The National tribune., 1900-07-12

for the President of the expiring Confed-
eracy was by that time far away in the
Southland.
The rctreating Confederate cavalry
ahead of the Union advance. crossed the
famous old Mayo Bridge over the James
River. and applied the torch to that his
toric structure. destroying the greater por-
tion of it. After occupying the city the
Union forces constructed Il pontoon bridge
across the James. about 1OO yards below.
the old bridge. and touching Belle Isle.
the former prison ground.
1t was fully n half hour later before
any other Union soldiers entered the city
from that direction. The second detach-
ment was also cavalry. but the men did
not carry lances. This body was fred
upon by several convaleScent Confederate
soldiers from Chimborazo Hospital. as
they gall0pcd along Main street. past 18th
street. The conyalcSccnts had procured
some muSketS from Il nearby QuarterInas>
ter depot, and then concealed themselves
in deserted carpenter shop. at the corner
of Both and Franklin street a short bIocf,
from Main street along which the men in
blue were proceeding towards the center
of the city. The fusilade of musketry
from the carpenter shop did not cause any
casualties TO the cavalry. so far as | conli
see, and | was near enough to hear the
minies whiZz. The cavalrymen did not re-
turn the fire, but continued at breaknecfl
speed towards the Capitol.
In the meantime. before the entry into,
the city of the army proper, crowds of c3-
pectant colored people had assembled
along Main street to greet their deliver
ers from the bonds of slavery Many of
these had secured from the Ouartermas-
tcrs stores pairs of the regulation Confed-
crate army shoes. These We're roughly
made of red. half tanned leather. and were
or the largest sizes. On old gray-topped
n of axfr
which he held proudly aloft.
Uncle, those shoes are too big for You, ''
remarked a bystander. What number
are they?'
Don't know, boss, but | specs dey am
number twenty-fours. But dey amt too
big fer me. lse dun growed wild glory.
cuz lse free now. till Ise as big as de
statue oh Gineral Washington ut de Cap,
itol."
Pretty soon great clouds of dust beyond
Rocketts told of the OpprOach of the main
body Of the Union army. As they en-.
tered the suburbs of Richmond the sol
diers gave cheer after cheer Nearly all
the white people hastily left the main
thOrOuShfareS and scampered to their
homes, leaving the colored folks in pos
session to greet the army in blue. | had
procured a large box filled with plug to-
baccO from Commissary store and sta
toned myself at the curbstone near Rock
etts for the purpose of selling my wares
to the passing troops.
As the long lines of soldiers approached,
with clanking sabers and accOuterments,
the crowds of cOlored people became al
most frantic. They danced. embraced
each other. in camp-meeting fashion. and
shouted their welcomes. "BresS de Lord,
we's free" .'Glory hallelujah"' Come
on, chil'un, come on" and similar cries
were heard on all sides. Some of the old
negro mammics rushed into the roadway
and tried to embrace the troops. l dis
tinctly remember handsome young officer
with light curly hair. who was seized
from behind by pOrtly .colored woman.
who held him in her muscular embrace
and kissed him repeatedly before he could
free himself. He blushed deeply and
seemed greatly embarrassed when the men
of his company laughed heartily and
cheered at his discontinue While the
fat colored woman was embracing and
kissing him she repeatedly shouted:
Honey, you'se dan freed u.s."