Yale University Library

39002014491626

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARYBequest Of
Martin S. Eichelberger
1893

R I C H M OND

DUBING

FOUR teMs of personal observation.

- BY A BICHMOND LADY.
S.^\li'e..K. (B-Toi-V.) P-ftnArn

NEW TOBK:
?\ J- Parleton 8j p0., Publishers,
LONDON : 8. LOW, SON fc CO.
MDOCOLXTIT.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, In the year 1867, by '. \j y ,- .
G. W. CABLETON & CO., f
Ju Uto Clerk's Offlco of tho Dlstrlrt Court of tho United States for tho
Southern District of Now York.

i
'1: *
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, J • '
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I

Qtd1
HEB
SOUTHERN SISTERS,
...¦:. who,
in the cause op the late
SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY,
FOB WHICH
; THEIB BEETHBEN YIELDED UP
THEIR LIVES—
"DID ALL THAT WOMAN EVEB DABES."
-IS THIS VOLUME,
HER VIRGIN .EFFORT, ' \'\
WITH WHATEVEB THERE IS IN IT OF MERIT,
:. AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED
BY
THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

• • CHAPTER I. ' page
The Secession of Virginia— How Bichmond hecetved the News, 17
CHAPTEB H. .
The First Alarm — The Pawnee Sunday,  23
CHAPTER m.
Gala Days of hie War,  26
CHAPTER IV.
The Gathisetng of .the Trows,  33
t - - - - ¦ - . .-,-, . ' - ' . : - .". ...
.. Chapter v. a .
Richmond the Capital— Social Changes, ... A ... . 38
. CHAPTER VI. , A
The Fiust Invasion of Virginia, ........... 422
CHAPTER VH.
Position of this Clergy, ........ . . . -. . . 4.6
..... •'._¦¦ CHAPTER VLTL
The First Batij.e— Great Bethel, . A." .'  ig
CHAPTER IX
Disasters in Western Virginia,  50
CHAPTER X.
The Battle of Manassas— Its Effect in Richmond  G9
CHAPTER XI. JA.A A
Richmond a Hospital — Arrival or Prisoners, .-,'!,''; .-..,' G5

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XII. page
Incidents of Battle,  68
CHAPTER XIH.
Changes, in Richmond — An Evil Addition, ........ 75
CHAPTER XTV.
Richmond a Cm of Refuge— Extortions,  78
CHAPTER XV.
The Close of 18G1— TnE Hope of Intervention— Capture of
Mason and Sledell, . .,  ¦ 81
CHAPTER XVI. -
A. Sad Holiday "Week — Work fob Tim Soldiers, • ... . . A 87
CHAPTER XVH.
The Fall of Roanoke Island — Disasters on the Tennessee .
and Cumberland Rivers — Gloom in Richmond, A . . .99
CHAPTER XVHI.
Remains of Union Sentiment in Bichmond — Business Changes, 101
CHAPTER XXX;";.
Richmond the Permanent Capital, . . . . . iA. • • • '108 »
CHAPTER XX,
The Fight in Hampton Roads, . . \. ..  "• • 109
CHAPTER XXI.
A Growing Scarcity of Food in Richmond, , . . .' . - • 113
CHAPTER XXH.
Opening of the Peninsulas Campaign— Magruder's Small Force, 116
CHAPTER XXLU. >-A;;A :
Disasters to the Confederate Cause tn the Southwest— The
Battle of Shtloh,  ...***.
CHAPTER XXIV;
Accumulating Disasters-Effect of the Fall of New Orleans, 125
CHAPTER XXV, .-
The Battles of Seven Fines and Fair Oaks, . . * . ¦ . • * ,3a ' ;

1

At
'ts^iA

w v !'t-
Si i
a>^

CONTENTS. xi
CHAPTER XXVI. page
Jackson's Campaign in the Valley,  ,  137
CHAPTER XXVTI.
Stuart's Raid  . \iq
CHAPTER XXVm.
The Seven Days' Battles on the Peninsula,  144
CHAPTER XXIX.
Pope's Orders— Captures— Libby Prison  155
CHAPTER XXX.
The Battle of Cedar Mountain — Northern Letter- Writing, . 158
' CHAPTER XXXI.
The Provost Marshal's Office in Richmond — Incidents, . . 161
CHAPTER XXXH.
The Second Battle of Bull Bun— A Woman's Stratagem, . . 103
.-..-""" CHAPTER XXXHI.
The Clouds Luted, , ...-¦.. A  166
CHAPTER XXXTV.
Return of the Confederate Congress — Women at Work in
the Public Departments, ... A  ' . . 1G9
• A CHAPTER XXXV. :
Fidelity of the Negroes,  177
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Lee's Invasion of Maryland — The Battle of Anttetam, , . . 180
CHAPTER XXXVn.
Scenes in Richmond in the Winter of 1862-i,  188
CHAPTER XXXVLH.
Burnside's Campaign — Refugees in Richmond,  19G
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Running the Blockade,  202
CHAPTER XL.
The Bread Riot in Richmond, '....-.>.  208

XII . CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XLL page
Spies  ,; ;,..'.... 2il
CHAPTER XLH.
Stoneman's Raid — Panic in Richmond,  213
CHAPTER XLLtf.
Hooker's Campaign — Death of Stonewall Jackson, . i , . 215
CHAPTER XLIV. . ¦
Sufferings of the Wounded — Lack of Supplies, .A . . . 225
CHAPTER XLV
The Fall of Vicksbut.o— Its ' Effect,- i  ... 228
CHAPTER XLVI.- - -A ¦ ' "' t-.ci;;--
Lee's Invasion of Pennsylvania — Effect of the Battle of
Getti-sburo, . . . > .... .-.!-. . ,.•;., \... ¦ . 233
CILU?TER XLVH.
The Summer of 18G3— A Woman Arrested for Treason, . . .. 248
CHAPTER XLVHI.
Poverty tn Richmond  A >' A • . . . . !•:. •-. . 250
CHAPTER XLIX.
Bragg's Camtaign — The Battle of Chickamauga,' . . A '."A 257
CHAPTER L.-,
Trouble with the Negroes, . A ; v . . . . : . . . . . 262
^ CHAPTER LI.
Christmas, 18GV- Opening of the New Year, • . . . . . . 2G7
CHAPTER LH.
CONIXDERATE CuRRENCT — FABULOUS PulCES IN RICHMOND, . ... 271
CHAPTER LHI.:. .: -v -,'-,:.A;s: . ->\4r
The Confederate Congress m the Winter. or. 1863-4, /;.-.:. ¦; . 274
CHAPTER LIV.
DAm.nnr.NA Batd around Rii-hitiwd,  27G
CHAPTER LV.
The SrniNG of 1864— Morgan's Return to Richmond, ¦ A >'t : .-. 284

i!:

CONTENTB. xiu
CHAPTER LVI. page
Proposed Evacuation of Richmond— Removal of the Treas
ury-Note Bureau,  288
CHAPTER LVH.
The Summer Campaign of 1864 — The Battles of the Wil
derness,  290
CHAPTER LV1TI.
Petersburg,  2"
CHAPTER LIX.
Starvation in Richmond, ....... t  303
.-.-'_ CHAPTER LX.
Destruction of the Alabama — Sherman's March, . . . . . 305
CHAPTER LXI.
Earlt'b Campaign— Washington Threatened,  312
i
CHAPTER LXIL
Life in Richmond in 1864, /- '. -. -':. "'. \> '"". -¦ •'  314
-A . CHAPTER LXHL..
Both Sections Tired of War— The Negotiation at Niagara
Falls — Colonel Jacques's Visit to Richmond— The
Chicago Convention, ,.. , . ».  321,
; ¦ ' S CHAPTER LXTV. '
The Capture of Moblle— The Fall of Atlanta— The Fall
Campaign abound Richmond, .  326
CHAPTER LXV.
Sheridan's Campaign in the Valley— Naval Losses— Re-elec
tion of Mr. Lincoln — Arming of Slaves, . . . ... . 331
A CHAPTER LXVI.
Hood's Campaign dj Tennessee — Sherman's March through
Georgia — The Confederate Armies Depleted by De
sertion,  336
CHATTER LXVH,
The Winter of 1861-6— Want of Fuel and Provisions— Ro
mance— Prices, ,..¦.. .. . . .-  310

XIV

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER LXVHI.
Captube of Fort Fisher— Occupation of Wilmington and
Chaeleston— End of Sherman's March, . .A t .
CHAPTER LX1X.
More Peace Negotiations — Government Appeal for Food, .
CHAPTER LXX.
Forebodings of Disaster — Sheridan's Great Raid And his
Junction wtrn Grant, .....—. 

341

CHAPTER LXXI.
Operations of Grant and Lee — Fall of Petersburg, . ...
CHAPTER AXXTT.
Evacuation of Richmond— Burning- of tde City, 
CHAPTER LXXLH.
Visit of President Lincoln to Richmond — The Federal Gov- -'
ernment Fieding the People, :'-''. ' . . . . ... .
CHAPTER LXXIV.
Surrender of Lee, ... A ....:.... i , .
CHAPTER LXXV.
The Assassination — Capture of Jefferson Davis — Concluding A
Events of the AYar, . . . A .' - A . . , A .' . , i
CHAPTER LXVT.
Life in the Old Land Vet,  \

3-19

35V

359

362

311

314

. 3S0

3S3

VV

¦il

.V

3

If

INITIAL .CHAPTER.

EIOnMOND IN HISTORY.
Had not cruel siege been laid to Saragossa, and Londonderry, and
Gibraltar, and Sebastopol, they had had scarcely more than a local
name, and tho pages of history hod not been gilded with oxamploa of
self-abnegation, sacrifice, and Valor so sublime as to appeal to heaven
for admiration. Heroism,, patriotism, and all the nobler instincts of
tho human soul, are rarely developed in tho bright sunshine of prosper
ity. The rough winds of adversity are needful to tho germination of
the procions seed which God has gonerously implanted, but chooses to
bring to tho budding and blossoming and fruition in his own good way.
Had not the passions of man lighted the frenzied torch of war, nnd
opcnod its bloody trail upon the plains of the Crimea and the waters
of tho Euxine, the world had never known that greatest of heroines,
Florence nightingale. Had not oppression, under specious legal pro-
tonee, trodden heavily upon America, she had not given to the world her
Washington. The bloody French revolution made a Napoleon ; a later
revolution made another of the same great name ; a still later upheaval
has made a Bismarck.
With memories crowding up Hko trooping phantoms, some beautiful
and pleasant, some taunting and derisive, our fingers are toying listlessly
with a Key t It is somewhat tarnished,' but the xed stains ore partially
worn off by recent use. What must be done with it? We feel that
thoro is something in the looked chamber that will interest us — some
thing that tho world will bo wiser and better for knowing— and hesitat
ingly we turn the key, to reveal tho secrets held by the Confederate Capital
during four years of terrible civil war.
The writer, a Southern woman, tells in this volume a story of person
al experiences aud obsoiTations in Richmond. In beginning o sories of
Recollections of tho War, her original inteution was to give them pub-
' lication through, tho columns of some friendly journal, but by the advice

16

INITIAL CHAPTER.

of friends, (partial, it may be,) the narrative has boon so amplified as to
include a much larger held than was originally intended, and is now pre
sented as a truthful though imperfect picture of scenes of which she wos
personally cognizant. Li opming tho door of our dovotod city, we do
not mean to praise her, but to lot the simple record tell the "story of her
worth. Richmond has won a place in history beside Athens and Sparta
and Rome, and her heroes, liko theirs, aro immortal.
Acknowledgments are duo to the author of the Southern history enti
tled "Four Years of tho War," from whose pages accounts of military
movements have been liberally drawn ; but many incidents illnsirotivo
of tho heroic enduraneo of tho men and women of tho South during
tho wholo of their terrible ordeal aro narrated from individual observa
tion ; while the singular scenes occurring in the Capital itsolf formed a
part of the author's daily experience. , She submits her work, with a
sincere dcsiri that khully relations may bo spoodily restored between tho
lately warring sections ; and asks that it may be remembered that whilo
there is much to bo forgotten, it is God-liko to forgive. : " '

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^£.X-

EICIIMOro -"DURING THE.¥AE.

CHAPTER I.

THE SECESSION OF VIRGINIA — HOW RICHMOND RECEIVED THE NEWS.
TO the anxious and restless inhabitants of Richmond, the
proceedings of the Virginia Convention during the win
ter of 18G1 seemed slow, undecided, and uncertain. Sepa
rated, by the action of the other Southern States, from their
former closo communion with those to whom they weie
allied by sympathy, relationship, and interest, thoy chafed
under tho apprehension that they would bo compelled to
remain in the Union. Divided counsels distracted the atten
tion of the members of the Convention ; the strong party
which favorod immediate secession, was opposed by an
other which insisted upon the expediency of a compromise,
and there was still another faction which bitterly resented
every proposition to sever the relations existing between
Virginia and the Federal Government, (it was at this
period that the women of Virginia, and especially of Rich
mond, began to play the important part in 'public affairs,
which thoy sustained with unflinching energy during four
years of sanguinary and devastating war. The hall of tho
Convention became their favorite place of resort and occa
sionally thoy engaged in political discussion before tho as-
Bemblago of the members. Every prominent dolegato liad
his own partisans among the fair' sex. Every woman was
to some extent a politician. J

13

THE SECESSION OF VIRGINIA.

On the afternoon of the 14th of April, the news of the fall
of Fort Sumter reached us by .telegraph. It was received
with tho wildest demonstrations of delight. A hundred
guns were fired, and as the reverberations were heard for
miles around, the people of Richmond knew that there was
some wonderful cause for joy, and those not of tho city won
dered whether they commemorated the victory of the Con
federates at Sumter, or whether the Convention had at last
pnsaod tho ordinanco of secession. But tho intelligence of
tho actual event spread rapidly ; men from the adjoining"
country flocked to tho city to hear the wonderful story f
bonfires wcro kindled, rockets sont up, and tho most tumul
tuous excitement reigned. All night tho bells of Richmond
rang, cannons boomed, shouts of joy arose, and the strains
of "Dixie's Land," already adopted as tho national tune of
tho Confederates, wore wafted ovor the seven hills of the
city. There was little room to doubt tlio spirit of tho people of
Richmond at that time Denunciations were heaped Upon
tho Convention, because of its tardiness, and attempts
wcro made to run up the Stars aud Bars on tho dome
*| of tho Capitol. Mothers, forgetful, in the tumult, of the
rcf-tiaiut usually imposed upon their youthful sons, per-.
milfr-d fhem to join in the demonstrations of delight; and
(lie boys shouted eagerly for tlie Southern Confederacy, and
for Bcauiogard, the hero of Fort Sumter, and cried, "Down'
with tho Old Flag 1" '" ' ,, ^ .
Through respect to tho Sabbath, which came on tho next
day, these noisy demonstrations wore suspended, though tho
_subjoct of excitement was of too startling a character to bo
'. hushed up, even by the sanctity of the day, and was quietly
discussed everywhere but in tho houses of worship. -,.
The writer of these recollections on that day crossed
Mayo's Bridge, and as her eye rested on the shipping that
lay at anchor in the river, she saw from tho mast-heads of
tho vessels, floating in tho breeze and sunshino, tho Stars
and Stripes, tho old flag, undor whose folds, as the ensign

r

THE SECESSION OF VIRGINIA.

19

¦l
I A

of her nation, she had first breathed the air of heaven.
Emotion,'-), tho most thrilling yet the most inexplicable, took
possession of hoi\ Her pride in it had over been intense ;
her love for it characterized by the most sincere veneration.
She questioned with herself whether she had lived to see
tho day when that flag, which had ever been to her tho em
blem of all that was great and glorious, in a free govern
ment, should become the symbol of tyranny and of oppres
sion to Ihe rights she held ¦ most sacred. On the next
Sabbaih, as she stood upon the same Bpot, from the mast
heads oi' thoso ..vessels she • saw floating, not tho Stars
and Si rinos— but tho Stars and Bars. Virginia had
seceded. - !
On tho 17th of April, after sitting nearly two months, at
a late hour of tho night, and in socret session, the Conven
tion of Virginia passed an ordinance of secession, while it
was yet, hopeful of new constitutional guaranties, and a re
vulsion of' fooling at the North.
The resolution, which was unanimously, adopted, was as
follows: ..
"Tlie people of Virginia recognize the American principle, that gov
ernment is founded on' the consent bf the governed, and tho right of the
people of tho several States of this Union, for just cause to withdraw
from their association, under the Federal Government, with the people
of tho other States, and to erect new governments for their better secu
rity ; and they never will consent that the Federal power, which is in
part their power, shall bo exerted for the purposo of subjecting such
Slates to tho Fodoral authority." .
From tho secrecy which characterized tho proceedings of
the Convention, the people of Richmond were expecting
some important results, and were not surprised at the infor
mation announced inthe morning papers. Suddenly — al
most as il by magic — the new Confederate flag was hoisted on
the Capitol, and from every hill-top, and from nearly every
house-top in the city, it was soon waving. The excitement
was boyond description ; the satisfaction unparalleled. All
business was suspended for the time, and the work of tho

20

TnE SECESSION OF VIRGINIA.

THE SECESSION OP VIRGINIA.

21

moment was universal congratulation. At last Virginia was
free from the obligation that bound her to a Union which
had becomo hateful. Cannons wcro fired, bolls rang, shouts
rent the air, the inhabitants rushed to and fro to discuss
the joyful event. A stranger suddenly transported to the
city, without a knowledge of preceding facts, would have
imagined the pcoplo in a state of intoxication or insanity.
But tho grand demonstrations of delight were reservod for
tho evening of tho 19th of April, when tho whole city was
magnificently illuminated, and tho secession . of tho Stato
celebrated by tho most oxtonsivo torch-light procession over
known there. Tho illumination soomed so universal, that
the writer, who spout tho ovoning iu walking about tho city,
does not remember a single building from which the gleam
ing of lights was not visible A favorite form of this illumi
nation was the Cross of tho South ; and if among the poor
and humble, there wore wanting moans to illuminate grand
ly, a single light in the window proved that at least the
inclination to rejoioo was not wanting. All love for tho
Union appeared exhausted.
Tho procession, beginning its lino of march on Marshall
Street, rapidly swelled iu numbers until, when it roached
Main Street, the thoroughfare) was entirely blockaded for
many squares; Rockets wore Hashing iu all directions, Ro
man candles darted myriads of stars, numerous bands of music
discoursed the new national airs, aud thousands of voices
joined in the choruses. Transparencies of all sizes and
descriptions, bearing significant mottoes and caricatures,
wove borne in tho profession. Passing through -Marshall
mid Bioad Streets, and down Main Street to its terminus
beyond Church Hills, tho procession marched through
Franklin Street, past tho State Court Hon so, and paused
in front of tlio Ballard House, aud Exchange Hotel, whero
onlliusiastio speeches wcro made by various orators. Tho
sight was novel. As far as tho cyo could reach down tho
lino of Frauklin Street, aud over the hill, more than a mile
distant, gleamed the torches, and tho dim transparencies

AJ

m

shone like illuminated squares of vapor, or gigantic fire-flies;
the sounds of musical instruments growing fainter and
fainter, until they wcro lost upon tho ear, or drowned in
the hum of the multitudo, which now and thon burst
forth into tho wildest hurrahs. It was impossible to mis
take the sentiment which possessed the soul of tho assem
blage. It was not tho result of a sudden ebullition of
excitement, but of roal emotion, long cherished.
Among the orators introduced; were one or more from
Georgia, and several from North Carolina, among whom
was General Ransom, oftorwards favorably distinguished in
tho Coufodorato service : Ho came, he said, "to bring
news from tho Old North State, which' was roady to follow
the example of the Old Dominion, and had already secured
overy fortress belonging to hor territory, with seventy-five
thousand stand of arms— thus pledging herself to the cause
of the South, and giving one more State to the Confederacy."
This announcement called forth the wildest acclamations.
Cheer aftor cheer rent tho air. Then came another speaker,
: who announced the resistance in Baltimore, and described
the, bloody scenes which had occurred in tho attempt to
pass Federal troops through the streets of that city. Al
though this piece of information had been received several
hours previously, and was commemorated on the transpar
encies, it was presented by tho speaker with such force that
rcnowed cheers wont up, aud tho shouts for Baltimore wero
loud and long.
The orators of this occasion woro introduced by a lawyer
of Albemarle County, Virginia, a young man of distinguished
abilitios, tho son of an old aud prominonl, politician, and
promising himsolf to make no inconsiderable figure in tho
political arena. In profacing tho introduction of ono of
Richmond's illustrious guests, oxcitod by'tho enthusiasm of
. tho moment, ho declared: "1 am neither a prophet, nor tho
' son of a prophet, yet I predict that in less than sixty days
the flag of the Confederacy will bo waving over the Write
. House "—alluding to tho expected capture of Washington.

22

THE SECESSION OF VIRGINIA

M

" Yes," exclaimed one in tho crowd, " in loss than tliirty
days!" But how feeble is human foresight, and human
wisdom. The Southern cry of "On to Washington," was
the complement of the Northern " On to Richmond." Un
educated in tho difficult arts of war, what then seemed feasi
ble to the glowing and enthusiastic imagination of confident
hope, grew painfully loss so, as instructed and bitter experi
ence taught many that thoy had engaged in no mere child's
play. Ar-uA
As wo stood upon tho stops of the Ballard House, enter
tained by a distinguished member of the Convention, whilo
many interesting incidents of tho session woro discussed,
allusion was made to- tho fact that a prominent man in that
body had received from tho ladies of Richmond a crown of
flowers as a token of their, admiration for his fidelity to tho
Union. Surprise was expressed, for it" had been generally
understood, that among tho women of Richmond tho seces
sion sentiment was most warmly cherished. Pointing to a
window of tho hotel on tho opposite side of the street, ho
remarked, "I am happy to enlighten you, and can explain '
qui to to your satisfaction how tho mistake originated." He
continued : "You see there, two ladies?" "Yos." "Well,"
thoy are from Boston, aud with them originated the com
pliment ascribed to tho ladies of this city."
This affair, incorrectly reported at tho time, gave rise to
the story which appeared in tho newspapers at the North,
that the women of Richmond wore opposed to secession.
The fact was, that long before the ordinance of secession
was passed by the Convention, almost every woman in Rich
mond had in her possession a Confederate flag — roady, at
any moment, to run it out from her window.

1

I-1

v THE FIRST- ALARM. 23
CHAPTER H.
THE FIBST ALARM  THE PAWNEE SUNDAY/.
UP to this time, we had scarcely begun to realize that
war was inevitable. We had hoped against hope,
Until the battle of Fort Sumter was fought, that some com
promise might bo effected, somo specific measures adopted
to stay tho dreaded evil. Richmond was nevor in a moro
prosperous condition. Hor trado was flourishing; articles
of food woro abundant and cheap; the stores were well
stocked, with merchandise; pauperism was almost unknown;
tho pcoplo were independent and happy. In intolligenco,
morality, refinement and piety, tho inhabitants compared
favorably with thoso of any city in the Union.
On the day succeeding the night of the illumination, the
city relapsed into comparative quiet; but steady watch was
kept up for any hostile demonstration. Military organiza
tions were begun, and volunteers fast filled the ranks. • Tho
Richmond Light Infantry Blues possessed somo enviable
historic fame. It was an organization which dated its ori
gin prior to the Revolution of 1776, and had numbered
among its ranks somo bf tho most gallant and chivalrous
of the descendants of tho old cavaliers of Virginia. At this
time, it was under the command of Captain O. Jennings
Wise, a son of Ex-Governor Wise, and then associate editor
of tho Richmond Enquirer, which had been, since tho days
of the elder Ritchie, the principal organ of the Democracy
of -Virginia. Company F and the Richmond Greys had
their ranks filled by young men generally of wealth, educa
tion and refinement, enthusiastic, brave and generous. All
those companies of infantry were well drillod in military
exercises, and roady to use their skill in defence of the cause
which had divided the North from tho South, even to the
death. These companies,, with the Battalion of tho Rich
mond Howitzers, and tho Fayotto Artillery, composed at
that time the whole military forco of the city under regular
organization.

21

THE FIRST ALARM.

ATHE- FIRST- ALARM. f»-?

25

It had been announced that at the slightest premonition
of danger, the bell on the Capitol Square should be rung,
when the military companies were to repair to their respec
tive armories rind preparo to moot any emergency. On
Sunday, the 21st of April, occurred tho first of a wonderful
succession of Sabbath day excitements. Indeed, so cora-
,.m»i did such excitements finally become, that with few ex
ceptions, we declared all Sunday rumors false. On this
warm and "balmy April day, the attendance at the different
^churches was more than usually large. Carefidly refraining
from making their pulpit discourses themes of political dis
cussion, our clergymen nevertheless offered up tho - most
fervent and devout prayers continually, that God, in his wis-
dorn, might quell tho surging billows of angry discord, dis
pose tho hearts of men to peace, and stay' the scourge of
war; and it was noted as a singular coincidence on that
day, that tho peculiar lesson in the Episcopal Churches was
regarded, by many, as prophetic of success to the South:— -
" Yea, will tho Lord bo jealous for his land, and pity his people.
Yea, tho Lord will answer, and say unto his people, 'Behold, I
will send you com, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satis
fied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach
among the heathen, but I will remove far off from you tho
Northern Array, and will drive him into a land barren and
desolate, with his face tow-aid the east sea, and his hinder
part toward the uttermost sea, and his stink shall como up,
and his ill savor shall -come Up, because he hath done great
things.'" :' > •
The services had proceeded until just at their close in
some of tlio churches/and in others during the last prayer,
the premonitory sound of tho bell on the Squaro disturbed
the solemnity of the hour, and awoke the people to a dread
sense of danger — from what sourco, they could not toll. • '
Li an instant all uns confusion. The men, in tlio excite
ment, rushed pell-mell from tho churches; and tho women,
pnlo and trembling with affright, clung to their sons and
husbands, wherever they could — but getting no response to

'-ALM

%*<

JU

their tearful question— " What is the matter? What is the
matter ?"
Hasty embraces, sudden wrenchings . of tho hand, -tearful
glances of nffoction, and our men rushed to their armorios
to prepare they lmew not for what. On every female face
was the pale hue of dismay; but mingled with it, the stern,
unmistakable impress of heroic resolution to yield up
their hearts' most cherished idols upon the altar of their
country, if need be. Silently, tearfully, our women wended
their way to their homes, and from every closet, the out
pourings, of supplicating souls, for protection to the loved
ones, went up to the oar of tho Etornal.
. The alarm, however, was groundless. It originated in a
report that tho Federal sloop of war Pawnoo, which had
been operating in Norfolk Harbor, was making her way up
James Eiver, bent upon the destruction of Richmond. In
a situation entirely defenceless, with no obstacles to prevent.
an easy and -rapid communication with the city, either by
land or water, it was by no means foolish to suppose such
a plan possible, and even feasible.
Oh passing down Main Street, a novel sight met our gaze.
The different companies of infantry were all mustered, nu
merous pieces of artillery of light calibre, belonging to tho
Howitzer Battalion and the Fayette Artillery, were drawn
out into tho strcot; almost every man carried a gun of somo
description, and boys, who had learned to ehobt, appeared
with light fowling-pieces. Tho ridiculous was singularly
blended with tho soloinn and impressive Only at tho slow
est pace could a carriage mako its way through tho crowdod
street, aud then with much risk, to the lives of the occu
pants, from a prospect of frightened horsos.
• Aiter much deliberation it was decided to send down to a
convenient position on tho rivor, afow miles below tho city,
sovcral pieces of artillery to greet tho coming of tho in
truder. This was the first movemont of tho Virginia military
in the late war.
As twilight gathered' oyer the- city j tho faiut booming of
2*

26

GALA DAI'S OF THE WAR.

GALA DAYS OF THE WAR.

distant cannon was distinctly , heard, and apprehension of
an engagement with the Pawnee was entertained; but the
reports were afterwards ascertained to be only the result of
a trial of the pieces. Tho next morning, by order of the
governor, the artillery wero recalled to the city, to bo sent,
in a very few days, to meet an emergency of greater impor
tance. -,,... . ,, . '
This day has since been familiarly known to the people of
Richmond as tho Pawnee Sunday, and many ridiculous oc-
currcnccs wero tho source of much subsequent amusement.

27

¦A '*.' ;.!¦ ' ¦ fi-V-,-- ;A AA' !:c A'
. CHAPTER m.
-•.-.'.¦ . - i--ri,ir. - ,; ,-f* -.
GALA DAYS OF THE WAB. ¦['": '.'" 'r ' ¦ '"'""
. - ' 'A-;SA< .'. -: '¦':, it
-TMtROUGH the management of Mr. Floyd,. the South
-L was not entirely unprepared for tho emergency she
was required to meet. Ito had succeeded in gettiug an
order for tho transfer of certain arms of an improved and
valuable kind from tho armories of Springfield and-Water-
vlict to tho different arsenals of the South; and with these,'
together with arms distributed by the .Federal Government
to the different States, prior to this period, and those, pur
chased by the States and citizens, the South was not wholly
wanting in the means to meet the demands of the time.
But when wo rotloct upon the weakness ofthe South, her
utter insufficiency, compared with the numbers and re
sources with which sho presumed to, contend, we are lost
in amazement at, tho very inception, to say nothing of tho
continuation of the struggle through;four long years, of
difficulties, that grew aud thickened at every step— of imped
iments which arose, unlookcd for, and everywhere. '
The nev\ s from abroad was discouraging. Baltimore had
been subdued; Federal troops wcro passing through daily;
and many of her citizens wero wending their way to Rich
mond.

In a very short time the population of Richmond in
creased in a wonderful ratio. Strange faces greeted the
citizens at every turn; and tho city, even at that early
period, began to wear the stern and remarkable characteris
tics she has ever since retained.'' The absorbing question
of the moment was that of war. The most active enthu
siasm was everywhere visible. It was well that we were not
then awaro of onr own weakness, nor that wo were in want
of ovory thing but bravo hearts and willing hands. We wore,
as a people, a riving exemplification of the truth of the pro
verb that " Whero ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to bo wise."
Sanguine expectations of speedy success wore entertained
by many; and some doubted whether the policy of coorcion
would bo carried out in an activo engagement. It was hard
to believe that we were actually plunged into tho 'troubles
we so much deprecated; that the horrent front of war was
bristling before us. .-,- >f : A..
'¦¦ The theatre of war on land was soon understood to be on
our own soil. Virginia was to be the principal battle-ground
of tho antagonistic forces; and General Lee, who had re
signed his commission as Colonel of Cavalry in tho old
United States Army, was placed in command of all the Con
federate forces in Virginia.' ' ." ' - A
Feeling that our State had become the particular object of
hatred and hostility to the old government, we. hastened
with' all possible energy, to nicet the necessities which niiglit
arise: Tho most active preparations for the terrible future
commenced from the time that Virginia ranged herself under
the banner of ' the Southern ; Confederacy. Colleges and
public schools of all grades suspended operations, and our
young men hastily sought instruction in tho art of war.
Men of all grades and jriofessions were to be found, filling*
up tho i'anka for the coming' contest. Tho clergyman laid
aside his surplice, the lawyer his briefs, the physician his
scalpel, the merchant his lodger, the farmer his plough, tho
artisan tho tools which denoted his craft. All placed them
selves in tho ranks of the military, for assignment to whatever

GALA DAYS OE THE WAR.
Could all this havo been but from the excitement of tho
HnT T,6; UlllMOn °f P~" S^Uri°- enthusiasm
ie'S "'"' to au ^-witness, another solution to the
mystery is evolved.
It was the bursting of the green withes with which tho
young giant wa, ettered-it was the breaking of the co ids
of oppression with which he had been bound-it was tho
"--lying ](,ve of Liberty-wliicb had been re-echoed from
the anient walls of old St. John's (which gives a name Z
one ot the seven beautiful lulls of Richmond,) a legacy be-
quea;hea by heir fore-fathers, through their spokesman! So
itimorM Patrick Hanry-" Givo me Liberty, or give mo
death!" They felt . . b
,P r • "To tight— ¦¦
lo firtnt in n just cause, and for our country's glory ' A ,
Is tlio best office of tho best of men ; , ,- . .
Ami l-o rlt-clino when these motives urge, "' t:V'
Is infamy benoulh a coward's baseness. '.' '
But it is useless to attempt an explanation of tlio motives
of , 11 -gmians, at least, in the conduct of the late war-nor
would we draw invidious comparison with tho people of
other States of the South. ,111 were actuated by the same
mo W; aU were imbued by the same spirit-nor do 'we,
by these remarks, wish any apology understood. The jus-
ico of their cause was the maiu-spring of- their action. To
them it was clear and undimmed as tho cloudless sunlight-
to ah whoso minds are unclouded by prejudice, or undark-
enctt by fanaticism, it must appear so.
Should these hues meet iho eye of any who may be dis
posed to give a ha.i-,k judgment, wo only ask that, for a sin
gle moment, tho promptings of a better principle within
may bo yielded to ; that a position may bo taken from a

GALA -DAYS OE THE WAR.

29

f

I" i
i.
i.

Virginia stand-pointed then **. t^siom ^der
Sc^rrd^r^L^ard the brave and
'TZ meantime, the uprising throughout the State had
been almost - universal. Military companies were s ecdrly
tool in every section of the country. ¦< Indeed, with such
I ',,nd ll m the young men press forward to , „»
^ 1 e service of tho South, that the numbers seemed hkey
to exceed the demand. Every railroad train that arrived m
Rich, nil bore its freight of soldiers. Very soon, from all
Actons around the city, the white tents of tho soldiery
tro seen dotting the landscapes. Tlie first regiments from
Tho States soutl :of Virginia, which -re tranced
thither wore the 1st South Carolina, commanded by Col
onel Gregg, and the 2nd South Carolina, commanded by
Colonel Ke shaw. Their entire passage from Charleston,
was an ottion. Everywhere on tho route, demonstrations
If tho most enthusiastic and flattering character greeted
LuT At every depot and turn-out on the rmW ,
crowds assembled to get a sight of the heroes oi ! Fo at Sum
tcr Their arrival in Richmond was greeted by the mos
cordial welcome, and they boro the appearance of guests at
' a noMay festival, rather than the stern features of the sol
dier The sadder and darker side of the duties of their new
Session had not become familiar. Their encampments
Ze throned by visitors, who wished to hear from the lips
If LS volunteers, the wonderful story of the bloodless
victo 7 at F'ort Sumter. The evening dless-parado attracted
SSg crowds of ladies, to whom every soldier seemed a
hero It was the delight of the young South Carolinian to
detail his experience in the campaign, and to give expres
sion to the enthusiastic patriotism which swelled his youth
ful bosom. Hope and fancy blended around huu m such a
halo of glory, that disappointment or failure never found
place for' a momont in his imagination.
Even at that time, when the cause for wkuch they strug-

so

GALA DAYS OP THE WAR.

gled so united the people of tho South, a jealous pride, and
a pccuhar devotion to the particular State in which they
ekumed birthright or adoption, were strikingly perceptible.
Strangely forgotiul of the common motive which broti«*t
them to Virginia, by an unfortunate selection of words* it
was not unusual to hear them declare thoy had come "to
ffght the battles of Virginia/' This remark always pro
voked a ready, and often a bitter rotort.
Although very nearly every woman wore a "secession
badge, and a braid or rosette of palmetto on her hat, and
heaped upon the young soldiers grateful' and fluttering
attentions, she would yi'ow indignant and sttano-,-1 v res6nt_
till of any remark conveying tho idea that Virginia had
on-mated tho quarrel which moved the entire South or
hat she needed help from other States to relieve her from
the difficulty. They permitted no reflection on the Old
Dominion. -.
An amusing incident will serve to illustrate the state of
leering sometimes engendered by this unfortunate allusion
On an afternoon visit of a party from the city, to the en
campment of tho South Carolinians, ono of the laches led
by Ihe hand a beautiful little girl of somo eight or ten years
of ago. The gracefulness and sprightliuess of tho child
made her an object of notice to all with whom she was
thrown in contact. It was not tho first visit that sho had made
to tho camp, aud sho was recognized by tho soldiers as their
"little Flora." Nothing delighted her inoro than to 'go
among them laden with flowers, which she would dispenso
with charming grace, generally selecting, from tho instinct
ive promptings of her generous heart, tlio sick, weary, or
dispirited upon whom to bestow her pleasant gifts. .• The
ladies were soon joined by sovcral young men of tho camp,
who tendered their sorvicos as escorts.' Aftor discussing
the probabilities and possibilities of tho future, a gallant
young soldier of loss than twenty summers, who had re
counted in an eloquent mannor tho scenes in Charleston
Harbor, continued : " Wo havo Hot only come to Virginia

GALA DAYS OF THE WAR,

31

to fight her battles, but to take wives of her fair daughters.
Will you not promiso.'me your charming little girl?" — taking
tho hand of tho little sprite, then disburdened of her bou
quets. !
"To fight Virginia's battles did you come?" exclaimed
tho lady, with much sarcasm and bitterness, " then indeed
you should be rewarded with a wife from sheer gratitude.".
The young man blushod and did not reply.
"Oh, yes," continuod the oxcitod lady, "if Virginia had
been, loft to horself, it is not probable she would have provoked
a.challongo that would havo called you hither as her second.
Rut since, from hor territorial position, she must stand as a
bulwark betwoon hor sister Statos of tho South and inva
sion, and must fako upon her soil tho battlos of. tho coun
try, I do not feel that she must be compelled to dispose of
her patriotic girls as a grateful reward to their defenders.
I cannot say, sir, unless you recall your ill-timed remark or
qualify it by. better selectod language, that I can answer
"yes" to your proposition. My little girl must not be yielded
up as a lliankful acknowledgment of services rendered. It
is extremely painful to rost under obligations."
.., , The young soldier was still mute, and the lady continued :
"You appear to forget, sir, tho common interest which has
not only brought you. hither, but has called into tho field in
its defence so many of our own noble young men," (pointing
to a distant camp, where the Virginia soldiers were quar
tered.) ,, ¦ "
" Excuse me, madam," he at last ventured to reply ;
"I sinoeroly regret my mal apropos remark. It was indeed
very foolish, when I romember the noblo relation Virginia
occupies to the other States of the South. I will recall it,
if you please, and substitute ' the battles of the Southern
Confederacy.' Will that amendmont please you ?"
His friend smiled. "Ah! well, then," she rejoined,
"my prayer is that this unfortunate war may not continuo
Until my little girl is old enough to dispose of to a suitor ;
but if so, and you can prove worthy of hor in your coun-

32

GALA DAYS OF THE , WAR.

try's service, I may consent that she shall be the prizo with
which you shall bo rewarded. Her promise is very bright,
and 'none but tho brave deserve the fair.' "
She extended her hand to the soldier. He grasped it
with fervor. "I thank, you! I thank you!" ho blushiimly
exclaimed ; "I shall not forget your promise, and shall en
deavor to prove worthy of your regard ; nor shall I forget,
in my extreme State pride, to be cautious in discriminating
between tho cause of tho South and the integral parts."
And venturing to kiss his little fiancee, ho continued to the
lady: "You havo taught me, madam, a useful lesson." *
Many amusing and striking anecdotes might be related
of these times. Regardless of social distinction, or castes
of society, the barriers which hedge familiar, intercourse
woro broken down, and tho man was almost forgotten in
tho soldier. Tho spirit which nerved tho men to seek death
at tho mouth of the cannon made of every woman a hero
ine, and tho unflinching courago with which they parted
with (heir household gods sustained them throughout tho
trials, the horrors, the desolation which followed, j" Not only
wcro the husband and father, tho fully-grown boy yielded
up, but often "little Benjamin," the youngest, the darling,
the idol of the mother's heart, was called for, and cheerfully
she bade him go ; and if tears wore shod, tho boy was not
made n coward by tho Southern mother's weakness. Our
men wcro bravo ; our women not tho less so. It required
oven moro courago to abido patiently the result of war than
to face flic danger and forget in the excitement of the cam
paign the perils incident, to it.
A lady one day, whilo visiting an encampment of South
Carolina soldiers, approached a sentinel to ask some ques
tions, when, failing to give tho desired information, he was
assisted by a bright-eyed boy, in tho soldier's uniform,
whoso fine complexion, beaming countenance and extromo
youth instantly attracted her attention aud interest. Turn
ing to him sho exclaimed: "How young you must bo I" "I
am fifteen," he answered.

