The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-12-30
WAR STORIES.
B. B. Bobbitt in The Sunny South.

Inc most casual visitor to the city
OF Danville, Va, riding uptown in q
Main street car can hardly fail TO have
some remark Of fellow passenger
call his attention to a residence on
his left near shc western extremity Of
the street. That residence is the spe-
cial object of ell DanviIiaps' pride;
therefore, it is prudent as well as
polite for the visitor to view it criti-
calIy. The first impression conveyed
by % glimpse Of the place is one of
solidarity. Set far back from
che street in spacious, wcllkept
grounds, having frontage extending
fyem Sutherlin to IIolbrook avenues
grounds that cover many acres in the
most fashionable part of the city--is
lnrge, square, stone residence build
ing Of the more rretentious antebel-
1um type of architecture prevalent
in Virginia. That is the Sutberlin
mansion, better known locally, per-
haps, as the "Last Capitol of the Con-
fede,ase States"
Ht is an historic landmark, that old
: mansion, aud as such it ought to be
known throughout the South. For
eheye IL was that the final scenes in
'ahe tragic drama Of the civil war were
by the Confederate government enact
ed. The end Of the Titanic struggle
was not definitely assured when the
Confederate government moved it's
headquarters from Richmond to Dan
'ville-that was merely rather abrupt,
yet NOT necessarily fatal, change of
base. Bntswhen the fugitive govern
Gens left the Su:Aerlin mansion,
SEQ capitol, and Danville it's capital,
as Was NO longer stable government
Ohose mandates were respected or
obeyed, it was rather the broken and
diaorgauized and fleeing head of dis
hea7tened and demoralized resistance
60 the Eeestablishmont in the southern
states of the authority Of the United
States government. For exactly one
veek-from April 3 to April 10, 1865
tho Southerlin mansion was tho
Confederate capitol. 1t is concern
ing what happened there during that
1ime that I write. There is an abun-
dance of corroborativo proof to sub
etantiate ell of the statements shall
make.
On April 2, 1865, General Lee
ascertained that, in consequence of
the main line Of his defcnses ut Peters
burg having been broken, it would be
extremely injudioious for him to at
aempt to longer hold the fortifcations
guarding Richmond. He, therefore,
Uniformed President Davis. in tele-
gram received by the latter while in
aatendnnee upon divine services, that
conditions necessitated the withdrawal
of bis forces and advised that the
oapitos he evacuated by the govern
Neans simultaneously with such with
-dFavss. Acting .pon the advice of
his eommander-in-chief, President
Davis, his cabinet and staff left i'm
1nediately FOR Danville.
Upon arriving at their destination
ahs presidential party were met at
she depot, taken to his residence and
entertained by Major W. T. Suther-
Ain, wealthy and prominent citizen,
aho heid the ofnue of commissary and
'oommandaut at the place, and who
dad been q memher of Virginia's SO.
ousslou convention. While there
domioiled the president held cabinet
meetings, issued proclamation, and
formulated and issued numerous off,
oisl orders. A house on Wilson street
vaA used by tho presidents staff and
She officers Of the various departments,
and shere allroutine government bust
NESS was transacted. However, dur
ing the presidents occupancy of the
Sutherlin mansion that building con-
stisuesd de 'facto the capitol Of the
Confederate States.
LIN Aia "Rise and Fall of TIE Con-
7ederate Government. Hon. Jefferson
Davis says: "Though the occupation
81 Danville was not expected to be
permanent, imwediately after arriving
there rooms were obtained, and the
different departments resumed their
routine labors." Since it is mataer
-of common knowledge that that was
the last place st which the depart
~ments carried on their routine labors
and official business was in any
methodical way transacted, and since
the above quoted statement is author
itative proof that such was there the
. case thara can ha mt thu aichtaat