Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-04
and we gave very little thought to the

house, In which President Davis and his
party stopped on their retreat. Here was
held the last official meeting or the Con.
federate Government; here the Presiaent
and his Cabinet gave up the cause as lost,
and each member undertook TO provide ss
best he could for his own safety. Had
Danyille 10 Washington. Ga, the meetlng
with Johnston at Greensboro, pages could
be written Of this meeting. The journey
from Greensboro TO Charlotte. the Night
from that point through South Carolina
and last, that final meeting at Washing
ton, are all events OF greatest interest
and columns could be written. but these
notes cannot be obtained in time for this
article.
But to resume our story at Danviile.
AS stated before. there were warehouse
filed with provisions, stores, etc, ior tLe
army The neighboring hills Of virginia
and North Carolina and the valley OF a rhe
River Dan were well populated. Inc
news OF the fall OF Richmond. the sur
render OF Leo. and the fight OF the Con-
federate Government had been carried 10
them. Many stragglers from the army
had already reached Danville; In iact'
they had been coming daily since the re-
treat OF Lee from Petersburg. With the
dawn of day women and children, OLD ana
young. began to pour in from the sur
rounding country and congregateu III
crowds around the warehouses. lhere
~
to protect the property; they trled 10
stop the rising storm. The crowd ony
waited for a leader. Soon one was fouho
In a tall woman. who, with the cry, our
children and we'uns are starving .ne
Confederacy Is gone up; let US help our
selves" started in followed by hundreds.
Aided by the stragglers. the unresisting
guards were soon swept out OF tne way
and the work Of plundering began.
major from Lynchburg attempted TO stop
h,t+ ha 81 4
treat. Soon wagons, carts. wheeiDarroWs'
and every other conceivable means OF re-
moving the coveted supplies were pressed
into service women and children stag
gered under loads impossible under otneI
circumstances for them TO carry. But
this scene was speedily to end IN an uh-
expected and fatal manner. Near TWO
of the largest warehouses the Confeoerate
ordnance department had stored a iarge
amount of loaded shells and large
amount Of powder.
AS | stated before, a large number OF
stragglers were in town, and we mad Deen
asked to send them as far as possible IN
the direction of Greensboro. The train
was partially loaded. and nearly ready 10
start. They had broken into the powder
house. and many of them were carrying
of quantities Of ii-others still fingered
around. Many of the town boys, goth
white and black, were securing ther
share of the ammunition. Suddenly
deafening sound was heard, shells new
through the air and bodies of men ana
boys and fragments OF limbs were sSfl-
tered In all directions. / was standing
about three hundred yards from the wreck
OF the building. when piece OF sheil
weighing pounds passed between the
Superintendent and myself bad IL ue
Waited II inches either way one OF US
would have been killed The wreck TOOK
fire. This heated the shells. and Tor SIX
hours the bombardment as IL were, con-
tined. The stragglers and women ana no.
grasp the situation, and the cry Was
raised THE Yankees are firing into us,
and within thirty minutes not straggler
could be found in Danville. Many mao
dropped their plumber in the hurried
flight. thinking only to get out OF the way
of the supposed Yankees. Soon we went 10
the scene of slaughter to assist any Needy
survivor. The first we met was Wei
known citizen OF Danyille. In his arms ne
bore the mangled remains OF his oniy
son. a bright lad OF IA, whom l mad taiKeu
ed boys twins. about IL years old, both
bright youngsters, and liked by all e
found Tom fatally injured. We raised him
tenderly to take him to the hospital near
by He said: Jim Is there We found
his remains, but he was spared the agony
Tom had to endure before death relieved
him. The explosion was caused by sol
der dropping a match, and fifty lives were
sacrificed through that carelessness.
Most of our trainmen and engineers had
lived IT, Richmond, their families were
there. they had not been able to move
them the day OF the cyacuation; the men
had been gradually leaving us, and all
belonging i'm Richmond were soon en-
route. walking the long dreary 40 miles
to try and find their loved ones.
A couple Of days after the evacuation OF
Richmond the bridge over the Staunton
river had been burned. We maintained
train service between Danvlle and this
point for several days after the surrender
of Lees army. bringing in the. men as
fast as they came there, vending their
way to their. in many cases. desolate
homes in the far South.
soon we were advised that a corps OF
the Yankee army was approaching on the
north bank of me river: that they were
arranging to rebuild the bridge, and were
crossing the river on pontoon, en- route
for Danville. and 10 operate against john
ston's army. The superintendent ordered
.he trains withdrawn, and | was instruct
ed to take all of the rolling stock of the
fleet Sla-inch gauge. go to Greensboro,
report to General Johnston, and follow
the fortunes of that army.
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
Peace negotiations were in progress be-
tween Johnston and Sherman. / was adj
vised the evening previous that the sur
render would be officially announced in the
morning. Calling all Of our men together.
the information was given them, ana l
was unanimously asked 10 take them all
back to Danville at once. Engines were
gotten ready, and sitting on the pilot OF
the leading one, soon after night, had
my first sight Of the campiires OF me
Fifth Army Corps. encamped around Dan
vile. Soon We stopped at the picket lines.
and an officer was interviewed. he was
told all that we knew. and that our de-
sire was to get into the Danville yard,
ana go to our homes. Permission was
given TO proceed, and We were soon back
i'm our old quarters.
The flag we loved was furled. the cause
we had served had failed. and two years
l 49, L. .tsI lnNH M
where we would turn on the morrow or
what would be our future. We all sought
rest to be aroused at the break OF day
by an aide Of General Wright the Fede-
raj commander, with request from the
General TO report TO his quartermaster.
Well do i remember our first mteung
with Major Wright. the quartermaster OF
the Fifth Army Corps. Numerous ques-
tions Were put and answered In regard
to the Richmond and Danville and Pied
mont roads and its rolling stock, and we
were astonished TO be asked TO gather
our men and open up communications be-
tween Burkeville and Danville and
Greensboro, for the purpose of handling
supplies for the Federal army at Green's
boro and Danville and other purposes.
We were told to take our own men TO
man the trains and engines. and none or
the men who worked for jor Wright
in the operations of those roads for the
succeeding ninety days VIII ever forget
the uniform kindness of himself and his
assistants. When the corps was ordered
TO the frontiers of Texas, in anticipation
Of trouble with the French in Mexico the
writer and many OF his assistants were
urged TO go with them. We wanted rest,
many of us had families In the South
that we had not seen for months. and in
The latter part of July we disbanded, -
il were, and to-day We are like the sur
vivOrs In gray-scattered.
Two of the engineers who did faithful
service to the CoEfederacy, and one or
more of the conductors who served with