THE GATHERING OF- THE TROOPS.

33

• "Too young for this work," the lady rejoined, kindly tak
ing tho hand of the boy; " too young— too young."
His face lighted up with pride and enthusiasm, and
proudly holding out his muskot at arm's length, ho said,
"But, madam, my gun can shoot as hard as any man's 1"
"But," continued the lady, almost overcome with emo
tion, "my, brave boy, what said your dear mother to your
becoming a soldier so young ?"
"Nothing, noble lady; but sho made my uniform, and she
put this Testament in my pocket," exhibiting it as he spoke.
Tears filled the eyes1 pf the woman. " My mother did
not shod a tear that I could see," tho boy continued, a
In a very few days the regiment was ordered off. Tho
lady saw the brave boy no moro, but she nover forgot him,
and as often as memory reverted to that conversation, sho
offered up to God a prayer for the soldier boy, who, with
his gun and Testament, and the remembrance of a mother
who had placed upon him his uniform and armor, went forth
to do battle for his country.
'- Thcso were tho gala days of the war in Richmond. The
dire realities, the sickness, the mutilation, the sufferings,
tho miseries, were yet unknown. Only the glory which
might accrue was shadowed forth. Absorbed in tho con
templation of this, no thought was given to tho darker
events of the future. The shadows of coming events were
not cast before, to chill tho ardor of the young.

aa; chapter rv
- THE GATHERING OF TUE THOOPS.
VERY soon the entire country around Richmond as
sumed tho appearance of one vast encampment. Tho
Central Fair Grounds, about a mile and a half abovo tho
city, were used for tho camp of instruction. Thither volun
teer companies were sont, tho thero thoy woro drilled in
2*

Si

THE GATHERING OF THE 'TROOPS.

the manual of military exercises, by Colonel Smith and his
corps of cadets from the Virginia Military Institute at Lex
ington. Colonel Cillam was placed in command of tho
camp, and from the raw material furnished him he sent out
many regiments of well-drilled soldiery. The success which
crowned the efforts to tutor the soldiers spoke volumes for
the excellence of our principal military academy. ' We were
not a military people, and everything pertaining to war was
to be learned. For a whilo after tho revision of the State
Constitution in tho winter of 1851, the military system was
abandoned, and had only been revived for a few years,
through the efforts of General Kemper when in (ha 'stato
Legislature. Our men, of the proper age for the army, had
not even tho advantages of tho ordinary instruction of tho
militia at tho outbreak of the war. The raw, awkward re
cruit, however, soon grew soldierlike in air and bearing, un
der the system of training by the young cadets; and tho'
prospective hardships and privations of a soldier's life were
cheerfully submitted to by the volunteer. ' \ •¦¦>•
Tbo camp of instruction was a place of great interest.
The blunder of the wcll-iutcntioncd recruit was overlooked,
in bis evident desiro to become a soldier, though not unfre-
quently the risibilities of tho spectator would be excited by
the amusing scenes of tho drill. The recruit's hands and
arms, his feet, his head, seemed to be made for some other
use, or peculiarly troublesome to him in tho exorciso re
quired. We were often astonished at the patience and dili
gence displayed by the eadeis in training tho recruits.
Never showing weariness, thoy took delight in teaching tho
prospective soldier.
All tho States of tho South were represented in tho
camps in and around Richmond, and the striking charac
teristics 0f the people of each State were plainly distin
guishable. Very soon it becamo easy to tell whence a
regiment or company came, by the very appearance of the
men. Tho glowing enthusiasm of the South Carolinian was pre-

THE - GATHERING OF ,THE TROOPS.

35

sented in striking contrast beside the cool determination of
the Virginian. . The , fiery impetuosity of the Louisianian
was vividly displayed bosido tho steady courage of tho
Arkansas man. The wild ardor of the Mississippian was
visible in contrast with the active energy of the Tennes-
seean. The . North Carolinian, the Georgian, the Ala-
bainian, the Kentuckian, the : Missourian, — each had his
distinctive - characteristic; while from his bold, free, inde
pendent air, the brave son of Texas was easily discovered.
The world-wide fame of the Texan Ranger ho brought
with him to his new field of action, and throughout the
war no soldiors earned, a -better reputation for endin>
ance, bravery and courage than did tho Texans. With them
the names of McCulloch, Hayes and Chevallio woro house
hold; words. The presence of General McCulloch in Rich
mond was to the Texan soldier the only inspfration needed
to strengthen his determination and nerve his courago to
greater deeds of daring. They greeted his coming with
demonstrations of the wildest enthusiasm. Unhappily; he
was destined soon to fall on the field of battle.
> Particularly noticeable among the volunteer forces sent
into , Virginia was the Battalion of Washington Artillery,
from New Orleans, which, maintained throughout tho war
an honorable reputation for bravery, Skill and determina
tion. Of that splendid battalion, which gave an immediato
answor to tho call to arms in the South, how few aro left of
those who came out first to bear witness to the deeds of
daring of their brave companions 1
Tho battalion of " Tigers" from New Orleans, commanded
by tho intrepid Wheat, -were, as their name denotes, men of
desperate courage but questionable morals. They wore well
suited to tho shock of battle, but wholly unfitted for tho
more important details of the campaign. Among them
wcro many of lawless character, whose fierce passions wore
kopt in abeyance by tho superior discipline of their accom
plished commander.
- Major Robordoro Wheat was tho son of a clcrgymau of

so

THE GATHERING' OF THE TROOPS.

the Episcopal church. Educated under influences the most
pious and refining, ho was gentle, easy, graceful and-digni-
ficdm society; toward the men under his command he was
kind, but grave aud rcservod, and exactiug in tho perform
ance of duty; in battle he was fiery, impetuous and resolute.
But the most remarkablo corps sent by Now Orleans to
tho war in Virginia was tho battalion of Zouaves. It was
composed of the most lawless and desperate material which
that city could send forth. It is said that its Colonel, with
the approval of the Mayor of New Orleans^ established re
cruiting booths in the different jails there, and each crimi
nal was given his option either 'to serve out his time or join
the battalion. It was a strange, mixed body of desperate
mou of almost every nation, guilty of almost every crime,
impelled by no spirit of patriotism in the defence of the
country, but by tho hope of boing able to oxerciso their fa
vorite profession of frccbooting. Dressed in their striking
costume of rod trowsers and bluo jackets, tho latter adornod
with fanciful embroidery, and copped by tho Turkish fez,
their appearance everywhere excited tho greatest attention!
Their bronzed complexions, countenances" often disfigured
by horrid scars— the marks of former desperato encounters
—and the cat-like, elastic stop acquired in tho drill, distin
guished this heterogeneous company. From the time of
their appearance in Richmond robberies became frequent.
Wherever a Zouave was seen something was suro to bo
missed. The poultry and garden. stock around the city
were favorite objocts of depredation with these thievish
soldiers. .-,-.. .
It was common with them to walk into saloons and
restaurants, order what thoy wished to cat and drink, and
then direct tho dismayed proprietor to charge their bill to
tho government. Tho hall doors of private citizens wero
kept rigidly locked, and the strictest watch was directed
upon tho Zouaves as long as thoy tormented Richmond with
their presence.
Always finding means to offoct their escape from their

THE GATHERING THE TROOPS.

37

barracks at night, they roamed about the city like a pack of
untamed wildcats, and so clever were they in eluding the
vigilanco of tho police, that few or none of them wcro
brought to justico for the larcenies thoy committed. It
was found absolutely necessary, to assign them to a separate
encampment, whore lawlessness, strife and bloodshed bo-
camo tho order of the day. No man's life was safe who
, dared show himself rwithin their encampment.
Ai It was with a feeling of sincere congratulation that tho
people of Richmond heard at last of the departuro of their
¦terrible guests to the Peninsula,, where, in the course of a
; few months, from death or desertion, ;this motley body of
villains was effectually dispersed.
The troops from the northern portion of Louisiana and
southern portion of Arkansas, in the vicinity of the Red
• River, were among the finest and most striking looking men
who appeared in the city. Usually tall, brawny and mus-
• cular, bronzed by exposure and inured to the most activo
exorcise, thoy wero peculiarly fitted for tho arduous duties
-of a soldier's .life. ¦ Apparently, incapable of fatigue, they
wore distinguished for their, powers of endurance. . Li a
*¦ regiment of men from the, Red River section, so numerous
wero those of immenso size, that they might have been sup
posed to havo descended from a race of giants. Their
usual height was six feet and over, — very rarely under five
feet ton. inches,— -with massive shoulders and chests. They
boro upon them not an ounco of superfluous flesh.
: Florida, also, from her sparse population, furnished a
creditable quota of troops, who were particularly distin-
guishablo on the dress parade for their evident lack of mili
tary,- education, but after much patience and perscvoranco
on tho part of their officers they woro drilled into a useful
soldiory. :¦ > ¦

38

RICHMOND THE CAPITAL.

lUCHMOND THE CAPITAL.'

39

CHAPTER V.
RICHMOND THE CAPITAL  SOCIAL CHANGES.
IT was now found expedient to remove the seat of gov
ernment from Montgomery, Alabama, which hud been
temporarily solecied as the capital of the Southern Confed
eracy, to Bichmond. On tho 20th of May, Mr. Jefferson
Davis, of Mississippi, Provisional President, arrived in
Richmond. Ho was received with an outburst of cnthnsi--
asm. A suite of handsome apartments had been provided
for him at the Spotswood Hotel, until arrangements could
be made for supplying him with more elegant and suitable
accommodations. Over the hotel, and from tho various
windows of the guests, waved numerous Confederate flags,
and the rooms destined for his use were gorgeously draped
in tho Confederate colors. In honor of his arrival, almost :
every houso in the city was decorated with the Stars and
Bars. ' A inir ;'A .
Am elegant residence for the use of Mi-. Davis was sboni
procured. Itwas situated in tlio western part of the city,'
on a hill, overlooking a landscape of romantic boauty.1 -This:
establishment was luxuriously furnished, and thoro Mr. and
Mrs. Davis dispensed tho elegant hospitalitios for which
they wcro over distinguished. Simple and unpretending,
there was nothing in his manner to offend tho democratic
sentiment of the people, — surely nothing to indnco the be
lief that ho meditated assuming or aspired to tho preroga
tives of royalty. Mrs. Davis is a tall, commanding figure,
with dark hair, eyes and complexion, and strongly marked
expression, which lies chiefly in tho mouth. With firmly
set yet flexible lips, thoro is indicated much energy of pur
pose and will, but beautifully softened .by the usually sad
oppression of her dark, earnest eyes. She may justly bo
considered a handsome woman, of noble mien and bearing,
but by no means coming under the description of tho femi
nine adjective "pretty." Hor mannors are kind, gracoful,

easy and affable, and her receptions were characterized by
the dignity and suavity which should very properly distin
guish the drawing-room entertainments of the Chief Mag
istrate of a republic.
There was now work for every one to do. The effects of
the blockade of our ports was very early felt. The number-
loss and namoloss articlos for which wo depended upon for-
oigu markets woro either to be dispensed with or to bo
manufactured from our own industry and ingenuity. With
a zeal as commendable "as that which answered the call to
arms in tho South, and especially in Virginia, tho people
set themselves to work to moot the demands made by the
exigencies of the tunes.
Troops continued to pour -into Richmond. Regiment
after regiment came, without the necessary uniform or
equipments to send them to tho field. Our ladies engaged
to prepare them properly for the work upon which they
woro committed to enter.
Sewing societies were multiplied, and thoso who had for
merly devoted themselves to gaiety and fashionable amuse
ment found their only real pleasure in obodionco to the
domands made upon their time and talents, in providing
proper habiliments for the soldier. The quondam belle of
tho ball-room, tho accomplished woman of society, tho de
votee of ease, luxury and idlo enjoyment, found herself
transformed into' tho busy sempstress. Tho click of tho
sewing-machine was the music which most interested them,
and tho ."stitch, stitch, stitch," from morning till night,
¦ as the ladies plied the needle and thread, was their chief
employment.' They very soon became adepts in tho manu
facture of the different articles' which compose the rough
and simplo wardrobe of tlie soldier. To theso, necessary
for him, they took delight in adding various other articles,
which taste or friendship might suggest. There wero very
few of" tho soldiers who wero not furnished with a neat
thread-case,' supplied with everything necessary to repair
his clothing When absent from a friendly pair of hands

40

RICHMOND THE CAPITAL.

RICHMOND THE CAPITA!

41

which would do it for him; a visor to shield his face from
the too fierce heat of the summer sun or to protect him
lrom the cold of winter; a warm scarf and a Havelock
The sowing operations wero varied by the scraping and
carding of hut, the rolling of bandages, and the manufac
ture of cartridges, and many things unnecessary to men
tion, but which woro the work of the women. Tho poor of
ho city were supplied with such employment as secured to
them a plentiful support. While the demand was great for
clothmg for tho troops, the ladies of the higher and -inde
pendent classes of society would undertake nothin-v which
might deprive, those who depended upon such employment
for a livelihood, nor di.l they choose only tho lighter work
for themselves while they permitted tho 'heavier and more
difficult to go to ihe poor; but disregarding position, they
emp oyed themselves eheeriully upon anything necessary to
bo .done. Heavy tents of cumbrous sail-cloth, overcoats
jackets and pantaloons of stiff, heavy material, from the
sewing on which they wcro frequently found with stiff
swollen, bleeding fingers, were nevertheless perseveriimly
undertaken. And when we remember that during tho four
long and tedious years of the war- our women never for a
single day shrank from tho stern duties that the necessities
of the times imposed upon them, and again remember the
indulgences m which they wero usually nurtured, and their
real ignorance of tho harsher phases of life, and the checr-
i ulness and heroism which characterized them throughout
their bitter trials, our admiration exceeds our astonish
ment. We have been taught to revere tho memories of tho noble
women of 177(1, Wo love to claim descent from those
noble heroines who stood side by side with tho bravo men
who achieved onr national independence; but we glory to
know that the spirit which Jived in them still animates tho
women of our country, and that for patient endurance
uuuer the most, severe trials, fortitude to meet tlio direst
ills of hfe, self-sacrificing devotion to what they believe

L-

right, they were not excelled by their illustrious predeces
sors^ And when in coming ages the records of the past
shall toll the story of the sufferings of the women of tho
South during the four yoars of tho late war, and tho mar
tyr-like courage with which they mot and bravod tho " times
that tried men's souls," it must bo said of them, " Many
daughters havo done vfrtuously, but thou exccllcst them
all." In a few months tho usual routine of social hfe in Rich
mond had undergone a complete change. It had become a
very rare occurrence to meet a young man of tbe usual ago
for military duty in tho garb of r a citizen-. Indeed, it be
came remarkable; and for the sake of their reputation, if for
no othor or higher motivo, it grow into anoccssity for our
young men to attach themselves in some capacity to tho
army. ,, i : .-A , -,-•¦- ..-.-, a-
r, We wore awakened in the morning by tho reveille of the
/drum, which called the soldiers to duty, and the evening
•"taps" reminded us of tho hour for rest. At all hours of
the day the sounds of martial music fell upon our ears, and
tho "tramp, tramp" of the soldiers through tho streets was
tho accompaniment. Nothing was seen, nothing talked of,
nothing thought of, but the war in which we had become .
involved. Former distinctions wore forgotten, old preju
dices laid asido, in tho universal interest felt in tho events
of the future, dimmed by the sad prospect of intestino
strife. Afilictions, troubles and misfortunes make all men
brothers. The high-born youth forgets his position, forgets
his superiority, as ho stands side 'by side with the humblo
but bravo soldier who shares with him the fatigues of tho
march, tho hardships of tho camp, the shock of battle, tho
humiliation of defeat, or the glorios of victory. Selfishness
is not tolerated among soldiers. War is a leveller; and in
the camp and field no man knows another save as his com
rade in arms.
A little girl, who had been vory exclusively reared, by
forco of circumstances, by a family in Richmond, though

42

THE FIRST INVASION OF VIRGINIA.

herself imbued with as much of the spirit of patriotism as
could possess one so young, quite shocked at tho familiarity
ot a soldier who had presumed to caress her, very indig
nantly remarked to tho relative who had tho charge of her,
"Why, indeed! any man than wears a stripe on his panta
loons thinks he can speak to any lady 1" The child had not
thon learned that the circumstances under which tho soldier
donned his uniform dissolved the barrier to introduction,
and gave tho soldier a right to attention from all.

THE FIRST INVASION OF VIRGINIA.

43

CHAPTER VI.
THE I'lKST INVASION OP VIRGINIA.
TsJO regiment was permitted to remain long in or near
±\ Richmond. As soon as the troops under instruction
became sufficiently drilled iu military exorcises, they. wore
trans fcrved to positions where their services were most
likely to be needed. From the .spirit of determination to
prosecute the war to a- successful issue or perish hi the con
test, there wore no indications that tho . Southern : people
would very readily succumb to an enemy, however powerful.
The spirit of tho Northern press was almost universally
boastful, mocking, derisive, taunting. Tho rebellion at tho
South was regarded as a matter of such meagre import that
the enlistment of volunteers for three months was consid-
cied all that was neeessary to subdue the insurgents. From
the superior numbers and resources of tho North, it was
spokeu of as merely boys' play to whip the "fire-eaters"
.into submission. No paper fell into our hands in which tho
Southern peoplo were not told how contemptibly weak thoy
wore,— what presumption it was in them to dare to oppose
an enemy so potential. . ;,,,.-¦
The first step in tho invasion of Virginia was the occupa
tion of Alexandria by the Federal troops, on the 24th of
May, 18G1. This was accomplished under cover of - the

night, and with such secrecy and success that some of tho
cavalry troops of Virginia, unconscious of any danger, wcro
surprised iu their quarters and takon prisoners.
The occupation of the city by tho Union forces was at
tended by a painfully dramatic incident, which was well
calculated to teach those who invaded the soil the spirit of
opposition they were dostincd to meet with in that State.
In tho early dawn of tho morning, Colonel Ellsworth,
who with his Fire Zouaves had enterod the town, observed
a Confederate flag floating from the roof of the Marshall
House, a hotel kept by one Jackson, who had a few days
beforo placed it thcro, and had sworn to dofend it with his
lifo. This flag young Ellsworth had determined to secure
as a prize, and making his way into -the hotel, ho climbed
by a ladder to the top of tho house and dragged down the
obnoxious ensign. As he was descending, with the flag on
his arm, he was met by' Mr. Jackson, who, aroused by the
unusual noise, sprang from his bed, and hastily donning a
few clothes, armed himself with a double-barrel gun, and
thus met Ellsworth and the four companions who attended
him. s' Pointing to the flag, Ellsworth remarked, " This is
my trophy." h " And you are mine," responded Jackson, as,
with steady and rapid aim, he discharged the contents of
his gun into the heart of the young Federal commander,
and tlio next moment sank by his sido a corpso, from a bnl-
lot sped 'through his brain and bayonet a thrust from tho
hands of a soldier, and by which he was pinned to the floor.
This attempt On tho part of Colonel Ellsworth is now
considered to have been as rash aS unnecessary. He is said
to have been a young man who gave promise of military
genius, and was possessed bf so much graco and eleganco
that they won for him spoedy popularity. It is sad- to con
template tho sudden death of one so young and gifted, but
sadder still to reflect that in Jackson's death not only a
brave maji was no moro, but that a wife and four Uttle chil
dren wero reduced to the unprotected condition of widow
hood and orphanage. A- -!'AAA-Aa -

4-1

THE FIRST INVASION OF VIRGINIA.

THE FIRST INVASION OF VIRGINIA.

45

A brother of Jackson, who vowed to avenge his brother's
death, afterwards became a famous scout, and if in civilized
warfare the scalps of our enemies could- bo shown as tro
phies of valor, to his war-belt would have hung a number
sufficient to have gratified the revenge of a savage. The
soul sickens to recount such fearful stories I
Upon tho occupation of Alexandria by tho Federal forces,
the Confederates, under tho command of General Bonham,
from South Carolina, fell back to Manassas Junction, on tho
Orange and Alexandria Railroad. These forces consisted
of the first of the troops which were sent to the war in Vir
ginia, Many of them were among thoso who had been en
gaged in tho battlo at Fort Sumter, with somo, rcgimonts of
Virginians. '- '¦'.;•¦ ¦¦ '¦ .,'
In Alexandria, as in Richmond, very little of tlie Union
sentiment remained, and much disappointment was said to
havo been expressed that tho vanguard of tho invasion was
not hailed with demonstrations of pleasure, as intimations
of a portion of the Northern press had predicted, ^ .. .
The death of Jackson excited a profound sensation
throughout tho entire South, and particularly in Virginia.
His was tho first blood shed in defence of tho flag— the
first shed in defence of the cause on tho soil of tho. Old
Dominion — and though afterwards her valleys wore des
tined to run red with tho blood of those who yielded up
their lives upon tho altar of. their country, the noblo hero
ism and patriotic example of this man were never forgot
ten, aud many envied the death of which he died.' To them
it was a glorious martyrdom.
With Alexandria and Fortress Monroe in possession of
tho Federal Government, the most important passages into
Virginia had been secured by them, General McDowell was
charged with tho command of tho division which had been
thrown across the Potomac. General Butler was in com
mand at Fortress Monroo. The town of Hampton had
been occupied, and Newport's News, at tho mouth of the
James River, invested by Union troops, s General J. B.

Magruder, who had resigned his commission as Colonel of
Artillery, in the old army, had been assigned to tho com
mand of the Confederate forces to operate in that portion
of Virginia known as the Peninsula.
Taught to expect at any moment an active engagement,
oither with General McDowell or with Butler on the Penin
sula, troops wero rapidly sent from Richmond to fill up tho
ranks of tho Confederates at both points.. The most in
tense anxiety prevailed. AU the enthusiasm which was to
us augury of success, could not prevent the soul-sickening
sorrow with which we bade adieu to the dear ones who
were to take part in the great tragedy, for which- they had
been rehearsing. 'Ay -:- <¦" ¦¦;¦ - -
As regiment aftor regiment passed through our strcots,
on thoir way to the theatre's of active engagement, cheerful
adieus were waved from every window, in the flutter of
snowy handkerchiefs, and bright smiling faces- beamed in
blessing, on the soldier— -but heavy hearts were masked
beneath thoso smilos — ahd as loved forms disappeared from
viow, and tho waving of caps was no longer visible, and the
cheerful shouts wero lost upon tho ear, and they were gone,
perhaps forever ! tho heavy heart had added weight to its
load of sorrow, to be borne henceforth, until in the grave it
should sink beneath the burdon, too heavy for long ex
istence. An old lady, the mothor of several dearly loved sons, but
echoed the almost universal sentiment when sho said, (in
a panic-stricken congregation, just emerging from church
on the memorable Pawnee Sunday, before mentioned")
" War, I know, is very dreadful, but if, by the raising of my
finger, I could prevent my sons' from doing their duty to
thoir country now, though I love them as my hfe, I could
not do it. I am no coward, nor havo I brought up my boys
to bo cowards. Thoy must go if their country needs
Ihom." '
It is a painful pleasuro to recall theso things ; to remem
ber the courageous fortitude which sustained thoso called

46

POSITION OF THE CLERGY.

to part under such circumstances. It is a sad pleasure to
dwell upon the portraitures which hang aroUDd tho walls
of memory, and recall, many bright and. youthfid faces, as
the last- "good-byo" was shouted from tho file of the regi
ment, as they pressed on to what' was to them the field "of
death, or perhaps the quick, fierce wrench of tho hand, the
sudden embrace, tho last fond kiss, and the lovod one was
gone— gone forever 1
The change wrought in the appoaraneo of Richmond can
only bo understood by thoso who daily witnessed tho stir
ring scenes which wero occurring. One excitement had not
time to subside before a fresh, cause presented itsolf. '¦
The arrival of General Beauregard, who had become tho
prominent hero of the people, callod forth the most hilari
ous demonstrations of admiration for his bravery, and the
most profound respeet for his acknowledged genius. For a
long distance, before tho train of cars which bore him reached
the depot in Bichmond, tho road was lined with crowds
who pressed forward to get a look at tho wonderful man of
Fort Sumter. Loud chocrs greeted him, bands of 'music
discoursed tho popular and now national air, Dixie, aud a '
speech was loudly called for, as he descended from the cars. -
But fating a carriage in readiuess, he was borne off to his
hotel, followed by tlie crowd, keenly anxious to get a hotter
sight of Richmond's illustrious guest. No speech could be
obtained from him ; his modesty equalled his bravery. ¦ , J.

CHAPTER VH.

POSITION OF THE CLEEGT.

TTTTERE is one class of the citizens of Richmond of whom
too much cannot be said in praise, to whom too much
gratitudo cannot be accorded. The ministers of the gospel
of the different roligious denominations in the city, will bo

TOSITION OF THE CLERGY.

47

held in lasting remembrance. They sustained our fainting
hearts by their prayers, and example, and through the trials
ever accumulating in number and heaviness, during four
years of war. '..--¦
Universally holding sentiments of approval, or acquies
cent sympathy in the cause of the South, they carefully
avoided proclaiming them from the pulpit. No flags floated
from our spires ; military and religious insignia wore not
blended ; our churches, though simple in construction and
material decoration, were sanctified by tho pre3once of tho
Holy Spirit.
Tho Richmond pulpit is filled by men of a suporior order
of talent, of the finest and most varied style of oratory, and
of unquestionable piety and integrity'. In one of our par
ishes, tho roctor is oarnest, zealous, dovotod, unassuming.
His style of oratory is vehemently eloquent, and with it
is blended the urgent, pleasing simplicity of a child. Ac
quainted with trial and affliction from personal experience
ho understands well how to temper his discourses to suit the
wants and to reach the hearts of all. '-While the war con
tinued, ever anxious for the safety and welfare of his eldest
son, a bright, promising youth, who, from the beginning,
was in the field, he preached tho peaceable fruits of righte
ousness, and inculcated .the penitent resignation' which
shono out in his countenance andin every act of his life
The writer is hero reminded of a period during the war,
when, at his church, the regular sacrament of the Holy Com
munion was to bo administered. It was immediately after
a sanguinary engagement. The rector was absent— an un
usual circumstance— and another filled his pulpit. . "Where
can Dr.  be ?" was whispered from one to another, in
the congregation. "He has hoard," it was answered, "that
his son has either been kiUod or dangerously wounded."
A thrill of heartfelt regret and sympathy pervaded tho en
tire concourse. With sad and gloomy interest, they listened
to the clergyman who occupied the desk. The sermon was
onded, and the priest was about to proceed with the prelim.

48

POSITION OF THE CLERGY.

THE FIRST BATTLE.

49

inary exercises of the sacrament, when Dr;

appeared

in the chancel, aud assisted in distributing the sacred em
blems. The rumor was false, but the brave young man was
destiucd iu the very last engagement beforo tho surrender
of the army of General Lee, to receive a wound so danger
ous that for clays he hovered between life and death, and
is a cripple, yet ho proudly wears the scars so honorably
won. '
Nor was the Episcopal Church alone noted for the zeal
and devotion of its clergy. The ministers of the Presbyter-
"ian, Methodist, Baptist and the Roman Catholic Churches
strengthened the hands aud warmed the hearts of thoir peo
ple by wise counsel aud tender sympathy. : ..
Early in the summor of 1802, the bishop of tho diocoso of
Virginia, — the venerable William Meade, whose attachment
to the Union had been of the most indubitable character,
and whoso efforts had been strenuously exerted to pour oil
upon tho waves of angry political tumult — convinced of tho
justice of tho reason which had impelled the South to tako
the position it then occupied, left as a legacy of advice to
tho church over which he had watched with so much solici-
tado — "Pcrscvero in the separation." Tho act ho had so
long deprecated had become, as then considered, a neces-'
sify; and iu refer enco to it, his best wishes for his beloved
chinch wcro expressed. , .
The political bias of tho distinguished diocesan of Vir
ginia, was well understood to "bo, at heart, with the South
iu her troubles, although no ono saw with moro bitter re
gret than he the disruption of tlio Union. Itwas and is
still his ardent desire to preserve to tho church the charac
ter for conservatism for which it had long been distin
guished. Carefully, abstaining from ? intermeddling in
politics, he looked with anxious solicitude upon the strug
gle that told so fearfully upon the destinies of the South. *
Tlie efforts of our clergy, when called into exercise in our
political affairs, wcro mainly directed to quelling tho angry
passions of tho people, raging then with such foarful and

determined violence. Lessons of forbearance and charity,
of resignation under trials, which forced many to wander
into the temptations of infidelity, were the lessons our di
vines wore wont to teach. Although thero wero those
among them who doffod thoir clerical vestments and girded
on the. armor of the soldier, it was not with a wish to lead
in a rebellion in which was involved sin, but from a stern
senso of divine direction and the whisperings of patriotism,
to which conscience and an innate feeling of duty prompted
and would not be stilled.
None would be so unjust, so lost to every feeling of virtue
nnd honor, as to impute to other motives tho part taken in
the late war by tho lamontod Gonoral (Bishop) Polk, around
whoso memory cluster recollections too tender to brcatho
against a name so illustrious for all that is noble in a man,
a Christian and a soldier, the slightest hint of condemna
tion. Nor can any ono daro to whisper aught of wrong
against the name or reputation of the gallant Captain (Rev
erend) Dabnoy Harrison, of Virginia, who fell at Fort Don-
elson, whose old father, the Reverend Peyton Harrison,
after having lost three sons on the field of battle, exclaimed,
" I have one more to yield up to my country, and when ho
is taken I will then shoidder the musket myself." "The
loaders " wore to be found in all classes, in all professions,
and in all positions of men at the South.

I

CHAPTER VIII.
,, ' THE FIRST BATTLE — GEEAT DETHKL.
FROM his formor dovotion to Virginia as bis native
State and the home of his ancestors for soveral gene
rations, it was thought that our groat military chieftain,
Lioutonant-Goneral Scott, would but prove true to his
birthplace, and cast his lot .with thoso of his own blood.
3

50

THE FIRST BATTLE.

For a time the disappointment to which his course gave
rise was keenly and bitterly felt.- There were those who
regarded him as Esau, who sold his birthright for a mess of
pottage, aud the former admiration of him as one of our
statesmen, a son of the Old Dominion, a military genius
and politician, (not evidenced, indeed, substantially by a
very creditable vote when ho was a candidate for the Presi
dency,) was changed into tho most profound dislike,— in
many instances into contempt or disgust. How far this
may have been justifiable or proper, we must not pretend
to judge. Tho devotion of the aged chieftain to the flag
under which he had won .all his laurels, may have rendered
tho Stars and Stripes to him an object of idolatry. Habit
had grown lo second naturo with him. Indood, when all
hope had expired that ho would prove a friend to the South,
ami particularly to his native State, it Was said of him,
"Ephraim is joined to his idols: lot him alone." •
In strong contrast to General Scott were our public men,
who gave up positions of trust, honor and emolument for
the precarious chances of success iu the struggling cause of
the South. Conspicuous among these men was tho revered,
the respected, the admired Gonoral Robert E. Lee, around
whose mi mo clusters all that is great and glorious as a man,
a Christian, a gentleman, a scholar and a soldier.
The writer's first view of General L6o was at the camp
of instruction, just above Richmond, whore ho was witness
ing with much, interest the dress parade of a splendid com
pany of volunteers from that city. No ono who has over
caught the. glance of his dark, bright eyes, can forgot tho
expression, and when it rested on this band of brave young
spirits, it flowed with the generous enthusiasm of his groat
nature. Standing fully six feet two, and weighing upward
of two hundred pounds, with no superfluous flesh, his figure
is straight and erect, his chest massive, his shoulders broad,
his head poised proudly. His hair, now almost silvery white,
was then thickly streaked with black, giving it that peculiar
shade known as iron grey. Tho inroads mado by exposure,

THE FIRST BATTLE.

51

fatigue and misfortune upon his stalwart frame were only
too visible at the close of the war; but his iron constitution
well fitted him to endure the hardships to which ho has been
subjected. The clouds continued to thicken and darken around us.
The sullen growling of tho storm approached nearor, but
we had not yet experienced tho shock of contending ar
mies. From demonstrations in different sections of our
State, wo know that the stillness would soon bo broken by
the angry clash of battle. Tho most serious anxiety for the
safety of those nearest and dearest to us began to be felt,
as day. after day tho time for action drow near. Our most
earnest attention was directed to the Peninsula.
At Scwcll's Point, eight or ton miles distant from Rich
mond, and opposite Newport's News, on the James River, tho
Confederates had erected a powerful battery, which had
proved its strength aud efficiency in a determined resistance
to an attack by two Federal steamers. This occurred on
the 19fh of May, and continued for several days, aud served
greatly to encourage and animate our troops on the Penin
sula. ¦, '..,- ;.>- -..--,. . ;,= ;.,; :-'.,-:-;.
• . — The first serions trial of arms was. to be celebrated in
lower Virginia. On the 10th of Juno the contending forces
came into collision at Great Bethel Church, which is on the
road loading south from the Tillage of Hampton. This was
ono of those primitive structures visible iu almost any jiart
of Virginia, which recall the memory of the colonial times,
when tho approach to these edifices was guarded by pickets
to prevent interruption from hostile savages.
Here the Confederates, to the number of about eighteen
hundred, under Colonel J. B. Magruder, were strongly in-
tronched. They wero attackod by a Federal force of over
four thousand, under General Pierco, of Massachusetts.
The attack was received by a battery of the Richmond How
itzers, under command of tho gallant Major Randolph. He
began the action with a shot from a Parrott gun, aimed by
himself. It was chiofly an artillery engagement, but the

-52'

THE FIRST DATTLE.

fooincJ of t y0UJi8; V°lmiteG1'S accomPl-hBd with the
coolness of veterans, in the face of a terrible artillery fire-
aud when within sixty yards of the foe rushed on at the
double-quick Before this small but valorous band of men
our enemies fell back with astonishment. They continued to
iuo rapidly, but m so wild a manner as to fail of effect upon
our batteries It was said that at no time during the en
gagement could the bodies of the Federal troops be seen by
the Confederates, and the shots of tho latter were mainly
anTf l"1, m I1™ °f tl16 ^^ b^0Qcl3' *<* hill
and a half hours they continued the brisk fire of shot and
shell from six and twelve pounders, at a distance of six
hundred yards only; and the loss to us from thorn artillery
was one mule ! J
During all this time, it is said every shot fired by the
Confederates was aimed with deliberation. The fire was
always suspended whenever the forces of the enemy were
not within range.
After an intermission in the assault, the Federals were
nan iTl ^ *£*? ^^ * rGSerV6' ™der «» «>m-
mand of Major Wmthrop, aid to General Butler. Those in
advance received the Confederates by donning their dis-
mc ive badge, a white baud around the cap. They also
md out repeatedly, "Don't lire 1 " thinking by this ruse
o find our forces unprepared, and thus to accomplish thoir
oAleat- -hey soon, however, discovered their mistake. Tho
brave boys from North Carolina wero not so easily deceived
and disconcerted. With veteran coolness they repelled tho
- foe and m lAeir anxiety to make perfect work of their de
molition, it was difficult for their officers to restrain them.
Icrniicd, and in disorder, the enemy fell back, and tho
ffui. rout succeeded. Jnst then a bullet from tho rifle of a
Aorth Carohnian pierced the breast of the brave youn-
federal officer, Major Winthrop, whoso gallant exposure of

THE FIRST BATTLE.

53

himself in the field had made him a conspicuous target for
the shots of the riflemen. Colonel D. H. HOI, who com
manded tho North Carolina regiment, in his official report
of that engagement, says:
"Major Winthiop was the only one of the enemy who exhibited even
an approximation to courago during the whole day. A contemporary
remarks: 'The fact was, he had fallen under circumstances of great
gallantry. ' He was shot while standing on a log, waving his sword, and
vainly attempting to rally his men to the charge. His enemy did honor
to his momoiy, and the Southern people, who had been unable to appre
ciate the courage of Ellsworth, and turned with disgust from his apotheosis
in tho North, did not fail to pay the tribute due a truly bravo man, who
without tlio sensational circumstance of a private brawl or a bully's
advonture, was soon forgotten at the North.' "
During the entire engagement, the Confederates lost but
one, a gallant young North Carolinian, Henry L. Wyatt,
who volunteered to be one of four to set fire to a small
wooden house, which gave, it was thought, some protection
to tho enemy. Running in advance of his companions, as
ho passed fearlessly between the two fires, he fell, pierced
in the forehead by a mnskot ball, when within thirty yards
of tho house. He^was the first, of the Confederate dead,
on the field of battle.
The result of this battle served still further to increase
tho confidence of the South in the ultimate success of the
causo for which they wore fighting. The conduct of the
Confederate officers on this day is said to have been marked
by the utmost coolness and bravery. That of Colonol Hill
was evident from the success of his regiment. Colonel
Magruder, occasionaUy excited and impetuous, as it is his
custom to be, calmly smoked his cigar, and gave his orders
with coolness and deliberation.
It was, howover, rocoived by many as anothor singular
interposition of divine Providence in favor of the South,
and. tho wavering irresolution and evident want of courago
on the part of the Federals increased the opinion which had

54

THE- FinST RATTLE.

THE FIRST BATTLE. ,

56

"-tS^^- - — of the people, that
aimon SL mrf^""1 P W ^^ tto "— acy of
Sn tic Sont °nemy' Qffer0d "W^ona, by whuff,
- thefoepLfited m ^'S f^ ^ir way to theNorth!
fir«ltooSmwS,i\th6 en*a*jmont at Bethel, the Federals
toed too low, and our men were wounded in the feet- and
iT o^^^ andT - -» «* -^
sh ets ami f t YT mf°rmed thron8h ™r titling
tlm roil of l T, ° ihCm 'HheW0rd t0 themse," JJ
he i0ii of ll0 r Qf tho Oonfeaerate wun >
afterwards evidenced only too plaiuly
In connection with tiro camp at Great Bethel Church if
s pleasant to recall an account given by a young oW
cisc m iiont oi that ancient, house of worship ' -" -
hvT; lh01tl°°PSlonthQ Peninsula were frequently served
by Bevei-end Mr. Adams, a clergyman of the Baptist Church
who ha, been driven from Hampton when that villas was
-upied by he Federals. He was a Bostonian by ^
buo had lived for many years in Baltimore as pastor of a
tice of the Southern cause, ho embarked in it his talents
and intWo. He had already suffered much fo Toon
cience sake, having attempted from time to time to return
mi 1 "to 1 T fQ r°°r °f hl8 Cha1^' ^o had been
unable to leave the place, when evacuated by the citizens on
M> aulmci attempt to pnrsile the work of tho ministry
would oe punished by imprisonment and he was compelled to
abandon his labor of usefulness and Jove.
a one occasion, as this young officer informs us, Mr.

