The Washington herald., 1915-04-04

1 '~>' SSSsAoh, anu IhuSn Inc q I
on sightseeing visit to town. had
walked up street. into the heart Of q
| city that until the day before had beer
held by the enemy,
| Curious and excited. the blacks hao
| hocked about him. and he had talked to
them as father talks to children. Equa :
| ly curious. but sullen whites had watche !
| him. but in the turbulent elements of the
city's population. that the day before ha,
sacked shops and drunk liquor from the
cutters while the flames roared from,
street to street. devouring 100 buildings.
there was not a man or woman who Of
fered him violence, even Of gesture or OF
! word.
young girl approached him with u
bouquet Of flowers. and he received II
| with simple pleasure. When tardiIy :,
proper military escort was provided for
him he climbed to Capitol Hill on foot
and made his way, warm and tanning,
himself with his hat, to the late NV hita
House Of the Confederacy."
Seeing Lincoln thus in the late capita
OF the Confederacy. the person not krow-
ing him would have had difficulty in
realizing that this was the man who ha d
successfully fought the greatest war OF
modern times to near its end; whose
resolution alone had saved to the Aneri-
can people the Union of the States.
News of Richnond's Fall.
morning Of April 3, Lincoln was at City
Point. twenty-five miles down the James.
where. for more than a week, he had
been the guest Of Gen. Grant. He made
his headquarters on a steamer that had
brought him from Washington. or on the
gunboat Malvern. the flagship Of Admiral
forces in the James River.
On the morning Of April 3. on learning
Of the evacuation Of Petersburg, Lincoln
had hurried to the front and had met
Grant In the captured town. The two
had conversed for an hour. On their
parting Grant had hastened westward to
command his army in the pursuit of Lee
twho was marching to Amelia Court
house. in the hope of reaching Danville)
while Lincoln returned to City Point.
Loud explosions UP the river-of
Confederate ironclads-and the flames
and smoke of great coniagration
had apprised the Federals along the
James on the morning of April of
the evacuation of Richmond. When
Lincoln returned to his steamer, the
River Queen, he received the news
that Richmond had fallen and that
Gen. Godfrey weitzel had led a de-
tachment Of Grants army into the
city.
Lincoln was keen to visit Richmond.
To him, for four years. it had typifed
the South's bloody resistance to the
laws of the Union.
As the easiest way to reach Rich
mond was by the river, Admiral Por-
ter volunteered to take tho President
up on his flagship, the Malvern. The
Presidents young son Tad" accom-
panied his father.
Negroes kneel to Lincoln.
Admiral Porter. in his somewhat
horid but entertaining Anecdotes OF
the War;" gives a vivid description of
President Lincoln's journey to Rich
mond- The navy had worked for some
hours sweeping the channel of the
James for torpedoes before 1t was con.
sidered safe for the Malvern to pro.
ceed up the river.
The channel was SO obstructed that
the Malvern ran aground, and the
journey was continued in the admirars
12-oared barge, escorted by q small
tug. A mile below the city a small
steamer was found caught by the
current against a row Of piling OBJ
To the surprise of the President.
party, Admiral Farragut was found to
be on the steamer. He had come up
the James from Norfolk by steamer,
had ridden into Richmond, and was
now returning on the former Confed-
crate faE of truce boat, which had
escaped injury.
The President requested that his tug
remain to release Admiral Farraguts
barge bearing the President went on
without even the escort Of a tug.
Neither the admiral nor any of his
men knew where the landing was
They pulled on. hoping to see some one
from whom they could inquire, until
they arrived at the rocks in the river
bed. between Richmond and Manches-
ter, over which the current poured
rapidly. Tho boat struck on a rock,
but was backed on and q landing was
effected at q point above Libby Prison.
The only persons in sight were a
number of negroes engaged in dig
Iing. One Of them was an old man. As
stepped ashore. the old negro.
with an exclamation, GLORY. Halle
ujah." rushed forward and knelt at
Lincoln's feet In a moment, Lincoln
was surrounded by negroes.
Lincoln looked down at the negroes
with embarrassment.
Don't kneel to me-" he said: that
% not right. You must kneel to God
,nly, and thank him for the liberty
you will hereafter enjoy. l am but
iod's humble instrument: but you
must rest assured that as long as
i've no one shall put a shackle on
'our limbs and you shall have all the
lights which God has given to every
'ther free citizen of the republic"
The negroes next formed q circle
md sang a verse Of a hymn:
o.. al yepeople clap your hands
And with triumphant voicD sing;
No forco the mighty power vithstands
of God. The Universal King.
The President listened respectfully.
md when the singing ceased an at
empt was made to move on.
Judge Campbell had made his sub
mission to Federal authority and wish
ID to discuss peace and the recon-
truction of the Virginia State gov
rnment. Lincoln received him cordiaIs
y and held q conference with him In
ne of Jefferson Davis parlors.
Visit to Libby Prison.
Gen. weitxel. who had been absent
n the Presidents arrival at his head
hastened on his return to Sc
ure a barouche. drawn by four
lorses, for Lincoln's use. In this. with
cavalry escort. the President was
lriven to the Virginia State House.
vhere the Confederate Congress had
Ield its sessions.
Its chambers and Offices were in
tate of complete confusion. Chaira