is now the residence OF Major LEWIS
GrxTKR, and planted their guns in the
plain which is between Westbrook and Mr..
BRyAs's farm. Laburnum. Their guns
were light feld-pieces-horse artillery
and their shots only reached as far down
the road as the upper end OF
HARvEY's old nursery. Being assaiied
in the rear by some small bodies
Of Confederate cavalrymen and confront
ed by force OF infantrymen. these raid
ers. too, drew of. though had they known
it and been sufficiently bold they might
have ridden through our thin lines and
rescued all of their comrades who were
imprisoned on Belle Isle and IN the Libby.
These were mere forays. They were
made by bodies of acknowledgements
cayalrymen, sent out when it was known
that LEES army was in some other section
of the State, and were intended to devas-
tate the country and carry of the negroes
and the horses. mules, &C.. and the foragers
always hoped to find Richmond so uupro-
tected that they could ride in and take
possession. When it was known here that
the raiders were coming the bell In the
Capitol Square tower was tolled inces-
sanity, and forthwith there assembled
on the Square the battalions of opera
tives from the Tredegar Works and from
the government shops and those CON-
posed of the clerks in the Confederate
Government offices and also the Virginia
militia-the boys between 16 aud Is and
the men between As and IS. All other
able-bodied men were with LEES army.
Often and often, sometimes upon false
alarms, sometimes in moments OF great
danger, these "local-defence troops ="
were thus assembled at the tap OF the
bell. And they never failed to go to the
front and hold our line of intrenchments
until regular troops could be dispatched
by LEE TO defend the city.
Those were exciting though but BRET
elimpses of war. More protracted and
more sangulnary was the scene here IN the
summer OF 1862, when JOHNSTON first and
LEE afterwards faced MCCLELLAN in sight
of the city. The first engagement was at
Drewry's Bluff May 10th. On June Goth
began the seven-days' battles. after which
McCLELLAN "changed his base vi. e.. re-
treated to Harrison's Landing. In this
campaign the flashing of the guns could
always be seen from our bills. At Me-
Gainesville the field of battle was only
about FIVE miles from the city. The dead
and wounded were brought here from all
the fields by thousands.
The siege began with the second battle
of Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, and ended
with the evacuation. This was real war.
Now GRANT opposed LEE. The lines of the
two armies stretched from Richmond to
Petersburg, and also covered the TANKS of
both cities.
The Federal raiders "cut" our railroads
and broke our communications in many
directions. Food and clothing grew scarcer
day by day. Recruits for the army were
not to be had. When we lost a man his
place in the trenches remained vacant.
Not so with the enemy. AS We grew weak
they grew strong. Our despair gave them
hope. At last GRANT made a movement
which threatened TO break LEES communi-
cation with Lynchburg, and LEE had no
other alternative than to withdraw from
Petersburg and Richmond. The retreat
ended in the surrender at Appomattox
Courthouse.
The Confederates, being unwilling that
the victorious army should have as spoils
of war the tobacco stored in the govern
ment warehouses here. set them on fire.
They also fred the bridges across the
James after the last of our troops had
passed over them. The wind spread these
flames far and wide, and thus, roughly
stated, space was burned out of our bust
ness centre which extended northward to
Main street, southwark to the river. east.
ward to Fourteenth street, and westward
to Eighth.
Richmond's cup of misery was now over
flowing. She had to sppealto the enemy
TO stay the flames. and this they did. With
the Confederscy. her currency went up in
smoke. Bridges, banks, depots. ware.
houses, etc.. all were gone. Worse. than all
the flower of her youth had been sacri.
feed upon the battle-felds, and those
whom the fortunes of war spared, returned
TO civil life to face new condition Of
things, and to struggle under loads Of old
debts. And yet q vineyard has ripened @
vintage above these cinders," and "clus
ters were found growing on the lava of il
luck"
And here we are now rebuilt more solidly
and stately than ever. and the war is so fal
back of us-though but twenty-seveny year!
have passed-that these retrospection'
and moralizings will be news" to many
IF the present inhabitants OF Richmond,