Ad

mis drove

up

m Ins buggy, in front of old Bethel
Church; and finding that his congregation of soldiers woul
be much too large to be admitted within tho building, he"

made use of his buggy for a pulpit, and in the open air dis
coursed to his immense audience. He announced as the
opening hymn, the familiar one beginning:
' "Am I a soldier of the Cross ?"
And after reading the lines through, raised a very familiar
tune, in which he was joinod by a score of manly voices.
"Tho effect," said the narrator of the incident, "I will
not attempt to describe; I have not the power of language
to draw the picture."
Then kneeling in the buggy, Mr. Adams offered up a
prayer fervid with the dovotion of a Christian, and such as
the scene before him and the necessities of the hour called
forth. Then, after- reading a suitable portion of the Scrip
tures, he announced as the theme of his discourse tho pass
age, " Fight the good fight of faith;" and in tho humble and
simple eloquence which characterized his style, he exhorted
his hearers to enter upon the work to which they had beon
so singularly called, full of the ardor of Christian faith, and
in humble reliance on the assistance of God through the
mercy of the Redeemer,
i His audience listened attentively, impressed with the di-
vino truths which fell from his hps. Manly emotion was
visible on many countenances, and when he raised his hands
and voice in prayer for a blessing on his message to the sol
dier, there wero few hearts that were not touched, and few
heads that were not bowed.
"I shall never forget," said our informant, "the impres
sions made upon my mind and heart by tho singular ser
vices in front of Great Bethel. In the most superb edifice,
whore all the pomp and pageantry of the most imposing
ceremonies are observed, I could never be so impressed with
the beauties of tho Christian roligion as on this simple oc
casion." Mi1. Adams continued to sorvo as a Chaplain on tho Po-
ninsula until after its ovacuation by the Confederate forces,
when ho was most unfortunately detained, and thus was

56

DISASTER IN WESTERN VIRGINIA.

DISASTER IN WESTERN VIRGINIA.

57

CHAPTER LX,
DISASTER IN WESTEKN VIHOrNIA.
iBgcStelat G '7r f /TT th° 6Br' ^^ -"mat-
ni.u ispciscd. This disaster, as stated in the Richmond
Djalch was caused by a sentinel sleeping on tp t
^ThTw C°ntCmpltd a"ack "P- the CoSiS
who ro e h ? C°, V°yCd i0 th6m b^ Wo heroic ™mon,
" ' 'rm'fa °n L01'SCback *» the ^ to warn
en the 'llefarP1Th f tlw ^.rals, but tooSate to pre
sent the confusion that followed. By this misfortune to the
Confederates these valorous women were cut off from the fr
bomes, and without a change of apparel wero compelled to
come to Richmond, where they remained until tlmy cltf
convemcntly return to their former places of abode.
The defeat at Rich Mountain occurred a few days after
the dispersion at Philippi, and Colonel John Pegram and
toec C°mmaUd °f Skteen hTmdwd men ™ cap-

I'
in

a

Nor with this was the measure of disaster in Western
Virginia complete. General Garnett was in command of all
the forces in tho northwestern section of the State. With
only about three thousand men he had intrenched himself
at Laurel Hill ; but from the well-intentioned blunders of
inexperienced officers and men, and from the defeat of
Colonel Pegram at Rich Mountain, he was compelled to re
treat, which ho managed to do in good order. Closoly
pressed by tho enemy until ho reached tho second ford of
Cheat Rivor, being himself in tho roar, his riderless horse
announced to the vanguard that their bravo commander
had fallen. At Carrick's Ford, where he was killed, the en-
omy abandoned tho pursuit, and tho Confederates succeeded
in forming a junction with the force under General Jack
son. Although the numbers in killed, wounded and missing
were comparatively so small, this disaster was truly discour
aging, as it caused the surrender of a very important-
portion of Northwestern Virginia, and was keenly felt as
the very first check to Southern arms. Our troops had not,
however, shown any failure in courage; and the fatigue en
dured by them in the undertaking, and the success of the
retreat liad not then a parallel in the history of the war.
But the deepest regret was experienced at the untimely end
of the gallant General Garnett. He was the first officer of
high rank who had fallen in battle in the Confederate army,
and his death east the deepest gloom over the hearts of tho
¦many who loved and honored him for his bravery and no
bility of spirit. He was a native of Essex County, Virginia,
and belonged to an old and highly respectable family, num
bering in its connection several men of distinguished talent
and' position. He had himself received a military educa
tion, and was thought to possoss tho genius which would
insure him success in his profession.
There is no denying that those reverses were the cause of
much anxiety to the Southern people, aud for tho first timo
a gloom spread ovor tho souls of many whose sanguine

'is
'1

58

DISASTER IN WESTERN VIRGINIA.

, THE BATTLE 0? MANASSAS.

59

SoXeT ^ .^^^ °» id- « P-^ty of defeat to
tbe very accommodate pros whlT ' ^ ^T^ ^
wisely, doubtless, appn^^^S^^^
= -st be endured;" and thi su^dcd^ „°
the usual discouragement and mistrust arising from nettv
defeats and chsappointments. • petty
of hmcnHt110^01'' ^ "^ ^ t0 devote to the luxury
o lamentation over our fallen brave, or to the sad misfor^
tunes to our cause in Western Virginia Th* «« i i I
mournful music, tho dull sounlwL mini ted dr T
borne iu the procession of the Hmonte rT f ' "*
if ^t in the busy hum J l^^lSS^
when otu- attention was called to the condition oi itZst
a different portion of the State. Over the Potomac Id
? , ' 3 th° Fotl^ls, the war-clouds liune- hoavilv and
couloir^ f I" , " SCCmed alt0^e"r «**»* to - ba
co dd not bo long cro the dark and sombre masses would
o tHP°nw T th° 1,Uid L"8ll,'nh^ »i boarso tLTid -s
lift 1 u W Ulat S°mCWhere in «>at section ol Vfr
f 1SS 8 TtCd fi°rC° 8CG116S °f SM^-T strife
Id 18G1 opened upon us with a knowledge of he fj
hat two of the largest armies that the continent o America
^lUan.,i Ly the signal to measure tho relative strength of
oriil01 ?thnedsfratL Tr* ™ '^^ ^ th,:
poi t on of the State over which the storm must soon break
Ooi women for a time suspended the busy operations of
:;.", &° "1S ma°luno' i0 ftPl% themselves more industri-
'|,0 th0 l^l'^'on of lint, tho rolling of bandages,
and the many other nameless necessaries which tho signs o
to tunes niaae apparent would soon bo in -requisition for
the unfortunates which the chances of battle would send

&

among us mutilated and helpless. No longer the sempstress,
every woman of Richmond beg.an to prepare herself for the
more difficult and responsible duties of tho nurse. What
pen can describe in fitting terms the history of tho anxious
hearts hidden behind tho busy exterior, in those labors
which patriotism dignified into duty, and which were light
ened by cheerfulness and love? What pencil can paint the
rainbow tints' that glowed in the briny tear as it fell upon
the snowy pile of lint which accumulated xuider the hands
of her who had laid her heart's idol upon the altar of her
country? What imagination can picture tho midnight experi
ences of the restless, anxious ones from whose eyelids sleep
had fled, as day after day and night after night brought
nearer and nearer the dreaded day, which might close over
in the darkness of death all we held most dear ? Who can
enumerate the prayers waf tod on every breath, which m the
humble and simple language of tho pubbcan went up con
tinually in tho cry, " Lord have mercy?"

¦ ;s a CHAPTER X.
i ; THE BATTLE OF MANASSAS— ITS EFFECT IN EICHMOND.
TTTE had not long to wait. Full soon for the anxious
W hearts that dreaded the precarious chances of battle
came the tidings of sanguinary strife. The first movement
of the "Grand Army," in the memorable "On to Rich
mond" programme, had been made. From the superiority
of its numbers and appointments it was regarded but an
• easy undertaking for this body of men to open tho way to
the stronghold of the Confederates, and plant onco more
upon their Capitol the " Stars and Stripes." Nothing was
omitted or forgotten in tho boastings of our enemies to ren
der us sensible of our own miserable weakness, or to dis
courage, us in tho attempt to measure strength with a foe so
powerful.

60

THE BATTLE OP MANASSAS.

On the 18th of July, on the tiny stream of Bull Run, in
the essay of the enemy to -force a passage, occurred the
short but brilliant engagement which served only, as tho
overture to the grand battle of the coming Sabbath, on the
plains of Manassas. It was but a trial tilt, from which both
armies retired to recruit their energies for the anticipated
contest, which might porhaps decide tho questions that had
given rise to the national quarrel and tho existence or non
existence of tho Southern Confederacy as a distinct nation
ality. The gauntlet had been thrown down, tho fight had
begun in earnest, and the issue perhaps himg on the bal
ance of cvenis to bo developed in tho coming baitlo. As
two lions at bay, arter tho first shock of encounter, pause,
panting, to recover breath, so these two mighty armies, in
full view of each other, paused in tho horrid work of de
struction, bore away their wounded, buried or removed
thoir dead, and made ready to resume hostilities. Threo
days had passed since the Federals wero repulsed at Bull
Run. ;
General Scott, to whom was intrusted the plan of battle,
had ordered General McDowell to advance on Manassas on
Sunday the 21st of July. The quiet Sabbath morning was
bright and beautiful ; the quietude soon to bo broken by
the fierce clash of arms, and its brightness to bo dimmed by
(he smoke of battle, and the incense rising from human
blood. "[' '-.A ¦ ¦ ¦ A ¦ . , r. ..
An eloquent eye-witness says: "The plain, broken and
wooded, bounded on all sides, as far as the eye could reach,
by the azure lines of tho Blue Ridge, was gay with tho
bright uniforms, tho parti-colored flags, tho glistening
armor of the soldiers. Tho strains of music, which on any
other day might have been those which called the masses
together for a holiday festival, now sounded the noto for the
onset, and soon all was forgotten save tho one desire for
victory — the panting for human victims, which would docido
the fortunes of the day."
"On to Riohmond!" was tho battk>cry of the Federals—

THE BATTLE OE MANASSAS.

61

"Independence, or Death!" the watch-word of the Con
federates. More than once the lines of the Confederates were seen
to waver. If their enemies had prudently taken advan
tage of this, they might have been driven ingloriously from
the field. With sudden desperation, they felt themselves
forced back by overwhelming odds, but, manfully contesting
every inch of ground, they succeeded in circumventing tho
flanking columns of the enemy v
It was at this particular hour- in the history ol that
memorable- day, that General Bee, when nearly over
powered by force, of superior numbers pressing cruelly upon
him, pathetically exclaimed to General Thomas J. Jackson,
"General, thoy are beating us backl" and there was given
him that immortal reply, " Sir, we will give them the bayo
net !" General Bee rallying his over-charged troops, cried:
" See I there is Jackson standing like a. stone-wall. Let us
determine to die here, and we will conquer 1" and the neit
hour yielded up his life in the sublime endeavor.
There amid the flames and smoke. of battle, tho thunders
of artillery, the rattling of musketry, tho confusion worse
confounded ever attendant upon such a scene, but a little
while before he. sealed his own martyrdom in the service of
his country, the brave and chivalrous Bee, from the deter
mined valor, and imperturbable coolness evinced by him
on this occasion,' rebaptized his companion in arms, the
quiet- Jackson;" Stonewall 1" Not from sacerdotal hands,
with the holy water, typical of the washing of regeneration,
but with fire that consumes all dross, and with blood, with
out the shedding of which there is no remission for sins—
he derived this name, which .through all time must give to
that of Jackson the glory of hhmortality; and with it will
bo handed down to remotest ages, that of the self-cousti-
tutcd priest— -tho martyr Bee 1
For a timo the weights seemed so evenly adjusted,
that tho balance for success scarcely rockod tho beam;
but the Confederates, fortunately . reinforced about two

G2

THE BATTLE OP MANASSAS.

P. M., by General Kirby Smith, rallied to the charge, and
soon had the happiness of seeing the enemy disorganized,
and flying beiore their victorious columns. ,
Tho retreat became a rout. In reckless disorder, dison- ;
cumbered of arms and baggage, the enemy fired in -fran
tic confusion, as if they were chased by demons, rathor than
men; nor did they pause in their flight until within tho
frici.dry intrenchments of Washington they could collect
their scattered courage. The result of the battle had been
altogether unexpected to them,- Confident of success, and
as tho movement was generally known in Washington, '
Congress had adjourned to allow its members an opportun
ity of witnessing the scenes of the battle-Add. Visitors and -
camp followers of all grades aud descriptions, and even somo
fashionable women, followed in the rank of the Grand Army
to be present at the "rout, of the rebels." "On to Biclw
mond," thoy were bout. The idea of defeat had never been ¦
permitted to cross their minds. It was thought only neces
sary for the impudent rebels to come to a knowledge of tho
appointments of the Grand Ariny, and they would be dis
poned like a flock of frightened sheep, or melt before their'
notorious legions, as in the summer sun. -,
We had indeed won a splendid victory ; but not with little
cost. Our loss was considerable, and among the number
who fell, were some of our bravest and best, and the laurels
of victory were entwined with tho cypress. General Bee,
whose death brought grief to all tho South,. was a native of
South Carolina; a graduate of West Point, and had served
with distinction in the war with Mexico; winning two
brevets, the last that of captain, for gallant and meritorious
conduct at tho storming ' of Chapultepoc. Georgia was
called upon to mourn the death of hor illustrious son, Col
onel Francis S. Barton, who roceivod his death-wound in
the same charge in which tho gallant South Carolinian was
killed. He was chairman of the Military Committee in tho '
Provisional Congress, which body noticed his untimely yet
glorious death in a public tribute of much eloquence and
Solemnity.

THE BATTLE OP MANASSAS.

63

From outward appearances in Richmond on tho Sabbath
of tho battle of Manassas, no one would have supposed that
any event of unusual importance had occurred, or was an
ticipated, Tho churches wero all open, and towards them
were bent the steps of throngs of worshipers. But tho in
terior of the churches presented an aspect untd late foreign
to them. 'As the eye glanced over. the concourse assembled
within, one was struck at once with the great majority of
females; aud as hero and there a well-known manly form
was missed, and the question, "Where is he?" would arise
involuntarily, the echoing answer from tho heart was,
"Whore?" and a silent prayer for the safety of loved ones
was uttered.
At St. Paul's Church it was noticed that Mr. Davis was
absent on that day. All who knew anything of the situa
tion of the Army of tho Potomac surmised where he was,
and. the cause of his absence from his accustomed place on
the Sabbath. He had left Richmond that morning, accom
panied by his Staff, to visit the scene of conflict, at which
he arrived, it is said, when the fortune's of victory for the
Confederate forces seemed doubtful. But his presence
along tho hues infused fresh energy into the broken and
dispirited troops, and wherever he made his appearance
loud shouts of cheering welcome greeted him. Ho was
there when the victory was decided, to congratulate tho
Generals who had conducted tho mighty battle, and to
thank the soldiers who had won such renown for tho Con
federate arms.
During the progress of these events the utmost quiet and
calmness^ pervaded tho city of Richmond. Tho news of tho
great victory was received by the Southern people with no
violent manifestations of joy. To a partial observer the
Confederate Capital might have been considered unmoved
by the stirring news. There were no bonfires kindled, no
bells rung, no cannon fired, none of the parade which the
event might have been expected to call forth; nor the inde
cent exultation which the low, vulgar and vicious might

6-1

THE BAITLE OP MANASSAS.

have indulged in. But, to use the language of another,
"there was what superficial observation might not have ap
prehended aud could not have appreciated,— a deep, seri
ous, thrilling enthusiasm, which swept thousands of hearts,
which was too solemn for wild huzzas, and too thoughtful
to be uttered in the eloquence of ordinary words. The
tremulous tones of deep emotion, the silent grasp of tho
hand, the faces of men catching the deep and burning en
thusiasm of unuttered feelings from each other, composed
an eloquence to which words would have been a mockery.
Shouts wotdd have marred the genoral joy. The manner
of the reception of the news in Richmond was characteris
tic of the conservative and poised spirit of the government
and people. The only national recognition of tho victory
was the passage of resolutions in the Provisional Congress
acknowledging the interposition and mercies of Providence
in the affairs of the Confederacy, and recommending thanks-
giving services in ail the churches on the ensuing Sabbath."
Tho victory had been won by too much that was sorrow
ful to many of our people, for others, in the forgctfulness of
the moment, to shock tho tender sensibilities of tho mourn
ers by exultation. Many of our bravest and best had thus
early fallen; and many a youth in whom woro centred the
brightest hopes of fond and ambitious friends, was cut down
before thoso hopes had thefr fulfillment in manhood. Many
over whom the crown of early manhood had settled in dig
nify were consigned to tho grave of the soldier, and cut off
from tho life of usefulness to which nature had assigned
them. Tho Monday succeeding the battle was as different from
tho preceding day as one day in mid-summer could differ
from another. The warm, bright, quiet Sabbath was fol
lowed by thunder and lightning and a storm of wind and
rain, which fell in such profusion that the wind seemed to
drift tho torrents in liquid shoots, and twist them in fit fid
fantastic eddies, rarely noticeable. Wo remember with
gralitudo tho heavy rain of tho 22d of July, 18G1, and liko

BICHMOND A HOSPITAL.

G5

to regard it as especially sent for the relief of the wounded
of the bloody battle of Manassas,-it matters not for wha
tLy fought, nor whence they hailed. The suffering and
helpless are never enemies.

CHAPTER XI.
EIOHMOOT A HOSPITAn-ABRIVAn OP FBISONERS.
rpHE condition of Richmond for the reception of the
Tended was poor indeed. Our hospital accommoda
tions at that time are scarcely worthy to be mentioned; but
these wants were amply atoned for by the generous, hospit-
ab pltriotismof the citizens, who threw open their door
Td were only too happy to take into then- houses foi
poii care and nursing, the wounded defenders of their
homes and firesides. Almost every house in the city was a
m-ivato hospital, and almost every woman a nurse.
1 Eve T d Ucaey of the sod and season, and the treasures
of tie 'pantry and cellar, . (unused then except for he
sckVwere cheerfully brought forth to regale the wounded
soldier The dady watch and the nightly vigil by the couch
of the suffering became the constant employment of the
women .of Richmond, and we cannot wonder, when we le-
Inember thefr ceaseless self-sacrifice and patron enclimanee
That there arose from the hearts of every Sou hem soldier
a hearty " God bless -the women of Virginia !
Stbere was still another class of sufferers thrown upon
us by the residts of the battle of Manassas about whom,
peZps, it were as well to say nothing; but onr recollec
tions of this period would be by no means perfect could we
forget or pass unnoticed thoso taken captive by our forces
If our hospital accommodations for tho sick and wounded
of our own army were inadequate, we may surely bo par
doned for not having comfortable accommodations fen tho

GO

RICHMOND A HOSPITAL.

BICHMOND A HOSPITAL

67

Prisoners. Tobacco warehouses and other buildings used
ior similar purposes had to be made the receptacles for the
nicn taken captive at that time; and if, as too surely must
havo been tho case, they proved unfitted and insufficient in
size to accommodate with any sort of comfort the many
crowded m, by the exigencies of their singular appearance
among us, it was simply because at that time no other
disposition could bo made of them, and surely. with no de
sign nor desire to inflict useless and cowardly torture on
unarmed men, who, as prisoners of war, by all tho rules of
honor aro entitled to duo consideration as such. - Any posi
tive violation of these duties, is a violation of the holiest
obligations which can exist between nations. Notwithstand
ing all tho odium which is oas.t upon tho Southern people
for the maltreatment of prisoners, and the infamy which at
taches to the names of Libby Prison and Belle Island, we
learn from authority which we cannot permit ourselves to
believe would be guilty of a base prevarication, that, univer
sally, the prisoners confined in thoso prisons in Richmond
received rations always as good as those furnished to our
soldiers in the. field, and often of superior quality; while tbe
sick and wounded received tho usual rations furnished the
sk-Ic and wounded Confederates in the hospitals. And for
the acts of cruelty accredited to the South iu tho trcatmont
of prisoners, wo trust, that a generous public will admit tho
cases wcro exceptional and not general, and tho ovidonco in
fluenced by sectional feeling. It could not bo supposed that
the sympathies of the pcoplo, and .of tho women especially,
would bo very strikingly called forth towards those who
came amongst us as invaders, nor that they would bo par
ticularly careful in seeking them out and lavishing upon
(hem the attentions demanded by the suffering defenders of
their own country.
Yet never, during the four years of tho war in Richmond,
even when the most, unqualified success shono upon tho for
tunes of the Confederate cause, was there, to the mortifi
cation of the numerous prisoners who from time were

I ?

Jl

marched through our streets,* any- manifestations of hatred
to the unfortunates, or triumph over a fallen foe, noticed by
tho writer.
Among the prisoners takon at tho battle of Manassas and
sent to Richmond, the most noted were the brave Irishmen,
Colonel Corcoran, (whom we are induced now to wonder
ever fought against us,) and Captain Ricketts, of the famous
Sherman's Battery, (captured by the Confederates,) a most
gallant aud accomplished officer. Much Sympathy was ex
pressed for tho latter, and this was increased by a knowl
edge of the fact that his faithful and devoted wife, who,
having -heard in Washington that her husband had lost his
life in the battle, went to procure the body, but finding that
ho had boon dangerously wounded and carriod to Rich
mond, sought and obtained permission to join him there,
Where sho nursed him faithfully and affectionately untfl ho
had recovered sufficiently to bo removed, and finally ex
changed. In tho excited and hostile feeling of the people of the
South at that time, together with the distress she must
have experienced in the sufferings of her husband, hor po
sition in tho prison hospital, in which her husband lay, was
by no means an enviable ono, and called 'forth the deepest
sympathies from many of tho ladies of Richmond, who,
through a feeling of delicacy, forbore the expression of it,
and indeed could have done but littlo for hor relief *
In connection with Captain Ricketts, wo are amusingly
reminded of tho many claimants to the honor of the cap
ture of Sherman's Battery, under his command.
So many regiments, so many companies, so many brig
ades claimed to have been the happy heroes who took pos
session of tho invincible, death-dealing battery, that it has
grown to quite as much a mooted question who took Sher
man's Battory as who was tho enviable hero that struck
"Bflly Patterson."
Richmond was thon one vast general hospital. Our sur-
* Though our enemies sny difforontly.

68

INCIDENTS OP BATTLE.

INOIDENTS OF BATTLE.

69

goons were kept constantly busy in tho rounds of thoir pro
fession, and we were told, as far as it was in their power,—
except where tho Hfe of a patient was endangered by it,'—
they practiced the principles of conservative surgery,
although much blame lias been attached to tho surgeons
of both armies for reckless' waste and sacrifice of human
limbs. Thoir most efficient coadjutors wero the women. It is a
matter of intense astonishment, when we reflect that those
who had ever felt and exhibited nervous dread and sensibd-
ity at the sight of human suffering, who wotdd faint at wit
nessing a bleeding wound, when duty made it apparent to
them that they should tutor themselves in alleviating mis
ery, grew strong under tho painful tuition of these dread
ful scenes, and became able to look upon and. dross even
the most ghastly wounds. Tho tenderness which over
accompanied their gentle ministrations made them pecu
liarly grateful to the suffering -soldier, and rendered him
many times tho braver hero, when recovered and in the field
again.

CHAPTER XII.

INCIDENTS OF BATTLE

WITH the many painful incidents of this battle there
arc connected some so beautifully touching, that
with tho utmost pleasure wo turn from tho sickening
thoughts awakened by the remembrance, of carnago and
death to these revivals of a bettor nature, a holier principlo
within, of which every man, when not under the influence of
the whirlwind of angry passion, must bo in a measure pos
sessed. After tho battle is over and the dreadful work is
accomplished, wo find friends and foes commingling in
offices of kindness, in ministrations of mercy to the wound
ed and dying.

r.

Belonging to one of tho cavalry companies of the Con
federates there was a young man distinguished for his schol
arship as well as for deep-toned piety and conscientious
integrity. As he rodo off the field, which to him had been
the scene of much that was terrible as well as much that
was sublime and glorious, he passed an enemy wounded and
very near death. Raising his hand feebly, ho made signs
for the rider to stop and dismount. The young soldier pro
fessor (for tho cavalryman occupied a professor schau in
one of tho colleges of Virginia) alighted from his horse and
bent over the dying man.
Gasping for breath he said, " Stranger, do you ever pray?
"I do," replied tho Confederate.
"Yon sec from my dross I am in tho ranks of your ene
mies but"— and ho stretched out his feeble hand and clasped
that of the man who had bent over him-" can you, will you
pray for me,— will you pray for a dying man ?"
"I will " answered the professor; " I know you no longer
as an enemy, and even though I felt you to be one, God has
given me a heart to pray for our enemies.' And kneel-
big beside tho dying Yankee, the Christian professor offered
up to God a prayer that to the man before him might be
granted grace and fortitude to make light and easy the
passage of " the dark valley of the shadow of death,
and for forgiveness and mercy on the sold which m so
short a time must bo hi the full presence of its Maker
through tho atonement of Jesus Christ the Son of the Most
When tho prayer was ended and he looked upon tho dy
ing man, the faint breath was growing shorter and shorter,
and he watched beside him until he saw the last flickering
of tho flame of life die away in the socket, and disposing of
tho body of the dead man to those who promised to give it
a decent burial, being compelled to rejoin his company, he
mounted his horso and rodo on, a wiser, a better and a hap
pier man, for having been able to sootho the spirit of his
dying enomy.

It

70

INCIDENTS OF BATTLE.

INCIDENTS OF BATTLE.

71

From a Federal officer, a native of Scotland, we heard
an affecting story of kindness and humanity extended to
a wounded Confederate.
" On tho retreat," said ho, " as I pressed on rapidly, my
attention was attracted to a wounded Confederate, a mere
boy, who could not have been over fifteen years of ago. He
had a bright, beautiful countenance, though disfigured by
the dust and smoke of battle. Raising his hand to attract
my attention, he meaningly gaspod, 'Water! water!' Not
having time to stop, T took up tho slight figure in my arms,
and from my canteen poured clown his throat somo water
and whiskey." Being for a moment revived, ho opened his
eyes, almost glazing in death, and whon they rested on my
uniform ho cried, 'Are you a Yaukoo?'
" I belong to that army," I replied.
"Vltli an imploring look, which will haunt mo to my dy
ing day, the poor boy continued, 'You aro a Yankee? Will
you kill me? Will you kill mo?' 'No, poor boy, I wdl
kill you no sooner than I would one of my own children ; I
would do you no harm. Reassured, a look of gratitude
stole over his bcautitul counteuance, but being pressed by
the pursuers, and not wishing to fall a prisoner into the
hands of tho Confederates, I laid my charge, which in so
short a time had found a warm place in my heart, under
neath the shade of a free, and there I was compelled to
leave him. He must have died, for I know he was very near
death when J held his bleeding body in my arms."
Then, as if the rushing tide of memory brought onco
more before his vision tho countenance of the dying, youth
ful soldier, ho murmured: "No, I can novor, never forgot
that look bent on me as he said, ' Wdl you kill incf " And
thoughtfully shaking his head, "Such work didu't suit me,
and in another department of tho army, where I was not
compelled to witness such scenes of suffering and bloodshed,
I engaged my services."
A young man said: " I owo my life to being kicked by my
gun. I had fired five rounds, aud was about to. fire my

li
%?<'

I.:
A

;A

sixth, when the gun recoiled, and striking me directly on
the nose, my head was thrown back some inches, when just
at tho moment a bullet came whizzing past me, and what is
known as the wind of the ball deprived mo of breath; but if
it had not been for the force of the recoil of my gun, the ball
woidd havo passed directly through my brain." So much
was he stunned by "the wind of tho ball" ho alluded to,
that for several weeks he lay a helpless invalid, and there
have been many cases of death from a similar cause, when
upon the body could not bo found a perceptible bruise.
: There is a sad story connected with this pecubar period,
of woman's devotion aud man's weakness and infidelity, iu
which there is blended so' much romance, it might, with
careful illustration and ombcllishmont, bo used as the foun
dation upon which to build up a tale of real life, in which
truth would be stranger than fiction. We cannot certifiy to
the truth of it, but will only relate it as it was related to us.
At Bristow Station, very near Manassas Junction, thcro
wcro sojourning numerous ladies, whose husbands and
friends, fathers and brothers, perhaps, were in the army
near by. Just a few days before the engagement, probably
about tho time of the battle of Bull Run, a young girl ap
peared at tho hotel, plainly dressed, and having with her
very mean looking baggage, but with the manners and ad
dress of a lady, and there registered an assumed name.
Her nppearanco and manners, so much at varianco, awak-
oucd tho suspicion and attention of her companions, (to
whoso sex is imputed an undue share of thcuo qualities,)
and carefully watching her movements, they determined to
ascertain something of the motives which brought her thith
er at that time, when only the most intense anxiety for thoso
near and dear induced them to remain in such close prox
imity to tho clangers which threatened them.
For several days tho mystery which was connected with
her increased, and added interest to hor incognito. At last,
after tho battle was over, applying to a lady who had a
bst of the casualties, she, being not supplied with one,

72

INCIDENTS OP BATTLE.

£ Poo, .oung gfr! reeledtXouldtri; » £
the plaining arm of the lady, which was kindly1 ttowl
tell ^ iTtni!^ reC°Vered' tU ^ mid' " ™at - " ?
ten , io_i8 this Captain  yonr husband ?_your lover
-or why aro you so interested in him?"
Sho continued then "Tmi»ft,nnui <.
I have thonrrhf „„ f tl 0t Mhafc y°n Bocm to be.
x nave bought so from the moment I first saw you These
eoarsc clothes arc surely not your own. Who are you? nnd
^reareyou from ? and why are you here, so^ Inl
weretkcdndl7interaSt aUd r0fd ^thy these questions
"Go with mo to my room, and I will tell you all It is \
long stor, j r,,,l0t rc]a(o ^ ^^ 7 ^; It » a
-« Jo; " riSt0.1 uiof ther iuo^ youu* ^' ^4»
«.e m^:i f ke1;;;: j^1 it, ^r ifin
and , f i , 7 y°lUlg' aM obJ°c^cl to it at the time
and after a whilo troubles arose between us TlJ '
ment was broken off, and I pretenchS to be Wu?^
-eless untff I found ho was'to leave me ad ^
•ill the dangers and misfortunes of war Ho h , i P°^1;0
"I ™ too hlc. R„ l,,,,™,,,,. „c„ 1L ,
'-> "« fcUli, La „., oompcllod to 1„„, ,vito hi, kSLf
"Ot cl„m& J pK.,,,,,,0, l0 „c„ „„ „ffer /t"^^

INCIDENTS OF BATTLE.

73

bition of my father to his house, and with no assurance
from me that I shared not my father's dislike for him."
" After he left I grew very miserable. The idea of his
being wounded and suffering without my being with him to
minister to his distresses tortured me, and that of his prob
able death maddened me; and I resolved to como on, see him
boro, and if he still wishes to carry out our former engage
ment, I shall marry him.
" To accomplish what I feel to bo a holy duty, I have
braved tho everlasting displeasure of my Whole family. I
was compelled to keep my determination profoundly socrct
to prevent the thwarting of my earnest wishes. In order to bo
able to secure the funds necessary for my expenses I made a
confidante of a friend from whom I succeeded in obtainiii"'
a promise of secrecy, and the loan of some money, which,
togother with the sale of some valuables, afforded me means
sufficient to moot any demands of the adventure. I also
made a confidant of a female servant belonging to my father,
and obtained from her tho loan of the clothing and baggage
you see I have with me. My real position I studiously
avoided making known, resolving,- if" by no other means I
might obtain a meeting with the man I so dearly loved, in
tho plain garb of a servant, and acting in that character, I
would reveal my presence to him. ,;
"Now, madam, you have heard my story, and being
acquainted with it, do not say you blame me; for suffering as
I have done, I could not boar reproaches for what some may
term my rashness. I have dared all, and braved all; the con
sequences I am prepared to endure— but no reproaches."
Her listener heard her story with the sympathetic interest
which over belongs to a true woman, and' promised to make
Buch inquiries relative to hor quondam lover as would bo
satisfactory iu regard to his whereabouts, and such as, under
tho delicate circumstances hi which the young girl was
placed, she could not conveniently obtain, and preserve her
incognito. Ascertaining to a certainty that the captain in question
4 -

7-1

INCIDENTS OP BATTLE.

had been sent to Richmond, she also learned that he was
the invalid guest of  , and that the wound, at first pro
nounced dangerous, was comparatively slight.
Cheered by this information, 'the young gfrl bade adieu to
hor newly found friend, and hastened to Richmond to bo
with her lover, and soothe by her presence and gentle min
istrations the sufferings ho endured.
Alas! for woman's devotion and man's fickleness 1 Cupid
had played a sad game with this young devotee of Mars.
Unfortunately for his old love and the bettor princi
ple which should have called to remembrance " tho girl ho
left behind him, '—the daughter of his kind host happened
to bo ono of the most fascinating, fashionable, and frrosisti-
blo belles of tho rebel capital, and, caught in tho rebound,
tho invincible "man of war," who had fearlessly faced the
cannon of the enemy, cowered, and fell a victim to the bo-
witching charms of the fair belle of Richmond.
His attentions to her from their' first acquaintance indi
cated that his heart was not untouched, and with a coquetry
unpardonable, but which is usually tho accompaniment of
the recognized belle, sho so encouraged his overtures, as to
foster hopes that sho, betrothed to another, could never
crown with fulfillment.
His Cornier fiancee arrived in Richmond, and from more than
one of Rumor's thousand busy tongues, she learned of the
cruel infidelity of tho man for whom she had made such sacri
fices. Broken-hearted and wretched, she carefully avoided
making known to her faithless lover the fact of her presence
so near him. Sho left for her distant home to meet tho
angry reproaches of her father — to bear alone the burden
of her imhappiness.

A
"Ai

CHANGES IN BICHMOND.
CHAPTER XIII.
CHANGES IN BICHMOND— AN EVIL ADDITION.
THE decided and timely check received by our enemies in
thefr first memorable attempt in the " On to Rich
mond " movoment strengthened us in that city in our feel
ings of security, and confidence in tho wisdom of the gov
ernment mi dor which we then kved, and the ultimate success
of the cause for which we were engaged in war; and bright
hopes of a speedy restoration to peace wero entertained
and freely expressed.
So strongly did these impressions enter into tho feelings
bf the inhabitants of Richmond, and indeed of all tho South,
that the soldiers frequently remarked they would be sent
home before frost in autumn ; and even the wisest and
most experienced expressed the opinion that the "back
bone of the war was broken.'' But they sadly miscalcu
lated the energy and perseverance of the fenemy with whom
wo were contending. . Only temporarily discouraged by de
feat, it has boen seen that, profiting by the lessons of experi
ence, gained through misfortune, they began to work 'with
redoubled energy in the prosecution of the war. It might
have been supposed that the severe and unexpected chas
tisement inflicted by the rebels would dampen the ardor
with which thoy would henceforth be pursued, or bring
about a determination to abandon the idea of subjecting a
foo that had proven so unconquerable.
The enemy's elasticity was not understood by us at tho
South; but wo were soon taught to understand the mistake
wo made in our estimate of tho energy of Northmen, oper
ating through a government as determined as themselves ou
the subjugation of tho daring rebels who had lifted impious
hands against tho sacredness of superior authority. (?)
Wo heard, with much disposition to bo amused, that chaf
ing under the defeat at Manassas, the Federal Government
niont, forgetting tho former prowess of our illustrious Lieu-

7G

CHANGES IN BICHMOND.

DoweU nsT ' f kid him " °H tllG Bhelt" G— Mc-
ono !! ^ d°°med t0 a meaSm'e 0f the P»b^ -nsure,
and a younger, more promising, if leaa experienced comman-
a , was to load our foes to certain victory. General Mc
Clellan was placed in command of the intractable army.
Meanwhile, with the incoming of tho Confederate Govern
ment, Richmond was flooded with pernicious characters.
Ihe population was very soon doubled. Speculators, gam
blers, and bad characters of every grade flocked to the
capital, and with a lawlessness which for a time bade defi
ance to authority, pursued the rounds of their wicked pro-
icssions, and grew rich upon their cbshonost gains. Thieving '
gavrotlang, and murdering were the nightly employments of
the villains who prowled around tho city, until, by the in
creased vigilance, of the police under the newly-appointed
Irovost, Marshal, this alarming state of affairs was in a
measure rectified.
Every man who then made his appearance in the rebel
capital was by no means inspired by a patriotic principle to
spend and be spent in tho service of the Confederacy, but
many were there for tho solo purpose of subserving their
own sel fish and wi eked ends. - . ! t - - ,
For effect, all these villains donned tho military dress and
for a while this was a passport to notice o,n,l respect; but
growing wary ot imposition, society required some other
voucher to pass an unknown or suspicious individual
Cuards halted every man at every corner, and unless sup
ported by the proper credentials, a safe place was found for
delr.tqnents in durance vile, or closely watching the extent
of furloughs, the idle soldiers were summarily returned to
thc-tr respective regiments, or tho offenders found hospita
ble lodgment in Castle Thunder, or Castle Godwin, and
some, for flagrant offences, in the Virginia Penitentiary.
This state of tilings, though much to be deprecated, and
extremely annoying, was not, unexpected from the beginning,
and taking into consideration the great variety of character
and purpose which constituted tho floating population of

r S

CHANGE^ IN BICHMOND.

77

r

^

%*

t

¦

Richmond, acts of high-handed outrage were comparatively
few, and more noticeable to the resident population on ac
count of the high tone of morals that had characterized tho
placo in fornior times.
There was another class of whose presence we were from
the first often warned, who were to be held in much greater
dread than the thieves and murderors-^the garrotters and
assassins who infested the city. Thoy did not make the
midnight hour tho time for thefr operations, nor the rope
and tho gag tho means by which they secured the money
and valuables of their victims; but they chose the open day
light for tbeir operations, under spocious pretexts got ad
mittance into socioty, sought and obtained offico under tho
government, duped tho highost officials, obtaining through
that moans important information, and then, in tho secrecy
of the midnight hour; by successful stratagem, and by bri
bery, or perhaps with the use of the ever-ready gag and
rope, ran the blockade, and conveyed to our enemies the
secret designs of the government. This, we have been told,
was the plan of operation.
Spies were there- who for gold were ready at any moment
to deliver the city into the hands of our enemies. We felt
it, wo knew it, and there were thoso who censured tho gov
ernment for culpablo carelessness and neglect in not ferret
ing out thoso dangerous characters, and bringing them to
justice for their treachery. But whether or not the conse
quences were dreaded by those in power, there wcro very
few who were apprehended and brought to prompt punish
ment. The most lamentable feature in this case was that
some, who were innocent, might fall, or perhaps did fall,
under suspicion. _¦„. ; -.-; a,. ;.--..

78

BICHMOND A CITY OF EEPUGE.

BICHMOND A CTTY. OP EEFUGE.

79

CHAPTER XJT.
BICHMOND A OITY OP BEFUOB— EXTORTIONS.
V) ICHMOND had already becomo a "city of refuge." Fly-
J-i ing before the face of the invader, thousands sought
within its hospitable walls that security they could not hope
to receive m exposed and isolated places. Talcs of suffering
were even then the theme of thousands of tongues, as the
Homeless and destitute crowded into our city for safety and
support. The usual hotel and boarding-house accommoda
tions were found altogether insufficient to supply comforta-
pie places of sojourn for the great numbers demanding sym
pathy and shelter. From tho first day that war was declared
against the South, Richmond was, taxed to the utmost extent
of her capacity to take care of the surplus population that
accumulated within her limits.
Many of tho citizens received and entertained theso wan-
.dercrs; but, many, by tho suspension of the ordinary busi
ness pursuits of tho city, were so reduced in income that
it became au impossibility for them to extend to such num
bers the assistance winch a native kindness and generosity
prompted. i
From the extraordinary influx of population, and the ex
istence of tho blockade, which prevented tho importation of
supplies iu proportion to thp demand, wo wero compollod
to submit to the vdest extortions by which any people
were ever oppressed. It was first obsorved iu tho increased
prices placed upon goods of domestic manufacture. Cotton
and woolen fabrics soon brought double prices, even before
the.ro was a general circulation of tho monoy issued by the
Confederate Treasury. The wisost laid in supplies sufficient
to stock a small shop, and had enough to last during tho
entire war; but an overwhelming majority, unsuppliod with
means to uso providently, waited for each day to provide
for the peculiar wants of the day, and at length suffered
for tho simplest necessaries of life. ' ' ''

I

A lady in conversation with ft friend, as early as May
1861 said "H you need calico', you had better purchase at
there S be any left in Richmond, and if any, we shad have
tneio wn u*> j bftvoiasa foreseen the time
to pay three price. Could she ha . ^ ^
when for a 7^<*&" *£*£ ^ twic0 the amount in
•SESSsss'Jtfsas " "^ZfJZ'L observe in .-g-rd to *£££
, f x i Thp extraordinary increase in price was hist
S:,*. to d^Zedler eotloo. MoHUd*™.. o
Cto> in B»o«t .stooi.bme.it, .aid m Angus!, 18G1.
IS IS I Sff.o is »ow tbirt, cent, pe, pound, »„< to,
""" ?£&£*£ C^ ^tn^eent,. And
e„„T »»lt dorithont it, except when needed
S,! S" * I'cTt ™he »o»e 0! to —^
-^drssitoi^rtoT^^ ^r£&w« -» r ---id
S 1 ,w it »es next to impossible to loree it upon tbe

so

BICHMOND A CITY OP EEPTJGE.

