Evening star., 1896-02-15

he went at once to the White House to tell
the President, and heard that tho Presi-
dent Rugged him with Joy.
Nothing to Eat.
Gen. Lee surrendered 10000 men. with
guns. 10000 muskets and about 12,0OO half
, starved horses. That Sunday he had moth
Ing to eat for his men or for his horses.
and Gen. Grant placed his own supply
trains at Gen. Lees disposal
The last telegram the Secretary received
the 18th, and reported that Gen. Lee had
been summoned to the death bed Of his
wife at Richmond
On that Sunday before Petersburg Gen.
cisive victory and pursued the retreating
enemy. and referring to the Army of the
Potomac, he said: This is oil that 1t ever
wan wanted Ito, to make 1t as good an army rs
On Monday morning at the break Of day
tnat pursuit commenced and in its vigor
can be seen the determination to capture
urged upon Gen. Grant and when Lee
surrendered the Secretary sent a dispatch
TO Gen. Grant that 1.-The reverence and the
honor of the people of the United States
would be rendered to him and the brave
and gallant officers and soldiers of his army
for all time
Secretary Stanton's Speech.
On Monday, at noon Of the"3d, Mr.. STAN
ton received and announced the glad It'd
ings Of the capture of Richmond The city
became blaze of excitement and enthu-
siasm. amid the thunder of cannon, the
ringing Of bells. and the people shouting in
the streets, Richmond Is ours" All the
clerks left the office in stampede, end in
a few minutes the park on the avenue
front OF the building was filed with people
and extending way out into the avenue.
al
quent speech in praise Of every person who
had taken any part in saving the country
from ruin. AS he stood upon the steps of
the portico in the park, he trembled like a
leaf, and his voice showed his emotion. In
his speech he said: Our thanks are que
to the President, the army, to the navy, to
the great commanders by sea and by land
to the gallant officers and men who have
periled their lives upon the battlefields
and drenched the soil with their blood
Henceforth our commiseration and our aid
ed and the suffering, who bear the marks
| of their great sacrifices in this mighty
struggle; and the care of the nation should
be given to the dependents of those who
died in defense of the Unon.''
The first person to receive the news of
| the capture of Richmond was Willie Ket-
| tels boy fourteen years old, telegraph
| operator; and the Little fellow, being
presented to the people, was loudly cheered.
The First Illumination.
| Department and all it's bureaus were IL
| Illuminated, and all the other executive de-
! partments. and the city were ablaze Es
peclally Respondent was the War Depart
| ment, for whatever the Secretary did he
| did with completeness. From the base
| ment to the Oulls-eye of the attic all four
| sides of the building were brilliant with
gas lights, while in the court colored lights
of great volume served to bring the build
| ing and its gorgeous drapery of flags into
| superb relief. Displayed in rare taste and
| in flowing wealth of drapery the national
| ensign curtained the balconies and the por-
| tico columns; while from each side to a
| point at the central flagstaff over the top
of the building the various corps ensigns
were suspended so as to form elliptic
| curves.
In the center of this rich scene was a
! transparency with the patriotic motto
The Union; it must and shall be preserv-
| ed" Beneath this was an eagle bearing a
| scroll inscribed with the momentous word
| RICHMOND" In the court were stationed
| at different points three bands, giving mu-
| sic for the immense mass of people. On the
| avenue front the steam whistles o, the
| fire engines were Screechlng out at inter-
! vals steam being kept up during the whole
time for use in case of nre to the building
The Second Illumination.
On the night the President made his last
! speech at the White House, April IL, the
| front of the building was brilliantly illu-
minated, so that the great crowd could be
seen from the port-ccchere around the circle
and out to the avenue. 1t was an inclement
night, but the people were full of cheering
| and in it they remembered by special cheer
| ing Edwin NJ. Stanton. Secretary of War"
| Mr.. Stanton was not going to leave the
| War Department in darkness on this occa-
| sion when his chief was to speak, and that
night the War Department presented a
grand sight and was the center of attrac-
| ton. Every window was ablaZe, and the
J~.lr y-ar1lln ri
! to the top of the building with flags, corps
| badges and eveTgreens. AT the top of the
balcony was a great semi-circle formed of
| wreaths surmounted with beautifully light
| ed ship lanterns. A transparency beneath
this circle displayed the word Grant. Mu-
Ssic from bands at several points thrilled
| the air with patriotic strains and there was
a grand display of fireworks.
The Third Illumination.
After the surrender of Lee there was the
| grandest illumination of all and the city was
wild with glory the night of the 18th.
| The stars seemed afraid to shine, and the
earth to have taken the place of the great
| luminary. The War Department again was
the center of attraction. Beneath gor-
geous grouping of national and corps flags
and an arch spangled with flames was dis
| played the name of Grant above the portico,
while the front of the building to the flag
staff was covered with a profusion of ever
greens, wreaths and flags Surmounting
the Flagstaff, and appearing as hanging in
the air, was the gracious word Peace"
! shining out aloft All around the place tha t
night the music from the bands more
fervid than ever, and, oh! how glad We're
the people that night, glad al the north and
glad at the south. In Richmond, where the
dread want of bread was present at every
home, the people were glad. The two heroes
and tfeir armies were glad, and the very
air seemed glad that the war was over.
In his address to the soldiers of the armies
of the United States Gen. Grant said: Your
marches, sieges and battles in distance,
Duration resolution and brilliancy dim the
luster of the worlds past military achieve
ments, and will be the patriots precedent il,
defense of liberty and right in all time to
come.
"Victory has crowned your valor and Sc
cured the purpose of your patriot hearts,
and with the gratitude of your countrymen
and the highest honors great and free ma
ton can accord, you will soon be permitted
to return to your homes and families. con-
scous of having discharged the highest
duty of American citizens.
'To achieve these glorious triumphs, and
! To trxD An \