The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-08
Pc L E RSBURG:
NOW AND THEN
r e m iniscences of a Union Pris A.. !,
Northerner's Warm Tribute
to VIRGINIA
to Virginia.
BY LIEUTEN.-CoLo wATHoUs,
United Stnteh Army.

visiting this old city OF Petersburg, in
one Of tho most Interesting portions OF
Old Virginia, In September. 1911, and in
visiting 81 on April L. 1866.
On the last day OF March, 1865 in
one OF tho first battles fought after
General Grant began his closing cam
DaiEn of tho war. bullet that .Sident-
~ was intended 10 wing or permanently
put aside n young adjutant-gen OF
Western brigade. Killed hts horse, and
as horse and rider happened to be with
in few feet OF a Confederate line OF
battle. emerging from a thickct. the
young officer was reluctantly forced to
hnbrckle his sword and hand IL over 10
a Northumberland commanding a Vir-
ginia regiment.
The next day. In company with sew
oral hundreds OF other Union prisoners
he marched TO Petersburg. reaching
there soon after noon lie had gone 10
bed supperless tho night before. had no
breakfast tho next morning, and was
not Invited 10 even ham sandwich
banquet by tho good people of Peters
burg for dinner. lie didn't blame
them. however. because he knew they
were mighty short OF ham sandwiches
for their own consumption.
The hundreds OF prisoners were
placed in n tobacco warehouse, hlling 4,
so completely that only portion OF
them could be seated on tho floor at a
time. The balance stood up and glcp,
standing q part OF the night
In passing 1 may mention that we
.also hostained from supper that night
'nnd left too early the next morning
for breakfast, thus having had The
privilege 10 fasting forty-cight hours
ana In tho meantime going through a
hard battle and marching under Con-
1ederate guards. we'll armed. fifteen
miles
Just as daylight appeared on April
: shcll and solid shot began to ny over
tho city. and some of them in such close
proximity 10 the Union prisoners that
bricks were knocked from buildings
ana some OF the prisoners were wound
90. what made II most uncomfortable
was the fact that the solid shot and
smell were sent over thore by our
friends from the Union side: but we
overlooked II before noon upon learning
that the Union army had captured IN
Confederate limo OF works, and ,bat
evening would enter Petersburg, some
thlng that General Grant had been la :
boring TO bring about for nearly ten
months, with an expenditure of hun
dreds OF tons of Iron and lead In tho
way OF ammunition and the loss Of
thousands OF his lighters.
Ihat was a memorable day for those
v.
may be added. for Petersburg and ,be
r-tion-a day that none of the nconi.
OF the old city who still survive tho
EoIdicrs or tho army who stiil live are
likely TO forget Tho capture NJ
FetersSurg was looked forward TO with
ABOUT as much interest as the capture
OF Richmond. The capture of ,ba 49,
mer on April 2. 1865. rendered ce-,oin
the fall OF Richmond the next day. for
with the fall OF Petersburg Lees army
hurried away from Richmond ana
Wheh these two cities wore occupied hv
Union forces. tho end OF the four.vcar
struggle was close at hand
Who among the living in those ,wo
ola armies that had met and clashed
on so many fields viii eyer forpet tho
excitement that followed the fan Of
.hese Two strongholds? Who among
the people outside of the army. rr,h
North and South. still living, Will III.
get that event?
Such was my first yisi, N po,a
burg April 1. 1855. and such tho a.
phrture the next day. on the w,v So,
iNiehmond and Libby Prison, and H.
ieaVe that city the same evening ~,
hear of Its capture while on the wav
10 Annapolis as paroled prisoner
the next day
What gloomy. untidy. discour
sSed-looking Petersburg IL was In
April. 1866. The people who csme 10
the doors or looked through the win
COWS at the prisoners appeared
gloomy. disheartened. distressed. and
most of them looked as hungry as we
felt, There were no well-paved s,rco,.
then Many of the beautifuI shade
trees had been bruised and battered
by shot and shell. Even church
steeples showed tho marks of iron
messengers. There seemed TO be little
in the way of business. The hone of
preserving the Southern confederacy
was gone. and the people who had
iiskNi their all in the effort to es-
tablish 1t appeared hopeless.
But 1t Is not that kind OF Peters
burg to-day. Far from It, In a pre-
Vious article l devoted littls snoce
TO telling of the city's growth, i'm
provements and prospects. There is
an absence of gloom there to-day.
me people are hopeful. confident, con
rented. prosperous, proud OF their
city, their State and their nation and
It's one flag. They are virginians,
with enough of the ways and customs
OF the Virginia OF old to give them
INC rank and the place held by the
Nlrsinlans who lived there century
ago. Were ] a Virglnian j should add
TO this that "the population of Peters
burg Is like the people of yirsinia
In the longgago In the matter of in
telliSonce, hospitality, pride, ambition.
courage and citizenship and close
with saying "a population unsurpass
cd In all OF these directions by that
of any other State in the Union or
any other portion of the world,
Though not virginian. can can
we'll understand why Virginlans make
such claim. and have no dispo-
sition to combat that claim. There is
80 much that 10 delightful connected
with Virginia. The name itself Is