RICHMOND A OITI OF EEPUGE.

81

Samsttr;' CMCTJ' °°hre- 80^~^> and other
grams and seeds, roasted and ground, wero all brought into
nse a, substitutes for the bean of Araby; but after oZ
expcnmcnt to make coffee of what was not coffee we wire
driven to. decide that there was nothing coffee but coffee
and d dls d 0 du]gB in est ncQ afc 2
pie showed it only by occasional and costly indulgence in
tho luxurious beverage.
raifidlv811^' WinP\rd ftU iml,0rted U<1^. Creased
lapidly in expense as the supply grew, scarce, but not in the
same ratio as coffee, which had been in universal use at
the feouth-ttc low price at which it had been purchased,
and its stimulating ami pleasant effects making it, agreeable
necessary and possible for even the poorest to indulge in its
The leaves of the currant, blackberry, willow, sage, and
other vegetables, were dried and used as substitutes for tea
by those who could not or did not feel justified in encourag-
mg the exorbitant demands of successful blockade runners
and dealers in the article. When sugar grew scarce, and
so expensive that many were compelled to abandon its
use altogether, there were substituted honey, and the
syrup irom sorghum, or the Chinese sugar cane, for ad
ordinary culinary purposes. Tho cultivation of tho latter
has become a very important consideration with the agri
culturists of the -more northern of the Southern States
being peculiarly adapted to the soil and climate, and fur
nishing a cheap and excellent substitute for the syrup of the
sugar cane of tho Gulf States and the West Indies
With an admirable adaptation to the disagreeable and in
convenient circumstances entailed upon us by the blockade
the necessary self denial practiced by the people was in a
spirit of cheerful acquiescence, and with a philosophical
satisfaction and contentment that forgot the present in
a hopeful looking for hotter and brighter days in the '
future. Cheerfully submitting to inconveniences, and deprived

from tho first of the usual luxuries and many of the neces
saries of life, the people were buoyed up with the hope and
boffef that their sufferings would be of short duration, and
that an honorable independence and oxemption from the
-evds which surrounded them, would soon compensate amply
for the self denial they were called upon to practice. The
remembrance then would be rather glorious than disagreea
ble in tho reflection that they, too, had shared the travafl
which wrought the freedom of their country.
If thoro were any who sighed after the flesh-pots of
Egypt, the sighs were breathed in the sdence of retirement,
and not whore the ardor of the more hopeful conid.be
chilled by such signs, of discontent. '
Thoro 'was, however, a class in Richmond who very ill en
dured tho severe simplicity and tho rigid self-denial to which
they were compelled to conform in the Confederate Capital.
Gradually and insidiously innovations wero permitted, until
at last the license tolerated in fashionable society else
where -rewtobe tolerated somewhat in Richmond, and m
the course of time prosy Richmond was acknowledged
"fast" enough for the fastest.

ii 1 A .*,'

CHAPTER XV.

THE CLOSE OF 1861— THE HOPE OF INTEBVENTION— CAFTUKE OF
MASON AND SLIDELL.
i, t<i ••;,--
TT was with painful regret that wo wore driven to notice
LL tho indifference manifested in reference to tho campaign
in Western Virginia, aud with equal sorrow that we wero
compelled to discover the undue estimate placed upon the
moral effects of such engagements as that at Hecsburg.
From the fierce valor and maddened determination of tho
Southern- troops in that battle, and the unaccountable weak
ness of the enemy, many considered the former invincible,
and an overweening confidence took possession of their
4*

S2

THE CLOSE OP 1861.

THE CLOSE OF 1861.

83

eltf™^1i°1UtG Certai^of access ;to the Confed-
ihe year of 1861 was drawing to a close. Autumn had
hghtful weather of that season in the beautiful State of Vir
ginia. Fmer we had never seen. The skies were bright
the air soft and balmy, the Indian summer much earlier and
much longer protracted than usual, throwing over the earth
io, '' Ti J h(lZ°' aUd invitiD^ t0 tho voluptuous
enjoyment said to be awakened by the soft airs and warm
blue sties of Italy. Dissociated with the startling fact that
we were m the midst of war, which rested over our Luis as an
tens of blackest horror, we should have experienced per
haps, m full measure, the dolce far niente of Eastern romance.:*
Bu we could not, by closing our eyes aud ears merely, and
by breathing the delightful fragrance of tho air, shut out
. Rom our hearts the gaunt, grim spectre.
The one prominent idea, iu which aU others were ab
sorbed, was the war. -Tn the social, the literary, tho relig-rf
mus and the scientific circles of Richm ond, war, and the ne- *
ccssit.es arising from it, were subjects upon which all minds >
iw™ Z Thcr° s°°mGd n° -ime' no tho?gM for an^ v
A celebrated artist laid aside his palette and pencil, and >
occupied himself with experiments in fulminating powder .
inn, by carelessly neglecting proper caution, lost his life by :
an explosion. ' ' ¦' ¦•..¦< .-
An excellent chemist, who would have been invaluable to">
the government, thoughtlessly smoked a cigar in his labo- t
ralory, as ho was preparing a powerful detonating com- ;=
pound, ami was blown to pieces by an explosion that1
occurred from a spark from tho cigar. His mangled body :
was found, ,n p,vls, many yards from the scene, and the
budding ui which he operated was completely shattered < ¦ "
Very early m the war, another gentleman, after a series of

successful, experiments, lost his hfe in an explosion that ef
fectually destroyed the building in which he was operating, ;
and injured several persons in the vicinity. ¦ " ¦ _
Those who occupied themselves in this dangerous busi^
ness seemed to be lamentably careless. In the spring of
18G3, in a laboratory on one of the islands in the river,
where a number of females wero employed, through the
carelessness of some of tho employees in handling some
matches, a most terrific explosion occurred, and a number of
women were killed. Their bodies were so torn and muti
lated that in many instances they could not be identified,
and, withal, were charred until they were .perfectly black
These were some of the freaks of death, in its: carnival held
in Richmond during the war. " . -, -,
' • The quiet along the hues of the Potomac was considered
by many as auspicious of good to the South They were
impressed with the opinion that the enemy did not advance
during the fine weather, when the roads Were good and an
opportunity for a movement "On to Richmond' so favor
able, on account of mortal fear of the foes with whom
he should have to contend. Some of our newspapers in-
dined to this opinion, industriously ciroulated it through
the press, and encouraged a spirit of security and apathy
on the partof the people and military. The warning voice
of the Richmond Examiner was too little heeded, and the
caustic and stinging yet usefrd words from the ready and
vigorous pen of the lamented editor, tod the well-meant and
timely reproaches and denunciations of certain of the hv-
in" were unheeded and derided by those who did not wish
tolccrcdit the truth, that the calm in the outward appear
ance of our "sea of troubles" was only on the surface. Un
derneath, the waves rolled in all thefr mighty fury, to lash
themselves into violence when rocked by the winds of the
future. Challenge after challenge faded to bring into an
engagement the "Young Napoleon," and our Army of the
Potomac had to content itself with heavy skirmishing along
the lines, without being able to provoke a general action.

81

THE CLOSE OF 1861.

The quiet was broken in December by an episode in
which was taught a useful lesson to those who encouraged
no thought of defeat to the Confederate arms, although our
forces at Drainesvillo wcro the victims of a deception that
could not be justified by tho rules of civilized warfare. It
occurred on tho 22d of the month. About 2,500 of, our
men encountered a force of the onemy greatly superior in
numbers, and being encumbered with a train of wagons for
foraging purposes, after fighting desperately were compelled
to retreat, with a loss of several, hundred .in killed and
wounded. They then ascertained that the fighting qualities
of tho enemy had sensibly improved under, tho tuition of
General McClellan, and that tho raw troops under his. man
agement wero no longer to be despised or contemned. Of
the frightened material that had so ingloriously retreated
at Bull Rim, ho was making soldiers who proved their
claim to the title and character, in • the fearlessness and
courage with which they entered the fight at Drainesville.
From tho beginning of the war hopes had been enter-
taiucd that foreign -powers would interfere, so far, at least,
as to bring about tho recognition. of our government by
France and England, and by that means raise tho blockade
so rigidly enforced against us. From day to day, and from
month to month, wo woro entertained with tho near., ap
proach of this dosfrablo notice by the two most poworful
nations of Europe, and it had the unfortunate effect of de
creasing tho sentiment of self-reliance at the South, and
causiug her to look for help from oxtranoous sources, when
a determination to conquer a peace and prove herself enti
tled to the favorable consideration of the powers from
which sho expected recognition, was the courso that would
have been dictated by a wisdom imblinded by conceit or con
fidence in her own abilities. . • t-,
Towards the close of tlio year, doubts arose in the minds
of people of intelligence, as to tho prospect of tho much-
desired notice. Iu Richmond, the press began to discour
age tho idea, and counseled against, the indulgence, of a

THE CLOSE OP 1861.

85

hope destined to be unfulfilled; arguing that a bold inde
pendence would insure success, and give us a right to de
mand justico and friendship from foreign governments.
It was thought that England, in consideration of her in
terests in tho cotton and tobacco of tho South, and France
from her interests in tho tobacco, with the prospect of dis
tress at home among tho operatives who lived alone by tho
manufacture of thoso articles, woidd be compelled to aban
don a policy of neutrality, and recognize the Southern
Confederacy as one of the family of nations. But the unwil
lingness of those powers to enter into a war across the
ocean prevented them from giving the desired countenance
to the cause of tho South. Thoy preferred to support their
starving working class at home to engaging in war abroad.
The selfishness and hoartlessness of their courso towards
the South awakened, the most intense dislike in the minds
of the people for those countries which were soemingly
quietly looking on, while a strong power was preparing to
crush a rebellion to which they felt they were driven by a
system of oppression as cruel as it was unnecessary.
The raising of the blockade was the one desire which op
erated to turn the hopes of the Southern people upon help
from England and France. A If that was effected and in
tercourse opened with the outside world, there seemed
i to us a much brighter prospect. They, however, grew to
learn that such hopes were groundless, and contented them
selves with the disappointment.
About this time (in the month of. December) an event
occurred which again raised the hopes of tho South, in a
: prospect of foreign intervention and a release from the
'blockade. 'A. .-A. i
¦The Commissioners deputed by the Confederate govern
ment respectively to France and England, having success
fully run the blockade at Charleston, in a Confederate
vessel, arrived safely at Havana, a neutral port, and took
passage on the British mail steamer, the "Trent,' for au
English port. When but one day at sea, and while in

Su

THE CLOSE OP 1861.

A SAD. HOLIDAY WEEK.,

87

the Bahama Channel, this" steamer was brought to by a
shotted gun from the Federal steam frigate "San Jacinto,''
and boarded by an armed boat's crow, sent out by the' com
mander of the vessel, Commander Wilkes, under' the imme
diate command of Lieutenant Fairfax, who demanded the
delivery of the persons of tho Commissioners, Messrs.' Ma
son and Slidcll, with their secretaries, Messrs. Eustis and
Macfarland. ;¦; ¦
Claiming the protection of tho British flag, they refused
to leave the vessel, except by actual force of arms, when
tho Federal lioutenant declared it was 'his purposo to use
force if resistance was persevered in. The *' Trent " being >
an unarmed vessel, all efforts at resistance were hopeless,
and the Confederate Commissionorswero surrendered under
a distinct and passionate protest against a piratical seizure
of their persons under a neutral flag. • When the news of
this outrage reached Richmond, it was welcomed as one of
the most fortunate phases that could have been developed
for tho cause of the South. Confident that tho British gov
ernment, in nil its majesty, would resent this unparalleled
insult to its flag, and, from tho exultation of the North over
tho capture of the ambassadors, not dreaming they would
bo delivered up at tho demand of Great Britain, it was
deemed a most singular interposition of Divine Providence,
that in a manner so strangely unexpected was operating, in
our favor.
The unhesitating surrender of the Commissioners by Mr.
Seward, when they were demanded of him, as the Federal
Secretary of State, by tho British government, dashed all
our hopes of good fortune from this circumstance, and we
wero thrown back to look to our own resources alone for
help. More than once there woro rumors that a French fleet
rested in Hampton Roads, at the mouth of tho James River,
and we were foolish enough, connecting these reports with
a knowledge of the fact that vast quantities of tobacco
owned by the French government wcro known to bo storod

If

in Richmond, to credit tho falsehoods. So ready were we
to catch at the faintest shadow of hope which promised us
independence and poaco, that we gavo credence to many
ridiculous reports, aud as deceitful as ridiculous.
Alone and unaided by any help from abroad, save irregu
lar assistance from England in vessels and munitions of war,
occasionally run in through the blockade, we waged for four
years, successfully, against an enemy amply suppbed with
everything necessary to subdue us, a war in which with us
everything was wanting but "brave hearts and willing
hands," aud, we must add, a self-sacrificing spirit, which
alone sustained us under hardships the most bitter, trials
the most cruel, oppressions the most unmitigated, with tho
dreadful knowledge that -unaided we must suffer ; shut in
by the most rigid blockade, unsympathized with and un-
cared for as a nation by the outer world

CHAPTER XVI.

. ¦*'•';¦ A SAD HOLIDAY WEEK— WOEK FOR THE BOLDIEHS.
AS the year 1861 drew to a close, the weather, which
in autumn had been so unusually fine, grew rainy,
snowy and disagreeable. It was never intensely cold, but
chilling rains and frequent snows, melting almost as quickly
as they fell, rendered the season more unhealthy and un-
comfortablo than the clear/stinging atmosphere that quick
ens the circulation of the blood, raises the spfrits in pro
portion, and makes winter rather delightful than unpleasant.
Tho industrial operations of our women wore now chiefly
devoted to knitting for the soldiers. Mothers and grand
mothers, who in the days of their youth had learned the
valuable use of knitting-needles, gave lessons to the younger
women of our country, who, through the triumph of me
chanical skid in the manufacture of hosiery, had been left
untutored in this branch of domestic female industry.

88

A SAD HOLIDAY WEEK. ,«'

A SAD HOLIDAY WEEK.

89

It was delightful to watch tho busy fingers of our dear
old matrons, as they deftly wove the yarn through, and
through the shining steel needles, making , cheerful mu
sic by tho winter evening's fireside, as the soldiers' socks
grew under thefr skdlful manipulation. . It was amusing -to
behold the patient industry with which the young gfrl, who
had "never thought to knit," caught the manipulations from
tho doar old hands, and the look of patient perseverance
with which, when transferred to her own, the thread would ,
wind in and out, ohl how slowly, over tho needles; and
with what delight, after days of toil, sho would triumph- ,
antly hold up for examination the rude, ill-shapon garment*
called "a soldier's sock." Many a morry laugh has boon
provoked as the grof esquo thing was submitted for critical,
examination. Evenings at homo, formerly spent in gayety
( and social amusement, were made pleasant and useful in tho
( labors of love and duty which prepared comfortable hose
! for the soldier, or a warm visor or a fancy colored scarf,
' which, under the patronage of kind old Santa Claus, found
i their way to the Christmas-bag in the soldier's tent. -
Although it had become expedient to curtad numerous ex
penses, to retrench in this necessary, or to abstain from
that, kind friends at home could not permit the sacred festi
val to pass by without some evidence of the former delight
ful manner in which it had been observed. H we sat down
at a board less cheerful, or less bountifully provided with
creature comforts, care was taken that our own doar ones in
the field should not realize it. ¦ , ,
An extra turkey, a rosy ham, a jar of picldes, a jug of egg-
nogg, or a large golden pound-cake were carefully prepared,
secured in a strong box, into which found their way name
less other articles of cheer and comfort, and intrusted to the
patron saint of Christmas, who rarely faded to make his
way amid whizzing balls and crashing, bursting shed, to the
white tent, with the luxurious dinner for tho young soldier
who was debarred from taking it at the homestead board.
The Christinas season in Vfrgiuia has ever been one of tho

most genial hilarity and delight. After the church services
of Christmas day the remainder of the old year is devoted
to merry-making. Dull care is tin-own to the winds, and
old hearts grow young, and young hearts grow glad at tho
happy festival. The faithfnl domestics are absolved from
regular employment, and come in for thefr share of tho
Christmas bounties. An extra shawl, a bright plaid ker
chief, a pair of gloves, or tho cast-off clothes from tho abun-
dant'wardrobe of tho masters and mistresses, showed they
were not forgotten when this delightful time came round for
the interchange of presents; and many times the heart of
the kind mistrosa was gladdened by the Bimple offering of a
faithful slave, from tho hoarded-up savings of months, to
purchase fur hor tho "Christmas gift."
' Never before had so sad a Christinas dawned upon us.
Our religious services were not remitted, and the Christmas
dinner was plenteous as of old ; but in nothing further did
it remind us of days gone by. We had neither the heart
nor inclination to make the week merry with joyousness
when such a sad calamity hovered over us. Nowhere else could
the heart have been so constantly oppressed by the heavy
load of trouble as in Richmond, and the friendly congrat
ulations of tho season were followed by anxious inquiries
for dear boys in the field, or husbands or fathers whose pres
ence had ever brought brightness to the domestic had, and
whose footsteps wero music to the hearts and cars of those
to whom they were so dear.
As tho rushing tide of recollection surged over the soul,
and -the brightness of past happy days of peace came back
to us to mock us with delights fled forever, we could not
close our^yesto a picture that reflected so much bright
ness- but as we foUowed the course of thought down the
stream of time, with a bitter revulsion that well nigh stopped
the pulse-beat at the fountain of life, the awful realities of
our present opened up before us in the clouds, and darkness
and hail, and storm, and tempost of sanguinary warfare. AU
before us seemed a wdderness, through which our feet, bleed-

90

A SAD HOLIDAY WEEK.

ing, bare and torn, must travel; but faith in the righteous
ness and tdtimate success of our cause was to us the " pfl-
lar of cloud by day" and the "pillar of fire by night," to
guide us, like tho wandering tribes of Israol, through tho
desert to tho land of promise that our National Indepen
dence bounded.
New Tear's day was bright, balmy and beautiful as spring.
The first clay of the year has never been observed in Rich
mond as one of public reception for ladies, and of visiting
for gentlemen. The usual arrangements of the housohold
under the regime, of slavery, would have forbidden such ft
custom. Christmas week was an undisputed holiday for
our domestics. Thoso who owned their seiwants could not,
by time-honored and regularly established usage, claim reg-
idar duties from them, and Now Year's day usually found
a Southern housewife altogether unprepared for entertain
ing friends, and intently engaged in the rearrangement and
reconstruction of the menage upon something like a basis of
comfort and order. Thereforo Now Tear's entertainments
never became popular undor the "old regime."- -
It had been, however, from time almost immemorial, a
custom with our Governors. Members of the" Legislature,
officials of the government, and any gentlemen who desired,
were expected to pay their respects to his Excellency, and to
drink his health in champagne, apple-toddy; whiskey-punch,
or egg-nog. ---¦-. . *vl . ¦ . - . "
Governor Letcher received, as usual, on tho return of the
anniversary that ushered in the year 1862. His guests woro
welcomed with the broad, good-humored hospitality and dig
nified courtesy which ever distinguished this gallant son of
Virginia, Minus champagne, through the rigid effects of'
tho blockade, the giant punch-bowl was filled with tho
steaming beverage, the smoU of roasted apples betrayod the
characteristic toddy, and through the crystal cut-glass
gleamed tho golden hue of the egg-nog, to regale the
guests of the Governor. .: .•
As may bo supposed, on this occasion Bacchus asserted his.

t ¦<
t '
I
rI

A SAD HOLIDAY WEEK.

91

t \

i

triumph over Mars, and the devotees at his convivial shrine
were many of them oblivious, happdy, to the sterner man
dates of the God of War.
Tho Prcsidout of tho Confederacy, for tho first trmo sinco
its existence, struggling into national life, had his New Tear's
reception. The officers ; civd, naval, and military, the mem
bers of Congress and the State Legislature, and admiring
crowds of less note, pressed forward to testify their ad
miration and esteem of the first President of the South.
With tho case, grace, dignity and gentleness peculiar to
bim Mr. Davis received his guests, to all of whom he had
something cheerful to say-some pleasant reminiscence to
revive, and some graceful, genuine compliment to offer.
There was in him none of the rigid austerity, tho repulsive
hauteur with which persons of position, sometimes attempt ^
to overawe those less favored by fortuitous circumstance.
A beautiful incident, dlustrative of the kindly simplicity
which characterized him in society, is related of this recep-
jl°A preacher of the Methodist Church, famed as much for
his singular eccentricity as for his strength of mind, without
a precedent in tho customs of fashionable society, took with
him to tho reception of President Davis his three little chd-
dren to place in their youthful minds, (as he said,) an ever
pleasant remembrance. This appearance with his little
ones occasioned much amusement for the guests of tho
President. When ho was presented to his Excellency, and in
turn presented his chddrcn, Mr. Davis, neglecting other and
more pretentious guests, devoted special attention to tho
pleased little ones, and when after a friendly talk with each
of them, and thefr father with them, they were about to re
tire, ho said, "Not yet, not yet, Mr. D.," and ordered his
own little ones to be brought from the nursery to entertain
his juvenile guests, and declared that no tribute of esteem
over paid lnm had touched him so nearly, or was moro
gratefully received, or was more complimentary than this
singular notico by tho Methodist minister.

92

A SAD HOLIDAY WEEK.

A SAD HOLIDAY WEEK.

93

In nothing did Mi-. Davis show more genuine amiability,
moro true nobility of character, than in the notice he nover
failed to bestow on chfldrcn. Every one can remember, who
lived in Richmond, to have seen him many times riding on
horseback with one of his little ones in his lap, and the great
pleasure it seemed to afford him to give pleasure to a
chdd. His mode of hfe, always simple and unostentatious,
made it easy to approach him ; and a sure road to his
heart was ever found by tho widow and the orphan. '
As the year of 1862 dawned upon us, it Was not spanned
by the rainbow-tinted arch of future -happiness to us as a
nation, nor did roseate clouds of peace and comfort reflect !
the sunshine of prosperity; but though dark, threatening,
thunder -charged clouds hung over tho future, the vision,
quickened by anxiety, caught the light ahead which led to
" peace, to independence; and Hope stood by, and with her
syren song lulled the wen ry mind to repose as she pointed:
onward and whispered, "Liberty I" .- u:
It was a singular fact, but from actual observance wo assort
tho truth, that from the 1st day of January, 1862, until tho
middle of March, there were not two consecutive days of -
fine weather. There was nover any extreme coll, but alter-"7
nate. snow, and sunshine, rain, and had, and sleet, and *
mud, and all things disagreeable in the weather of winter. -
We had none cold enough to freeze the water sufficiently to
gather ico for use in summer, and with the necessity for it
which was apparent, it was the cause of much real anxiety,
and tho suffering in consequence is. one of the saddest re
membrances of tho summer of 1862. . , ,!.
Our army suffered terribly from the effects of the winter,
and necessary exposure in tho camp and field. The mortal- -
ity among the troops in Virginia, was terrible, and very un
willingly acknowledged by thoso to whom tho truth was
unacceptable. Pneumonia, pleurisy, rheumatism, catarrhal
fevers, and other diseases of the lungs swept tho men off
by scores, unaccustomed as they were lo tho hardships of
the field. Tho Army of the Potomac was more healthy

l' '

4

than that of the Peninsula. There tbe miasma brought
on the most distressing agues and fevers— often the pre
cursors of other diseases which soon brought the soldier to
his grave.
In a private way all was done in Richmond that could be
done to provide for the wants of the sick in the army. Our
commissariat was never judiciously managed, and there was
great suffering which might have been rebeved or alleviated
by more careful attention to food for the sick. For this
purpose delicacies were preserved and hoarded up by the
women of the South, and in Richmond the suffering from
inappropriate diot was slight compared with that endured
by the soldiers away from the city In many instances,
doubtless, neglect of precautionary care and attention to
the health ,of the army should be considered culpable,
but we are unwilling to attach blame to responsible
persons when the extenuating circumstances are not under
stood. ¦'¦ '
Soldiers from the Peninsula told rare stories of misery.
They would tell of lying down upon as dry a spot of earth
as they could find, to awake in the morning and discover
themselves almost submerged in water. Only the most vig
orous could endure this exposure, and the constitutions^ of
many were shattered in consequence. A young man said :
"I once laid down to sleep, wrapped head and ears in my
blanket, without my cap, but awaking in the night I stretched
out my hand, and raising my cap to my head, I deluged it
with the water that bad faden whde I slept."
But they wore cheerful. Enduring hardship, disease and
suffering with uncomplaining heroism, declaring they could
endure much more for the independence they were seeking.
- It is easy to imagine the moral courage, the heroic brav
ery with which the soldier is inspired on the field of battle,
whoro the sublimity of excitement would glory in courting
death; but wo have yet to learn the secret of cheerfulness
and fortitude when it comes in tho stealthy broath of the
pestilenco, and cuts down its victims silently but not less

94

THE FALL OF KOANOKE ISLAND.

surely than the sabre thrust or the Minie baU. Truly, to
the soldier death in the camp is more awful than on the
field of battle; in his tent than breasting the foo.

THE PALL OP EOANOKE ISLAND.

95

CHAPTER XVH.

THE FALL OF IiOANOKE ISLAND  DISASTERS ON THE TENNESSEE
AND CUMBERLAND RIVERS  GLOOM IN RICHMOND.
FROM tho gloomy prospocts with which thonciv year
opened upon our military condition, we had no liope
to build upon for successfully conducting tho war but tho
unflinching patriotism and tho steady enthusiasm of our sol
diers. Peace only awaited us through our own persever
ance, unaided by extraneous influences. ;¦',
The results of the campaign in Missouri were discourag
ing. The end of the affair of the "Trent" had quite ex
tinguished all hope of foreign interference. The tails: of an
exhausted treasury at the North was sdenced by the knowl
edge that millions of moDey and almost numberless armies
wero being raised to prosecute the work of our subjugation.1
Our privateers wore accomplishing very little for us upon
the high seas, murmurs of dissatisfaction were distinct to
wards the government, the Cabinot was unacceptable to the'
masses of tho people, the means of living wcro . becoming
more and more scarce day by day, articles of -food and
clothing were diminishing through the existence of the
blockade, and those left to us were hold at such a figuro that
constant retrenchment in expenses and sacrifice of the
commonest necessaries of lifo were constant. The health
of our armies was of such a character as to awaken the1
most intense anxiety; our soil was being covered with
the graves of thousands of our best and most promising
young men'; yet no word of failuro in the cause for which
wo wero striving was hoard; no thought of submission
found vent in language but "unaided wo can couquor a,

peaco " was the expression which raised the spirits of those
over whom the shades of despondency were beginning to
hover. Was it an infatuation, or were we given over to be
hove a sophistry that was to work our ruin? Lot it bo
accounted for hi any manner it may be, the patriotic prin
ciple which buoyed up a people depressed by such external
circumstances and such internal distresses, reaches a degree
of sublimity, of grandeur, which cannot be described in the
meagre gift of language possessed by those who would fain
give it the proper coloring.
, During the month of January nothing of importance to
our cause was observable in the Army of Virginia, but the
operations of Goneral Jackson and his famous Stonewall
Brig.ado in tho vicinity of .Winchester. Undor such a loader
we feared very little for thefr honor or success. His pres
ence served as an electric influence upon tho bravo follows
under his command, and deeds, of the fiercest daring were
inspired by this, singular man. Fatigues . were endured,
hardships , laughed at, and successes achieved, marvedous to
relate, i ... ¦
From the West discouraging news came to us. On the
17th of January we were defeated in the battle of Mills
Springs, in Kentucky, and our brave young Zollicoffer was
killed. Flushed with success, our enemies in that region
prepared for still further triumphs. Tet this defeat engen
dered no moral results unfavorable to the Confederate cause.
It was not. felt in Richmond as a matter for very sincere re
gret, because, perhaps, of the unaccountable political posi
tion of Kentucky, and the distance from the more important
operations of the Confederate army. Our attention was now
mainly' directed to Roanoke Island, on the coast of North
'Carolina, situated between- Croaton and Roanoke Sounds,
and commanding an entrance to each of these channels.
After tho abandonment of Forts Hatteras and Clark, (short
ly after the State seceded to the Confederacy,) and tho for
tifications of Oregon Inlot, this island became one of tho
most important positions on tho coast. It was tho key that

96

THE FALL OF UOANOKE ISLAND.

THE FALL OF EOANOKE ISLAND.'

97

unlocked all of the northeastern portion of North Carolina,
and tho rich back country in the rear of .Norfolk and Ports
mouth, and prevented an approach of the enemy upon thoso
cities. From these advantageous circumstances it was con
sidered next in importance to Fortress Monroe.
It was now threatened by a Federal fleot under General
Burnside, of immense proportions and ably commanded.
Brigadier General Wise had been placed in command of
the military district in which this important position was
included, under the superior command of General Huger,
of South Carolina, commanding tho department of Norfolk.
Finding the defences wholly inadequate, General Wise
made known to the government- the utter use'lessness of at
tempting to hold the island unless efficient aid was rendered
him in the improvement and perfection of the defences, and
supposed to bo wholly within the means of the government
to supply. Again and again ho applied for help, for proper
reinforcements, and it is reported he used no vory measured
or polite terms as to tho certain fate of himself and his
command, if such assistance was not secured to him. But
his entreaties wcro cruelly neglected.
Tho attack on the island was made by the fleet of the en-,
eray mi the 7th of February. General Wise was lit the time
confined to his bed by sickness, at Nagg's Head, four miles
distant, and entirely unable to command in person. Tho
immediate command then devolved on Colonel Shaw, of tho
North Carolina State troops, who, after a brilliant .and en
ergetic defence, and when no prospect was left him but the,
utter annihilation of his forces, surrendered tho island and
the army under him.
When this information reached Richmond, with it. came
slanderous reports in regard to Colonel Shaw, who was'
charged with treachery in yielding up his army, and was/
said to have been wrappod in the Union flag and congratu
lated by the Federal commander upou tho successful man
ner in which ho had accomplished the purpose with which
he had charged himself. Vory soon, howevor, those falso-

¥<

hoods wcro refuted, and the blanio of the failure charged
upon other parties, who refused with indifference the ur
gent requests of General Wise, and nogloctod the repeated
forcwarnings with which he admonished the government of
the insecurity of his position, and the fierce remonstrances
against any attempt to hold it unaided by heavy reinforce
ments of men and abundant supplies of armament and am
munition. The orders of tho Secrotary of War, Mr. Benjamin, wero
peremptory, and with all the pride of military etiquette and
the indignation of one superior in judgment, Wise obeyed,
yet without a public mtlrmnr, and undertook the unfortu
nate mission which ended, as ho had predicted, in dofoat.
Although foreseen by him, his distress, whon the tidings
of the battle were borne to him, was said to have been in
conceivable, and heightened by tho fact that his own noble
¦ son, the gallant young captain of tho Richmond Light In
fantry Blues, had faden.
The body of this amiablo young officer, in whom Virginia
felt aU tlie natural pride over offspring so iUustrious, had
fallen into the hands of the enemy, but was treated with all
the respect merited by ono so worthy, and was surrendered,
on application, to his broken-hearted father. On the arrival
of the remains at Portsmouth, all the bells of tho city tolled
tho requiem of the young hero, — and there his father was
permitted to gaze on his placid countenance, and the stdl
form, in the rigid beauty of doath. His emotions we're said
to be uncontrollable, and melted all who witnessed the
sight. Unable to restrain himself, ho bent over tho loved
figure, and taking in his one of tho cold hands of the
departed, exclaimed: " My noble boy, you have died for mo !
Ton havo died for me 1 Ton havo diod for your father 1"
Largo tears rolled down tho checks of tho statesman war
rior, "Ho died for me— he died for mo!" and ho then foil
insensible to the ground.
Tho devotion of Captain Wise to his father, was under
stood to be of a most remarkblo character, and partook ra-

98

THE FALL OE EOANOKE ISLAND.

ther of the tender self-sacrificing nature of a daughter's love,
than the less sensitive and more independent tone of a son's
attachment. Ever jealous of the honor and reputation of his
father, he had more than once openly resented attacks
reflecting on a name dearer to him than his own life. .,....¦,„.
Never was there a sadder funeral in Richmond than that
which commemorated the death of Captain O. Jennings
Wiso. St- James's Church was crowded to its utmost capa
city, to give room to the numbers that succeeded in getting
into the church, and crowds wore assemblod on tho outsido,
and remained standing dining the services, although the
ground was saturated with mud and water from the melting
snow. A long retinue of carriages, convoyed the mourning
family, and tho numoroits blonds of tho deceased. Tho
principal dignitaries of tho General and Stat? Governments
attended on horseback ; the Mayor and City Councfl, and a
vast procession of citizens, the old members of the. Rich
mond Blues, and all the mditary in the city, with arms re
versed, and bands of music, with muffled drums, sweUed
the funeral cortege, and followed tho hearse, in which was
placed the coffin containing, all that was mortal of that
brave young son of Virginia, draped in the banner of ids
State, and the Confederate flag, in whose defence ho had so
gallantly lost a life so precious to his friends, his city, his
country 1 Tho windows and sidewadts of Richmond were
densely crowded with spectators of this mournful pageant,
and tears of heart-felt sorrow flowed unrestrained, as wo
watched the sad train that bore tho hallowed remains to their
quiet resting-place, in our beautiful cemetery at Hollywood.
The gurgling, never-ceasing music of the river, and the
winds as they whisper through thp treos, and the .birds
singing amid the branches, are the endless requiem over the
grave of this youug patriot of Virginia, the over-lamented
0. Jennings Wiso. But his memory wiU hve in the hearts
of his countrymen, until tho children and grandchildren of
the Southorn soldier shall tako up the story to teU their
descendants of the deeds of daring and glory inspired by
this bravo young commander.

'THE FALL'' OF BCANOEe' ISLAND.

99

The fall of Roanoke Island produced the most profound
sonsation in Richmond. Somebody was in fault — who was
it ? It remained for the public to decide. Surely not Gen
eral Wise. His protest' against holding the island under
such circumstances Was fully understood and duly appreci
ated; therefore he was. readfly acquitted of all blame. The
slanders which sought to tarnish tho reputation of Colonol
Shaw, providontially in command of the Confederate troops
there, wcro too soon refuted to be brought into considera
tion, and tho charges of the inefficiency and want of cour
age in the soldiers engaged in the battle woro disproved al
most as soon as scandalously Whisporod, and tho eyes of tho
peoplo turnod upon the government. After an investiga
tion of this serious misfortuno by Congress, tho blamo was
fastened on our Secretary of War, who alone appeared re
sponsible for this defeat, which might have been avoided if.
he had paid practical attention to the predictions and re
monstrances of General Wise, after he had made a personal
observation of the position, and reported prospects^ more
than once or twice to the Secretary.
'. The hearts of the people were sadly torn by this disaster.
Mr. Benjamin was not forgiven. His neglect seemed culpa
ble, yet wo had tho mortification to behold his promotion to
a position bf higher grade, though at the time of less vital
importance to us. This act on the pari of tho President, in
defianco of public opinion, was considered as unwise and
arbitrary, and a reckless risking of his reputation and pop
ularity, with a sensible compromise of tho unbounded influ
ence before possessed by him.
:w Although no complaints of want bf efficiency as Secretary
of State wero made against Mr. Benjamin, he was ever after
wards unpopular in the Confederacy, and particularly in
Virginia. Wo had scarcoly recovered from the shock of this
disaster, the sad funeral procession of the lamented 0. Jen
nings Wiso had barely faded upon our vision, when news
arrived of misfortuno to our arms in tho West, on tho Ten
nessee River. Fori Honry, an important position near the

100

THE PALL OP EOANOKE ISLAND.

-BUSINESS CHANGES. -.;i£-

101

o'f0 tto S „1 ,Kenta^ aUd Tenne8see' - tte ¦«»* bank
ol the in ei, had been ymlded up to the enemy. It was tin
men S cZTf^ ^T1 Til^m^-d in the de^arl
ment of Genera Albert Sidney Johnston, and was attacked by
an cxpecbhon of gunboats on the 6th of February. After a
gallant resistance, when aU hope of successfully holding th
fort had become exhausted, under circumstances of the
greatest bravery and fortitude, General Tdghmau hoisted a
rinto flag^ pathetically remarking, "It is in vain to fight
longer. Our gunners are disabled, our guns aro disman
tled, we cannot hold out five miuutcs longer." The fortress
was surrendered, and ho and his bravo little garrison of forty
. men wero taken prisoners. ' ' '¦: •¦ 'I. ;
This event, coeval with tlio disaster at Roanoke Island
filled the hearts of the Southern people with gloom and
sorrow. Richmond groaned under this fresh weight to her
burden of grief. Quickly treading ou the heels of this mis
fortune, intelligence was received that our enemies wore
preparing for a visitation to Fort Donelson, on the Cumber
land Rivcr-a position of much greater importance to the
Confederate cause, and much more strongly fortified than
l< ort Henry had been. ¦ • : , .
From day to day, as the news of the battle of 'Fort Donel
son reached us in Richmond in straggling items, we were
en con raged to hope for success there, and anon our hopes
were doomed to disappointment; but when the full and cor
rect account was brought, tho effect was like a stroke- of
paralysis. In mute despair we listened until tho heart, grew
Rick, and gnm war seemed unendurable, and a long, bitter.
cry for peace once moro took possession of tho soul, but
with it still a resolve for no peace if to be purchased by
ignoble submission.
Again arose tho question : Who is in fault in this do-
feat ? At, one hour General Johnston received news of a
victory, at another, a defeat, Somebody was again to
blftmc— who is it? where is he, that tho indignant Confede
rate public may heap on tho baso hoad of tho originator of

this terrible blow the deserved punishment? Who is the
scapegoat ? This defeat at Donelson involved the surrender
of Nashville. A train of misfortunes followed, and the
gudty.partics were ferreted out by public indignation.

CHAPTER XVHI.

REMAINS OE UNION SENTIMENT IN RICHMOND — BUSINESS CHANGES.
FOR the , first time since the beginning of the war, we
bociuuo conscious of tho remains of Union sentiment
in Richmond. We had imagined it quite exhausted, or,
if any had ' entertained it after the beginning of our
troubles, the sufferings of. the people, who were entirely
irresponsible for political disagreements, had brought aU to
a compromise of affection for a government that could so
cooUy tolerate human misery. But at that period, when
success perched unmistakably on the " Old Flag," when
the fortunes of the Confederacy seemed to be waning, tho
spirit that walked in the darkness left its testimonials to bo
revealed in the hght of day. 1
On the walls of buildings at various street corners were
read such inscriptions as these : " Union Men to tho Res
cue I" "Now is the time to rally around tho Old Flagl"
" God bless the Stars and Stripes 1" " What has become of
Providonco?" "Providence has forsaken its pinks I" and
many other taunts, that convipced we had traitors among
us. Numbers of persons were suspected, and several arrests
effected, tho most important of which was that of John M.
Botts, of Virginia, whoso incomprehensible neutrahty was
thought, in tho opinion of his old worshippers, by no means
to compromiso tho amor pairias he professod. It is not loft
for man to judgo, — it has been decrood in tho Book of Books

102

BUSINESS CHANGES.

