Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1906-03-16

troops began at dark on the
I'd of April 1865. The Federal armies
had invested Petersburg except where
the AppOmattox river protected 1t on
the northwestern edge. Grants lines
rested upon the river below and above
the town. Lees first step after evac-
uation had been decided upon was the
destruction of Confederate stores,
boats, railroads. rolling stock and
bridges and public property generally.
The soldiers on the very front of the
Federal line could hear the rumble Of
wheels on the bridges and reported to
headquarters that the sounds indicated
evacuation.
Some time after midnight-that is,
early on the 3d-the magazine at Fort
Drury, on James river, little more than
halfway b Richmond, blew up, light
ing the whole heavens. 1t was plainly
visible on the Petersburg lines. and. as
it was followed by other explosions,
that of war vessels and bridges, and by
fires nearer to Petersburg, it became
very plain that Il general destruction
was going on al)ng Lees twenty miles
of defenseS However. the Confederate
pickets were out In full force, and ey-
cry attempt of the Federal pickets to
advance was met by good volleys of
musketry At daylight on the Sd the
order was given on the Ninth corps
line for pickets to advance to the enc
my's main trenches They did so and
found the. batteries empty and the
camps deserted and denuded of every.
thing valuable. Heavy guns had no.
been removed \ few Confederate
skrmishcrs We're Overtaken, and 1t was
learned that the bulk Of the army had
been gone for hours, the trains and ar
tillery having begun to move at
o'clock p. m. on the I'd. the infantry fol
lowing.
The brigade Of General Ralph Ely
Second brigade. First division. Ninth
corps-moved rapidly toward Peters
burg, on the river road, and received
the surrender about 4:30 n. m. The
First division was promptly assembled
and marched in by the regular roads.
President Lincoln reached Petersburg
about noon. Grant was already there,
and there was hearty rejoicing among
snldiery and citizens because the tedi-
Gus siege was over. News came from
Richmond that that stronghold had
been entered by Federal troops ut )
o'clock i'm the morning. The Army OF
the Potomac rested around Petersburg,
and General Grant went out on the
South Side railroad. where strong
Federal column under General Ord
was moving on a line parallel 10 that
taken by Lee. the AppOmattOX river be-
tween their marching columns.
The experiences at Petersburg had
been repeated at Richmond with the
exception Of the assaults. The Federal
army confronting the defenses of Rich
mond consisted Of two divisions Of the
Twenty fifth corps of the Army of the
James. General Godfrey Wetzel com
manded the corps and was temporarily
In command in front of Richmond. He
had held his troops in readiness to as
sault for some days, but the success Of
the turning movement had rendered
that unnecessary. Inside of Richmond
confusion reigned all day on the I'd
Sunday, the day of the successful
Federal assaults ut Petersburg. Dis
patches from Lee announcing his in
ability to hold his ground at Peters
burg had caused the officers of the Con
federate government to begin prepara-
tions for hasty flight, and as they did
not wait for night to cover their move
ments the people soon learned the truth
and acted accordingly.
General X. S. Ewell commanded Il
few local Confederate troops in the de
fenses, and General G.. w. c. Lee, son
of General Robert Edward Lee, had Il
division In the Confederate works at
Chapins bluff, on James river. seven
miles below the city. These troops
were all put under orders ready to
move. The men who had been promi-
nent In secession affairs, the officials
and pronounced disunionists betrayed
their anxiety to be away when the
Yankee troops should come in. Davis
left the city at 8 o'clock. accompanied
by his cabinet, and the archives and
treasure, a sum unknown, but which
included $275,0OO Of bank gold, We're
shipped in cars. Darkness brought
about reign Of terror. The stores of