Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-02

to supply the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia with the means of religious
instruction, and was spending with
my young wife a few months.
and with my brother. DR.. ]. S.
Wharton, a sergeant at Chimborago hos
pital, employing my time in preaching to
the soldiers, and helping the distressed
and suffering.
/ can never forget those days. The hos
pitfalls were filled with sick and wounded
soldiers The streets were almost desert
ed of men, nearly all having gone to the
front, which was then so near that the
guns could be daily heard reverberating
around the doomed city. The people were
reduced to the greatest straits and the
most popular place that l can re-
member was a large auction house on
Main street, where hundreds congregated
daily to dispose of such things as they
had-furniture, pictures, bric-a-brac.
clothing, etc, to get the necessaries OF
life
Our brave soldiers under the great and
intrepid Lee were doing all that mortals
could do to stem the flood tide which
Grant was rolling in upon us by his ever
increasing numbers, and rumors were
now af1oat that the Southside railroad
was in his hands and that he was thun-
dering at the gates of Petersburg. Stew
art and A. P. Hill had fallen. and defeat
after defeat coming TO our ears, we knew
but too well that Richmond would soon
go. But one railroad, the Richmond and
Danville, was left by which the citizens
and the government attaches and stores
could make escape, and that line was
taxed far beyond its capacity.
Next Sunday President Davis, sitting in
St. Pauls church, received dispatch
from General Lee that Petersburg had
fallen and Richmond must be evacuated.
We received an intimation a few days
before to leave in the special car of
General Lawton, quartermaster general.
We were staying a mile out on the Me-
chanicsville road and imagine our horror
when we awoke next morning to find 1t
pouring down rain. If ever 1t ratned
pitchforks it was then. The heavens were
clothed in black. the lightning flashed,
the thunder roared. dogs howled and
hideous tempests shook down trees. 1t
rained, II blowed, 1t stormed, the whole
scene being emblematical of our feelings
and Of the impending doom. We had no
conveyance and could not get to the de-
pot, so we just had to stop where we
were There was but one train day.
We were compelled to try our luck with
the general public. and by some means
get to the depot next morning an hour
before the train. We had to go to far off
Southwestern Georgia, and did not stand
on the order of our going. / was polite
to everybody, especially the hard-worked
railroad authorities. Hundreds, If not
thousands seemed to crowd the station.
The manned, the lame, the halt, and all
others who could get away were there.
we managed to crowd into one of the
ladies' cars which was packed to overflow
ing I secured a seat for my wife. had
to stand up all the way from Richmond
to Greensboro, N. c. General Gordon says
a man running in the war was asked what
he ran for? He said Because can't fly"
We felt that we were flying from falling
Richmond.
On getting to Greensboro the train stop
ped to return to Richmond for more
refugees We went to a little hotel. spent
the night, with no expectation as to when
we could go further. There were no trains
south from that point. Sitting in the hotel
1 was approached by Major Speed. quar-
ternaster general of Alabama, and appre-
ciating my fix q had met him when l was
actively connected with the army ne said.
IT have a part of the presidents family
here in a special car, and If you Will &C
cent a place with US you will be welcome.
There are only two ladies and a child with
me- President Davis mother-in-law and
his wife's sister, Mrs. Waller, and her
child" l. of course, gratefully accepted.
1t was certainly kind of Major Speed and
can never forget him for 1t. On going
to the car i was introduced to Mrs.
Howell first, who received us cordially.
she was a large. fine looking lady Of
about sixty years, with white curly hair,
rosy cheeks and IAN eye like Mars to
threaten and command "a typical mother
in-Iaw. very diligent and very business
like in her movements.
She was a widow and had been living
with her son-in-law at the executive
mansion in Richmond, and 1 imagine,
- Il tho fairs of
the Confederacy. Mrs. Waller, her daugh-
ter. was a smart, attractive woman OF
about twenty-five, her husband being IN
the army, and she had in her arms ut
tie Lizzie" one of the sweetest children
ever saw, just one year old. The car was
about starting on the c., c. & A. railroad
to go as far as it could go. l can never
forget the ride we took that day. At
dinner Mrs Howell drew out a bag OF
pure coffee, the first had seen in years.
had drank potato coffee, bean coffee, rye
coffee and chickory coffee during the dark
days and now was to have pure conee,
made by a New Orleans lady, and she the
mother-in-law of the president. 1t was
some compensation for all we had suffered
and for a falling country. Coffee is great.
Sidney Smith says a mans brains de-
ponds on the quantity of coffee he drinks
1t certainly does clear up ones mental
vision, and we had a good lunch and
fine coffee that day. a
At night we reached Chester, s.. c., and
could go no further, as Sherman had
torn up the rails all the way to Column
bia. We lived in the car dividing II on
into three partitions, one occupied by
Mrs Howell and family, one by my wife
and myself, and one by Major Speed.
We had no lights, and Mrs Howell sent
me to the town a mile away to see Gener-
al Chestnut, formerly United States sena-
tor, and Confederate States senator. Now
| in that town 1 approached him and told
him our situation and my mission. He
| said (by the way, he was one or the
| smartest men / have ever seem: Tell
| Mrs Howell 1 have no candles but one
! box belonging to Secretary Memminger,
| ard l cannot open the box, as | have no
authority to do So" When l reached Mrs.
| Howell | told her what the general had
said, and she Immediately replied: go
| and tell General Chestnut to come into
| nv presence Immediately. I marched a
] mile again and brought the general back
| with me- On entering the car Mrs. How
| ell said without any salutatiOn: General
| Chestnut, how dare you refuse me those
| candles?" He began to explain. mo ex-
| planation." she said; open that box
! and tell Secretary Memminger that l or
| dered YOU to do So You may rest assured
| that after that we had candles to burn.
While here we were invited to Rev.
| Mr.. Hinton's, Baptist minister, ana
| Mrs. Waller, taking her seat at the head
sang as I never heard II sang before or
| since. when the Swallows Homeward
4 r1rA 8.