BUSINESS CHANGES.

103

that "to his own conscience he standeth or falleth " A sue''
S^^JLE -^ture,' and^ otln
to be held nightly somewhere, and detectives were kept on
eied discretion the better part of valor," and very soon
These demonstrations increased the bitter feeling against
most h t V11/"1; f °m' iCrrit°Iy- Th° mosfc ^od, the
nms hated of ad bcmgs was the "Tankee." Social feelings
w d w^imh 1 C°— ^""^yvverclost in the political whiil-
, m mlwhdi bore away every other fooling in its courso.
of n n ^ °n Stl'CGtS Cli8CUSSed P°Htics *Kh ^e ardor
of men grown up, and treasured revenge for, thoso who
STZ^-f l^T LHtl° ^^-rned to d^ad
amusnt, " ^ * ^ °r wiU1 «ls, and
tention te IT0" WC1'° I01*"1 Rl0aD0d by th0e0 -h° P-M at
tention to the innocent sports of tho children " '
A ittlc boy, who had been brought up in town, was' ear
ned by his mother on a short visit to the country, 'and whi e
- ulgmg m ? Rtroll in the woocIg ncai, ^ - Mo
il^™ *? ^ °ne °f th0S° tcllad0"s ^
' dw b Z«T ^^Y^"*^ A^°- -^mint
ed im , tho nature of these bugs wdl remember that when
continue to draw blood until full, and then drop off. key
are altogether disn-nstietr This 1H+1„ f„n i i , 7 7
nniUA £ ¦ i. T °- ¦Ull8llttlo fellow had rubbed and
pulled m vain at his "pet iff*" for some momonU ^ - , •
Covered it, and when at last ho succeeded in pulling off
tiic ^objectionable vermin, ho held it up between his finger^
in 1 -hi" °fX1TS1°n °£ dr<,U *»****> ^ 1—Lg
the laughter of aU present, exclaimed : ".Ah 1 you're a Tan-
Tw0 lovoly little girls, whoso parents were of Northern
birth, were frequently reproached by their little playmates

for " boing'Tankecs." On one occasion, when in the room of
a lady who very much loved little children, she was attracted
to a rupturo among a little' party who had begged permis
sion to be adowed to havo a play there.
Au incorrigible little girl cried out: "There,- now, you
have broken my doll, you horrid little Tankee 1"
Tho eldor of the children of such reproachful origin ran
at once to the kind lady for sympathy, and laying her head
on the knee of her friend, with tearful eyes and quivering
lips, said: "I can't help where I was born !" But her
younger sister, in more courageous throe-year-old dignity
than her sister of five, exclaimed: "Tou are badl you are
bad! I shan't pay wid you any more; I shan't pay any
morel" whereupon a four-year-old Baltimorean, a magnifi
cent specimen of Young America, hfted himself triumphantly,
and looking after her as she ran to the door, cried out:
"Ginny, I always thought. you were a Yankee, and now I
knowth it, for that ith a real Bull Run ! Now I .knowth it;
now I knowth it. Ah, Ginny i" A' -¦'¦¦ _
The child is truly the father of the man, and thoso simple
anecdotes wdl serve to dlustrato the sentiments of the peo-
' pie more clearly, perhaps, than the expressed opinion of the
older and more careful. -;.:1,j,-,,', Ai'- ,
¦Later, a httle girl of five years old, who had witnessed
the arrest of her father, under the orders of General Pope,
(when in command of the Department of tho Rappahan
nock,) compelling all male citizens to take the oath of aUe-
mance to the Federal government, or bo sent out of the
hues, and whoso terror of the Tankees had been mcrcased
untd the child considered them more fearful than boars or
hons, was in the dressing-room of, a young lady, her aunt,
and watching, with all the, interest of a little girl, the din
ner toilette of the lady, and seeing a braid of hair upon tbe
table at which she -stood, took it up, and handling it .very
roughly, attracted tho attention of the aunt, who exclaimed:
"Put that down, chdd, you will ruin it; see how you have
alroady tanglod it."., a ^ ,r i A'eA, t .-

HUSINESS CHANGES.

104

" Whose hafr is it, auntie ?"
"Mine," replied the lady. '
" Did it grow on your head?" queried the curious chdd
"No, it did not." A,
"Well, whoso is it?"' /; '-'; ¦
" Mine, I tell you; I bought it."
" WeU, but whose head did it grow on ?" persevered the
chdd. -
" Oh, I don't know," answered the lady; "it is dead folks'
nair, (rather mischievously.)
"Dead folks' hair? Wed; I would not wear it -I
wouldn't wear dead folks' hafr." ' • - ' ' . •
And very superstitiously dropping tho hair, tho child left
tho room, looking over hor shoulder at her aunt, as if she
thought she was committing a sacrilege by adorning herself
with the hair of one dead. But the child was not silenced
altogether. Two days afterward, coming into the room of
her aunt again when the dinner todette was made, her at
tention was directed to the objectionable braid. Climbing
up m a chair aud watching with interest tho hair as it was
coiled on the back of the head of the lady, sho said :
" Auntie, did you say that was a dead poison's hair ?"
"Yes, and what of it, now?" >Ai --
" I wouldn't wear it." - '•'•'¦.-
"Why, child?"
"Because, it might be a Yankee's!"
Amused, her aunt had to suspend the operations of the
toilette for a few moments to indulge in a hearty WS
when she replied: "I think it very probable, as 'it came
lrom a lankce town; luff I shall wear it, nevertheless." Tho
lady's prejudice did not prevent her from making use of an
article which contributed so much to heighten her beauty,
although its belongings were questionable.
Great economy was at that time practiced in expenditures
ior dress. Staple articles had grown exceedingly scarce, but
there still remained in tho stores large quantities of fine
goods, rich silks, laces, etc., and tho merchants, supposing

BUSINESS 'CHANGES.

105

i V i,„ but little demand for such' articles, were
:;iLht.i ^ ¦*-««• •°aiid,"t"
: „iDo +W bnd ever been exhibited in the city.
be Israel and David, and Moses and Jacobs, ana nym
™d Tcvv and Guggenheimer and Rosenheimer, and other
cIZ ™ « P d»to». -UoniOitj, -a mUi to ™>r
„s»"y lisped by ttan m ftoieiM ctmcam. tor m-to -
iTX ™e ci imch a cta.-~t.er tot m»y of them at to.
toe „ to ^'f-' ^^^tt^lt
r SlS^ - 2T^ ^out to ™- to
among our own people.
5* -

JOG RICHMOND THE PEEMANENT CAPITAL.
CHAPTER XIX. ,
RICHMOND THE PEBMANENT CAPITAL.
T^f^^e'OTeriiment ofthe Confederate States
X was established on the 22d of February, 1862.
The birth-day of the "Father of his Country" was the
one set apart for the advent of tho established goveTm n ' '
inter" ", 7 ¦ nati°n- K ™ aUticiPat0d ^ *<> "os
•ious v °- 7Sx °vcr the whole 80Uth> aud for *»** r-
~r?^r" "° inaugural ccremonic of
an ot (r;u; a) lrcsidout" ciwded int0 ih° c% from--'
all pa ts of tho country. Carriages wero engaged a week '
IfrcTarSiV'0 77 PT°ilS <° th° ^P^lSqnare, aiid
lined at the most extraordinary prices
The weather had been precarious for some days, and on ^
he morning of the 22d tho rain fell in torrents, 'and the ;
^oams and the glitters were like the flowing of little rivers!
let the friends of the President, and the curious crowds of '
residents and strangers in the city, were not to be deterred '
ml mui Tf S-CU° °f th° iDaU^ti0» ^7«»o rain -
r de? he "aS m S°me places 60 dceP aa «**»* to':?'
lencior the crossings impassable
throt oTTlT °i lhC Ci>Pitnl ™crowded ^h a dense" '
1 o»g of old and young-men, and women, and children- '
soldiers and citizens-mingled with carriages and umbrel-
nV, Ir^ri 1 I' n,Kl id°akH' aml bknk°ts' aild oil-^ths, ' '
and , li„Sgled skirts, ami muddy boots, and all other accom
paniments of mud and rain upon such a dense massif !
huinati beings in the singular panorama of the occasion t «a
betrr W ! T had bGen erGCted *"* ^derneath, or '*
of ^ he 7? M ^f 0UnM°™^ ^ore the brazen im go
o the lather of his Country " looked down upon this sin-
w ch ""li U\ 10 rai;ltal °f ^ DatiTO State, seeming t,
i M ! I TS f'1'0 n°VCl l'TOCC^ings-with his arm
oul-s i etched o shield the platform beneath, and his fin ™
^17°"^- U 8°CmCd t0 US' °< th0 ^d clas^

BICHMOND THE PEKMANENT CAPITAL.

107

Very fow heard the inaugural address. The pattering of
the rain on the carriages and the umbreUas, would have
prevented the sound of the human voice from reaching our
ears— but the sight alone of his Excellency, and his gestures,
always dignified, satisfied those who caught not a word that
fed from his lips. ,: With patient enthusiasm, they remained
until the ceremonies were over, and retired to their homes—
the gentlemen. to prepare for the reception at the house of
our President, and the ladies— who were not fortunate
enough to have a carriage, to doff garments wet and muddy,
and to anticipate pneumonia and the many nameless evils
held up before us as bugboars by tho profession who make-
their living from the aches, and pains, and miseries of others.
Never was there a man put into power so nearly by pub
lic acclamation as Mr. Davis. So wed satisfied did the
southern people feel that he was the man for the place,
that no other was mentioned as his competitor for office.
The charge that be was placed in the position ho occupied
by a fow factionists is not true, and when we hear 1dm
spoken of as the " Leader of the Rebellion," we can only re
gard him as the constituted head of a people who, to ft
certain extent, were all more or less leaders. • A
We could not, with our feeble pen, nor would our inch-
nation cause us to venture upon ft work so presumptuous, as
to attempt a vindication of tho relation of Mr. Davis to the
rebeUion in the South; but the commonest, faintest dictates
of just-'eo and humanity should control public opinion to
wards a man only responsible for his position by virtue of tho
talents with which he was endowed by God himsolf. His
statesmanlike abilities had long been acknowledged in the
Senate of the United States. He possessed an enviable rep
utation for genius in tho peculiar profession of politics, and
openly, manfully, and independently ho has avowed tho sen
timents that found, an echo in the hearts aud voices of the
Southern people, andmado him avadablo for their cherished
purposes. Lot justice bo done by a corrected public opinion,
and tho ex-President of tho "so-collod Southern Conieder-

108 BICHMOND THE PEBMANENT t CAPITAL.
acy " wdl stand acquitted before his present most unforgiv
ing opposers-before even those most uncompromising ene
mies who would fain assist him to the ignominious death of
a malefactor. On the head of the whole Southern people let
the blame rest, who for their, sins, if sins they must bo
considered still, have been scourged enough already, in the
misery, desolation, and death through which they havo been
passing until late, and not upon the head of one alone,
then unfortunate chief representative. In the name of
righteousness, justice and mercy, we of the South would ask
this-and that no more be added to the cruel burden of sor
row, which we will admit, if necessary, but only .for the sake
of argument-in our rashness, we brought upon ourselves.
The administration of Mr. Davis was never wholly accep
table to the people. The nearly arbitrary power conferred
upon him placed m his hands almost exclusive control of
our military affairs, which were managed in such a way as
to n-matc some of our most accomplished and best informed
generals His refusal to concede anything to the people in
their wishes m regard to changes in the cabinet, to wW
W and Mr. Benjamin, Secretary of War, had become
exceptionable, was the fruitful source of unpopularity That
he made mistakes we all must admit. But the question is-
Alio, inthe frying position of ex-President Davis would
have done better ?_who as well ? He has been cha gld 1 y
ome as using las office to pat down and elevate whom 10 '
chose. Perhaps so. We are not prepared to censure him
vacanc m the A -ar Department, an appointment that was
mmen cly popular, and under which success once more
onfid™:?01; i° ^^T10^0 ™' Ab0ut *» same timX
confidence of tne people was strengthened by the appomt-
^ t°o theCnC1'alrR°bCr * E'L6° ^ th° ^^derati'co -
6 ess to he position of commanding geueral-a rank ore-
-t?d by the demands of our situation, and whiT after
being vetoed by the President, was afterwards consented^

-THE FIGHT IN- HAMPTON BOADS.

109

but so mochfied by him that General Leo, as commanding
general, should " act under his direction."

A.t;-A- ' A,.h

'CHAPTER XX.

,.,",•; :-j-:'.i THE FIGHT IN HAMPTON BOADS.
f <-> ' - ,,- , .- i. ' t ¦' ;i t J - -
A FEW .weeks of quiet .supervened, and under tho
immediate shadow of the, now firmly constituted gov
ernment, we of Richmond were watching here. and thore,
towards the North, and West, and South, for the next turn
of tho military wheel, which might reveal a fresh excite
ment. A true history of the war as it appeared in Rich
mond from this date, would be of a calm to-day and storm
to-morrow— clouds and sunshine — if only enough of the
.sunshine to reveal behind ,the clouds a streak of the ." silvery
lining." ,. , ->.?,_,•• : ¦>
The uselcssness of our navy was to bo no longer a. re
proach to us. Mr. Mallory's skid and exertions were to
receive at least a measure of reward. Hampton Roads, at
the mouth of James River, and in which, in days gone by,
brilliant naval engagements had taken place, were once
more to havo their waters . ruffled by tho ploughing keel
of the man-of-war, and to reverberate the thunders of artil
lery from the engines of destruction. " On tho morning of
tho 8th of March, tho Virginia, (formerly the Mcrrimac,)
left tho navy-yard at Norfolk, accompanied by tho Raleigh
and the Beaufort, and proceeded to Newport's News to engage
tho enemy's frigates the Cumberland and the Congress, their
gunboats, and then: shore batteries. The Confederate squad
ron was under the command of flag-officer Buchanan, (a
Marylandcr . by birth, and accomplished in his profession).
It consisted of tho Virginia, tho Beaufort, the Raleigh, the
Patrick Henry, and the Teasor, carrying in aU twenty-seven
guns. On passing Sewell's Point Captain Buchanan made a

110

THE FIGHT 'IN HAMPTON BOADS.

THE FIGHT DJ HAMPTON ^ BOADS.!

Ill

speech to his men. It was brief and to tho point. "My
men," said ho, " you aro now about to face the enemy. Ton
shall havo no reason to complain of not fighting at close
quarters. Remember you fight for your homes and your
country. Tou see - thoso ships. Tou must sink them. I
need not ask you to do it. I know you wdl do it."
On steamed the mysterious looking craft, liko an im- -
menso turtle swimming on the surface,' and puffing out
vapors of fiery breath. Straight up to tho Cumberland sho
went, and as if to satisfy her reVcngo for the former mis- :
chief perpetrated by her in the Navy Tarcl at Norfolk, when
within proper distance sent a terriblo visitor from her guns
to salute the mystified crow, on the deok of tho onomy's
vessel she so closely assailed. Thon, with a terriblo crash on
tlio starboard bow, she saw tho reeling vessel slowly set
tling to disappear beneath tho dark waters forever.' ' • -.
She next turned her attention to the Congress, which -
poured upon her iron sides a furious shower of shell, that
bouuded off without indenting her armor, and opening 'upon,'
this frigate, sent such a visitation of carnage and dismay,
that very soon her colors wcro hauled, and a white flag at 'i
half-mast run up. Tho Beaufort ran up alongside to take \
possession of the vessel, and secure tho officers and crew, p
Lieutenant Parker, commandor of tho Beaufort, received ,-
tho flag of tho Congress, and her surrender from the com
mander, William Smith, and Lieutenant Pcndorgrast, with -
tho side-arms of these officers.
After delivering themselves up as prisoners of war, they ,
wore permitted to return to tho Congress, to assist in tho:
removal of the wounded to tho deck of tho Beaufort; but not
withstanding they had pledged themselvos to return to tho
Beaufort, and had left their swords as a pledge, thoy never
re turned! Although two white flags, raisod by her own
crew, had been hoisted by tho Congress, and wcro flying in
full sight, a perfidious (fro was opened upon tho Beaufort
from Ihe shore batteries. Captain Buchanan noticed this,
and determining that tho Congress should not fall again

into the hands of the enemy, he said :"" That vessel must
be burned." The suggestion was immediately responded
to by Lieutenant Minor, Who volunteered to take command
of a boat for that purpose. A deadly fire was opened upon
him, wounding him and several of his men. When the
commandor of the Confederate squadron observed this, he
recaded the boat, ftnd opened a fire of hot shot and incen
diary shed, which soon destroyed the iU-fated Congress.
The explosion of the magazine of the Congress was heard
at Norfolk, and the iUumination extended for a vast distance
ovor the waters, signalling to the anxious people the news
of tho wonderful victory.' '¦<•'• " ¦'"' ' - '*' i:l "'
In the lire from tho shoro Captain Buchanan was wounded
hi tho thigh, by a Minio bad, and being too much disabled
to continue in command of the vessel, it was transferred to
Lieutenant Catesby Jones, with orders to fight her as long
as the men could stand to the guns, .)-.-,
She was thon attacked by the Minnesota, the Roanoke and
the St. Lawrence, all of which, aftor awhde, wore driven under
cover of the guns at Old Point. On Sunday sho engaged
the Monitor (Ericsson battery.) It is said to have resem
bled an immense " cheese-box," of midnight hue, which, like
a thing of darkness, moved about with spirit-like rapidity,.
and from its*size, and the quickness of its movements, gained,
at ono time, an apparent advantage over tho invulnerable
Confederate iron-clad.
Tho Minnosota again joined in tho fight, and tho Monitor
hero and thoro poured its firo into the Virginia ; but after a
while, a column of smoko shot up above the Minnesota and
sho withdrew, disabled, and riddled with shot from the con
test. The Virginia thrice sdenced tho firo of the Monitor,
once brushed her, and narrowly missed tho opportunity of
sinldngher with her prow, vyhon, declining further action, tho
Monitor rotirod from tho contest, and the victorious Vir
ginia steamed back to Norfolk amid shouts of victory.
The news in Richmond was electrifying. Our despised
navy was brought into enviable notice, and had tho honor of

112

THE FIGHT LN HAMPTON BOADS.

constructing a man-of-war, superior to any that had ever
been engaged upon any waters. There is no record of an
aflau- so brilliant. For days, this glorious engagement filled
all- hearts and minds. Nothing else was talked- of, until
murmurs began to arise that instead of one such vessel, we
might have had many.*
The excitement in the. North was quite as great as with
us, and in Europe tho utmost interost grew out of the won
derful achievements of the Confederate iron-clad, and a new
impetus was given to naval architecture, by our infant Con
federate Navy. ¦¦
Shortly after -this, tho convenient help of tho ladies' of
Richmond was demauded in tho manufacture of sand bags.
For many days tho operation wont on, and thousands of bags
were sent to General Magruder, to assist in the fortifications
at Torktown. He was menaced by tho Federal fleet, and
with his small army, to contend against the overwhelming
numbers which at any moment might be landed, his situa
tion caused much.uneasincss. .
Had his weakness been frdly understood by the enemy,
he must have fallen a victim to superior strength. Our
hands and hearts and prayers were employed for the safety
of tho little band that lay in immediate- range of the guns
from the gunboats, which cotdd be brought to bear upon tho
Ai-my of the Peninsula. --¦ ¦,.' ...

* A clerk in tho NaTy Department, returning to his boarding-house
after cloven o'clock of (ho night when tho news reached Kichmond w
so elated that he passed from door to door in tho house to see if nny
one still was awake to share the joy of the news ho had heard. It wag
too much to endure alone.

GEOWING SOABCITY OF FOOD' IN RICHMOND. 113

CHAPTER XXI. :
GEOWINO SOABCITY OF FOOH IN RICHMOND.
DURING, all this time, extortion had increased in Rich
mond, until the complaints of the people grew loud
and terriblo. Articles of food, absolutely necessary to bus-
tain life, had gone up in price, until it was thought a neces
sity to legislate upon tho traffic. General Winder, the Pro
vost Marshal of the city, in order to remedy tho evil, laid a .
tariff of prices on all articles of domestic produce, but did
not legislate upon grocorios, liquors, and articles imported
from abroad.
Tho consequence was, the markots were so dl supplied
that they had almost as well been closed.
. It was next to an impossibility to procure a dinner at ad.
The meats were so indifferent as scarcely to be fit for food,
and fish became the staple article. To secure these, it was
necessary to send to market for them before the break of
day, and frequently, then, the crowd that pressed around
4he fish-market was so dense that many were compoUed to
leave without anything for a dinner, except potatoes and
poor beef, and the market men declared the people might
"starw /"-they would bring in no more supplies until the
tariff was withdrawn, or the sale of imported articles regu- ¦
lated in a manner to protect them likewise from imposition.
They argued, ii they were forced to pay the exorbitant de
mands for sugar, tea, brandy and other articles from abroad,
thoy had a right to charge simdar prices for their meats,
poultry, butter and vegetables, or they woidd not sell them.
The greatest inconvenience arose from tbe want of such arti
cles of food as were in the power of hucksters to control.
Butter and eggs were never seen, and tho fishmongers grew
tired of the annoyances to which they were continually sub
jected by thefr hungry patrons, and refused to keep up a
supply. , ¦ ... ,. ,
Finding our situation so deplorable, and soliciting rebeE,
through a committee of citizens appointed to wait upon tho

114 GltOUTNG SCARCITy OF FOOD rN BICHMOND.
Provost Marshal, the tariff was raised, and the merchan
dise of the hucksters again flowed into our markets. From
that time until the end of tho war we were entirely at their
mercy. Being wholly dependent upon them for so much
that was essential to existence, they charged what prices
they pleased for their merchandise, and we were forced to.
pay them or abstain from many necessary articles of food
altogether. As if to recompense themselves for time and
money lost to them while the tariff was enforced by military
authority, they doubled the old prices on their merchandise
and where the people groaned under the extortion before,
they found tho burden so much increased, that the groan-,
mg was doubled in proportion. v :
Fishmongers ran up the prices of tho piscatorial tribe to-
such a degree that it became no longer, needful to send ft
servant to' market before the dawn of day for a pair of
shad or a rockfish for dinner, for so few could afford ¦, the
luxury that the supply was greater than the demand.' -,| j;> ,[,
Butter dealers tempted the appetites of their customers
with huge rolls of golden, fragrant butter, at the moderate'
price of one dollar per poundj increased from forty cents
before the tariff existed* •
However, as the spring advanced and vegetables became -
moro abundant, the prices declined to a small extent, but
not the spirit of extortion. That was unmitigated, and was '.
one of the greatest annoyances to which we wore subjected.,-
Whdo we wero engaged iu tho manufacture of sand bags
for General Magruder, and battling against tho growing ex- «
tortion in Richmond, tho news from tho AVcst came to us in •

" Wo were amused to see a sagacious looking old gentlemen put on his r
spcc.tae.loR and peer curiously at tt boautifal print of butter, as it stood"
on the tablo of a dealer. Aftor a satisfactory investigation of tho choico ,
article, when asked by the polite merchant : "Will you take this, sir?" '
ho re] lied : " Oh, no, no I I only wished to see what kind of butter' it
conld bo to be worth one dollar per pound." Two and a half yoars later
the drhi'iona article would havo roadily commanded twenty-five dollars1
per pound I -, , „_, v .p ;--;.<;,-,; •,, ,,. ,

GROWING" SCAEOrry. OF FOOD IN BICHMOND.

115

straggling parcels, and often of the most untrustworthy
character. Anxiety for tho fate of tho commands of Generals Price
and Van Dorn increased the unhappiness of the people
We felt that in Price, Van Dorn, McCulloch, Mcintosh, and
in tho poet-lawyer,' Genoral Albert Pike, we possessed a
tOwer Of strength in the distant West against the advanco
of Generals Curtis and Sigel, in command of" the enemy's
forces, aud a confidence of success buoyed up our spirits.
• But from the battle of Elkhorn, in Arkansas, there was
borne to us intelligence that added two leaves more to the
chaplet of mourning for heroes gone. - Our brave, invin
cible, indefatigable Texas Ranger^ the gallant McCulloch,
and Mcintosh, of scarcely less far-famed courage, foil vic
tims to tho fury of our enemies.
!'The < gallant old grey-haired ' warrior of the West was
WOundcd, but in that engagement wrote in characters in
delible his name — "Hero." 'At-- ••• ¦¦.-:
We read from tho pen' of an accomplished historian of
the South : ¦ " Nor is this all the testimony to the heroism
of General Price, on the famous battle-fields of Elkhorn.
Some incidents aro related to us by an officer of his con
duct in the rotreat, that show aspects of heroism more en
gaging than oven those of reckless bravery. In the progress
of the retreat, writes an officer, 'every few hundred yards
we Would overtake somo wounded soldier. As soon as he
would see the old Goneral he would cry out, ' Genoral, I am
wounded I' Instantly some vehicle was ordered to stop,
and the poor soldier's wants attended to. Again and again
it occurred, until our conveyances were covered with the
wounded. Another one cried out, ' General, I am wounded V
Tho General's head drooped upon his breast, and his eyos,
bechmmod with tears, were thrown up, and he lookod in
front, but ho could see no place to put his poor soldier. Ho
discovered something on wheels in front and commanded :
'Halt! and put this- wounded soldier up. I will save my
wounded if I lose my wholo army.' ' This explains why tho
old man's poor soldiers love him so well."

11C

OPENING OF THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN.

CHAPTER XX1T. ¦«" I
OPENING OF THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN — MAORUDEr's SMALL FOROE.
it: I
ALTHOUGH from time to time our attention was di
verted to the operations of our army in the South
and West, our interest centred more immediately on tho op
erations of tho Army of Vfrginia. The sprmg had dawned
upon us, and with tho opening of the fine weather activo
military movements were expected. Closely watching the
designs of tho enemy, our sagacious and accomplished Gen-,
era! Joseph E. Johnston, in command of tho Army of tho
Potomac, was preparing to ovacuato tho linos of dofonce
held by him -sinco tho victory at Manassas.. Anticipating
" a change of base " for General , McClellan, in the pro
gramme of tho movement " On to Richmond," he had been
quietly removing tho army stores, (which had accumulated
vast quantities,) and with such skid and address that his
designs baffled the wisdom of many of his men to under
stand. When ho had accomplished ad this, ho prepared to,
move his army unencumbered. ,*. ,, . ...
His soldiers were astonished, and not less the enemy, to,
whom this unexpected event was, made known by the smoke,
of tho soldiers' huts, which had been fired by our army.
Baffled in his plans of strategy, the enemy was compelled
to make still further changes, and thus was ,dclaycd the ac
tivo opening of the campaign. Every day's delay gave to
us an advantage, and proved a .hindrance to the successful
operations of the oneray. v-. -,,, ,,, , , -,,. , ;
But with the desertion of the lines of the Potomac the
valley of Virginia was not left Uncarod for. We knew that
it was nobly defended by our invincible "Stonewall," who
was operating in the neighborhood of Winchester. Near
this place, on tho 23d of March, occurrod tho battle of
Kfe'-nstown. Colonel Ashby, with his fearless cavalry, cov-
. ered the retreat of our army, and, as on many other occa-.

OPENING OF THE 'PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN".

117

sions, by his reckless bravery and daring exploits, made
• himself the terror of our foes.
When the town of Winchester was occupied by the Fed
erals, maddened' at the .thought that it should become tho
possession of his foes, he remained untd the, streets began
to fill with hostile .soldiers, ami when they had advanced to
within less than two hundred yards of where he sat on his
horse, he waved his hat, cheered for the Southern Confede
racy, and dashed off at ftdl speed for the Valley Turnpike.
Finding his way intercepted by only two of the enemy's
pickets, ho drew his pistol, shot ono, and dragged the other
from his horso, terrified and ft prisoner, into the Confeder
ate lhios. A" ' • ' ,!,;- ¦'¦ '.-i
In the Valley of Virginia, wlicro tho natno of StonewaU
Jackson is repeated with a reverence which approaches to
worship, the name of this young cavalier of Vfrginia is eve
rywhere a household word, and every one has a story to tell
of his bravery and daring. -'-'•*•' ¦ ' s
In personal appearance Colonel Ashby was not prepos
sessing. He was smaU of stature, delicate in constitution,
and was remarkable for his long, black silken beard and glit
tering black eyes. His manners wore resorved,polished, and
characterized by the extreme modesty of the Southern gen-
tlcinan. ' Pious and devout in his religious experience, thcro
was in him a mixture of tho most refined gentleness and
conscientiousness with courageous enthusiasm. Instead of
tho stalwart framo of tho relentless adventurer, with which
imagination might picture this dashing young cavalier, tho*
small, delicate figure, and tho refinement of manner which
belonged to him, made him stdl more remarkable. "" It is
said that -when ho gave his most daring commands he would
gently draw his sabre and wave it around his head, and then
his clear-sounding voice would ring out the simple, thrdling
words: "Fodowmel"
When inspired by such a leader, together with tho elec
trifying influence of our beloved Stonewall Jackson, wo
wonder not that the Army bf the Volley of Virginia per-"

118

OPENING OF THE PENINSULAR : CAMPAIGN,

formed prodigies of valor and feats of heroism unparalleled
in the history of the war. ' Jackson and Ashbyj— " though
dead yet shall they live," as long as there aro brave hearts
to recognize the deeds of bravo men, and honost hearts to
do justice to true patriotism.
"Whoever with an earnest soul -A,: ):,,,-.<
Strives for some end from this low world afar, 3 ., ft ¦
Still upward travels, though he miss the goal,
And strays— hut towards a star I" '
' : '.-'. -.... •' .- - J -v(A r- ¦
Wore we dealing in fiction, and wished a model of all that
was excellent, aU that was noblo, all that was heroic, all that
was simple in Christian faith and sublime in Christian ex
cellence, wc should turn to the memories of StonowaU Jack
son, in the hearts of the brave men of the Valley Campaign,
and suoh a character as imagination never portrayed would
stand out from tho pages of our manuscript, for " truth is
stranger than fiction," and. wo who lived whero the names
of Jackson and Ashby woro as familiar as our own, need
go no further on the pages of the history of the mighty
dead for our models for heroes. !'-- • -" ¦'-'."'¦¦ " ' ' "'
With sickening anxiety our hearts wero turned towards
tho little band of men that defended the Peninsula. Nurni-
bering less than eight thousand effective troops, they were
holding a strip "of land between two rivers, from either of
which the enemy poured upon them from their gunboats an
almost continuous fire. The question" of evacuation was
brought up before a council of war of the officers in com
mand. The necessity seemed imperative, and the decision'
to leave the Peninsula was urged by all except onej who
declared his preference to die in the intrenchments to giv
ing up a position so valued by him. Ho was sustained by
General Magruder, who determined to hold tho placo until
reinforced by General Johnston, and even then until Com-
pellcd to evacuate or to surrender.
Wc have listened to details of the campaign of tho Pe
ninsula from tho lips of tho boro of Bethol, until, catching

OPENING ¦> OF ' THE' rENINSULAR ¦ CAMPAIGN.

119

the rare enthusiasm of the brave' old man, wo folt that to
die in such a cause was a death to be sought for. We have
ever felt that justice was not done to Genoral Magruder by
the Confederate government, perhaps becauso his plans,
thwarted at the vory moment which to him Was auspicious
of good, prevented' the development of the genius which
might have shown him capable of much greater deeds than
thoso achieved at Bethel. After this decision his men
stood in tho damp trenches — the shells flying over them
almost unceasingly, making the air resound with their ter
rific rush, and crashing and bursting like terrible lightning
—resolved to await reinforcements or to die there I
From General Magruder himself we learned that with
his little force of eight thousand ho so deployed his men
that ho kept at bay the enemy, who brought against him an
army of perhaps a hundred thousand, imtd the arrival of
reinforcements from the army of General Johnston covered
the retreat from the Poninsula. .,<?»»; <({'-¦ i v ¦-•:-.-:¦
¦,; Tho Hay of the passage of the Army of the Potomac
through Richmond wdl long be remembered by those who
were then in the city. It was known that they wore on
their way to tho Peninsula, and for days they had been ex
pected to march through tho streets of tho capital. The
greatest interest and excitement prevaded. The morning
was bright and beautiful in tho early spring, balmy with the
odors , of the violet and the hyacinth, and the flaunting
narcissus, the jpnqud, and myriads of spring flowers threw
on thefr parti-colored garments to welcome the army of
veterans as thoy passed.
(From an early hour until the sun went down in the West
tho steady tramp of the soldier was heard on the streets.
Continuous cheers went up from thousands of voices ; from
every window fair heads wero thrust, fair hands waved
snowy handkerchiefs, and bright eyes beamed " welcome ! "
Bands of spirit-stirring musio discoursed the favorite airs, 
Dixie's Land, My Maryland, the Bonny Blue Flag, and
othor popular tunes — and as tho last regiments wore pass-

120

OPENING OP-THE PENINSULAR 'CAMPAIGN.

ing we heard the strains of " Good-Bye," and tears wore
allowed to flow, and tender hearts ached as they listened
to the significant tune. Soldiers left the ranks to grasp
tho hands of friends in passing, to receive some grateful
refreshment, a small bouquet, or a whispered congratula
tion. Officers on horseback raised their hats, and some of
the more gallant ventured to waft kisses to the fair onos at
tho doors and windows. We shall nover forgot tho appear
ance of General Longstreet, tho sturdy fighter, tho obsti
nate warrior, as he dashed down Main street surrounded by
his splendid staff. . ,.., ' ', , i ,>? .
Through other streets poured our cavalry, under thoir
gallant chieftain, the pink of Southern chivalry,— tho gay,
rollicking, yet bold, daring and venturous "Job." Stuart!
As we saw him then, sitting easily on tho saddle, as though
he was born to it, he seemed every inch tho cavalier. His
stout yet lithe figure, his graceful bearing, his broad, well-'
formed chest and shoulders, on which was gracefully poised
his splendid head, his bright, beaming countenance,' lighted
up with a smile as pleasant as'a woman's, his dark red hair
and flowing beard, with his lower limbs encased in -heavy
cavalry boots, made up tho ton I. ensemble of this bravo
son of Maryland. His genial temperament made him tho
irlol and companion of the most humblo of his men, and- his
deeds of daring and heroic courago made him respected as
their leader.
As they swept through our streots on that beautiful morn
ing, with their horses in good order, their own spirits buoy
ant and cheerful, many of them wearing in their caps
bouquets of the golden daffodils of oarly spring, choered
on by the ringing sounds of tho bugle, wo thought nover
to see them pass again with worn-out horsos and weary,
listless spirits, as they spurrod ou their broken-down steeds;
but so it was.
Twelve months had added another cyclo to tho ago of
time. Twclvo months mado cruelly long by suffcrino-;

I

!

«>iy

A ;;*THE BATTLE OF- SHILOHA ,,A1 U

121

. twelve months into which had been compressed the events
of an age, of many ages to some generations; twelve
months since the first gun upon Fort Sumter signaled the
commencement of the bloody war ; twelve months sinco
the sun of peace had set in darkness or had fled our coun-
jtry.. ; Her gentle presence seemed further off than when
first upon the walls of Sumter tho hot shed poured their
fiery shower. The thirst for blood was not quenched.
"Upon the red altar of war the ill-fated victims were being
laid, and ad around the earth drank up the warm stream
from human sacrifices. . v

I'.-.'O

CHAPTER XXHT.

-THE

DISASTERS TO THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE IN THE SOUTHWEST-
..,,-> BATTLE OF SHILOH.
i
THE first anniversary of tho battle of Fort Sumter was
signalized inauspiciously for the Confederate cause.
Fort Pulaski, the principal defence of the harbor of Savan
nah, had surrendered to the Federals after a brief bombard
ment. The news was altogether unpleasant and unexpected,
as from day to day we received inteUigenco that the surren
der of that fortress was wholly improbable. In a very fow
days wo heard of tho surrender of Fort Macon, an import
ant fortification commanding the entrance to Beaufort har
bor, on tho coast of -North Carolina.
About this timo wo were also discouraged by tho news
from the Southwest. We were entiroly unprepared for dis
aster on tho waters of the Mississippi. Looking forward to
success iu. that direction, the capturo of Island No. 10 was
a terrible blow to us, and a source of undisguised triumph
to our enemies. Their victory was decisive, and from no
battle-field had such fruits been gathered by them as from
this island in the Mississippi.

122

THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

In the meantime, from the movements of the enemy on
the Tennessee River, it became evident that from that di
rection we might prepare to hear of another aud more
extensive battle than had been fought since tho commence
ment of tho war. General Beauregard had concentrated all
tne forces under his command at and around Corinth' a
small town situated at tho junction of tho Memphis ami
Charleston and the Mobile and Ohio Railroads, about ninety
rndes east from Memphis. General Albert Sidney John
ston, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the West,
had taken up a lino of march from Murfreesboro, Tennes
see, to form a junction with Gonoral Beauregard. This
army was increased by several regiments from Louisiana,
two divisions of aeuei-.il (Bishop) Polk's command from
Mobile and Pensacola, and in numbers and appointments,
and m tho great names of the commanders of this army it
was one of the most magnificent the Confederates ever had
in tho field.
They wcro opposed by General Grant, whose victory at
Fort Donelson had raised him into favor with the govern-
in ent under which ho served. Awaiting reinforcements from
General Buell, who was expected to unite with him, General
Grant was not disposed to fight,, but General Beauregard
determined if possible to push him to an issue. ¦ -( |. :.
Retarded by tho condition of the roads from gettino- bis
artillery in position, General Buell was compelled to delay
tlio attack, which inspired Grant to hope that the anx
iously expected aid from General BueU would arrive in time
to afford him tho necessary assistance. The rain and the
muddy condition of tho roads prevented Beauregard from
coming up with tho onciny until Saturday evening, the 6th
of April. The morning of Sunday, tho Gth of April,- was
to usher in tho scenes of anofhor memorable battlo, noar
Shil.fr Church, a rude log chapel, in the vicinity of Corinth.
Wo will not protend to doscribo tho scenes of this battlo
as tho news came to us in Richmond. The Confederates
sustained tho character for valor ' that thoy had displayod

1

"r*»

y

IU

THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

123

with rarely an exception, from the first gun that, was fired
at the opening of the war. Their advance and their irre
sistible attack woro compared by General Beauregard, in
his official report of tho battlo, to an " Alpino avalanche."
Our men acted with determined coolness and bravery. Our
officers displayed the most reckless courago, and even led
tho mon into the very hottest of tho fire, and to the mouth
of belching cannon. But, as if to satisfy public opinion
and wipe out a shadow which had unjustly rested upon his
irreproachable name from our defeat at Fort Donelson, Gen
eral Albert Sidney Johnston, upon whom tho hopes of the
wholo Confederacy himg; bravely exposed his precious hfo,
and fell as ho was loading a charge upon tho third camp of
the Onemy.
The wound was inflicted by a musket ball upon tho calf
of the right leg, and was not at first considered by him as
mortal. We read : " Soon after receiving it he gave an or
der to, Governor Harris, who was acting as volunteer aid to
him, who, on his return to General Johnston in a different
part of the fiold, found him exhausted and reefing in his
saddle. Riding up to him, Governor Harris asked : ' .Are
you hurt?' To which the dying hero answered: AYes,
and I fear mortally;' andtthen, strotching out both hands
to his companion, fed from his horse and soon expired. No
other wounds were discovered on his person."
' The day was already secured in victory to the Confede
rates, but the death of the bravo commander was prudently
kept, from the army. Amid the cheers of victory this glori
ous chieftain breathed his last. -,
¦;"The fruits of the victory wore to us immense in prisoners,
tons, ammunition, " means • of subsistence, and ad things
which go to mako a victory oomploto. Wo had engaged a
greatly superior numbor of stalwart fighting men from tho
Wost, and tho capturod Fedoral Gonoral Prentiss readily
admitted to Gonoral Beauregard : "You havo whipped our
best troops to-day." <>•••¦¦' ; ;¦ ;i A^
'. General Beauregard established his headquarters at Shi-

124

THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

loh, and our troops were ordered to sleep oh thefr arms in
the camp of the enemy from which they had driven them.
"But," says a writer, "the hours which should have been
devoted to the refreshment of nature were spent by the
troops in a disgraceful hunt after the spofls." The tempta
tion presented by the rich camp of the enemy was more
than weak human nature could resist, and tho most dis
graceful demoralization attacked our army, which had just
won the honors of heroes on tho bloody field of battle,
and degraded tho soldier into tho plundering brigand.
General Beauregard abandoned, unfortunately, tho pursuit
of the enemy when ho arrived at tho river, at which it is said
Grant could but ill conceal his exultation, and being rein
forced by Buell and Gonend L. Wallaco with not less than
33,000 fresh troops, prepared to resist the dreaded assault,
expected on tho succeeding day. ; At an early hour in the
morning the fighting was resumed, but after repeatedly re
pulsing tho overwhelming reinforcements brought against
them, the Confederates wero driven back, and General Beau
regard determined to withdraw from a contest so unequal,
and secure for himself tho victory of the preceding day.
So admirably was the retreat, conducted that the enemy did
not attempt to follow, and although our success was defeated
on that day by tho superior numbers of the enemy, the re
sult of the engagement reflected gloriously on the South.
But to our chaplot of mourning was added another leaf.
No death was more sadly lamented than that of General
Albort Sidney Johnston. Our grief was heightened when
we learned that his death might have been' averted by
prompt and proper surgical attention. It is hard in somo
cases to submit with resignation to the wiU of Providence 1
His military record was untarnished by an act of dishonor,
cowardice or biefficiency, and tho South felt she had lost
one of her bravest, one of her best, one of her most praise
worthy men. In reckoning the lost jewels of this battlo
the South can count not only General A. S. Johnston, but
General Gladden, of South Carolina, Governor Johnston,

ACCUMULATING" DIBASTEBS.

