The National tribune., 1900-07-12
NATIONAL WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY 49,
excitement and activity ont of one of leth-

excitement and activity out of one of leth-
argy.
The first explosion occurred n few min
utcs after o'clock on the morning OF
April >. My oldest brother. then Is years
of age. and myself occupied the same bed
on the third floor of our residence. The
effect of the explosion was To rattle the
windows violently and cause the house tc.
vihrate. The sound was almost deafen.
ing. As we sprang from the bed Il man
in the street below shouted hoarsely:
The Yankees are coming"
1t required but few minutes for us
to get into our clothing. AS we started
down the stairs the second magazine was
exploded with as great concussion and
noise as the first. Rushing out of doors.
we found the streets filed with excited
men, women and children. fitting along
like an army of specters in the dim and
misty light of early morning.
"HichmOnd has fallen Lee has sur
rendered.. and similar cries could be heart.
on all sides. The people appeared to he
panic-stricken. My brother and | hurried
to Main street and found n great crowu
engaged i'll looting two old tobacco factory
buildings. one of which had been used for
storing Confederate cOmmiSsary supplies,
while the other was filed with quarter
master stores. Women and boys were Ia
bOriOuSly rolling barrels of flour and corn
meal toward their homes. All were in n
their domiciles before the Yankee soldiers
arrived. for by that time everybody knew
they We're coming and would be trampng
through the streets of Richmond ere long.
Men of the Confederate Commissary
Department rolled Il number of barrels
filled with whisky and apple brandy into
the streets, and after knocking in the
heads allowed the liquor to run down the
cutters. Men, women and even children
stopped and drank the stuff. and several
small riots were started over the posses
sion of barrels of flour. bacon and other
foodstuffs. AT the same time the excite
ment was increased by great tongues Of
flames shooting up i'll the thickly-setted
business section of the city. Confederate
cavalrymen, the same who had exploded
the magazines. with shavings and oil. had
been busy applying the torch
The bright dawn of day on that pleas
ant Spring morning was greeted by the
glare Of cracking flames from several hun
drcd business houses. and great masses OF
dark smoke. No attempt was made by
the populace to check the spreading con,
tfagratiOn. The people Were too busy loot
ing those establishments to which the
torch had not been applied. Added to the
pandemOnium, there came from the river
front at Rockets Il series of startling ex-
plOSions. A Confederate naval force was
engaged in destroying the tugbOats by
starting the vessels under full head Of
steam, after setting their steering appar-
atus so they would collide, head on. with
tOrpedoeS which had been planted in mid
stream. The tugs We're blown into atoms
some of the descending fragments fell
among the crowds in Rockets, injurins
several persons.
In the midst of the intense excitement
Il detachment of Confederate cavalry,
their horses covered with foam, entered
the city from beyond Rockets. Drunken
men cheered them. "The Yanks are com,
ing" one of the horsemen yelled. Yes"
shouted another, they're right behind
us" The cavalrymen dashed along Main
street in the direction of the Capitol and
were soon lost to view in the distance
Ten minutes later the Union horse
men We're within the city limits, riding
like widfire toward the Capitol building
Preceding the cavalry commander and his
staff was line Of troopers, from eight to
II men, carrying small blue flags on poles
Following the commander were about 80
troopers.
I do not know what State they were
from, but ! do know that they were the
first Union troops to enter Richmond, Va.
on April ., 1868.
One of TIE Union officers, handsome
and dashing fellow, reined up his foam
covered horse just in front of my brother,
and leaning over the pommel of his sad
die, asked:
Johnnie, can you direct me to JEFF
Dayis's hOuse?'
My brother gave him the desired direc-
tions, and putting spurs to his animal he
gallOpcd away with the laughing remark:
Now to bag old jeff"
But he had reckoned without his host