Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-30

A Talk With Judge r. j. semmes-
His Recollections.


His Reco1lections.
The following appears in the New or
leans Picayune:
1t was Of that inner life of the Confeds-
racy that Judge semmes spoke most free
ly. those days Of social life in Richmond
gay and brilliant as some olden court
and then varying In the scale OF merri.
ness as the end Of the gamut was
reached and Richmond found itself q
doomed city.
''Ycs. the socisl life In Richmond during
the war was very beautiful, and charac-
terized by that old-time grace and hospi-
| tally for which the South was famous. II
was. indeed, the last chapter in the his
tory Of that olden life. We occupied a
beautiful mansion. 1t was one of the
finest houses in Richmond. and almost a
fac-simile OF that occupied by President
| Davis"
Indeed" said Mrs. semmes. II liked
our house much better than I did the
| presidential mansion"
Mr.. Semmes smiled and continued: "Our
home was the centre of a most brilliant
| coterie. Alexander II. Stephens, OF Geor-
| gia, Vice-PresIdent Of the Confederate
| States, was a bachelor, and asked TO make
| his home with us. We also had Mr.. Gar
| land. afterwards a member Of Mr.. Cleve-
lands Cabinet, and General Sparrow, my
colleague. OF course, they did not want
10 accept my hospitality without paying
board, and SO we iaughingly compiled.
My boarders during the last years Of the
war used to pay me about 500 month,
and we used to estimate the expenses Of
running our house at about 900 a
year. Fancy this sum for household ex-
penses: but you must remember that we
were using Confederate money, and, as
Mrs. Semmes used to say. we would send
q whole basketful OF money to market in
exchange for provisions Our boarders In
reality paid US about 500 a month. and
towards the close OF the war the money
was not even valued at that. j was not a
rich man, but my father-n-law was one
OF the wealthy men OF the South, and he
kept us literally supplied with funds"
YES indeed" said Mrs. Semmes, I'VE
used to get all manner of nice pro-
visions and hampers from Montgomery,
and never knew how they reached us so
safely, for everything came to us contra
band. Our table was always well sup
piled, and many were the brilliant din
ners we gave. We often invited the sem
ators from the border States for some of
these Jared very badly indeed; they had
TO live in one room, and on corn and
beans and bacon, and as their States were
very much divided. supplies sent them by
their constituents were cut off, and
money, too. They had hard time OF 1t,
but they stood nobly by the cause to tho
end. We had great times In the first years
OF the war, when our cause seemed so
sure Of success, and our boys were fight
ing so bravely, but towards the end Mr..
Stephens and Mr.. Garland. General Spar
row, and Mr.. Semmes used to come home
with weary hearts"
JEB STUART.
But you were always bright and cheer
full TO the end" said MIR. Semmes. 1T
was wonderful. the courage of the south
ern women during the war. In Richmond,
where at all hours, day and night, you
could hear the roaring of the cannon
and the echo OF shot and SHE'LL where bull
let's we're often flying In the streets, the
women kept up their social life. Parties |
and receptions and dinners were given |
night after night: when our boys in gray |
passed through the capital all the women |
went out to greet them, waving handker- |
chiefs and bidding them God-speed. Re- |
ceptions were given in their honor. and a |
perpetual round Of gayety was kept up. |
The women did this to cheer on the SOL
ultI DOyS MANY d SlOup VI
fcers danced the night away and went
forth to fight on the morrow. and were
buried in the evening shadows on the
battlefield. There was General J. T. b.
Stuart, the dashing cavalry officer. who
shortly before he was killed played In
the charades at the home of nv sister,
Mrs. Ives, wife of Colonel Ives, who was
an officer on President Daviss staff.
Mrs. Ives's home was a great centre for
the young folks That night all the pref
test girls in Richmond were taking part
In the charades and some OF the most
brilliant officers OF the army. There
we're present Mr.. Davis. Mr.. Stephens.
Judah p. Benjamin, Secretary Mallory,
Mrs. Mallory-in fact, all the Cabinet Of
1cers and their wives. the representative
n Congress- justices OF the Supreme Court,
ETC., and General Stuar. was the OBJ
erved OF all Observers, as he gayly led the
.harades. he was so brilliant. SO hand
some, and daring that he was called the
Prince Rupert of the Confederacy. as he
Ised to dash around Richmond on his
loble charger. with his black plume fly
ng I'm the breeze. That night he left the
smiling throng with a flower that some
,retty girl had just pinned in the lapel
his coat"
Mrs Semmes related with tears in her
yes how the news of Stonewall Jack
on's death had been received in Rich
nond. Many refused to believe that this