125

of Kentucky, Captain Monroe, the son of tho venerable
Judge Monroe, of Kentucky, Colonel Williams, of Memphis,
Colonel Blythe, of Mississippi, and thousands of lesser
lights, but dear to some riven heart, which bled afresh un
der this new and heavy trial. r

CHAPTER XXIV.
ACCUMULATING DISASTERS— EFFECT OF THE FALL OF NEW ORLEANS.
AFTER this time, for many months, there was a rapid
succession of startling events. Outwardly, Richmond
seemed stoically calm, but her great heart heaved and surged
like tho smothered fires of a volcano. The fall of New Or
leans was the next event of importance borne to us with the
marvellous swiftness of unwelcome tidings, to call up to tho
surface the deep throbbings of national sorrow. It was as
unexpected as mortifying and discouraging. Tlie wise
heads pi Richmond had not hesitated to declare the most
unlimited confidence in the defensible condition of the Cres
cent City; It was pronounced impregnable. . ^
The effect of the fad of New Orleans was felt immedi
ately in Richmond in the increased prices charged for such
articles of food as were brought from that section of our
country. At once tho price "of sugar was enormously in
creased, and other groceries were made to share in the
exorbitant charge upon that article. We wero helpless vic
tims to extortion. , A fortunate speculator, having in store
a vast quantity of salt when our troubles commenced, grew
rich from tho sale of this article alone, and was afterwards
facetiously styled "Lot's wife." Closely following upon tho
distressing news of the fad of New Orleans, (by which we
lost command of the navigation of the Mississippi, and the
rich valley dependent upon it, from the mouth of the river
to Memphis,) occurred the evacuation of Norfolk, with its
splendid navy-yard, the destruction of tho Virginia, and im
mediately afterwards, tho evacuation of tho Peninsula, and

126

ACCUMULATING DISASTERS.

the blasting of the most cherished hopes of General Magru
der and his little army of veterans. Our skies wcro dark
ening. Mobile and Charleston wero in a perilous condition,
and Richmond menaced by ono of the largest armies tho
world ever saw. We wero now fully awake to an apprecia
tion of the terriblo crisis.
So rapidly succeeded these events that it is wonderful wo
could endure such an accumulation of ill-luck, or better,
such unforeseen disasters in tho providential events of the
war. Tho evacuation of York town was accomplished by
the Confederates on the third and fourth days of May,
and the place was occupied by General McClellan. On
tho day following occurred tho battlo of Williamsburgh,
caused by an attack of the Federals on tho roar-guard of tho
army of General Johnston. The retreat from York town,
decided upon in a council of war of tho commanding officers
hi the Confederate army, after tho reinforcement of General
Magruder by General Johnston, was admirably conducted,
and withdrew our forces to the intrenchments around Rich
mond, the moro conveniently and successfully to operate
against the immense army brought against us by McCleUan.
The battle of Williamsburgh, though engaging so few com
paratively of our forces, was one eminently successful to
tho Confederates. Long-street's division, which brought up
the rear, was engaged from sunriso until sunset, and suc
ceeded in driving back tho enemy, capturing three hundred
and fifty prisoners and nine pieces of artillery, and leaving
on the field, of the kided and wounded, at least three thous
and of the enemy. During tho night following it resumed
its march towards Richmond, evacuating the town of Wil
liamsburg, under the necessity of leaving our kided and
wounded in the hands of the enemy.
On the seventh of May an ineffectual attempt was mado
by the enemy to land at Baihamsvillenear West Point.
On the 10th occurred the evacuation of Norfolk — decided
upon as a military necessity — to bring tho forces under the
command of General Huger to tho .more needful position

ACCUMULATING DISA.STEBS.

127

A
J; "!'

around Richmond. It was accomplished without a blow,
and came upon the unsuspecting inhabitants of that city with
tho effect of a tornado from a cloudless sky. The scenes of the
evacuation are said to havo been thrilling boyond description.
The citizens fled in every direction, in every conveyance that
could be secured to tako them beyond the lines of the enemy.
The medical director of the Confederate army was warned
of the approach of the Federals only in time to gadop on
horseback out at ono direction whde the Fedoral army was
marching into the town from another.
Tho destruction of the Virginia was the most unexpected
and distressing of this serios . of disasters which came upon
us so rapidly at this poriod of tho war.
This invincible iron-clad had become, from hor brilliant
achievements in tho naval engagement in Hampton Roads,
the pride of the South. Her loss to us is said to have been
of greater importance than if ten thousand men had per
ished on, tho field of battle.
Tho ovacuation of Norfolk had been predetermined more
than a week before its accomplishment. Mr. Mallory, the
Secretary of our navy, had mado a visit to tho city to super
intend the removal of certain naval stores, and yet gave no
instructions as to the disposition of this important vessel,
properly caded tho Iron Diadem of the South.
:At the time, or about the time of these occurrences,
General Magruder was sick at Westover, on James River,
and being impressed with the probability of the destruc
tion of the Virginia, addressed a letter to Mr. Mallory,
giving some advice, and offering some suggestions as to tho
disposition which might bo made of the Virginia; and fear
ing lest Mr. Mallory might not be impressed by advice
once tendered, arose, after retiring, at night, sick and dis
heartened, lighted a candle, and wrote again, urging tho
necessity of preventing tho destruction of this ndmirablo
vessel. As tho sequel proved, tho suggestions wore un
heeded, to the moitification of General Magruder, and the
injury of tho whole Confederacy.

128

ACCUMULATING DISASTERS.

ACCUMULATING DISASTERS.

129

Sho was destroyed under the immediate orders of her
commander, Commodore Tatnell, on the morning of the 11th
of May, in the vicinity of Craney Island. -
He alleged that he had been betrayed into the necessity
of destroying the vessel by firing her magazine, upon- the
misrepresentations of his pilot, who at first assured him
they could, after lightening her so that sho would draw less
water, carry her to within a safe distance from Richmond—
but who, after she had boon lifted so as to render her
unfit for action, declared that thoy could not carry hor be
yond the Jamestown fiats, up to which point the shore on
cither side was occupied by tho enemy. This statement,
howevor, has been denied by tho pdots, and it is duo them to
mako known facts, which if not noticed, would loavo a re
flection on their courage and loyalty. At any rate, in the
dead hour of the night, hi haste, in' obedience to tho com
mand of the Commodore, the ship was put ashore, the crow
landed on Craney Island, the train set to her magazine, and
this noble vessel, worth to us moro than fifty thousand men
in tho field, was blown to the four winds of heaven, and tho
naval approach to Richmond left wholly unguarded.
How far the government may have been responsible for this
act oi madness, (as it then seemed to us,) we cannot pretend
to say; but we do know that no measured censure was heaped
upon the persons responsible for tho wanton destruction of
what was so invnlnablo to us in the conduct of the war. Tho
surpriso and indignation of the pcoplo seemed unappeasable,
in tho threatening aspect of affairs which then hovered over
us. The destruction of tho Virginia occurred at five a. m., on
the 11th of May. ' I
It is fair, from ad the facts stated in reference to it, to
suppose that it was predetermined. Mr. Pollard, hi his
history of the war, says: "During tho morning of the same
day, a prominent politician in tho streets of Richmond was
observed to be very much dejocted. Ho remarked that it
was an evil day for the Confederacy. On being epiestioned
by his intimate friends he declared to them that tho govorn-

1 A

i h

ment had determined upon, or assented to the destruction
of the Vfrginia, and that he had learned it from the highest
sources of authority in the Capital."
At that time, as there was no possibdity of knowing by
telegraph of the destruction of the vessel, that took place at
five o'clock that morning, it is presumable, at least, to infer
that the act had been decided upon, or assented to, by tho
government under certain contingencies.
, There never was a period of more alarming excitement
than this in Richmond during tho entire war, until the time
of tho ultimate evacuation of the city. The lines of tho
Chickahominy were invested by tho enemy. The VaUey of
Virginia, filled by their forces, threatened Richmond in
that direction. The defences on the river were as yet un
tested, and the obstructions in the channel were untried,
and feared to be ineffectual to prevent the approach of the
flotilla of gunboats that threatened us from the James River,
and from which we felt we had tho most to dread*
„ The hasty adjournment and dispersion of tho Confederate
Congress had no tendency to reassure us. Tho members
were hastily leaving a place so dangerously menaced. The
State Legislature, whose action taught a useful lesson to the
government, passed a resolution declaring their intention to
reduce the city to ashes rather than permit it to fad into the
hands of the enemy, or to suffer the terrors and destruction
of bombardment. An appropriation was made for tho re
moval of the women and children of tho indigent of the
inhabitants, and every sign betokened the purposed destruc
tion of tho city if attacked by tho gunboats.
i Citizens were leaving by hundreds hi aU directions, and in
J ad manner of conveyances. Baggage-wagons, heaped up
| with trunks, boxes and baskets, wero constantly rattling
through tho streots. Houses wore loft deserted, or occupied
by the more courageous refugees, who wcro glad to secure
a temporary home. Business was suspended, and tho only
consideration of the people was tho means of flight, if it
became absolutely necessary. It was known that tho family
G*

130

ACCUMULATING DISASTERS.

ACCUMULATING ' DISASTERS.

131

of tho President had been sent to Raleigh, North Carolina,
and thoso of our citizens who bravely determined to remain
if allowed, or to leave at tho last moment, kept their trunks
packed, and ad things ready for flight at a moment's warning.
Somo of the officers of tho government, seized with the gun
boat panic, decamped with the flying populace. We have never
known such a panic. Our only chance for safety deponded on
the half-finished fort at Drewry's Bluff, which mounted four
guns, to impede tho progress oi tho much-dreaded Monitor
and the terrible gunboats. We. had then very few torpe
does in the channel, and they could not be relied upon. The
suspense was terrible, and beyond description; Palo dismay
sat on overy countenance, aud hearts wero well nigh burst
ing at tho misery of our situation.' To add to our wretched
ness tho waters of James River were so high that it was
feared the obstructions would be Swept away by tho cur
rent. But a moro alarming feature was noticeable* in
the ominous-looking boxes that wcro brought out of the
offices of the .different departments, containing tho archives
of the government, and marked for Columbia, South Caro
lina. It was evident to a casual obsoiwer that a removal of
the government was contemplated. ;¦¦<
Tho question, Where shall I go ? was tho one that pos
sessed the minds of tho citizens. Tho approach to Gordons-
vidc was threatened, and (ho only safo retreat seemed on
the south side of Richmond, and wo knew not- how long wo
should be safe in that section of the Confederacy. On the
morning of the Kith of May, the fleet of the Federal gun
boats opened au attack on our fortification at Drewry's
Bluff. The sound of the guns iu hostile action was for the
first time heard in Richmond. Various reports wero in cir
culation in the city, and tho most intense anxiety prevailed.
While the excitement was at its height, an extraordinary
scene occurred. Li an accidental meeting of the citizens in
the City 1 fall, at tho enthusiastic "call of the crowd, im
promptu addresses were delivered by tho Governor of Vfr
ginia and tho Mayor of tho city, in which they pledged

, I

-4*

i m

!«>

i !

t

themselves to 'the citizens against the surrender of Rich
mond. The Governor, was peculiarly warm in his expres
sions, ami the Mayor declared that rather than, at that
time, surrender the city founded by his own ancestors, he
would resign the office of the mayoralty, and though bend
ing under the approach of three score years and ten, he
woidd shoulder the musket himself in defence of tho capi
tal.' These declarations were received with wdd, ringing
shouts by the citizens. Nor were they the demonstrations
of the mob. In the audience were some of the most wealthy
of our population, who declared they would fire thoir own
beautiful residences, in preference to delivering np the city
to our foes, and the most reliable of the men of Richmond
woro ready to apply the torch to tho Capitol, and to blow
the statue of the Father of his country to atoms, rather than
see them in the hands of the invader.
- Night brought the news of a signal victory; the flotilla
had been compeded to retire from the contest with our shore
batteries, and quietly dropped down tho stream, satisfied of
the impracticability of the water route to Richmond.
V The reaction of joy upon the minds of the people was
quite as intense as the suspense and agony had been in pro
portion terrible. Once again we breathed freely, and pur
sued the usual avocations of business, until the next turn in
the enginery of war should place us in the midst of a fresh
agitation.
o:'In regard to General McCledan's skill in mihtary affairs,
we are only prepared to say that until tho final surren
der .of the city, the most serious danger that threatened us,
was from tho strategy which threw him in front of Rich
mond, and sent his terrifying gunboats to frighten us from
bur homes hi May, 1862.

A.

132 THE BATTLES OF SEVEN PLNES

CHAPTER ¦, XXV. ?ii :,v'-
THE BATTLES OF SEVEN PINES AND FAIR OAKS.
WE had passed through a truly trying ordeal, and when
tidings camo that ad the danger from the much
dreaded gunboats had been prevented by their signal
repulse at Drewry's Bluff, tho reaction of joy upon the
minds of the nervous and delicate was quite as overpowor-
ing as the intensity of anxiety. Our noble women, who had
bravely borne the terrible trial, with pale, rigid features";
and eyes unmois toned by refreshing tears, gave vent to feel
ings drawn out in such torturing tension/in prayers of
thankfulness to a Supremo Deliverer, and their pent up
tears flowed in the unrestrained measure of gratitude. "*' "'
But there was little time to give to rejoicing.' Along the
lines of the Chickahominy, within sight of Richmond, with
hostile intent, lay two great opposing armies, and we well
knew that the collision of battle must soon shake the very
foundations of the city. Taking a useful lesson from its un
prepared condition for the comfort of the sick and wounded
of the previous encounter, vigorous endeavors woro made to
meet the necessity of tho demand. The first consideration
that brought into exercise the untiring energies and indus^
try of onr ladies, was in the preparation of couches for the
wounded. In these labors of duty there wero no weary
hands, and now there was no time to lose. Impenchng
dangers warned us of necessary exertions to meet, if not to
avoid them, and even the hours of the day of rest, tho
Holy Sabbath hours were again devoted to labors with tho
sewing machine and needle, in the manufacture of bed-ticks
for the hospitals. In these assemblages of our ladies, when
the startling occurrences of tho last fow ' weeks wore dks-
cusped, the unprecedented flight of Congress and ccrtain'of
the chicken-hearted officials of the government received a
merited share of ridicule. " Self-preservation is tho first law
of nature," and " the bettor part of valor is discretion," woro'

Ai

A AND FAIR OARS.

133

r>~

the favorite aphorisms applied to tho swift-footed legislators
and the flying officials. But we had not long to discuss the
harmless flight of our law-givers and government officers,
before tho crash of strife riveted our attention.
" Then shook Hie hills with thunder riven,
Then rushed the steeds to battle driven,
' _' And louder than tho bolts of Heaven
1 1 Far flashed the red artillery !"
-t ¦ *
, , On the 23d of May, the Confederate forces were defeated
at Hanover Court House, about twenty, mdes above Rich
mond on the Central Railroad of Virginia, by the Federals
under General Fitz John Porter, but it was reserved for the
31st of May to bring so closely upon us the rush and
shock of battle as that the hills on which our city is built,
shook with the reverberations of cannon, as though an
earthquake were undermining, the foundations. The win
dows in tho buildings rattled, and from exposed points,
where the hum of business did not disturb tho sound, tho
whir and whiz of the musketry were like the sound of a
mighty rushing wind, with furious showers of had.
• i The weather was cloudy and dull, and a irain had been
fading, when at about two o'clock hi the afternoon, the
heavy booming of artillery notified us that the struggle for
human life had begun. ; It was awhflly grand ! As peal after
peal broke upon the stid, humid atmosphere, and the glori
ous sublimity of the scene was present in imagination, it
was sadly overpowered by the crushing knowledge, that
with each note of the battle-music, were intermingled the
groans of wounded and dying fedow-creatures, whose lives
were the sacrifice to the mad fury of political ambition.
Let those whose fancy dclighis to revel in such phases of
the sublime, to whom the shock of crashing armies is pos
sessed of terriblo fascination, live, as has lived the writer, iu
a beleaguered city, where for days and weeks was heard
almost incessantly the dread music of artiUory, and every
breath of air inhalod, was mingled with the vapor of war,

134

THE BAOTLES OF SEVEN PINES

and then let them reflect, at every sound which awakens
in them the indescribable thrill of ecstasy, that some human
being is deprived of the life that bounds so delightfully in
their ptdscs, that some heart is qiuvering in the death agony,
and they will be satisfied to experience no more the ecstatic"
emotion purchased at a price so dear to some unfortunate
fcdow-mortal. On this afternoon, on the field of Seven Pines, this dread
ful scone in tho monstrous life-drama was enacting. The
reverberations of cannon coased not until the darkness of
night fed to hido from each other the furious combat
ants. It was fit this hour that our accomplished GoncraL
Joseph F. Johnston, was wounded. After having success
fully attacked tho vau of McClellan's army, and driving
it back more than two miles, through its own camp and
from its intrenchments, he was struck by a fragment of shell.
But the day had been gained, and an utter rout of the ene
my was only prevented by the unaccountable tardiness of
General linger, who failed to bring his division in position
to operate effectively. It had been a bloody afternoon's
work. Wc had lost more than four thousand men in kided,
wounded and prisoners, and tho acknowledged loss of the
enemy was over ten thousand, besides ten pieces of artil
lery, six thousand muskets, and various other spods. On
the morning of tho 1st of Juno tho enemy mado a demon
stration of attack upon our hues, but woro driven back by
the dashing gallantry of Colonel Godwins, of tho Ninth
Virginia regiment, who, with intrepid daring, far hi advance
of his command, cheering his men to tho onset, was wound
ed by a Minie ball in the leg, and in a moment after had
his horse shot under him, which, in falling, crushed the hip
of the fearless rider. At last reinforcements came up, and
the enemy wcro repulsed. This engagement is kndwn as
the battle of Fair Oaks. It occurred on the Sabbath.
Many of tho wounded had been conveyed to tho city on
the previous evening, but on that day ambulances were
drivoh in ad directions over tho city, bearing as their freight

3J*

AND FAIR OAKS. A

135

•-%

the mutilated victims of the battle. We had no longer to
congratulate ourselves on tho erring aim of our enemies.
The numbers who were borne to us with shattered hmbs,
torn by crashing shed or crushed by the more certain if less
horrible Minie ball, told unmistakably that our enemy had
improved in marksmanship. ,
Our hospital arrangements wero much increased, and
had greatly improved during the time that had supervened
sinco tho battle of Manassas, which had found us so id
prepared to take caro of those who suffered in our cause.
But they wore stdl very defective. Private houses, which
had boon loft tenantloss by 'the frightenod occupants, who
had fled during the existence of the gunboat pauic, were
many of thorn impressed for hospital purposes. But so
short a time had been left for preparation, that the sick and
wounded, hi some instances, were brought into houses which
alone possessed the friendly shelter of the roof and walls to
accommodate the sufferers. On the evening of tho battle
of Seven Pines we saw men wounded ahd bleeding brought
into private hospitals, only opened a clay or two before tbat
time, in which there was neither bed, nor pidow, nor food,
nor surgeon, nor nurse, nor cook, nor anything but the baro
floors to receive their shattered, aching limbs. Their wants
were supplied in a fow hours by the citizens, who cookod
and sent refreshments, bods, pillows and blankets, water,
soap, aud ad that Could for tho timo relievo the helpless suf
ferers. Surgeons were procured, and kind and tendor
women bathed tho bleeding wounds, washod from tho hair
and beards of tho soldiers the stiffened mud and gore, and
administered refreshments and restorativos to the worn-
out, weary," dying men. Kindly words were whispered
which strengthened tho fainting spirit, and tears of sym
pathy coursed the cheek of woman as she bent over the
couch, and served as a hoaling balm to the bleeding wound,
and a life-infusing spirit to tho bravo fellows who had fought
for their wives, their children, thoir homes.
On this evening, as a kind woman bent ovor tho stalwart

136

THE BATTLE OF FAIB OAKS.

figure of a noble Georgian, and washed from his hair and
beard the stiffened mud of the swamps of the Chickahom- ,
iny, where he fell from a wound through the upper portion
of the right hmg, and then gently bathed the bleeding gash?
left by the Minie ball, as he groaned and feebly opened his
eyes, he grasped her hand, and in broken whispers, faint
from suffering, gasping at every breath, " I could- — bear — ad t
— this — for myself — alone — but my— wife and my — six little
— ones," (and then the largo tears rolled down his weather-,
beaten cheeks,) and overcome he could only add, "Oh, Godl
oh, God 1 — how wdl — they endure it '?" She bent her head and
wept in sympathy. Tho tall man's frame was shaking with i
agony. She placed to his fevered lips a cooling draught, and -
whispered : " Think of yourself just now ; God may raise ,
you up to thorn, and if not, Ho wid provide for and comfort ,
them." Ho feebly grasped hor hand once more, and a look
of gratitude stole over his manly face, and he whispered,
"God bless youl God bless youl God bless you I kind
stranger I" t
Our summer's work had bogun. The daily rounds at the
hospitals, from dawn till night were performed by the
ladies of Richmond, to whom those sad duties, though, so
painful, were the chief delight. In no other way did they
feel that they could properly testify thoir gratitude to
the soldiers who wero periling , their lives for tho safety
of the women of their country. : Nobly, cheerfully ¦and
pcrsevcringly wero theso duties performed. All day they
would sit amid the sickening odors of the hospital, fan
the fevered brow, and batho Iho gaping wound, and read
from tho book of life, and whisper words of strength and
hope to the despondent, and point with the finger of faith
to the glories of tho upper world, where no moro strife
shall over enter, whoro the battle-cry is never hoard, to tho
poor soldier as he approached the "dark valley of the shad
ow of death." It was woman's duty to minister thus to the
suffering and dying, and to place upon the bi;oast of the
youthful unknown hero the flowers of summer, to be borne

ii

jackson's • campaign in the valley.

&

137

with him to his last resting-place in the burial-ground of
the soldier, — love offerings of national gratitude.
The casualties in the battle of Seven Pines did not ex
tend largely to our prominent officers. Much concern was
felt for tho condition of General Johnston, but a few days
developed signs of recovery for him, and we were com
forted. Conspicuous in the fight at Seven Pines was the daring
impetuosity of the troops from Louisiana. Maddened by'
the thought of the tyrannical rule of Butler, they rushed
into the fight with the battle-cry, — " Butler and New Or
leans 1" and again would ring out : "Boys, remember But
ler !" and with the shock of a hurricane they drove before
them tho opposing foe. Whon the battles wcro over, on the
field occupied by the enemy was 'found hanging on the branch
of a tree a Louisiana soldier, on whose breast was fastened
a placard, with the ominous words : " No quarter for Lou-
isianians."* ¦>•¦ > ¦¦'.::-.¦ A><
Tho thunderings of cannon had ceased, the shower of
Minie bads no more fed upon the heads of our soldiers,
and we were permitted to peep beyond the bars of our siege
prison for a little distance into the outer world. ; ,

CHAPTER XXVI.
JAOKSON's OAMTAIQN IN THE VALLEY.
WE must leave, for a little time, the Confederate capi
tal and its surroundings to look after our indomi
table Jackson in his operations in tho Valley, and ascertain
what ho did for our security 'in Richmond,
We left him in March retreating up the valley from
Kernstown, to find him in May routing tho army of- Milroy
* Wo haVo slnoe hoard from a Fodoral ouloor that tho "black flag"
was raised ttgaiunt them on that day. ",: •'

138

JACKSON'S CAMPAIGN IN' THE- VALLEY.

at McDowell, fearlessly moving on" his little army against
General Banks at Winchester, who had come among us
with all the confidence and assurance of ft conqueror, and
driving him ingloriously from his stronghold with such suc
cess that the Federal commander wroto to tbe authorities
at Washington, when on tho opposite side of tho Potomac,
" There wcro never more grateful hearts in tho same number
of men, than when at midday on tho 30th of May we stood
on the opposite shore." Ho had already on tho 23d' of
May driven tho Federals from, and taken possession bf
Front Royal.
Carefully guarding the prisoners aud spoils, wo find him'
hastily retreating up tho Valley from Winchester, prevent
ing tho junction of General Fremont and General Shiolds,
engaging the enemy at Harrisonburg, (where we lost our
gallant knight, the noble Ashby,) and then hastening on
with his reliable compeer, General' Ewell, to fight Fremont'
and Shields at Port Republic, and Cross Keys in Rocking
ham County, and on the 8th and 9th days of May routing '
their forces, driving them across tho Shenandoah, where
they drew up in lino of battle, awaiting, in' impotent .idle
ness, further pursuit from our worn out and exhausted
forces. Finding it altogether impracticable to scale a Stonewall,
when protected with a chnvaux de/risc of rebel muskets and
bayonets, Fremont took up his lino of retreat towards
Winchester, aud abandoned the idea of tho need of -his
assistance to General McClellan at Richmond.
This brilliant campaign was accomplished with but a
small force, but they wcro under tho most superior disci
pline, and inspired by the bravery and example of the
bravest and best of men. A gifted historian writes :— ,
"This famous campaign must, indood, tnke a rank in the history of
llto war nnnvallt-d by any other iu tlio rapidity of ifs movements, and
in tlin brilliant-y of jls results, nemmplishcd with the means at its com
mand, lis heroic deeds revived tho hopes of tho South, and throw tho
splendor of sunlight over tho long lines of tlio Confederate host. By a

4

JACKSON'S' CAMPAIGN . IN THE VALLEY. 139
series, of rapid movements, which occupied but a few weeks, General
Jackson had, with inferior numbers, defeated, successfully four gene
rals, with as many armies, swept the Volley of Virginia of hostile forcos,
made tho Pedoral authorities tremble in their capital, and frustrated
the combination by which the enemy had purposed to aid General
McClellan, and environ Richmond by immense converging armieB."
,' . Jackson was then prepared to bring his invincible little
army to the immediate defenco of the capital.
-; But from tho brilliant achievements of this campaign
another leaf was added to our chaplet of mourning. Ashby
was no more 1 The brave, gallant, daring young cavalier
of Virginia had fallon 1 Our drink was mingled with weep
ing, and the mourning wroath was growing hoavy. Ah, how
heavy! It is not within tho power of our pon to do jus
tice to a character so nobly spotless. AU the elements that
combine to make and ombedish a character, truly pure and
great, were possessed eminently by this young man. His
name, his deeds are immortal. They are a precious legacy
to Virginia, to tho South. His glorious- renown their youth
may emulate. Cut down, alasl in the blossomed beauty of
a manno°d that would have ripened into such perfection.
1 ¦-.i!-'fr;.-!|>i',}.,ii;'.'i.HiO''u.'v*'--''' "The good die first, ' . i;
_. But they whose hearts are dry as BUinmer dust
,j j , ,.'..':,';'; Burn to the socket 1" .-, . j
h Peace to thy ashes, young boro! We would not awaken
tlied from thy dreamless slumbor, and behold tho throes of
agony that would' tear thy sold, by the defeat of the cause
which inspired thoo to such dcods of daring. Wo would not
wish that thy bright beaming glance shoidd toko in the now
wasted, but once beftutiful and happy Valley of the Shanan-
doah, over which thy milk-white steed bore thee on to
world-renowned 'fonts of horoism. Wo woidd not havo thy
brave, yet gentlo heart riven by sight of tho baro chimneys,
- tho blackened walls, the desolate homesteads, all along the
pathway of. tho invader 1 Wo would not have thoo tortur-
od by the groans of the widowod, the childless, tho orphaned !
Vfrginia, thy cherished mother, is a widow and weeps for

1-JO

STUABT'S BAID.'

her children I Rest, under the unfading wreath, woven by
S/nV i? °:e^;llich Fame *« -fl««g ^r immortal
Ugh,, to gild with its lustre tho pages of ad the future.
"Koldior, rest! Thy warfare o'er, n-i.i
Sleep tho sleep that knows no breaking, -, f.jf
Droam of battlo-fiolds no moro, , . . ,,.,'.
Days of eon fliot — nightB of waking j "
With the exception of the famous Black Horse Company-
our Confederate Cavalry had thus far done very little. to
entitle them te distinguished notice. Mounted on good
horses which they managed with the ease and skid of Cen-
taurs, being trained, many of them from boyhood almost
nolle 1 Vri x 7 U1°' ^ WCT0 & W, Peking set,
petted and feted wherever they appeared. The orderings
of the war had been such as to loave undeveloped the
powers they were destined to bring into action, in a career
of brilliancy and dashing heroism. The time had at last
come when they should redeem their reputation from cer-*
tam reproaches cast upon it, and loom up into enviable
notice upon the Confederate horizon. . . T

\ CHAPTER XXVH.
stuart's raid.

;.e, !ir.[t\r)

V. ¦>

f y$ the 12th of Juno, when the battles of Seven Pines
V_y and Fair Oaks began to be spoken of as "things that
were, General ytuart sallied out with his wed-mountod
horsemen, to make a reconnoissance in tho rear of the ene
my. Inspired by tho novelty of the adventure, and burn
ing with purpose high and animated, these bold Southern
cavaliers dashed on across the Chickahominy, through the
grounds of tho enemy in Hanover and New Kent counties
destroying their camps, dispersing thefr forces, and making
their way around to tho vicinity of tho White House, on the
Pamunkey River, intercepted a train of cars, (and by shoot-'

!
I-
4 <.

STUABT 8 BAID.

UK r

i

141

ing tho engineer, they nearly succeeded in capturing the
train,) and destroyed millions of dodars1 worth of storos be
longing to the enemy, thoroughly acquainted with his posi
tion. Ad this they accomplished, besidos tho capture of
hundreds of prisoners, mules and horses, with tho loss of
only ono of their number, the bravo and gadant Captain Lc-
toni, of Essex County, Virginia. Whde nobly leading a
charge he fell, pierced by five budets.
<oFrom the journal of an officer on General Stuart's staff
we read, "At the same time wo had destroyed the enemy's.
communication, burned property to the amount of midions, '
captured hundreds of prisoners, horses and mules, and put
the whole Federal army in fear and consternation.
• *' We were warmly greeted everywhere on our return, and
every sort of honor was paid to General Stuart's name.
This ovation was extended to officers and men, and wherever
any one who had taken part in this famous expedition was
seen, he was besieged with questions, gazed at as a hero, and
entreated to relate his own .adventures and the story of the
ride. " The Richmond press teemed with praises of General
Stuart and his followers, and even. the journals of New York
did not fad to ronder homage to the conception and execu
tion of the bold enterprise." ?Tjp „
Of tho death of Captain Letoni_ General Stuart, in his
official report of the Pamunkey expedition, says : " The next
!3^tvIkmoved to the front under tlie lamented Captain
Lttoni, making a most brdhant and successful chargo upon
tho enemy's picked ground, and after a hotly-contested hand-
to-hand conflict, put him to flight, but not until the gallant
Captain had sealed his devotion to his native Bod with his
bl0°d"". tcJJCCoL
The burial of LjitenHs beautifully porteayed in an oxtraet
from a private letter:— "Lieutenaut Lc&nl^carried his
brother's dead body to Mrs. Brockcnborough's plantation an
hour or two after his death. On this sad and lonely errand
he mot a party of Yankees, who 'followed him to Mrs. Brock-

142

STUART S BAID.

enboroughs, and stopping there told him that as soon as he
placed his brother's body in friendly bands he must surren
der himself a prisoner. Mrs. Brockcuborough sent for an
Episcopal clergyman to perform the funeral ceremonies, but
tho enemy would not let him pass.
Then, with a few other ladies, a fair-haired little girl, whose
apron was fdlcd with white flowers, and ft fow faithful slaves,
who stood revorently near, a pious Vfrginia matron road
the solemn and beautiful burial service over tho cold, still
form of ono of the noblest gentlomen and most intrepid
officers of tho Confederate army. She watched the sods
heaped on the coffin lid, (ben sinking on hor knees in sight
and hearing of tho foe, sho committed his soul's welfaro and
tho stricken hearts he had left behind him, to tho morcy of
the Ad Father. L.a-H.u,e-
The fate of the lamented Latont-is touchingly described
in verse by the pen of the gifted poet J. R. Thompson, of
Virginia, and we copy it in full, as commemorative of tho
noble devotion of the women of tho State, and of the ruth
less cruelty of the enemy :
" The combat raged not long, but ours the day;
And though the hosts had compassed ns around
Our littlo hand rode proudly on its way,
Leaving one gallant eomrado glory-crowned,
Unburied on tho field he died to gain,
Single of all his men amid tho hostile slain.
Ono moment on tho battle's edge ho Btood,
Hope's halo like a helmet round his hair —
Tho next beheld him dabbled in his blood, ^ ,;.,.-|
rrofilralo in dca'b, and yet in death how fair I , ,- h r , .5
Even thus ho passed through the rod gate of strife,
From earthly crowns and palms to an immortal life. °
¦it-! "
" A brother boro his body from tho field, :,;.-,,
And gave it unto strangers' hands that closed
The calm blue eyes, on earth forever sealed,
And tenderly the slender limbs composod:
Strangers, yet sisters, who with Mary's love,
Sat by tho open- tomb, and weeping looked above."

lii' r -

-A STUABT'S BAID.^ ' -: 143
"A little child strewed roses on the bier — '
Pale roses, not more stainloss than his soul,
Nor yot more fragrant than his life sincere,
That blossomed with good actions— briof but whole.
The agod matron and the faithful slavo
Approached with lowly feet the hero's lowly grave.
" No man of God might say the burial rite
Abovo tho ' rebel, '-^thuB declared the foe
That blanohod before him in the doadly fight,
But woman's voico in accents soft and low
Trembling with pity, touched with pathos, road
O'or his hallowod dust the ritual for the dead.
" 'Tis sown in weakness, it is raised in powor,"
Softly tho promiso floated on tho air,
And the swoot breathings of tho sunset hour
Camo back responsive to the mourner "s prayer.
Gently they laid him underneath the sod,
And left him with his fame, his country, and his God.
; i i < t . '-, " -*->ot us not weep for him whose deeds endure ;
So young, so brave,' so beautiful, he died
As he had wished tb die ; — the past is sure,
YVhatovor yot of Sorrow may betide
Those who still linger on tho stormy shore,
Change cannot harm him now, nor fortune touch him more.
"And when Virginia, leaning on her spear,
Vicirix et sincere, tho conflict done,
Shall raise hor mailed hand to wipe the tear
Tbat starts as she rocalls each martyred son,
No prouder memory hor breast shall sway
Than thine, our early lost, lamented Letoni.'
This expedition of General Stuart served to excite a spirit
of adventure in his men. It gavo a fresh impotus to tho
cavalry sorvice, and tho brilliant, dashing exploits of Genoral
" Job " Stuart and his gaUant horsemen, became, from that
time, famous in the annals of the war.

biiU;

¦ •-
*a'>

144

THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLE
CHAPTER XXVm.

*nESEvEN DAyg BATw.ONTnEPENiN8tjLA_
f the greatest HW.™;„ ; „ . WM' Elchmond was the poi,

F,

of the gVeatesVshX:;;^,''"" Wal'' I<1Chm0nd,™i^ Point
»aoy. Its cant me wl 1 ' ' '* ™ the Souttc™ Confed-
ot ^B^tz^iT^r?1^6^ «-
secure position in ™T iC «^V8 int° a more' ">"
south, k-om its pontLl in t * "" StntC8 **«»*
ment, the surrendei of P -1- w^ °* ^ 86at of ^ovn-
contidencc of the p o lo i IT s T? ^ S° ™^ "»
^ expected, and li tp S of t ^^^^^
South, m conBcquoncc'eiCiXf ^7 °f ^
capital was, therefore the m„e7 fr V , Captwco of our
als-the security 0f e7p? ' <*8ri8h^ aim of the Peder-
^e Confederate' °Tc ^rthS ^T^ °L'JCCt °f
-onts left no means u„a":;;(0(1thCU "^ *G ^ e'overn-
comp:^;^:™^^'^ f aU ^ - -eodfci to
in all its app^t „ ^r ? °6' ™ dedarod to be>
^odinatsandthedeeatats m°- ^ "^ °f ^
*¦«•„ it bom th vi i , , of n °VP f i1" lmd n0t RUfficed *«»

¦> ON THIS TENINSDLAE.

145

I-

ing, with tho strange, indomitable courage settling on his
grave impenetrable face, was our immortal Stonewall Jackson.
The question under consideration was whether Richmond
should bo surrendered to the young Napoleon, with his in
vincible host, or defended even to its altars and its firesides.
The latter was agreed upon, the means for its accomplish
ment decided, and the members of this remarkable caucus
adjourned to meet next amid the thunder, and smoke, and
storm of conflict. This occurred on tho 25th of June.
On the. afternoon of that day, just before sunset, tho
writer of these pages stood upon the roof of the Capitol
and unassisted by the, use of glassos, saw on all sides, as far
as the eye could reach, the encampments of the soldiery," in
waiting for ihe most furious contost of arms ever then ex
pected on this continent. The immediate proximity to tho
terrible theatre upon which were so soon to be enacted
scenes appalling in tearfulness, Wrought in her soid emotions
indescribable. No thought of fear or danger possessed her.
Iter faith in tho triumph of what she conscientiously regarded
to bo tho right, mado failure altogether improbable; nor did
a dream of glory thrid her spirit, but a dire deprecation of
tho dreadful means for the.purchase of victory; As in child
hood she asked, why must wars evor come ? Beneath her lay
tho white tents of tho mighty host, clotting the landscape
hko snow-flakes in winter. In a few days this mighty
host might bo dispersed and wandering like a frightened
Hock. As she stood, and gazed, and thought, she turned to
a friend, and askodt "When will the battle begin?" Tbe
words had only just escapod her lips, whon tho dFstantboom
of the cannon disturbed the stdlness of the afternoon, and
thon in rapid succession, somewhere along the linos tho oft
repeated "boom! boom! boom!" furnished a reply for tho
gentleman, and he exclaimod, almost in a whisper, " The
ball is openedl tho skirmishing has commenced!"' Prom
the depths of her soul sho prayed, " Lord have mercy !"
^ It is said that the Emperor Napoleon I., in tho dnys of (lie
French Revolution, when a mere stiqiling, and an interested
7

14G

THE- SEVEN DAYS' BATTLE

ON THE PENINSULA.

