The National tribune., 1900-07-12

From that time and during the remain
der of the day there was q Steady tramp
tramp. tramp of feet and the jangling of
equipments; the roll of gun carriages and
clatier of the roofs of cavalry horses along
Main street. as the victorious army Of the
Union rolled like series of great blue
waves into the fallen Capital of the Con-
fcderacy. AS the troops passed me. I
handed out plugs of tobacco to those near
est my impromptu stand on the curb line
In return many of the soldiers handed mo
ten, twenty-five or fifty cents, "Shin-plaS-
tcrs," as the fractional currency of small
denominations was then called \ few
of those who accepted the plugs failed
to make returns to me. The box of to-
bacco was soon exhausted and upon count
ing my receipts | found myself the proud
posscsSor of S1.25 in greenbacks. An old
man who stood near me remarked:
Boy, You were the first person to earn
Yankee money at the evacuation of Rich
mond.'
Being almost famiShed with hunger I
began to east about for some place to eX-
later. while trying to locate suffers es-
tablishment, ! was stopped by a tall
Union Sergeant. He took me in his arms
and said | reminded kim of his little son
in far-away New England. When told
him | was very hungry and was looking
me to accompany him to the quarters OF
his company in an old tobacco factory
near Libby Hill. | went with him and
was soon rcGaling myself on bOunteouI
feast of army Shortcake. beans, fried pork
and coffee Never before nor since has
food tasted so good to me. / ate raven
ously. while visions Of my 10 days diet
of black-eyed peas flOated before me and
then driftcd away as my hunger was ap-
peascd. While that Sergeant Morris was
his namel remained in Richmond | never
wanted for hot dinner or breakfast. He
always addressed me as My boy" and
did many favOrs for me.
After having the hot breakfast with my
soldier friend, / remembered that the
folks at home We're without food. save
the remainder of those horrible peas with
black eyes. | therefore hastened to find
sutler store and expended my SI.2J for
a supply of edibcs. | purchased COM
pressed soup cakes. crackers. bologna
sausage, cheese and canned goods to tho
full limit of my pile of ''shin-plasters."
and then hurried home to give the family
a square meal. On the following day the
Federal authorities opened several food
supply depOts, where provisions We're fur
nished gratis to the whites and blackS
alike. These depots were Il Godsend and
prevented much suffering and starvation.
The people We're ranged in front of them
in long lines. Each person had bag or
basket. into which they deposited their ra-
tions of cornmeal, beans, bacon and cof>
fee.
On the evening of evacuation day
Richmond had become one vast camp.
The Stars and Stripes fioated proudly
from the Capitol and other public build
ings. The Davis house. or Presidential
Mansion. was occupied by officers of tho
United States army. and Il pail of smoke
hung over the lower business section OF
the city, which was in utter ruin-masses
of twisted iron and piles of steamins
bricks and stones. The work of looting
during the early morning hours had re-
suited in cleaning out all the supplies Of
food and merchandise which the conhagra-
ton had not consumed. The erstwhile
proud old Virginia city was indeed to-
tai wreck. Another tragic picture of the
horrors of war. The famous Tredegar
Works had been destroyed. The river
front was in ruins and all was chaos.