Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-28
JUDGE C. |. CHRISTIAN
TELLS OF EVACUATION
Personal Recollections OF Most Dis.
astrous Day in Richmond's
History.
HERE AS WOUNDED SOLDIER
Firm in His Belief In Cause of South
and In Final Triumph of Great
Principles Over Which Battles
Were Fought.
BY JUDGE GEORGE l.. CHRISTIAN.

BY JUDGE GEORGE l.. CHRISTIAN.
The latter part OF February. 1857.
found me law student at the Uni,
versity OF Virginia. having gone there
as soon as my wounds had healed SUI
hcscntly to enable me to walk on
clutches When Sherman came down
TO the university. after having routed
the little army OF Early In tho Valley.
left by the last train coming from
charlottesville In tho direction of Rich.
nond. and, having moved back by easy
stages ms the enemy advanced. / landed
I'm Richmond about March S or 6. vas
homeless and penniless. and people In
that condition do not usually have many
friends. j was fortunate enough, how.
ever. to have some and these / can
never forget for their Kindness to me In
those trying days.
1t was necessary for me to obtain. nj
once. some kind OF employment to en-.
able me to make Il living. and so, on
reaching Richmond I applied to nv
kinsman. the late Rober, Tyler then
register OF the Confederate treasury,
and through his influence obtained a
clerkship In the Treasury Department
which about paid my board l was
thus employed when tho day OF evacua-
ton came. had attended the First
Baptist Church on April 2. 1896. and
after the church broke up went and
sat In Capitol Square. I saw the con-
grcgation leave ST. Paurs, and as some
of these passed by noticed that some
OF the ladies were weeping. and ] heard
remarks to the effect that the city
would be evacuated that night.
SAYS HE WAS A GOOSE
ABOUT THE CONFEDERACY
was a goose about the success OF the
Confederate cause. Up TO that time no
question had arisen In my mind AZ TO
its ultimate success. ] had followed
"Marse Robert" and the fortunes of the
Army OF Northern Virginia through all
or It's splendid victories. and I believed
with such defenders and such cause
as ours defeat was simply impossible.
Feeling this way about IL, what saw
ana heard oil the Capitol Square made
but little impression on me. When
went to dinner that day the rumors OF
the expected evacuation that night had
reached my boarding house, but dis
PEELED these fears by telling the people
about me that i had heard thousands
or alarming rumors in the army, from
time to time. and had nearly always
round them without foundation.
I was the only soldier boarder in the
house, and since my hearers supposed
knew all about tho war, they had CON
hdence in my Judgment. Later in the
evening. as the rumors OF the evacua-
ton became moro general. I began. for
the first time, to mistrust my own 1udg-
ment. and 80 determined to go to the
Confederate War Department., where I
knew some of the employees and which
was then located In the Mechanics In
stitute. on Ninth Street. to find out, II
could. how far the rumors Of evacua-
ton had any foundation In fact.
round. to my amazement. on reaching
that place, that the War Department
was practically In n dismantled condi-
ton. and that many OF its archives and
employees had already left Richmond.
could find no one who could or would
tell me anything that was at all salts
factory about the evacuation; but, OF
course, the then condition OF the depart
ment told It's own story and 7 had sense
enough to Interpret that story to mean
that the city was already being evacu-
ated.
WAS NOT UNEASY AS
TO ULTIMATE SUCCESS
But ! did not believe for a moment
that this fact involved the downfall Of
the COnfederacy. On the contrary.
knew that General Joseph f. Johnston
had advised the evacuation Of Richmond
at the time of the advance of McClel-
Ian in the spring of 1862. We had
frequently had discussions among tho
noted strategists CD in the Howltzcrs
of the question how far the continued
neck of General Lee, and so 1 thought
Marse Robert had at last concluded
to give 1T up and make a grand move,
by which the army of General Grant
would BIO fanked, and in some way de-
featcd or captured. l had not then
learned OF the telegram received by|
President Davis that day to the effect
that General Lees lines had been
broken at Five Forks. But If 7 had
| don't believe that would have af-I
fected in the least my confidence in
the ultimate success OF the Confederate
cause.
On returning from the Confederate
war Department to my boarding house
and without telling Of what L had seen
there. l went to bed and slept as
soundly as had ever slept in my life.
When l was awakened the next morn
ing by tho explosions Of magazines
about the city. the rafting of windows,
the cries OF Fire" etc. knew all
once what 1t all meant, and on look
Ing out on tho street I saw n carriage
containing the then Mayor JosephI
Mayo. Judge John A. Meredith them
Judge Of the Circuit Court, and JudgeI
william Fl. Lyons, then Judge of the|
Hastings Court of the city, and a Fed-|
Continued on Seventh pogaI ~