147

witness of the exciting scenes of the French capital, re
marked of the noise of artillery, "That shad be my music."
On tho morning of the 2Gth of Juno, just as tho day
dawned, wo woro awakened by tho dreadful music which
gave such exquisite delight to the Emperor. At Mechanics-
vide, a few miles distant from our 'city, all day tho battle
raged, and when tho twilight camo on, and the wounded were
arriving, and we asked for tidings from the field, wo heard
of a terrible fight. But "Jackson is in the rear of tho ene
my, and all is well." Sleep fled from the eyelids of many.
There wcro none of us who had not friends, the nearest and
dearest, exposed to the dreadful hazards of battle, and we
could give no time to reposo when our hearts woro torn with
approhensious for their safety. i'-
By day-break on the morning of tho 27th, tho. dreadful
music onco more tilled our oars, and some of us, unable to
find diversion in our moro immediate surroundings sought
quiet retreats in the suburbs of the city to listen to tho sounds
of conflict. As wo stood on Maury Hill, in tho cxtrcnio
western part of the city, the roar of artillery seemed inter
minable, and the rattling of musketry like a shower of hail.
Again all clay tho battlo raged, and whon tho night came
ou, and friends, wounded, were brought in, the tidings came
again, " All is wed I" The battle at Gaines's Mill had been
won by the Ellis and General Longstreet, who had dofeatod
Fitz John Porter, and had driven him beyond tho Chicka
hominy. ! , ,-
IVo were, however, in a perilous situation. General Mc
Clellan had succeeded in posting a portion of his army on tho
side of the Chickahominy next to Richmond, and tho dislodg-
ment of it was a matter of tho most profound importance.
But the telismanic words which found expression on every
tongue kept us reassured. "Jackson is in their roar,"
"Stonewall is behind them," and wo looked forward with
calm though intense interest for tho developments of tho
coming day. On the 28th and 20th occurred the battle of
the Poach Orchard. Tho famous (lank movement of General

• A^

Jackson, and the furious charge of Stuart's cavalry* swept
everything before them with the fury of the whirlwind. The
attack upon the Federals was terrible — tho carnage dread
ful.: ' The enemy fell back across the Chickahominy, and tho
battle was gloriously victorious to the Confederates I
A iNight brought the hews to us in Richmond, and closed in
mercy ovor tho horrid" scenes of carnage and strife. "Ad
is well," was once more the tidings, and our hearts,
though grateful, were lifted up in prayer to God, to
stay the tide of blood. The next morning was the Sabbath.
We understood that tho enemy were retreating. The clouds
were lifting from over Richmond, and wo prayed, " If
it bo Thy will, oh God, drive from us our enemies, but let
no moro blood be shed." But it was not to be so. On that
morning our forces engaged those of General McClellan at
Savage's Station, on the York River Radroad, where thoy
attempted to break through our lines, and were, to use an
expression of one of thoir men, (taken prisoner,) "mowed
down," and thoy loft to continue a retreat, which was begin
ning to oppoar to them a hopeless one.
I The sounds of artillery were growing faiutcr and fainter
to us in the city, as the enemy were driven further and fur-
thor away from Richmond, and we knew that "ad" for us
continued to be "wed." 't ;,-¦ '
; ,By daybreak on Monday morning the pursuit of the ene
my was resumed, and on that day occurred tho engagement
at Frazcr's Farm. It rivalled in the terror of its details any
battle ot tho sorios of the previous days. Onr forces woro
almost wholly unsupported by artillery, and worn out and
exhausted by thoir long continued fighting. Genoral Hill's
division had wrought prodigios of valor, but wcro at ono
time driven back, which revived the courago of our enemies,
and for a while they mado a bold stand. Gonoral Hill, no
ticing the temporary advantngo to the enemy, rodo rapidly
up to tho position of his brigade, and cheered them on en
couragingly. Catching inspiration from his gadant conduct,
they loudly caught up the cheers of thoir General, and

148

THE SEVEN DAYS* BATTLE

emwd tt r 0/oe- Supposing thG? — h^y
nod fi tet , x x " ¦ PaUS6d' and ihia- W contin
ued fignt concluded m the winning of the' field by the
Confcdcrirtes The morning of the succeeding day brought
te us m R.chmond tho tidings of the battfe 0/ FiWs
ram. It was evident to us that tho fighting could not con-,
nne much longer The enemy were retreating to seek the'
fiicnclly cover of their gunboats, and the chief object of the
figh of hat day would be te prevent and cut off the re!
treat and thus capture tho army of McCledan. The utmost
anxiety prevailed in the city. The faint booming sounds o*'
the cannon signalled that they wore much further off Yet'
the issue was not decided, the interest was not diminished. '
Larly on the morning of the 1st of July the fight was re-''
newed by General Magruder. It is said that on no daypr J
Yious baa the lighting been so terrible, or confined to so
small a space. There the enemy were strongly fortified, and
our forces, few in number, anxiously hoping for reinforce!
ments, charged nerons an open field, upon belching batto-'
ries, under a sheet of flame from artidery. In this fight '
Gonoral Mngruder was accused of groat rashness, and many
declared that he. was under the intoxicating influence of ar
dent spirits ; but whether from this cause the lives of so
many of our men wero sacrificed, or the want of proper re-'
inrorcements or the superior skill displayed by General''
MeC el .-ui m the management of his retreat, it was safely
effected, and under cover of his gunboats, on which the ar
my took paSsngp, (be siego was raised, and the capital of the
temfeder.-rey relieved fr,»m the presence of its dangerous
visitors, and once moro tho sunlight of prosperity shed its
lustre on the Confederate cause. "" ""
To the master mind that conceived the brilliant plan"
which brought to us succoss, bo all credit givon ; nor be
much less accorded to tho wonderful men who always made
the flank movement in the right moment, and in tho rear of
ihe enemy wrought the distress to him which brought to us
tho victory. The actions of our officers woro determined

':t,:

ON THE PENINSULA.

149

and irresistible, and it seems wonderful that so fow mistakes
woro made through such a long and protracted series of
the hottest engagements. Public opinion reflected rather
severely on General Magruder and General Huger. It was
said if Magruder had been less rash, and Huger less tardy,
tho Federal army had never reached the security of their
gunboats. But ono thing now appears evident : bad General McClel
lan received proper reinforcements, be might never have
been compelled to retreat, and had he been less skillful
as a commander, ho could not bave saved his army from
capture.' It has ever since boon regarded at the South
as one of the most masterly retreats in the records of mdi-
tary history. Wo of Richmond are only too fully aware
who it was that gave us the greatest cause for. alarm, and
shook most seriously the foundations of the rebel capital.
And when wo remember the superior advantages of Gene
ral Lee's position, the immenso numbers under his command,
, and the numerous reserves nover under fire during the soven
days' fight, our admiration for the skid and generalship of
the Federal commander is unqualified.
Undisguised regrets wore expressed at the failure of the
Confederates to secure the army of the Federals, but a feel
ing of mtonso thankfulness, too deep for words, went up to
God from hearts so long kept in anxiety during tho bloody
scenes around our city.
The seven days'. battles around Richmond left us enough
to do. Wo had noithor tho timo nor inclination to make
merry over tho triumphs of our arms. Thoro wore no noisy
jubilations over this succession of victories. There were no
beds rung, no cannon fired, no dluminations, no indecent
manifestations of exulting victory over our cnomios. Pris
oners wore not insulted in oui streets. Captured Generals
were allowed on thefr parolo to walk unmolested through
tho city ; but there was a deep undercurrent of intense grat
itude, which was not uttered in measured phrases, but which
beamed from every countenance, Which was felt in tho thrdl-

150

THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLE

city, «ad u,8 „,„,„,, A"" ™kle h»™ST «nd torrifiid
evy repeated sound of the cannon <jPi« v! ^ at eV"
any who might bring to them news of theh boys g 1 !
ml friends grew pale when a horseman rodo up to £
doors, and could scarcely nerve themselves to li ten tn t
^ he brought. Young wives clasped tlicit cl fld Ii t
a bosoms and in agooy imagined themselves w dows
'mfl tllClr Il,fIc ™™ orphans. Thoughtful husband T
sons, ami brothers, and lovers, dispatcld me^ W
ZJfZT U WhCn°Ver tbey ™m> but> ^ the
n oi st tears of many were realized. -
Connexions amon„fit the d(jnd q{ ^ -
voung Colonel of the Fourth Texas regiment. H bad won-
honorable distinction in Italy, under Garibaldi. NoWe ar
nved ot his instant death on tho field, and iTIarL

ON THE PENINSULA. :

161-

i, broken famdy sat up to receive his body until after the hour
i. of- midnight ;' but when it arrived, and "he lives " was told
i his mother, the reaction of joy almost deprived her of being.
She could not realize it. The revulsion was too groat. He
spent a few days of mortal agony, and then a sad, mourn
ful procession of heart-broken friends and relatives, and the
riderless horse of the young warrior, announced, ah ! how
sadly, that Richmond's gallant son, Colonel Bradfuto War-
... wick, bad faden !
0,t;i A. horseman rodo up to tho door of one of our houses on
_ — — j- street, and cried out to the anxious mother : " Your
f son, madam, is safe, but Captain; — -is kdledl" On tho
opposito Hido, on the portico of her dwelling, a fair young
girl, the botrothed of Captain  , was said to have boon
, sitting at the moment, and thus heard the terrible announce
ment I. ', , , •
j i!,Fvery family received the bodies of the wounded or dead
of their friends, and every house was a house of mourning
,,or a private hospital.
,,,.,, The clouds were lifted, and the skies brightened upon
political prospects, but death held a carnival in our city.
,. Tho .weather was excessively hot. It was midsummer, gan
grene and erysipelas attacked the womided, and thoso who
. might have been cured of thoir wounds wero cut down by
. .these diseases.
,, Our hospitals were loathsome with the bloated, disfig
ured countenances of the victims of disease, rather than
from ghastly wounds. Sickening odors filled tho atmos-
K phere, and soldiers' funerals were passing at every moment.
; Frequently they would be attended by only one or two of
,thq convalescent patients of the hospitals, and sometimes
the unknown dead would bo borne to the grave, with only
the driver of tho hearse or cart to attend it*

* Ono of the grove-di^ora at a Bolclicrs' cemotery said to the -miter,
when speaking of this time, (at a subsequent poriod,) "Wo could not

•^r-152

THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLE

The mournful strains of the "Dead March," and the
sounds of the muffled drum, betokened an officer en route
lor the city of the dead,".but these honors could not be'
accorded the poor fellows from the ranks. There were too1
many of them passing away— the means for costly funerals
were not within our reach-yet were not our hearts less
saddened by the less imposing cortege that was borne along
with the private nor by the rude coffin in the cart, slowly
wending its way unattended by friends, to the soldiers' cem
etery. Mothers and sisters, and dear friends caino from ad
parts of the South, to nurse and comfort clear ones in our
hospitals, and some, alas! arrived to find a husband
brother, or son already dead or dying, and had the sad
companionship of the dead back to their homes. '
Our best and brightest' young, men were passing away.
Mony of them, the most of them, were utter strangers to us;
but the wounded soldier ever found a warm place in our
hearts, and they wero strangers no more. A Southern lady
has written somo beautiful lines, suggested by the death of

•>-

dip; graven fast enough to bury the soldiers. Thoy wero sometimes
brought and put out of the hoarse or cart, beside an opon grave, and wo
were compelled to bury them in turn. Frequently we wore obliged
to leave them over night, when, ' sometime®, the bodies would
swell, and burst tho coffins iu which they were placed, so slightly
woro they mndo. Our work was a horrible ono I \The odor was sliding.
On ono occasion, one of our grave-diggers contracted disease from a
dead body, which he buried, that onrao to him in this terrible condition'
and he died from it in loss than twenty-four hours. After that we wore
almo.it afraid to continue our business, but then the soldiers must bo
buried, poor follows 1" ' '. ¦ . , :. • -_>
We listened to this horrible account as we stood on the hillside, and
saw tho hillocks innumerable, that marked the graves of our soldiers.
A little girl, who visited the oometory, on returning to the city said:—
' ' Why, grandma, tho soldiers' graves are as thick ns pototoe-hills !" And
she saw only n moiety of tho many which crowded the hillsides around
our city, for this was an extension of Hollywood cemetery only. There
were several cemeteries especially laid out for the soldiers, and they
wero soon all filled with tho mounds that marked tlio soldier dead.

ON TnE PENINSULA. Ibd
a youthful soldier in one of our hospitals. So deeply touch
ing is the sentiment, and such the exquisite pathos of the
poety, that we shall insert them in our memorial of thoso
sad times. When ad sentiment was wed nigh crushed
out, which courts the visit of the muse, these lines sent a
thrill of ectasy to our hearts, and comfort and sweetness to
the. bereaved in many far off homes of the South. Of
''Somebody's Darling," she writes : —
'fr ;'AC'ii.. "Into a ward of tho white-washed halls
v|i:, , ,A„ i-pA Where the dead and tho dying lay ; —
j,AAi;AAA Wounded by bayonets, shells and balls,
Somebody's darling was borne ono day.
' Somebody's darling'so young and so brave,
Wearing yet on his sweet, pale face,
>.-::.: f /.AS : Soon to be laid in tho dust "of the grave,
A--,'s i'je ;-'A-A-: The lingering light of his boyhood's grace.
'"'' A "'"'""Matted and damp are the onrls of gold,
(b- AA";-1'"' ''.'' Kissing the snow of that fair young brow ;
b i •] '¦¦ ' A- i Tale aro tho lips of delicate mould,
"p. i-.A;K ,• Somobody's darling is dying now I
Back from his beautiful, blue-veined brow,
Brush tho wandering waves of gold ;
" '"''"' ''l,'^[. Cross his hands on his bosom now,
V" f' -^" ..AA'.; 'Somebody's darling is still and cold 1
i,Sn .iA' 'Ai; "Kiss him once, for somebody's sake,
ijfrif; -;h 'Vr> Murmur a prayer, soft and low ;
•jtiv:'.:^--')1-'- One bright curl from its fair mates tako,
rt iv ¦¦-¦ ''ac ., They were somobody's pride, you know.
,m uHiiA p.- Somebody's hand hath rested there,
-,p," upV-'iip ¦';- Was it a mother's, soft aud white 1
•it U;'ir> jo Or have the lips of a sister fair,
A.AA'AA,. Been baptized in their waves of light?
' fi -' 'AA " God knows best 1 He has somobody's love,
"''.,'.',' AT Somobody's heart enshrined him thero ;
Somebody wafted his name above,
Night and morn on tho wings of prayer.
,,>:-';.-, Somebody wept when he marched away,
'...:r, :¦¦¦¦ ,A ":; Looking so handsome, brave and grand 1
,v: T:' * *¦"'-* Somobody's ltiea on his forehead lay,
Somebody clung to his parting hand.

161

THE SEYEN DAYS BATTLE

"Somebody's watching, and waiting for him,
Yearning to hold him again to her heart,
And there ho lies — with his blue eyes dim,
And his smiling, child-liko lips apart I
Tenderly bury the fair young dead,
Pausing to drop o'or his grave a tear ;
Carve on the wooden Slab at his head,
' Somebody's darling is lying hero I' "

Were we to begin to recount the thrilling scenes of the
hospitals, we should never know where to stop. They are
graven on onr hearts with a pen of iron, dipped in, tho
hlood of heroes and martyrs. Thoy can never fade from
memory as long as stand the fair bids of Virginia, made un
even by the mounds which cover tho mouldering remains of
the soldier. The picture is- ours, through ad time and
down the endless lapse of the ages of eternity. Tho month
of July of 1862 can never be. forgotten in Richmond. We
hved in one immense hospital, and breathed the vapors of
the charnel house. <¦ ¦ ¦<¦ '-no
But, we walked not in darkness whody — there gleamed
light abend. Faint glimmerings of future peace and inde
pendence, threw over our hopes faint streaks of their wel
come dawn. _ ¦¦"'
Our arms had been gloriously victorious, our enemies had
been severely chastised, "the Grand Army of tho North" had
been driven back by our invincible forces, their arrogant
boastings had been quieted for', tho time, and we vainly
hoped wc had so worthily commended ourselves to -the
notice of foreign nations as to compel honorable recogni
tion. Wc craved not this favor from the sympathy our condi-
t ion might excite, but felt that we might expect and demand
it for meriterious worth. We hoped that the severe chas
tisement inflicted on our enemios would dampen tho pur
suit of our subjugation, and bring to us the desired peace,
and liberty ! Alas 1. wo sadly miscalculated tho action of our
friends across tho ocean, and the energy and perseverance
of our enemies. Tho snake was not kiUod,' it was only

ON THE PENINSULA

16E

" scotched," and very little time was left us to contemplate
the security temporarily brought to us by the sacrificing of
the lives of so many fedow-creatures.

oil

CHAPTER XXIX.

POPES ORDERS — 0APTUHES  LIBBY. PBISON.

TT7'HEN General Pope was placed in command of the
\ i Federal army, he' issued an ordor, requiring "that
ad commanders of army corps, divisions, brigades, and de
tached commands, wid procood immediately to arrest ad
'disloyal male citizens within their lines, or within their
'reach in rear of their respective commands. Such as are
willing to take the oath of allegiance to the United States,
tend will furnish security for its observance, shad bo per
mitted to remain at their homes, and pursue in good faith
: thoir accustomed avocations ; those who refuse shall be
conducted South, beyond the extrome pickets of this army,
and be notified that if found again anywhere within our
•lines, or at any point in the rear, they shad bo considered
-'spies, and subjected to the extreme rigor of military law.
If any person having taken the oath of adegiance above
¦specified, be found to have violated it, ho shall be shot, and
his property seized and applied to the public use."
i- By another order of Brigadier General Steinwehr, of
Popo's command, it was proposed to hold under arrest the
most prominent citizens in the districts occupied by tho
'enemy, as hostages, to suffer death in retaliation for the
shooting of Yankee soldiers by " bushwhackers," by which
term was meant tho citizens of the South who had taken up
arms to defend their homes and families.
Tlieso orders were intended mainly to frighten our men
into 'submission and to requiro an oath which involved the
perjury of themselves, or the exposuro of thoir wives and

16T.

TOPE'S ORDEItS.

ckddron to ruthless hordes, devoid of all principles of man
liness, corn-age, or bravery.
In the county of Spotsylvania, about twenty miles above
Fredericksburg, there lived a physician, a man of some in
fluence, who had quietly followed the practice of his pro
fession, but who, nevertheless, exerted all the influence of s
which he was possessed, in behalf of the South. Through
the misrepresentations of tho spies who prowled around the
country, ho was arrested under the charge of being a cap
tain of guerrillas, and was taken from his home on a Monday
morning, before breakfast, by a detachment of Federal cav
alry. He was commanded, tinder pain of death, not to look ,
back at his weeping wife and little children, who stood on ,.
the portion of his dwelling. Thus rudoly and insultingly
treated, ho was carried to their encampment outside. of.
Fredericksburg, and when ho made his appearance under so ,;
close a guard, was surrounded by a mob who cried, "HangtJ
him ! shoot him 1" " Hang him ! shoot him 1" Some came ...
to tear him from his horse for that purpose, aud could only
bo restramed by the most energetic , remonstrances and,,
threats from their officers. "If I am to die," he said, "I.;,
am not willing to be sacrificed without a hearing," and he,,
demanded to be carried before General King, who thon held
command of Fredericksburg. Ho was, accordingly carried 1 1
into the town, and not beiug ablo to get an audience with,,-
tho commanding general, ho was thrown into a granary ,
devoted to prison purposes, with not a mouthful to eater,;!
there to await the pleasure of the general, and perhaps
death from the bullet, or on the gadows. . , , ; ;
After a hearing from General King, and upon, the tosti-,--f
mony of other prisoners, taken from , his neighborhood, ono
of whom implored on his knees that tho prisoner's- hfe,;
might not be taken on the false representations of spies,,.
the doctor was released on parole, and sent under an escort -
bayond tho cxlremo limits of General Pope's lines. His
agony at the thought of his young wifo and three little chil- ¦
dren left unprotected in the immediate vicinity of lawless ,

b A?' l
I1

LIBBY PKISONp

157

li

a£

soldiery, increased the unhappincss of his own1 situation.
He roturnod to his home to find it actuady deserted. A
faithful negro servant had conveyed his mistress and her
children, and ad the domestics of the establishment to a
place of safety beyond the Federal lines, and out of reach
of furthor persecution from their enemies. The doctor
came on to Richmond, and the first use made of him by the
government, was to place him as surgeon in the Libby
Prison, where, in a very few days, he greeted some of his
termor persecutors.
Wo very. fully understand, when wo approach the history
of this budding, that we are treading upon dangerous
ground. If retaliation might have been pardonable in any
case, it surely would have been so in tho case of tho surgeon
of the prison. That ho did not retaliate is proved by the
fact that he made friends. of his former foes, and still retains
many pleasant memorials of gratitude from the very men
who sought his life. -An Irish surgeon, who took his dogree
in Dublin, left with him a case of superior surgical instru
ments, as a testimonial of his kindness, humanity and
skill, and more; humble soldiers pressed upon him sim
ple mementoes of their gratitude for unmerited consid
eration. Having been familiarly associated with some of
the surgeons who operated at this prison, the writer is' not
prepared to give credence to the monstrous stories of
cruelty and oppression said to havo been practiced upon
the men who were crowded into it by the fortunes of war.
To ' attempt to vindicate the reputation of tho Libby
Prison, would, however, be a useless undertaking. It would
bo like whispering to the deaf adder.
In connection with -the Libby Prison and tho doctor of
whom we havo spoken, it may be added that it was then an
easy hiatter to procure "greenbacks " from the prisoners.
Thoy wero wdling to scd their money for Confederate cur
rency at par, or to enter into an exchange of currency.
Being many of them only three months' men, and wed sup
plied with blankets, they frequently sold them at prices

158

THE BATTLE OF CEDAB MOUNTAIN.

much lower than those demanded in Richmond. The doc
tor availed himself of this opportunity to procure blankets
for tho use of his 'servants. Having invested in a large
number of excedont ones, ho sent them to his homo whore
his little children, pleased with the appearance of the largo,
warm coverings for the winter, spread thorn down in the
nursery for carpets to play on ; but much to the dismay of
the careful nurse, and to tho chsgust of the mother, they
were found to be filled with the usual vermin of tho camp.
This experiment put a stop to the doctor's speculation in
Yankee blankets. , ,. ,.:.,:¦.,

CHAPTER XXX.

THE BATTLE OP CEDAR MOUNTAIN-f-NC-RTHERN LETTER- WRITING. :
fTTHE clouds of battlo had scarcely been lifted from Rich-
X mnnil, when Stonewall Jackson, with his unconquerable
little band, appeared in the vicinity of Gordonsvdle. On
the 8th of August, at Cedar Mountain, near the boundary
hue between Madison and Culpepper counties, ho again en
countered General Banks, tho total rout of whose army was
only prevented by timely reinforcements under Genoral
Pope. Pope himself was compeded, however reluctantly,
to turn his back upon General Stonewad Jackson, and made
a safe retreat for a time to the north bank of the Rappa
hannock, in a few days to have his movements again inter
cepted and his blustering silenced on tho classic field of
Manassas. . ...-'.
It would be useless to recapitulate many of the acts of
this campaign of General Pope. It can hardly bo denied
that it was a failuro in everything which might have ad
vanced tho success of tho cause for which he fought, aud
that it was abundantly successftd only in the lawless impress
ment ot provisions, the demoralization of slaves, (hundreds
of whom wcro induced to loavo thoir homos and foUow the

'/'

TIIE BATTLE 02? CEDAB MOUNTAIN.

159

1
A*
:-i-»»

it y

Federal army,) the cowardly maltreatment of unarmed men
and heaped-up insults upon defenceless women.
Leaving our army apprehending and intercepting the
plans of the enemy, we wid take a retrograde stop, and no
tice the style of literature which flooded Richmond from the
hattle-fiolds. We are not a relic-hunting people, and take
but little pleasure in mementoes< which awaken such painful
memories. Very few of us treasured trinkets gathered up
from the field or from the debris of the camp ; but amid tho
scenes of the. hospital and the sterner duties which caded
into action our talents as sempstresses, nurses ahd caterers
to the sick and wounded, wo would somotimes amuse our
selves with the literature captured in the knapsacks of our
enemies. Some rare specimens in the province of letter-writing
came under our notice. ¦ In them the rules of orthography
wero whody ignored. Grammar and rhetoric were adowed
neither part nor lot in tho compositions, and the much-
vaunted common school system of tho North was by no
means favorably recommended in the epistolary intercourse
bf the rank and file of the Federal army. Occasionady we
were refreshed with something that was readable,— some
thing iu which sentiments of purity, morality and religion
were expressed ; but generady, from awkward, ignorant,
illy-adjusted compositions, we read only coarse, vulgar abuse
'of tho South, in which tho "rebels" were denounced as be
ing but little better than fiends incarnate, and meriting only
a doath on the gadows. ¦- '-'•
In some of those loiters from our Northern sisters, the
rebel women came in for a large share of vituperation. An
excessive fear was sometimes expressed lest the "brave
boys'' might lose their hoarts with the fair women upon
whom they frequently took peculiar delight in making war.
But whilo these cases wero not exceptional, they were not
universal. Some of the most beautifully touching epistles,
the omotions bf pure and cultivated minds, wore found in
tho knapsacks of the soldiers in the hostilo army. Whorv

160

TIME BATTLE OP CEDAR MOUNTAIN.

we were fortunate enough, in the immense heaps of trash,
to find such gems, though fidelity to. the Union was the bur
den of their pohtics, wo wore not excited to indignation by
unqualified abuso of tho South and ignorant denunciations
of a people of whom they knew but little. ,
If we must judge of a nation by its literature, the North
had a most unfortunate representation in the letters of the -
rank and file of its army. , • ,
Touching mementoes of friends far away wero frequently,
found in the knapsacks brought te us. A miniature, a lock,
of haif, a faded flower, a bow of ribbon, would whisper to.-
our hearts a pleasant story. ¦ Somotimes, when our feelings <
wero chfllod, when our hearts wore hardened and we wcro,
forced to consider thoso who oppressed us so heavily- as
scarcely possessed of human attributes, we. were softened
by theso eridenccs of a better principle, and tho thought;
would arise : " They are at least men, and must at one. time-
have had hearts." : ,,..
We hardly dare allude to the fact, that now and
then we found that tho morocco caBe contained the minia-;
ture of a woman in whoso veins ran a darker stream than.!
that which tints the complexion of tho Caucasian. At that.
time there wore so few of the troops of the Corps d'Afrique -
that, our most tenderly awakened sympathies, excited by tlio ;
fair face of the friend of tho Yankee soldier, would bo over-]
como by disgust at the thought that any could carry with i
him the sable shadow, and this disgust was intensified when,
in moro than one instance, beside the dark lady, was shadf ,
owed forth the likeness of a soldier in the uniform of the ;
Federal officer. Must an apology be mado ? These are ;
delicate subjects, and wo approach them charily, but oui\
dotails would not bo complete wero we to pass them unno- ,
ticed. All along our route thoro aro shoals and quicksands,
and we ought to be careful that we are not sunk in the one ,
or stranded on tho other. Tho sea upon which we sail is
dangerous ; but with Truth for our pdot we have boldly
thrust out our bark, and shotdd not fear , the .consequences.

n

4

'- -INCIDENTS.

CHAPTER XXXI.

161

THE TROVOST MARSHALS OFFICE IN RICHMOND — INCIDENTS.
AN unforeseen annoyanco arose in the frequent disrup
tions which occurred ' between our Provost Marshal,
General Winder, and the Examining Board of Surgeons,
through whom tho soldiors in a state of convalescence re
ceived furloughs. It- was not un frequently tho case, when a
convalescent soldier succeeded in procuring from his sur
geon a certificate Upon which to ground an' application for a
furlough, and when not in a condition to return to bis regi
ment for service in the field, that he was kopt in Richmond,
confined to the hot, impure air of tho city, because Gonoral
Winder had quarreded with the Board, and there was no au
thority delegated to examine into and decide upon his case.
Wo can recad a great number of times when the poor suf
ferers were disappointed in this manner, but will mention
only the cases of two young men, ono of whom was from
Virginia, and tho other a young Mississippian, who after-
Wards signally distinguished himself for bravery. These
young soldiors hold certificates from thoir surgeon, of
wounds that incapacitated them for'mditary duty for a
time, and entitled them to a furlough for sixty days. Tho
Board had dissolved, they could get no examination, and
there thoy wore, sweltering in the heat of summer, breath
ing the impure air of the eity, and wdting day by day, as a
plant deprived of earth and moisture. Thoy had sought ad
tho aid, political, religious and military, that they could
bring to bear upon their applications, to no effect. At last
a lady friend, alive with sympathy for their condition, and
worn out with their repeated disappointments, said to them :
"Give mo: your certificates ;l'll see that you shall have a
furlough." '
"How will you manage it?" said private W  , (later,
General W-  .) ''- "'- "
" I shad beard the lion in his dob." :';; ;¦• > '

162

INCIDENTS.

" What do you mean ?"
"Nevermind; will you give me your Certificates?" said
the lady.
"Yes — d can do no harm ; but we have grown hopeless,"
they both exclaimed.
The lady took the certificates, and seeking the compan
ionship of another lady and the escort of a friendly clergy
man, sho at once visited the office of the Surgeon General,
(Dr. Moore,) presented the claims of her adopted convales
cents, and laid tho certificates before him for his adjudica
tion. Reading carefully the valuablo documents, ho indorsed
the applications, sent them down to Adjutant General Coop
er for his approval, and the lady had the intonso satisfaction
to take them back to the disheartened soldiers, granting a
furlough for sixty days, from the highest medical authority
under the government. Surprise took the place of grati-
tudo for a few moments in the hearts of the poor soldiers,
but when they could find words to express themsolvcs, thoy
exclaimed: "Well, ono woman is worth five hundred men
at any time,"— "when furloughs are to be obtained," she
added. Accepting the compliment only with her. amend
ment, she allowed them to express their thanks.
We may hero remark, in reference to Surgeon Genoral
Moore, there were few men in authority under tho Confede
rate government who had a more irreproachable record,
though there wcro few moro difficult to approach. Devoted
in his attention to his pecuhar business, he was polite and
courteous, though so remarkably sententious that his man
ner was mistaken for unfeeling indifference. A simple state
ment of business always received from him correct, notice,
though ho never tolerated unnecessary preamble. ,Tho wise
rules of business which we find in tho house of almost
every man of bnniness, wero thoso roquirod by him of all
who called upon him to transact business.
The character of Dr. Moore can best bo understood from
the high esteem in which he was held by the clerks in his
office. Scrupulously exacting of thorn tho strictest porform-

A WOMAN'S STRATAGEM.

163

ance of duty, it was so well regulated as to make it a pleas
ure, whde the slightest neglect of duty, we are told, was
never porinitted to pass unnoticed by him.

'''¦•'¦' : '¦'<'- CHAPTER XXXH.
„¦;., THE SECOND BATTLE OP BULL RUN.  A WOMAN'S STRATAOEM
I,. .
BUT little more than thirteen months had left their re
cords on tho pages of history, and again on the fields of
Manassas, whore tho enemy had received his first signal re
pulse in his " On to Richmond," wore tho camp-fires lighted.
From every bid-top they were blazing, and once more we
were destined to try tho steel of the foemen. Not satis
fied with the piovious chastisement received on this bloody
ground, they had persevered until at tho gates of the prin
cipal stronghold of the rebels they had knocked loudly and
clamorously for admittance, to bo repulsed yet more signally,
arid stid undaunted by defeat they had taken up the pio-
grammo of the " On to Richmond," devised by the wisdom
of General Scott, and disappointed in by General McDowell,
to attempt au improvement suggested by tho light of expe
rience in the route. We wero given but littlo time to talk
about and reflect upon tho glorious succession of victories
which had driven the persevering invader from our very
doors, whon tho thundor and smoke, the din and confusion
of battle, again shook the hids of Vfrginia. It was not
enough that at Bull Run, Manassas, and Bad's Bluff — at
Seven Pines and Fair Oaks — at Mechanicsville, Gaines's Mid,
Coal Harbor j' Peach Orchard, Savago's Station, Frayser's
Farm, and Malvern Hfll, (around Richmond,) and at Cedar
Mountain, as wed as at other points on our soil, the bones
of tho enemy were piled in huge heaps, and that their shed
blood and decaying bodios wero enriching the hidsides — it
was not enough that they had seen thefr armies melt away

16-1

A WOMAN 3 STRATAGEM.'

A. WOMAN S STRATAGEM

165

before the furious fire of the rebels,' like snow in the sun
shine — but once more, on the same plateaus where first thoy
were dispersed like frightened- sheep, thoy determined to
make the bold attempt to wrest from the Confederates the
victories won in a score of battles, and plant again the
" stars and stripes " on the " rebel " Capitol.
By referring to a history of this period, we read: "The
results of General Lee's strategy wcro indicative of tho re-i
sources of mditary genius. Day after day tho enemy were1
beaten, until his disasters culminated on tho plains of Ma-e
nossas. Day idler day our men maintained their superiority
to tho enemy. Tho summer campaign had boon conducted'
by a single army. Tho samo toil-worn troops who had ro-":
beved from siege- tho city of Richmond, had advanced to'
meet another invading army, reinforced not only by the
defeated army of McClellan, but by the fresh corps of Burh-!
side and Hunter. The trials and marches of these troops'
are extraordinary in history. Transportation was inade
quate, the streams which they had to cross were swollen to'
unusual height, it was only by forced marches and repeated
combats they cotdd turn tho position of the enemy— and nt-
last succeeding in this, and forming a junction of their col
umns in the face of greatly superior forces, they fought tho?
decisive battle of tho 30th of August— the crowning triumph
of their tod and valor. A J .r -,;..
"Tho route of tho extraordinary marches of our troops'-
presented for long aud weary mdes tho touchfrg pictures of .
tho trials of war. Brokeu-down soldiers, (not all stragglers,) '
lined the road. At night time, they might be found asleep '
in every conceivable attitude of discomfort— on fence rails,'
and in fence corners— somo hall' bout, others almost erect— >i.
in ditches, and on steep hill-sides, some without blanket or->
overcoat. Day-break found thorn drenched with dew, but
strong hi purpose; with half rations of bread and meat,
ragged and bare-footed, thoy go cheerfudy forward. No
nobler spectacle was ever presented in history. . These
beardless youths and gray-haired men, who thus spent their

nights like the beasts of the field, were the best men of the
land, of ad classes, trades and professions. The spectacle was
such as to inspire the prayer that ascended from the sanctua
ries of the South, that God might reward the devotion of these
men to principle and justice, by crowning thefr labors and
sacrifices witb tbat blessing which always bringeth peace."
In connection with the battle of the Cross Keys, we aro
just here reminded of an amusing stratagem of a rebel lady
to conceal her age and charms from the enemy, who held
possession of hor bouso. Sho says: "Mr. K., you know,
was compeded to evacuate his premisos when tho Federals
took possession, and succooding in malting good his escape,
left mo thore, with my throo littlo chihfron, to oncountor
the consequences of their intrusion upon my promises. Not
wishing to appear quite so youthful as I really am, and do-
siring to destroy, if possible, any remains of my- former
beauty, I took from my mouth the set of false teeth, (which
I was compeded to have put in before I was twenty years
old,) tied a handkerchief around my head, donned my most
slovenly apparel, and in every way made myself as hideous
as possible. The disguise was perfect. I was sullen, morose,
sententious. You could not havo believed I could so long
haves kept, up a manner so disagreeable; but it had the
desired effect. The Yankees called me " old woman," They
httlo thought I was not thirty years of age. They took
my bouso for a hospital for their sick and wounded, and
allowed me oidy the use of a single room, and required of
mo many acts of assistance in nursing thefr men, which
under any other circumstances my own hoart-promptings
would have made a pleasure to me. But I did not feel dis
posed to be compelled to prepare food for those who had
driven from me my husband, and afterwards robbed me of
ad my food and bed-furniture, with tho exception of what
they allowed me to have in my own room. But they were
not insulting in their language to tho " old woman," and I
endured ad the inconveniences and unhappiness of my sit
uation with as much fortitude as I could briug into opcr-

166

TTIE CLOUDS LIPPED.

ation, feeling that my dear husband, at least, w.as safe from
harm. After they left," she continued, " I was forced to gO
out into the woods, near by, and with my two little boys
pick up fagots to cook tho scanty food left to me." This is
the story of one of the most luxuriously roared women -of
Virginia, and is scarcely the faintest shadow of what many,
endured under similar circumstancos.

CHAPTER XXXLTL

TUE CLOUDS LIFTED.

A

THE rapid changes of the fortunes of the Confederacy ,
and tho contrast to the forlorn and hopeless situation in ;
which wo_ were placed so short a time before, dispelled tho!
gloom that had loomed over us in the brilliant prospects of -
future success. . . ,,if,,,r
The most sanguino hopes wero entertained of a speedy:
termination to our diffictdties, and a prosperous peace. The
latter only to be desired with liberty. It .seemed almost'
within our grasp. Little more than three months had
passed since we had seen Richmond surrounded by the
" Grand Army," our government quaking, and ready to give ,
up the capital, our pooplo discouraged and frantically flying,'
in ad directions for safety, ad classes demoralized, save our,
trusty army— now, wo had not only beheld the mighty host,
of the enemy driven from its strong position, at our very,.
doors, but beaten back across the Potomac, and the country!
of our enemies inviting to invasion from the, conquering
armies of tho " rebels." . .. .,
It seemed almost impossible for us to realize tho change! i
Tho clouds wcro brcaldng on ad sides, they had been hfted
from Richmond, and an incubus so heavy that it had well
nigh crushed out the life of many of us, had been hfted
from our hearts; and when after making this review, and
the strangeness and security of our situation, were fully

THE CLOUDS LIFTED.

167

understood, and the terrible dangers warded off by tbe valor,
the courage, the invincible determination of our foot-sore
weary and raggod army, that had in so short a time
wrought such prodigies— our hearts went up in a universal
"Groat God, I thank thee I The Lord alone omnipotent
rcigneth 1"
The close of tho summer found tho soil of Virginia freo
from tho hostile troad of tho invader. With the news of
the defeated armies of the enemy that threatened us on tho
north of Richmond, there came to us at the same time, in
formation of tho successes of Genoral Loring in Western
Virginia. Meeting and repulsing tho enemy at Fayette
Court House, driving him back to Cotton Hill, which ho
was also forced to abandon, and still further on. dislod"-
ing him at Kanawha Falls, and capturing immense stores
of provisions and ammunition, our victorious forces pushed
on to Charleston, which they found in flames, and the in
habitants terror-stricken at the treatment received at tho
hands of the enemy. In a short timo the beautiful Valley
of the Kanawha was free from the incursions of the hostile
troops, and his towns on the Ohio were threatened by our
forces. ' -•
"In tho recovery of the Valley of the Kanawha, we re
gained tho possession of one of the richest and most valu
able sections of our state. With salt enough within its
limit's to furnish a supply for- this whole continent, and
whieh had previously sold for scarcely a farthing per
pound, while wo were at that time paying for it in Rich
mond the sum of one dodar and fifty cents per pound.*
' Very soon in Richmond, and ad parts of Virginia, these
successes were made available in supplying the wants of
tho pooplo, in tin articlo so nocossary to their sustenanco .

