Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-04
GOOD-BY, RICHMOND.
THE EVACUATION OF THE CITY
AND THE DAYS PRECEDING 1T.
How the News Was Received In
DanvilIc-some Of the Closing
Scenes of the Confederacy vividly
Recalled.
Recalled.

Recalled.
Colonel J. II. Averill In Nashville Ban
ner)
The coming of the remnants OF that
army I'm gray, whose deeds so astonisned
the world a third of a century ago, ana
the presence among us here of the last
survivor OF the Cabinet Of President
Davis, brings vivldly back some OF the
closing scenes OF the southern Coniede-
racy. in which the writer participated
and which were several years since writ
ten out, and are here retold, at the request
OF the Banner.
The scene / will describe pertains 10 the
evacuation Of Richmond and the nlteeh
DAYS Immediately following.
The writer was at the time trainmas'er
of the Richmond and Danville railroad
and stationed at Danville, Va, the ROAD
then running only from Richmond 10
Danville. there connecting with the Pied
,nont road to Greensboro, y. {. HOW
this railroad line, then the mainstay OIL
the southern Confederacy, the only line
NJ communication between us capltdl anu
the Sc1ihern States, has grown ana eA
tnnaod ,ts lines: how the old Richmond
49,, DanvilIe went down, as the confede'
ration of states Ii supported, and now
from that wreck, has arisen the now
,vou.knoxn Southern railway, permeat-
,n, every Southern State. Can the growth
of that system in any way be attributes
TO the rapid growth and improvement
NJ the South, and can we paint the picture
of the two eras as having any coihec-
ton? i, -...,o,,
ned nv all who lived in the closing
Savs of the Confederacy that the first
official news of the intended evacuation
90 richmond on that Sunday in April
was communicated to its citizens III
church. and through the hurried c@i'iiie
Of the President from church.
our first intimation of 1t was not In
| beino called from church, but at noon
ON that quiet Sabbath day in DanViie,
| for II was quiet there, 40 miles away
| from the city, which was SO soon 10
witness the saddest scene in its history
| On being awakened from SOUND Steep
| the first | had enjoyed for twenty-louf
| hours (for In those days raiiroad-rnah
slept when he could, and that was not
often). by the telegraph operator win
| the information that RICHMOND says
come to the key at once" Reporting
| tbere as soon as possible. ! soor received
the following: Hold all trains In Dam
vile; send nothing out"
NO REASON GIVEN.
Having heard nothing OF impending
| danger to Lees army or OF the prooa-
bility of the evacuation, 1 asked the rea-
! son for the order. None was gwen, ana
our construction of it then was that
| Richmond had news of raid out from
the Federal army, and 1t was feared that
our lines would be cut between BurkeVlie
and the stanton river we TOOK our
local wire and Intercepted the operators
on the line for news of the raiders, but
| they knew nothing.
| 1t was time for the regular passenger
| train to leave for Richmond. Many pas
| sengers were gathering, and the ques-
| ton was frequently asked, where Is
J the train? Why Is It not at the plat
form? What is the natter Leaving
time had come and passed. Then those
of the passengers who lived in Rich
mond grew anxious and suspicious.
was questioned on all sides, but could
| tell nothing. Soon. however, another
message came as follows: Come to Rich
mond with all engines and empty passen-
| ger and box-cars you can pick up. Bring
| no freight or passengers"
| We got the four engines we had in the
| yard ready to run with what cars we had,
| and reported for running orders. and
were told to await further instructions.
| They came / have them yet. The mes
sage was short and read as follows:
TOO late Richmond Is being evacu-
| ated. We will all leave this +. M. Ar
range for all track room possible in DAN
Vile"
Now we must tell the waiting. expect
| ing passengers. II was scene never to
| be forgotten. One man shed tears as
| he came and offered any amount | would
| name for an engine to take him TO Rich
mond, where his wife and children We're.
| Others seemed to be completely crushed
| and unable to express themselves. Some
walked off looking as though they had
| lost their all
Soon Danville knew the story and the
noble people of that Virginia city began
their preparation to receive and take care
| of as many Of the refugees as possible.
| Daylight brought the first train-the
President Of the Confederacy, his Cabinet.
| their families. and many members OF
| Congress. Other trains soon followed
| There were women and children in box
cars. many without baggage, few with
| ANYTHING to eat, Ii was a sad scene.
but the doors OF the Danville houses
were wide open. an old Virginia welcome
met the refugees and they were soon
housed as comfortably as possible.
KNEW ALL.
We then knew all in regard to the
| evacuation of Petersburg, and that Lee
and his generals, with that gallant rem
nant of our Army Of Northern Virginia
were 1--WE could not realize it them in re-
treat. as we supposed, moving to join
| Johnston's army and we were ordered to
prepare TO take trains Of supplies TO them
at Matoak Station where they would
cross the railroad. There were large gov
eminent storehouses In Danville. all filled
! TO the ceiling, as well as many loaded
| cars. awaiting shipment. Trains OF sup
| plies were made up. but II was slow work
| The yard was crowded with cars. Cabinet
| Ministers and their families and other
prominent people, living i'm box-cars were
| In our way, and we could not get rid OF
them. but did the best we could. Our
| first train was ready when the order came
10 hold IL. Lee had not been heard from
| The next we heard 1t was too late; he
had crossed the road, going In the direc-
| ton of Appomattox, and no provisions In
sight to feed the starving soldiers, while
there were thousands of rations In the
stOrenouseS anu cars III i'anNlie, soon &c
be raided and plundered by a mob. Some
one blundered Time passed rapidly. There
was no opportunity for sleep or rest
was in the yard busily engaged in getting
train off for Greensboro. The assistant
superintendent came UP and said: John
come here" i Joined him. Lee has sur
| rendered" l felt as though the ground
| had opened up under me- He was an ope-
| rator and had caught the news off the
wire as II was flashed to President Davis
| II was then J. NJ and at p NJ ar
aide OF the President came down and or
| dared N 1nQino a IA car sfnck car a