Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1906-03-16
The Fall of Richmond
A FoRTIETH ANNIVERSARY WAR STORY
,RTIETH ANNIVERSARY WAR STORY
April 2.3. 1865

took this for signal for destruction.
Large warehouses containing tobacco,
bacon and other cOmbustibles were
fired by accident or design. and the
flames spread to other buildings. PeO-
pie gathered few household goods
and rushed to the squares and other
open places.
The lower classes broke open liquor
stores and fed their frenzy by the free
use of stimulants. Pillage and out
rage were added to fire and terror
Amid it all the explosives contained
In the magazines, which were hOisted
into the air. had their fuses ignited and
flew In all directions, hurling down
fragments Of iron upon the crowds
and sending fire Unfortunately upon
dwelling, store and sanctuary. The
Confederate troops were all otherwise
engaged, and the police were powerless.
The bridges by which the Confederate
troops were to evacuate the city were
stocked with barrels of tar and pine
knots, and these were fired at daylight
Just as the troops Of Weitzel appeared
before the works. No COnfederateS
were in sight. The road between the
buried torpedoes was marked out by
flags, and the army moved In without
the loss Of man or the firing Of gun.
The Confederate navy lying in James
river and commanded by Admiral
Semmes, of Alabama notoriety, was de-
stroyed by blowing up the vessels.
Semmes and his sailors were formed
into a provisional brigade and sent to
Danville, the new capital that was to
be.
When the Federal troops were fixed
in the possession of the city General
Charles Devens was charged with the
duty of restoring order. His division
stacked arms In the streets, and, with
the aid of citizens, who We're generally
impressed for the service, they began
to put out the fires. General WeitZel
occupied Jefferson Davis mansion as
his headquarters. General X. e. Lees
wife and daughter We're in their home
and were furnished a guard. Mrs.
Lee was an invalid confined to her
room. Libby prison was empty, the
prisoners having been removed and
sent down the james to the place of
exchange. In the works around Rich
mOnd and in the arsenalS and found
ries were about 500 heavy cannon
that could not be removed. Several
thousand sick and wounded Confed-
crates were found in the vicinity, and
these, with several small detachmentS
captured along the lines. became Fed
eral prisoners of war in Libby prison.
When the news of the Federal oc-
cupation of Richmond reached Peters
burg, Admiral Porter, who commanded
the Federal fleet, took President Lin
coin on board the flagship and steamed
up James river, where he landed on
the 4th. Mr.. Lincoln went on shore
alone and was walking the streets, in
quiring his way of passersby, when
some of General WeitZel's aids met
him and conducted him to headquar-
ters in Davis deserted mansion. Here
he inspected the quarters of the fugi-
tive Confederate cheftan and for Il
time sat in Davis office room in his
own accustomed chair.
While he was In Richmond Mr.. Lin
coin said to General Weitzel that he
believed that the conquered people
would be "let up easy" This was in
accordance with his views expressed to
Grant and Sherman in Hampton Roads
in February. at the time he received
the peace commissioners from Rich
mOnd. General Grant states in his
memoirs that at that time Mr.. Lincoln
said that IL the southerners would
agree to perpetual union and the aboli-
ton of slavery he would be willing to
hand them blank sheet Of paper with
his signature attached and let them
state the terms themselves.
At the very time when Abraham Lin
coin was seated in the chair of the fugi'
tive Confederate executive Jefferson
Davis was attempting to reorganize his
/ capital at Danville, where some troops
had been ordered to report Admiral
! Raphael Semmes was made a brigadier
general and placed in command of the
defenses, and his naval brigade built
! and mounted intrenchments. On April
| 5 Davis announced by proclamation
that Virginia was to be abandoned by
the Confederate armies. Lee was now
concentrating his men in the vicinity
of Amelia Court House, on the Rich
mond and Danville railroad, about
twenty-five miles west of Petersburg
This point was south of the Appomat