The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-17
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COPYRIGHT.

| COPYRIGHT. 1903. by THE PuRLIs
Entrance Into Richnond-Camp Near Libby
The Story ola Guards Murder Of an efacer.
| All other thoughts and interests in the
minds of the boys faded at the sight of
Richmond, the Capital Of the late so
called Southern Confederacy"-the
stormcenter Of the bloodiest CONFUSION
that ever wrecked q land-guerdon for
which a thousand battles had been fought,
and hundreds of thousands Of men died.
To the boys, who had been for years in the
turmoil Of the fierce events which had
their handspring in Richmond, it was in
comparably the most interesting place in
the whole world. While the regiment
halted on the hill to await orders about
entering and passing through the city, the
| boys eyes eagerly drank in every detail
Of the panorama stretching out before
| them, and endeavored to pick out the diff
| ferent places Of which they had read 30
| SO much and with which they had be-
| come familiar by the pictures in the illus
trated papers.
Below them was what had been the
| Furnishing little manufacturing town of
| Manchester. Now many Of its mills and
| factories were only blaekened walls. OF
| the four great, long bridges which
| spanned the river to Richmond only the
piers remained. To them was anchored
an army pontoon bridge crossing the
| with the in-rushing tide, was yexed no
| more by the deep keels Of war vessels of
sullen might. These now lay on the miry
bottom, mere jagged heaps of junk, over
| which played the wavelets stirred by the
| passing Spring breezes. On the docks still
smoked piles of\cotton-bales representing
mems whole. fortunes, but wantonly
| burned by the last mad acts Of the wicked
rebellion.
Nearly one-half of Richmond was in
| ruins. Where had been great ware
| houses, factories and mills were now only
ragged and topping walls and chimneys
| standing in dismal loneliness.
A wide range Of hills circled around the
city, forming the horizon. On the SUBMITS
Of these, breaking the skyline with their
huge crenelations, were powerful forts,
| their high red banks standing in grim sur
illness. Gone, however, was their strength
| and terror. The men who had garrisoned
them, the men who had stood behind
those black, sullen guns, were now pris-
ing so much as to get the wl,erewithaI
| for food, clothing and shelter for them
! selves and families. The entertainments
had begun to wash down under the Spring
| rains; the bitches were filled with water;
the paths, worn daily deeper by the pas
| sage Of thousands Of men to and from the
Notifications, were now fading under the
fresh grass springing up where the foot
/ sole ceased to grind.
In the center Of the river, above the
| bridges, lay Belle Isle of hateful memory,
| the home OF unutterable misery, where
| thousands OF gallant souls had passed
through the gates of torture to the peace
OF eternity.
Encircling embankments, upon which
| the guards walked to confine the mass OF
human misery in its place Of torment, were
still visible, sand the wretched ruins OF
shacks and shanties, built with weak and
| bleeding hands by the prisoners to get
some shelter from the bitterness OF the
Winter, stood to tell the tale of all they
had suffered and endured.
Near were .the famous Tredegar Iron
Works, the principal FORCES in the Southern
Confederacy whence were sent most of the
cannon, shot and shell which shattered and
shook, and maDgled and slew on the bat
tlefelds where treason bitterly resisted
| loyalty and law.
/ Miles down the river to the right the
view was closed by the frowning sides OF
| Fort Darling, standing on a high bluff
where it had safely guarded the approach
to Richmond by the river since that day
/ in the Summer Of 1862 when it had sue.
| cessfully beaten back our ironclads.
"And that Is the Virginia State House
and the Capitol OF the late uniamented
COnfederacy," said Monty Seruggs, point.
| ing across the wide waste OF blackened
ruins beyond the river to the highest hill
crowned by a lofty building with front
of tall granite columns, and surrounded
by bronze statues Of Virginia's great men.
| That's it. and it looks exactly like its
pictures"
sThats So" echoed Harry Joslyn.
''Thats the nest where all this devilment
was hatched. Just think OF it, and the fire
has not hurt it bit-not even scorched
one of the trees in the park around it"
| 'The judgments Of God are unsearch-
able and His ways past finding out" re-
marked Monty oracularly, remembering
his last Sunday-schoOl lesson.
ITS magnificent building, all the
said ALT Russell Nothing could be finer
than the way it stands up there overlook
| ing the city, and how beautiful are the
grounds around it."
EYES," said Monty, '3but fairer than the
morn, and more beautiful than the East
is the Flag that is now floating over it,
Great heavens, boys! Where's your enthu.
through, to stand right here and see with
our own eyes Old Glory floating over The
headquarters OF the Southern Confederacy
Let's give three cheers and tiger for tie
Flag ca the rebel Capitolw
! They yelled as il they would split their
lungs. Co. Q promptly joined in, and then
the regiment, and pretty soon the whole
division had caught the infection and was
yelling their delight at the sight.
And the Flag too seemed to answer
them, for 1t foated out with gentle, ma
jestic wave, its bright coiors cleaning Ia
the sparkling sunshine. as il making a
graceful courtesy Of might to the greetings
OF the men whose valor had made il
mighty.
And then the boys cheered again and
even louder than ever, as II the Flag were
a sentient thing, which could appreciate
the Incompatible pride the boys felt in
seeing it 6oatiag from the lofty pinnacle
which had sheltered its direst foes,
Then an Aid came by with the orders
for which the regiment had been waiting
and after reading them, Mai. Bowersoz
called the regiment into line and said:
Men. am glad to say that we will
march into the city, and remain there nm.
til to-morro6 1sofnetime, so you will all have
an opportunftyst6 see the sights. know
sou will all .behave yourselves, so I'll not
offend you BY repeating the admonitiens
fho Gon 1ok spsyou mo IA 1o,Ir noy,.