The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-28

Men and women rushed ahead Of .hs
and snatched their contents away.
Property rights seemed TO DO wiped
out. Wagons and carts werc loaded
with goods and carried away: soma
employed wheelbarrows. others carried
their arms full. dropping what they
had to seize more. Women were tug
ging at barrels OF -four and children
were straining themselves to move
boxes OF tobacco. The sidewalks were
strewn with silk. satin. bonnets, hats.
clothes. fancy goods, shoes, groceries
and merchandise of every description
There was no Law and there were no
officers; all was confusion The roar
ing, cracking flames followed quickly
the looters. making the destruction
complete. Property owners stood
helpless and looked on; some were
stunned by the awful sight. others wept
and wrung their hands Before sun
rise there was terrific explosion,
which shook the whole city. the ma
gazne back Of the poorhouse was
blown up. Twelve inmates were killed
and others injured. At a NJ. the
evacuation was complete and Mayos
bridge and the railroad bridges were
set on fire"
surrender tie city to the Federal troops
Monday morning and at 10 O'Clock the
/ Yankees" realized their dream OF four
years and rode into Richmond,
The Building Burned
They found the people panic stricken
and a great part of the city In ruins.
From Fifteenth to Seventeenth Streets
and from Main Street to tho river, fire
was raging Nearly a thousand houses
were burned or burning. pail OF
smoke overhung the beautiful city,
shutting out from sight the Stars and
Bars flying defiantly from the Capitol.
safe from the flames on Capitol HILL
The Bank of Richmond. The Traders
Bank, The Bank OF the Commonw ealth,
The Bank OF Virginia, The Farmers
Bank, In fact. All the banks In tho
city, were Ia flames or mere hiackened
masses of ruins, The American and
the Columbian hotels were destroyed,
as were the Offices and machinery or
the Richmond Enquirer, the Richmond
Examiner. and the Richmond Dispatch
The Wing alone issued n paper ON
Tuesday morning following the IRE.
Other buildings destroyed were the
entire block of buildings known as
Belvin'a block. the Confederate post
office building. the state Courthouse,
al the Franklin Street entrance TO the
Capitol Square, the Mechanics fnstt-
tute. used as the Confederate War De-
partment offices. the Confederate ar
senal and laboratory, on seventh Street
and hundreds of other smaller build
ings, besides the Shockoe. Public Mayo's
and Dibrelfs warehouses fred by Or
der of the Confederate government.
Dihrelrs warehouse. which was located
on Cary Street. between Twenty first
and Twenty-second Streets. set fire to
Hsnrico Courthouse and several blocks
OF buildings.
Trops Restore Order.
when tho Federal troops entered
with the city blazing and a mob in
control. they Immediately set 20 work
10 aid the Are brigade to extinguish
the flames and TO restore order, The
city was placed under martial rule.
One newspaper. The Wing. resumed
publication on Tuesday. April I. and
gave an extended account of the evacu-
alton and the connagration, This was
the first newspaper 70 be published
since April /. In It's first edition the
whig announced that henceforth Il
would be Union newspaper and that
the flag of the United States would
float over the office. It's account OF
the evacuation and FIRE plainly showed
| that it's promise to be q Union news
paper was being kept. xor evident bias
was shown. Such terms as deliberate"
and "wanton" destruction were applied
to the action OF the government In
setting Are to the tobacco and store
warehouses to Feep them from falling
into the hands of the Federal troops
and 1t was with apparent relish that il
says OF footing that ut Is to be re-
membered that these were not Union
soldiers, but Confederate straEgiers
/ Wednesday, April 6. 1855, President
Abraham Lincoln spent Il few hours
! In tho city In consultation with the
officers In command. The following
Sunday. while the people were ne
church. word came or the surrender OF
General Lee and his army at Appo-
mattox. Two Sundays. about this time
fifty years ago. were black sundays for
the people of Richmond and OF the
South. On one came tho order for the
evacuation OF Richmond and on the
other came news OF the downfall Of
nation. From that time TO JanuAry -.
lIs7N, Richmond remained under Mill
| tary rule. though nomfnally under
control Of civil governments FIR ~
part Of ths Tina