The Washington times., 1901-06-30
WASHINGTON In War TIMES
How the News of the Fall of Rich
m0nd Was Received Here.
The Whole City wild With joy
sPeechmnlxing and Enthusiasm on
Every Hand - The Review of the
Victorious Armies on the Avenue.

Victorious Armies on the Avenue
Many citizens of Washington remember
the stirring scenes in the Capital on that
eventful day in April, 1865, when the news
came that Richmond and Petersburg had
fallen and Lees army was in retreat to-
ward Appomattox. A few days ago sew
eral old citizens were discussing the past
history of the city and one of them gave
the following interesting account of the
reception of the news of the success OF
| the Union army in Virginia:
1T would be impossible" said he,
ito adequately describe the emotions
of the people of this city when the mo-
mentous intelligence was flashed over the
wires. Those whose own kith and kin
were still in the ranks felt a double JOY
at the news, while a perfect frenzy of
excitement and qualification was visible
among the multitudes which had in it
something irresistibly contagious. In the
streets all men. young and old, greeted
each other most ardently: ladies flung to
the breezes their miniature flags, and the
judges OF the courts deserted the bench,
suspending the machinery of Justice in
the qualification of a worthy and pa
triotic instinct The schools dismissed
their scholars, business was deserted on
all hands, and all repaired to the vicinity
F., of the public buildings to acquire a fuller
! knowledge of the incidents of the three
| days terrible fighting which Immediately
| preceded the fall of the two cities, the
| fate of which had so long been linked
| together.
/ "A scene of wild excitement was pre-
sented at the Patent Office when the news
/ of the fall of Petersburg was received,
i, and a few hours later, when word of the
fell of Richmond came, it was apparent
: everywhere that heavy cloud of anxiety
land gloom had been lifted from the public
| mind Patriotic exercises .zere Immediate
| ly and spontaneously commenced in the
open air in front Of the Patent Office
| building. A gentleman by the name of
! Thompson began to sing Rally Round
the Flag, the crowd jojI.ing in the cho-
rus. Mr.. Holloway. Commissioner of Pat
ents, then addressed the assemblage and
was followed by Hon. j. p. Usher, during
the course or rather at the close, of whose
address some one in the crowd suggested,
at the mention by the orator of the word
evacuated, that the Interior Department
be evacuated.
Immediately the entire crowd took UP
It's line OF march for the State, War and
Navy Departments. Here they were ad-
dressed by the Secretary of State, who
was followed by Hon. Preston King, Hon.
]. w. Nye, and others. Then came Hon.
Edwin NJ. Stanton. who at the close of
his remarks presented to the assemblage
the boy Willie Kettles, fourteen years
old an operator in the military telegraph
office. who had received the despatch an
nouncing the fail of Richmond. at S:15 a.
m. that morning, April 2.
From the residence of Francis p. Blair,
LDv-.- A lob do
eloquent speech. and from the balconies
of ali the hotels poured forth a chorus of
patriotic music and oratory. Hon. Rich
ard Yates spoke from the steps of the
National Hotel and Maj. Gen. Ben
jarnin Butler from in front of Wiliard's.
General Butler said that the god of
justice worked by means, and perhaps
there could be found in history no more
striking and suggestive instance Of retri-
button than that of the corps of cOlored
troops under General Wetzel being the
first to enter Richmond after its fail
-Four regiments OF the Veteran Reserve
Corps and two squadrons of cavalry, ac-
companied by fine band of music,
paraded the principal streets Of the city.
The northern portico of the War Depart !
ment building was decorated with flags,
and the Veteran Regiment Band played
patriotic airs. A salute of SEQ guns WAS
fired near Franklin Square-5e0 for Rich
rnond and 100 for Peiersburg-an the
Stars and Stripes were seen in all quar-
ters. None more sincerely rejoiced than
the sick and wounded soldiers in the
hospitals. who, on the communication of
the news to them, raised their voices in
n feeble hurrah. Work was generally
suspended in the public departments, the
clerks rushing into the streets TO unite
with their fellOw-citizens in the general |
rejoicing At the navy yard and arsenal
suspension of work was also in order,
and the vessels all around the city were
gaily decked with bunting
'Tht illumination of the city and the
display of fireworks on the night of April
surpassed in magnificence anything that
has ever been seen in Washington. The
Capitol building shone as though IL were
transparent, its graceful dome glittering
with multitudious lights like an immense
jewel The Botanic Gardens exhibited |
one of the most beautiful features of the |
display All the public buildings, the |
principal buildings. and thousands of pri- |
vate residences were illuminated
LESS than month later occurred the |
ever memorable review of the Grand /
Army. the veterans fresh from the most |
4
May q was devoted TO reviewing the |
Army of the Potomac, the following day /
the Armies of Georgia and Tennessee
All Washington, nearby, and persons |
from other places crowded the streets. |
sidewalks, and roofs of houses on both |
days 10 witness perhaps the most imposing /
parade that was ever organized. The
various corps, brigades, and other bodies
of the Army of the Potomac crossed the |
Potomac River during the early morning
of the 2Sd, and arranged themselves on
the various streets and avenues ready TO
fall into line at the appointed time. The
had been sprinkled on the
preceding night by the fire department
and barrels of water were placed at in
tervals for the soldiers to drink as
they passed along on their march
The cavalry formed north of the Capt.
tol, the line extending far beyond
the city limits The children of the
public schools were tastefuIly arrayed,
and arranged on the high ground north
of the Capitol. Thousands of banners
were carried in the procession, the tat
tered flag of battle, its darkened shreds
telling of the storm of death in which
ii had stood, contrasting with the folds
flying from windows bearing mottos ap-
to the occasion, one OF the most
being: The Only Debt We Can |
Never Pay Is the Debt We Owe to the
Victorious Union Soldiers