The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-04-18
or
Fony-six Years Ago Today the Capital CITY va: 'o1neo
Over TO the Union Forces Under General Hi1Iam l.
sbermaa-ne Story of fhe Surrender and
Some Events Connected With it.
ON The News ana ooe
April 13.)
nv WM. H.

t,orty-six years ago today, just foui
oays after the surrender OF 1890
Robert f.. Lee at Iooi
house. Va. the Union FORCES ehteIeu
the city Of Raleigh unoer UeIeIa.
yy4,nano r. Sherman II was nos.
nv the arrival of Sherman'S army
AT Go,dsboro and his long halt at that
mace for the purpose OF run
and .eritting his troops thai n peo-
ple Of the capital entertained any
serious a~pprehensions OF being Vasiteo
by the enemy
General Johnston I'm Retreat.
The surrender Of General Lee fouf
,}avs previous to SherTnan's entry
into Raleigh made It necessary 1os
General Johnston to retreat westward:
ON the 10th OF April the advance OF
Jonnston's reatrea1ing army entered
and passed through the city The
writer" says the author of q personal
"Reminiscences concerning the SURRENDER
Of Raleigh, well remembers his sur
prise when, going through the capitol
SQUARE III The morning, he saw a large
column Of troops marching up what
Is now called New Bern Avenue IT
WAS q truly sad sight. The oano
played Dixie and the pa
triots seemed to arouse every muscle
to appear in their best plight
any military organization, desire TO
He was then captured by
the FedfTals-
yankees Near at Hand.
Johnston's army was several days
passing through Raleigh, and as 1t
passed the news came that the yam
KEGS" were near at hand. Was 1t any
wonder that gloom settled oTef tne
city, when It WAS to be remembers
how, like the Vandals OF old, 6hef.
mans army had ~plundeded homes and
l.ntvrxnl ..crr.arf1' ne nYSScIt IN.
habitants Of Raleigh, VINO live In q
time OF peace and prosperity, can
hardly realize the plight Of their s1res
and their state Of mind when, a4ready
smarting under the effects Of the great
struggle. they were o to be visited
by a band OF men, the acts OF whom
could not be foretcld. Defenseless,
the people OF Raleigh could only await
results, and pray to be delivered from
the ravages OF the enemy.
Steps Towa Formal surrender.
In the meantime, it was deemed ad-
sisabie that the city authorities take
steps for the surrender OF the cisy
IA a formal manner, in order to insure
as far as possible the lives and prop
efty OF the people against the Union
forces. ~"Shernian's march to the sca"
was not to be forgotten. and its terror
was fresh in the minds OF the people.
Committee Appointed.
4 meeting OF the city commission
eFs was called and q committee was
appointed to meet the oncosning army
and make a formal surrender Of RAJ
leigh. The committee was composed
OF the mayor Of the city, Col. w. H.
Harrison. Cot. w. II. Richardson, Hon.
Kenneth Rayner, Mr.. E. c. Fisher,
then superintendent OF the State Hos
pital for the Insane Dr.. r. u. Hay
wood, Mc. P. f. Pescud and others
Extreme Anxiety.
The night Of April IL was n Of
extreme anxiety TO the people of Ra-
during the entire night in the dis
charge of his official duties. It was
known that many OF General Wade
fiampton's cavalry. who were still IN
most yigisence on the part OF the city
authorities was necessary in order
to preserve peace.
The Morning OF the 18th.
The morning OF the 18th dswned
dark and gloomy. A steady rain had
the sky was overcast with heavy
clouds. At daybreak Col. Richardson
with Mr.. Rayner, started out te
gather the OF the committee
preparatory to going out to meet tht
enemy. After soIne delay a carriage
was procured and the committee pro
ceeded out the Holleman road to 6
point where it was crossed by forti'
ficatiOnS. near the residence OF IN
late Moses a. Bledsoe. Col. Richard
son, riding on the seat with the driver
carried a staff, to which was attach
ed a white handkerchief. which wa!
TO be used as a flag OF lux Arriv
ing at their destination, the mem
bers Of the committee waited. unde
a d~renching rain. the coming of Sher
mans army.
Face to Face With the Enemy.
About 8 o'clock q body Of horse
men appeared in the distance "A
first they seemed to be moving In
CAUTIOUS and leisurely manner bu
suddenly they were observed to hal
while one OF them ievefed a spyglas
toward the spot occupied by the com
niittee. The handkerchief was the
waved and placed on top OF the for
tiGcation.
A few minute later a detachme Ell