A

*¦ It was when the Kanawha Valley was in the possession of our cno •
mies, that tho speculator before roferrod to, who had on hand a largo
supply of this article, took advantage of the nooossitios of the people,
and made his fortune. A-A ¦ ,-

163

THE CLOUDS -LIFTED.

and comfort. We were no longer compeded to pay to the
extortioners the exorbitant sum of one dollar and fifty cents
per pound, but the stato drew supplies of salt for the citi
zens, which was furnished to thorn at the rate of a pound per
head per month, for each individual at five cents per pound.
This was a vast improvement upon tho price we had paid of
late. . i' p , .
As tho opposing forces now stood, tho South had just
cause for congratulation, tho North for mortification. More
had been in a short time accomplished by the South, than
perhaps any people in tho world had ever achieved.'
With a population of only eight millions, threo millions of
which were slaves, tampered with, and rendored disloyal
and dissatisfied with thefr relation to tho whites, at ovory *
point at which om enemies could get access to them and
bring them under thefr control, wo had for more than eigh
teen months successfully resisted a people of a population of
tweuty-throo midions of residents, and with a teeming in
flux of emigrants daily landing on th-*r shores," with which
to recruit their exhausted ranks, without. the necessity df
drawing heavily upon tho nativo population. The North
was wed supplied with manufactories of all descriptions to
furnish materials for carrying on a war, while her ports wero
open to ad the world, and she, in turn, had access to every
country on the globe, through her commercial intercourse,
inviting to compel ition and assistance in all the arts per-"
taming to the improvement of implements of warfare: 'tbero ;
was, therefore, nothing in tho material for conquest that was
not within her reach. p
^ The South, on the other hand, with only a few insig
nificant manufactories for arras and othor implements
necessary for warfare, shut out from aU the world by a
rigid blockade, through which only, with risk and danger,
wc could get any assistance from abroad, with our troops
poorly armed, badly clad and still more badly fed, with no
navy to compote with the thousands of vessels belonging te
tho North, which ploughed tho trackloss ocoan," and brought

I

RETURN OP THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS. 169
wealth to our enemies, unassisted by any power from
abroad, replete alone with the high purpose which nerved
her to the contest, placed inthe hands of her ragged troops
arms of any and every description, and with these they had
dared to oppose, and had successfully driven from our soil,
the; overwhelming. hosts which vainly thought to crush us
in the onset.
-' Victory after victory perched on the Confederate banners,
and imperishable laurels wroathod the brow of the South.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

RETURN OF THE CONFEDERATE. CONGRESS— WOMEN AT WORK IN
THE PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS.
nPHE Confederate Congress, which had adjourned about
-L the tune that the gunboat panic took possession of so
many of the people of Richmond, convened again in a
" caded session " in August. With unfeigned courtesy we
welcomed back this illustrious body; but thoy were sub
jected to the most unmerciful twittings for the fleetness of
foot they had exhibited when Richmond was so alarmingly
threatened. These unpleasant affusions were received with
laughable grace, the best they could summon to aid them in
apology for so franticady " skedaddling," (to use a Western
slang term,) when General McCledan had his army planted
around the Confederate Capital.
To the pungent but not unamiablo taunts that would
sometimes assail these honorable gentlemen from their fair
friends in Richmond, they would reply in the golden aph
orism (which the ladios claimed to have been captured from
themselves) "Discretion is tho better part of valor," or
rather, tho ladies Would reform, " Solf-prosorvation is tho
first law pf naturo," with the addod assurance that in caso of

170

RETURN OP THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS.

another threatening demonstration, they would " keep guard "
over the Congress while sitting.
That this illustrious body of Confederate legislators were
not insensiblo to, nor imapprociativc of the charms of the
women of tho capital, is proved by the fact that more than
one was consoled in. his lonely estate by having conferred on
him the hand of a Richmond lady. * ;
The hearts of our grave senators and representatives were
not invulnerable, and Cupid kept up a hvcly business in the
"Rebel Capital." They were not armed with "coats of
mail" against tho charms of the ladies of Richmond, but
alas! tho fair ones were driven te the mortifying conscious
ness of thoir defective magnotic powers, when a distant cloud
of Federal dust betrayed tho threatened- approach of our
incorrigible enemies. '.. • , ¦-:,.-
No better armed against Foderal buffets than the arrows
of the god of Love, they borrowed for thoir heels wings
from Mercury, and practiced the admirable, but not very
courageous precept that, o ¦•¦-. - :!;- .
"He who fiphts and runs away, ¦ ,¦
May live to fight another day."
It is usual to depreciate our public men. It seems to be
altogether forgotten that tho universal suffrage advocated in
our country, must ever engender a spirit of demagoguism in
our politicians; forbidding the development of our best tal
ent, and putting into power thoso who wid most readily
yield to the outside pressure, and pander to the politics of
(ho majority. Our Congress was accused of being distin
guished for its weakness, for its entire want of statesman
ship, kept in mortal terror, it was said, by the autocratic
ride of our. chief magistrate, and acting with unpardonable
timidity, when tho most urgent necessity for promptness
and energy was apparent. Upon these points' wo must leave
tho superior wisdom of tho well-informed to decide;
wo do not feel prepared nor willing to sit in judgment on
the actions of unfortunate politicians, whose reputations aro

RETURN OP THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS.

>

**A

^r

171

handled always unmercifudy, tossed to and fro like feathers
on the wind.
-We do know that there wore many in tho Confederate eoun-
eds who had made for themselves a worthy and an honor
able name, who had come clown to us from the old United
'States Congress with an enviable prestige which was not
lost by their trial in the Confederate Congress. In tho del
egations from our own noble State, thore were those wed
known in tho history of our country, as beacbn lights of
: superior mental lustre, to whom we might look in the dark
ness that enveloped us, and ask, "Watchman, what of the
night?" ¦ :'"'- ' ¦>¦¦ -.- e- .;;•,'• ¦
Wo know that in the legislative bads of tho Confederate
Capitol, thore wore men from all parts of the South whoso
patriotism had been tested by trials so conclusive, that we
dare not raise against them the finger of reproach, and re-
- ject with Scorn imputations that reflect disparagingly upon
•them/: With us was repeated the old story, burdened with
complaints against our representatives, and never for a
moment did we charge ourselves with the shghtest portion
of the grave responsibdities of their position.
But in the Confederate Congress there was one character
so unique, that it Would be a matter of the merest impossi
bility for any pen less gifted than that of Dickens to do fud
¦ justice to it in all its phases. 'The most incomprehensible of
all incomprehensibilities, tho most nondescript of tho non
descript was this honorable gentleman.
' Possessed of undoubted mental capabilities, wo find him
from the time of his advent into the Southern Congress,
attacking at will any and every one ¦ connected with the
government, from the President to the lowest official, war
ring upon every department alike, with a hardihood and
effrontery as admirable as astonishing. -Battling with tho
Commissary General, the Secretary of the Navy, tbe Army
and the Treasury, hurling his thunderbolts, red hot with
righteous indignation against men Who abused and lived
- upon : government -emoluments, bullying the members of

172

RETURN OF THE CONFEDERATE CONQRESS.

Congress, provoking quarrels with whomsoever he chose, dis
turbing the peace of that body by his noisy invectives — he
was uusparing in the manner as in the matter of his lan
guage, and often threw in the teeth of bis Congressional
contemporaries the most violent and bitter denunciations.
Possessed of no apparent amiability himself, he seemed al
together oblivions of the existence of such a quality in
the breast of any other hnmau boing. Ho was consid
ered a "firebrand" in tho old Congress, and brought
with him his ancient reputation into that of tho Confed
eracy. " : '"I- A' ¦¦•¦!(' ;'
Ho appeared to be a privileged member, and was al
lowed to rant on and firo here and thero at will, only too
happy for an opportunity for a grand explosion. At last,
after nearly four years of such desultory warfare, we find
him provoking a quarrel with a certain member of the
House, of so irate a character that said member, (we re
gret to record,) followed him to tho chamber of his
wife, and could only bo prevented from inflicting chas
tisement upon tho gray-haired old offender by the stren
uous efforts of other members, and tho screams of tlte
frightened lady. But when ho had seemingly " fired his
last round," and from tho obvious disapprobation of all
parties, found " Othello's occupation gone," ho came up
"among the missing." In his attempted escapo to Wash
ington, ho was arrested by Confederate detectives at
Fredericksburg and returned tO the tender mercies of
the outraged authorities of the Confederate govern
ment. : ' ' :
By no means disconcerted at this contretemps, ho boldly
( delivered himself of his reason for this unwonted infidel-
-. ity to tho government ho had so industriously 'threatened
and served. Tired of waiting for tho dawn of a hotter
day, and ever disposed towards poaco (?) ho had, solf-
coimnissioned, determined to mako his way to Washing
ton to negotiate for pcaco with tho Federal government.
Finding it impossible to subdue the indomitablo spirit of

RETURN OF THE. CONFEDERATE CONGRESS.

173

this incorrigible man, the Southern Confederacy was glad
to let him depart in peace, with the- kindly injunction of
Uncle Toby to the fly.
But we are anticipating his hegira by more than two
years. It. was amusing to watch the shade of angry res
ignation that would steal over the faces of tho members, and
of vexation that would mantle tho brows of visitors te tho
hall of the House of Representatives, when, upon almost
every bid introduced, tbey wcro condemned to listen to tho
evor ready tirade of invective tbat seemed always to pour
from the hps of this romarkablo man. With a reputation
for tahmt suporior or equal to that of any man in that
body, his speoches, which might havo boon spirited and in
teresting, wero usually quarrolsomo and disgusting. " Tako
him all in ad," he was a man without a parallel.
, : His fault-findings, however, were not without cause. There
was much to displease us in the operations of the govern
ment. Our financial interests were unfortunately managed.
By tho action of Congress, authorizing, timo after time, an
increaso in tho circulation of currency,' upon a basis so
insecure as our monetary system, the country was flooded
with money, the public debt accumulated alarmingly, and
the paper issued by the Confederate Treasury depreciated in
a ratio almost unprecedented in the fiscal history of any
period or nation. In the report of the President to the first
permanent Congress, he represented our financial condition
;as ono of safety — one for which we had just cause for con
gratulation; but twelve months had not elapsed when our
paper currency was held at a discount of one thousand per
,cent., and it continued to incroaso in worthlessness, until,
when tho war terminated, its gold value was only a cent
, and a mid in tho dollar. >
But theso disagreements, however unfortunate for us as a
nation, woro providentially overruled for the benefit of many.
In various offices undor tho government, and particularly
in thoso of tho Treasury Department, the services of females
were found useful. Employment was givon and a support

17-1 RETURN OF THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS.
secured to hundreds of intcdigenfc and deserving women of '
tho South, who, by the existence of tho war,, or other mis
fortunes, had been so reduced in the means of living as to
be compelled to earn a support. The Treasury Note Bureau,
m which tho greatest number of women, were employed, was""
under the supervision of experienced and gentlemanly clerks,1'
and no place in the Confederate Capital was more interest
ing or attractive than that whoro these fair operatives
were engaged in signing and numbering Mr. Mcmminger's
Confederate bills. The duties wcro pleasant and profita
ble, and so much sought after by those in need, that
bun (beds of applications wore;placod on file by women
to whom it was impossible to furnish deployment.
It .sometimes required considerable diplomacy and influ
ence to sccuro an office under our. Government, and their fair1
friends made amplo uso of the members of Congress, the
clergy and the military, for reference as to social position,
qualification, worth, and need for such assistance.
A visit to Mr. Momminger, whose stolid and apparently
unsympathiting face ever produced an unpleasant impres
sion on the beholder, was somctimos undertaken by a wo-'
man more courageous than her sisters, to be attended with ,.
nervous apprehension when in his sight, and often by weep
ing when the ordeal was over. Few could endure the cold
phase: " If I find your case moro worthy of notico than others
I wid regard your application favorably," when thoir hearts '
wore aching under trials so bitter that thoir drink was
mingled with weeping, and their nights restless with the'
agony of the thought, "How am I to live?" But notwith-1
standing the cold exterior of Mr. Momminger, ho was not
wanting in that warmth of sold that opens with sympathy '
for misfortune; but it became extremely difficult for him A
to discriminate between the applicants, whon they ' weio '
so numerous, and thoir claims to notice so well substan
tiated. From tlio Treasury Department, tbe employment of fomalo
clerks extended to various offices in the War Department,

RETURN OF THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS.

175

jL

the Post Office Department, and indeed to every branch of
business connected with the government. They were in ad
found efficient aud useful. By this means many young mon
could bo sent into the ranks, and by the testimony of tho
chiefs of Bureaus, the work left for the women was bettor
done; for they, were more conscientious in their atten
dance upon their duties than the more self-satisfied, but
not bottei- qualified, male attaches of tho government offices.
For offices in tho War Department, an examination of
qualification for business was required. This, in itself, was
oxlremcly sjmplo, but sufficiently formidable to deter many
from seeking employment that required such a test of effi
ciency. The applicants wore oxpoctcd to show a thorough
acquaintance with tho primary rules of arithmetic, and somo
knowledge of fractions; but under the circumstances in
which many timid ladies wero examined they could scarcely
ted whether or not two and two make four, or how many
thirds there are in a whole. These examinations, therefore,
could not be considered a tost of qualification, for there
were some so much frightened by the trial that, losing ad
self-possession, they gave up in despair. Tho experiment of
placing women in government clerkships proved eminently
successful, and grew to be extremely popular under the Con
federate government. ,
Many a poor young girl remembers with gratitudo the
kindly encouragement of our Adjutant General Cooper, our
Chief of Ordnance, Colonel Gorges, or the First Auditor of
the Confederate Treasury, Judge Boding Baker, or Postmas
ter General Reagan, and various other officials, of whom
thefr necessities drove them to seek employment. The most
high-born ladies of the land filled theso places as wed as tho
humble poor; but none could obtain employment under tho
government who could not furnish testimonials of intelli
gence and superior moral worth.
Whon our Congress reassembled in August, very differ
ently did our own political skies appear from what they did
when it adjourned in the spring previous. Thoy were now

176

RETURN OF THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS.

spanned by the rainbow-tinted arch of future prosperity.
The heavy clouds of war seemed to be breaking up on ad
sides. The radiant imago of Peace, obscured from our
vision by only trilling impediments, was ready once moro
to shed her beams of brightness over our beautiful South
ern land.
4But wc coidd not rely fully on appearances, which (as the
result has proven) might be only illusory. Wo could not
relax our ddigoncc, we coidd not give up to voluptuous ease
and idle enjoyment, so long as wo had fathers, brothers,
husbands and friends yet in the field, bearing tho heavy
musket and knapsack, and sleeping on the bare -earth, and
exposed to the rains and dews of night, living on coarse,
hard fare, and subjected to tho thousand discomforts of the
soldier's life During its session in the spring, Congress
had passed a bdl for increasing the size of the army by con
scription. It was now considering what, classes might be
exempt from military duty by tho requirements of tho law.
Our army had hitherto been almost wholly filled up by
volunteers, who had rushed in at the very commencement
of the war. It could not bo sustained by volunteer troops.
Other expedients were required to fill up the ranks depleted
by death or mutilation. To avoid military duty, many
whose insatiate thirst for wealth overruled ad instincts of
patriotism, wcro satisfied to avoid tho conscription by tho
purchase of substitutes te do their fighting for them, and
others laid to their souls the flattering unction of duty per
formed, and stilled perhaps the whisperings of conscience,
whilo they pursued the busy rounds of trade, and grew rich
upon the necessities of their fellow men. There are some
of us who can rccaU tho beautiful tribute paid to Virginia
by Walter Preston, in his famous spcoch in Congress
on (ho Exemption Bill. It breathed all the spirit of
patriotism, yet plainly indicated tho difficulties that still
hedged our way, and to bo found mainly in tho spirit and
tcmricr of our own people. We had afterwards reason to
regret that tho exceptions to tho classes of oxompts wore

iL:

FIDELITY OF THE NEGROES.

177

not more numerous, or that our men, many of them, could
not see more glory in honorable warfare than, in the dangers
and excitements of blockade-running to Baltimore, though
in the dangers aud excitements of the field thoy could not
so readily and successfully line their pockets with riches.
Our railroads were now ad hi working order, patched up
¦ of such materials as we had on band, but the supplies of
provisions came over them in abundance, and there was no
¦lack of edibles in Richmond, except in groceries and such
•- articles as were received by foreign . importation. A great
change had bocome visible since tbe spring, when we suf
fered from the tariff placed on certain articles of home pro
duction, by our Provost Marshal, General Winder, when
we scarce knew from day to day how wo should provide for
the wants of the morrow; and our situation was greatly bet-
cter than when our railroads were ad cut on the north of
"Richmond, and supplies could not be forwarded to the city.
'Although the prices were inflated until they wero mar-
VeUously high, thore was no lack of money for the purchase
of creature comforts, and wo failed not to give God sincoro
thanks for the wonderful dehverance wrought in a few
short, but terrible months.' -ri /;.;¦•. -

CHAPTER XXXV.
FIDELITY OF THE NEGROES.

THERE is" an inherent pride in personal responsibility,
and this was fully exemphfied hi tho test of tho negro
/'during the war. It was a matter of infinite gratification
,, with him to tako care of his mistress and tho littlo ones,
.while his master was absent in the field. The duties of
rearing and of training the children of a Southern family
. wcro always proudly shared by the domestics known as
"house sorvauts." In almost ovory Southoru household thoro
was the "mammy," the "daddy," and aunties and uncles

178

FIDELITY OF THE NEGROES.

FIDELITY. OF THE NEGROES.

179

of tho senior servants, who received these appellations from .
the affection and respect in which thoy were held by the '¦'
members of tho white family to which they were attached.
We might cite numerous fr.stane.os of tho fidelity of no-'
groes that camo under our notice, but wdl only refer to one, :
illustrating the deep attachment of which the negro is ca
pable, and tho just sense of responsibility which takes hold "';'
of his mind. -ipei
A young soldier from Georgia brought with him to the
war in Virginia a young man who had been brought up'
with him on his father's plantation. On leaving his home'.''"
with his regiment, tho mother of the young soldier .said to '¦'
his negro slave : " Now, Tom, I commit your master Jem
my into your keeping. Don't lot him suffbr for anything
with which you can supply him. If he is sick, muse him "'.
well, my boy ; and if he dies, bring his body home to mo;'";!
if wounded, take care of him; and oh I if ho is kided in1''"
battle, don't, let him be buried on the field, but secure his "^
body for me, and bring him homo to be buried 1" Tho ne
gro faithfully promised his mistress that all of her wishes '-"'
should be at! ended to, and came on to the seat of war ' ''-
charged with the grave responsibility placed upon him. ' ';
In ono of the battles around Richmond the negro saw his
young master when ho entered the fight, and saw him when'1"'
he fed, but no more of him. Tho battle became fierce, tho
dust and smoke so dense that the company to which he was
attached, wholly enveloped in the cloud, was hidden from
the sight of the negro, and it was not untd the battle was
over that Tom could seek for his young master. He found
him in a heap of the slain. Removing the mangled remains^ '
torn frightfudy by a piece of shell, he conveyed them to
an empty house, where he laid them out in the most decent
order he could, and securing tho few valuables found on his
person, he sought a conveyance to carry the body to Rich
mond. Ambulances were in too great requisition for thoso
whoso lives woio not extinct to permit the body of a dead
man to be conveyed in ono of them. He pleadod most pit-

I

eously for a place to bring in the body of his young master.
It was useless, and he was repulsed ; but finding some one
to guard the dead, be hastenod into the city and hired a
cart and driver to go out with him to bring in the body to
Richmond. . .-
When he arrived again at the place where he had left it,
he was urged to let it be buried on the field, and was told
that he would not be adowed to take it from Richmond, and
thereforo it were better to be buried there. " I can't do it,"
replied the faithful negro ; "I can't do it ; I promised my
mistress (his mother) to bring this body home to her if he
got kided, and I'll go home with it or I'd die by it ; I can't
lcavo my master Jommy here." The boy was adowed to havo
tho body and brought it into Bichmond, where he was
furnished with a coffin, and tho circumstances bemg made
known, the faithful slave, in the care of a wounded officer
who went South, was permitted to carry the remains of his
master to his distant home in Georgia. The heart of the
mother was comforted in the possession of the precious
body of her child, and in giving it a burial in tho church
yard near his own loved home.
Fee or reward for this noblo act of fidelity would havo
been an insult to the better feelings of this poor slave ;
but when he delivered up the watch and other things taken
from the person of his young master, the mistress returned
him the watch, and said : " Take this watch, Tom, and
keep it for the sake of my dear boy ; 'tis but a poor reward
for such services as you have rendered him and his mother."
The poor woman, quite overcome, could only add : " God
wid bless you, boy 1"
To allude to an institution which is without the prospect
of or a wish for its resurrection, would be liko opening the
gravo and exhibiting the fostering remains of our former
social system ; but we cannot forbear extracting from an
evd— and only evd morady, not necessarily involving sin—
many a beautiful lesson from tho relation in which it was
hold by us. Our slaves wore most gonorady the repositarios

180

LEE S INVASION OF' MARYLAND.

of our family secrets. They were our confidants in all
our trials. They joyed with us and they sorrowed with
us ; they wept whon wo wept, and they laughed when
wo laughed. Often our host friends, thoy wore rarely our
worst enemies. Simple and ohildklike in their affections,
thoy were moro trustworthy in their attachments than those'
better, versed in wisdom. For good or evil, in his presont
altered condition tho negro has tho warmest sympathies of
his former master, and ever in him wid find a " friend in
need," who will reachly extend to him the hand of kindness
and generous affection. ' >

LEES INVASION OF MARYLAND.

181

CHAPTER XXXVI.

LEE'S INVASION OF MARYLAND  THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM. "
BT thi-s time the theatre of active nidi tary operations
had been changed. General Pope, with all his boasted
skdl and bravery, although assisted by McClellan, Burnside
and Hunter, had been powerless to prevent the onward pro-
gross of tho rebels. Genoral McClellan had resumed chief
command of the Federal army.
Leaving Arlington Heights to the right, General Lee
crossed tho Potomac into Maryland. Having in view the
seizure of Harper's Ferry, and designing to test the spirit
of the Marylanders, he also threatened Hagerstown, throw
ing Governor Curtin into the wildest alarm, and animating
Baltimore with tho hope of emancipation from the thraldom
under which she restively groaned. To accomplish his pur
poses he began a series of bridiant manoeuvres, directed
mainly towards Virginia, and finally culminating in the
battle of Boonesboro' Gap. There the Confederate forces en
gaged overwhelming odds, but, stubbornly contesting the
ground, for a while they gave way under mighty pressure,
until tho timely arrival of reinforcements under Gonoral
Longs trcetgavo them renewed strength. They refused to re-

treat, and the day was decided by their gaining nothing,
though, comparatively, they lost nothing.
¦- From this engagement Vfrginia counted another iUustri
ous son among tho dead. General Garland,- a young man
of the brightest promise, while endeavoring to rady his men
^ under a galling fire from the enemy, was pierced by a
I musket bad in the breast, and died upon tho field.
While the action of Boonesboro' was in progress, and the
; ; enemy attempting to force his way through the main pass
on the Frederick and Hagerstown road, the capture of Har-
; j per's Forry was accomplished by the army corps of General
i \ • Jackson. This occurred on the 14th of September. It
seemed only necessary for the genius of Jackson. to have
1 1 part in the combinations of tho Confederate programme for
/ Success to fodow. A writer of the time says : " The extent
;¦ of the c°nquest is determined by the fact that we took elev-
^ en thousand troops, an equal number of small arms, sev
enty-three pieces of artillery; and about two hundred
wagons. The force of the enemy which surrendered con-
l ; sisted of twelve regiments of infantry, three companies of
j | cavalry, and six companies of artillery. The scene of the
¦surrender was one of deep humiliation to the North. It
was indeed a repetition of the revolutionary glories of Tork-
; : town, to see here the proud, gaily-dressed soldiers of tho
oppressor drawn up in line, stacking their arms, and surren-
; | dermg to the ragged, barefoot, half-starved soldiers of lib-
: ? erty-" On the 17th of September General Leo bad retired to
unite his forces, as far as possible, to confront tho stiff ad-
^ vanemg legions of the enemy, and then occurred the engage
ment at Sharpsburg, or Antietam. Here, with an acknowl
edged force of only about forty thousand men, when the
battle commenced, he encountered McClellan with an army
of not loss than one hundred and fifty thousand men, one
hundred thousand of whom were trained soldiors disci
plined in camp and field from tho beginning of the war.
Ihe battle was a furious one. , Many times the Confederates

182

LEES INVASION ON MARYLAND.

LEE'S . INVASION OF MARYLAND.

183

were driven back by the pressing numbers that seemed likely
to overwhelm them, but encouraged by the daring example
of then- officers, they wholly performed their duty. A Fed
eral officer writes : "It is beyond all wonder how such men '
as the rebel troops can fight as thoy do. That those ragged- -
wretches, sick, hungry, and in ad ways miserable, should A
prove such heroes in fight, is past explanation. Men never '
fought better. There was one regiment that stood up be- <¦¦¦,
fore the firo of ono of our long range batteries and of two
regiments of infantry, and though the air around them was 1 *
vocal with the whistle of buffets and the scream of -shells/
there they stood, and delivered their fire in perfect ¦
order." _. .
Wcro we disposed to answor tho questions involved in
this generous remark of the Federal officer, we might say,
tho courage which nerved these "ragged, hungry wretches " ¦-.-
was found in the cause for which they fought. When "Lib- ;
erty " is the watchword, therein is an element that strength- :
ens the arm, that emboldens tho spirit, that makes the
hero !
'"Tis conscience that makes cowards of us all," and the;
Southern soldier— the Rebel, as he was proud to be termed— '
in his struggle for the birthright inherited from his fore
fathers, who too had rebelled and perilled their lives for the
cause of freedom, was troubled with no reproaches hi the ¦
defence of his "life, his fortune and his sacred honor." It
is but a poor compliment now to ted us that our noble men
fought with a degree of devotion worthy of a bettor cause,
when it was alone the overwhelming resources of our enemies
that compeded them to yield up a causo dearer to them than
hfe. Lot our enemies say what they will of us, but let the
name of Liberty be sacred from the profanation of unholy
Hps. , , . j
Tho day closed in a drawn battle— General Jackson on
I lie same ground hold by tbe Confederates in tho morning,
and General Burnside clinging closely to the bridgo that
spanned the Antietam River, afraid to givo up the position,

-•qflf"

for on it bung the issue of tbe day. The victory to the
Confederates was lost by the want of reinforcements to en
able us to got possession of the bridge, but other por
tions of the field wore theirs, The loss was immense, and
not greater than that of the enemy. But added to other
losses, we mourned the sad fate of two of our officers, who
had distinguished themselves for great bravery. To the
mourning chaplet of the South was added a leaf for Briga
dier Gonoral Starke, of Louisiana, and ono for Brigadier
General Branch, of North Carolina, and with them we wept
for many brave and' gaUant officers of inferior rank, and
thousands of not less noble if less distinguished spirits
from tho common soldiery.
The enemy claimod the victory, but abundant evidence of
its doubtfulness is found in the fact that they failed to follow
up the attack on the- broken lines of the Confederates, and
permitted General Lee to recross the Potomac on the fol
lowing day without an attempt at molestation or hindrance,
and to secure a position on the opposite side at Shepherds-
town. Ho then made a feint to fodow him up by advancing
a portion of his troops across the river, in which they were
signady ropulsed by General A. P. Hdl, and pushed into the
stream, which was perfectly blockaded by wounded and
drowning men in an attempt to escape. It is also certain
that this pretence of victory cost McClellan his command.
Charges preferred against him were sustained by the official
testimony of the Federal Commander-in-Chief, General Hal
leck, and resulted in the displacement of General McClellan
and the elevation of Genoral Ambrose E. Burnside of Rhode
Island, who was also dcsthied to feel the steel of tho Rebel
Lee. That it was tbe intention of General Lee, in crossing tho
Potomac, to hold and occupy Maryland, is proved by his
proclamation, issued at Frederick, offering protection to all
Marylandors who might come into his lines ; and that ho
was induced to return into Virginia, not by the stress of de
feat in any single battle, but by force of circumstances, to

184

LEES INVASION OF MARYLAND.

LEE'S INVASION OF MARYLAND.

185

which, in the Southern heart it is painfid to refer, making
the campaign in Maryland on the whole a fadure, we are
also compelled to admit.
But though in tho main unsuccessful, it was not barren of
usefulness to our cause. At tho same time his intention of
a mere predatory incursion into the territory of the enemy,
as accredited to him by somo who would fain defame a
spotless name, could not havo entered into designs which
involved interests greatly . superior to the dash and chiv
alry of a raid. Though these virtuous designs failed of per
fect accomplishment, yet our army gave further illustration
of their valor, and the rcverso to their arms at Harper's
Ferry, without a parallel in the history of the war, had in
flicted on the enemy a loss in mon and material far greater
than our own losses, and in retreating into Vfrginia left to
them neither provisions nor spods, as Evidences of the sue ¦
cesses claimed. ' '' ''""-t
The Now York Tribune declares, in reference to the bar
ren results claimed by tho Federals from this campaign;
" He loaves us tho debris of his late camp, two disabled pieces
of artillery, a few hundred stragglers, perhaps two' thou
sand of his wounded, and as many more of his unburied
dead. Not a sound field-piece, caisson, ambulance or wa
gon, nqt a tout, box of stores, or a pound of ammunition.
Ho tn,kes with him tho supplies gathered in Maryland, and
the rich spods of Harper's Ferry." ' "'
Tho Tribune, is honest, and further states that his defeat,
if defeat it may be considered, is mainly attributable to the
failure of the Marylandcrs to sustain the Confederate cause
as they promised, and in inducements held out by them, and
that General Leo's retreat across the Potomac was a master
piece of strategy. ' ¦'"'<
Wc had long been accustomed to listening to the cry from
oppressed Maryland, from down-trodden Baltimore, " Como
over and help us 1" To Virginia their hands were out
stretched, and imploringly they besought release from their
Federal shackles. Maryland had chargod upon Virginia's

T" tardiness in the commencement of the war her own miser-
j" ablo condition. Our hearts bled, and remorse seized upon
I our souls when this reproach greeted us in Richmond.
{ - " Look at my own dear oppressed State 1 Give her but half
I i a chance, and you will learn where wid bo the heart of Mary-
_ \ land in this struggle." They were ready to stake their lives
on the action of Maryland.
i " Thou -wilt not yield the Vmidnl toll,
p ' - Maryland I my Maryland I
¦ ->¦-: Thou wilt not crook to hiH control,
Maryland! my Maryland I
,.r Better the firo around thee roll,
Botter tho shot, the blade, the bowl,
Than crucifixion of the soul —
Maryland i my Maryland I"
s .This retrain was caught up on all hps; the sentiment
rJ found echo in all hearts; and we felt like sending up loud
"Hosannahsl" when there came a time to enfranchise tho
spirit of our beloved and commiserated sister. We rejoiced
! to know that crushed Maryland could throw off her fron
fetters, and array herself under the star-crossed banner of
i her hope for redemption. '?¦¦"*¦
¦ The disappointment when, in - response to the proclama
tion of our Commander-in-Chief, a few hundred stragglers
I came timidly into our lines, was too keenly felt in Rich
mond to avoid expression in rough language, much as
was deprecated the wounding of the feelings of the sensi
tive. There was a sensible revulsion of sympathetic feel
ing for Maryland in Virginia, and for a time the blatant boasts
of some, unnaturally excited and offensive, were silonced.
""**' Yet scarcely with sufficient cause did Mr. Vest, of Missouri,
piqued, doubtless, in his personal experience, deliver him
self of a speech in the Confederate Congress, in. whicb ho
unmercifully contrasted the actions of tho Marylandcrs
with thoso of Missourians in tho South, to the reproach of
the former. When a bill passed Congress includiug strag
gling Marylandors in the conscription, tho boautifnl and pa-

186

LEE'S INVASION OF MARYLAND.

LEE S -INVASION OF MARYLAND.

187

riotic words of "My Maryland,", were most amusingly tra
vestied: J
- '' . : -. '-pe.'* .- -.1
" Conscribers' heels are at thy door,
Maryland ! my Maryland ! ' •'' ' ''''•
So off to Baltimore we'll go, ^ *' '¦'• ' -' ' ';¦'; M
Maryland! my Maryland I A ,. -,j
We can't stay here to meet the foe, . . ,. ; .. , ,
We might got shot and killed, you know; , , ,. ,, ,
But when we're safe we'll brag and blow,
Maryland! my Maryland I"
.p - , - . ,r,
Thoro is now no possibility of mistaking the throbbing;
of tho great heart of Maryland. It, was with us if not of i
us, and its sympathy with our destitution and misery has<
sublimely shown the throes it endured in the agony of sopa-i.
ration. An apology for tho fadure of the people to join the ?
standard of General Lee, to which they had been invited,:
and through which thoy had been assured protection, may.
bo readily given in the explanation that he occupied - a -
section of the State known to coutain among its population <
the most violent Union men of Maryland— a population far:
from representing the popular feeling of the: State— and
that a meeting in Baltimore, though' only forty-five mdes ¦
from the Confederate lines at Frederick, could have been
easily suppressed, as"" the city lay : under the immediate
shadow of two immenso fortresses, tho guns of which, in a
few hours' time, coidd reduce it to destruction. Strongly
guarded as it was by Federal pickets, it was no easy matter ,-
for the men of Baltimore to effect an escape to the Confed-.
crate army. ,; .
However, this was not at the time so understood generally ¦
at the South. In reference to it a writer, says, "It is true,;
the South could not have expected a , welcome i in these
counties, (tho counties occupied by General Loe,) nor a
desperate mutiny for the Confederacy in Baltimore, but it .
was expected that Southern sympathizers in othor parts of
the State, who so glibly ran the blockade on adventures of
trade, might as readily work thoir way to tho Confederate

4.

f
-sm

army as to the Confederate markets, and it was not. ex
pected that the few recruits' who timidly advanced to out
lines, would have been so easdy dismayed by tho rags of our
soldiers, , and by the prospects of a service that promised
equal measures of hardship and glory."
In the bitterness of defeat and humiliation, asceticism
and unamiabihty must, be excused, and an appreciation of
the same writer conceived, when ho continues: ¦" The army
which rested again in Vfrginia had mado a history that will
flash down tho tide of timo a lustre of glory. It had dono
an1 amount of marching and fighting that appears almost
ihcrodible, even to those minds famdiar with the rocords of
great military exertions. Leaving the banks of the James
river, it proceeded directly to the lines of tho Rappahan
nock, and moving out from that river, it fought its way to
the Poteniac, crossed that stream, and moved on to Freder-
icktown and Hagerstown, had a heavy engagement at the
mountain gaps below, fought the greatest pitched battle of
tho war at Sharpsburg, and then recrossed the Potomac
again into Virginia. ¦- ¦ .
'- " During ad this time, covering the full Bpace of a month,
the troops rested but four days. Of the men who performed
these wonders, one-fifth of them were barefoot, one-half of
them in rags, and the whole of them half famished."
¦Remembering that Richmond was indeed tho Confed
erate barometer, as wed as the heart and brain of onr
young, aspiring nation, wo must struggle to confine our
selves as closely as possible to the city and its surroundings,
yet shad be compeded occasionally to wander into other
portions of the Confederacy in order to ascertain the reflex
influence on the Capital.
At this timo there was a lull in the war in Virginia. By
oppointmont of our Executive tho 18th of Scptembor had
been set apart for special thanksgiving to Almighty God for
the merciful deliverance from our enemies, and for tho suc
cess that bad crowned our arms. The occasion was uni
versally observed; and just hero it is proper to remark that,

188

SCENES IN RICHMOND.

SCENES IN RICHMOND.

189

amid ad the striking vicissitudes of the late war, the Chris
tian integrity of the masses of the Southern people changed
only to add a brighter and brighter lustre to tho religion
of Christ. The most remarkablo devotion characterized
tho people, and prayers and thanksgivings were uttered in
spirit as well as in name.
On tho lfith General Leo recrossed the Potomac, and his
army rested once more on the soil of Virginia. For some
time there was quiet along the lines, undisturbed except .by
the dashing movoments of General Stuart and his cavalry.
By these httle seems to have been intended, unless to show
with what ease incursions could be made into Maryland and
Pennsylvania, and the admirable good-breeding - of the
Southern chivalry, in contrast to the universal indignities
h caped upon the innocent and helpless in the predatory incur
sions of our enemies. The treatment of the women of the
South by certain of the Federal soldiery will present a black
page in the records of tbe boasted civilization of this age
and country. , ;
From Kentucky the intelligence was truly depressing. ,. It
¦was difficult for us to understand how she could submit to
her forced and unnatural position of " armed neutrahty."
We were exasperated at tho lawless violence that reigned in
Missouri, and discouraged at the prospect in Mississippi, yet
upon our hopes there could have been placed no extinguisher
ns long as the sunlight of prosperity irradiated the prospect
of pcaco and independence in Vfrginia.

A

CHAPTER XXXVn.
SCENES IN RICHMOND IN THE WINTER OP 18(52-3.
S the war went on, a marked change was made in tho
educational interests of the South. For a certain

'.*** i

Wo

number of pupils, the teachers of schools were exempt
from ' military duty. To their credit be it recorded that few,
comparatively, availed themselves of this exception, and the .-
care of instructing the youth dovolved, with other added re
sponsibilities, upon the women of tho country. Only boys un
der the conscript ago wore found in the schools; all older were
made necessary in tho field or in some department of govern
ment servico, unless physical inability prevented them from
falling under the requirements of the law. Many of our
codoges for males suspended operation, and at the most im
portant period in the courso of their education our youths
were instructed in the sterner lessons of military service.
' Female schools were supported as best they could be
where there was a lamentable scarcity of books, and where
the expenses of education were so great that only the most
Wealthy ^ould afford to give their daughters the advantages
of a liberal course. Such were the difficulties that hedged ,
the way to mental cultivation; that it seemed, in many in
stances, almost a matter of impossibility to pursue any reg
ular plan of education for girls.
,! The operations of the Richmond Female CoUege were sus
pended, or rather, the budding was given up for -hospital
purposes, and the excellent institution of Mr. LeFebvre was
entirely broken up; but the Southern Female Institute, a
first-grade seminary, under tho supervision of Mr. Loo Pow
ell, tho fine school of Miss Pegram, S't. Joseph's Academy,
and other institutions undor the patronage of the Catholic
Church, worb sustained. Though the encouragement to
thoso schools was thoroughly liberal, so heavy woro the ex
penses that it was almost impossible to keep them in suc
cessful operation.
There was also a sad want of school-books. Tho stock on
hand when tho war commenced soon became exhausted,
and there were no now ones to supply tho consequent de
mand. Very few came to us through the blockade. Books
wore the last consideration in that eccentric trade. Incon
veniences aroso at ovory step to impede tho progress of

190

scenes Ln Richmond.

education in tho Confederacy. School-books which had
long before been cast aside as obsolete, and banished from
the shelves of the library, and hidden away to moulder in
dark closets, were brought to light, and placed in tho hands
of children, from which to add to the stock. of ideas, in the
process of youthfid development. ' > i ¦¦¦• .-,¦.
There was no time for authorship or compilation, and
publication was conducted under such serious disadvan
tages, and at such enormous cost, that it grew to be almost
impossible. - . ->AA-
There was a pitiable scarcity of paper. Our nowspapors
presented as singular a variety in appearance and sfro as
m tho character of the sheets. - Some afforded a ' double,
some a single sheet, and the most important of the dailies
were issued on a half-sheet of coarse paper, and sometimes
on a poor quality of brown paper. Our epistolary corres
pondence was carried on upon such paper as before the war
we should have considered indifferent for wrapping pur
poses. Not unfrcqucntly letters were replied to in the same
envelope in which we had inclosed our missive, but care-
fudy unsealed, turned, and the superscription addressed: on
the inside. '.-•<¦
But our philosophical men were as wed satisfied to pen
the glowing inspirations of patriotism on their Confederate
paper, as they woidd have boon to have inscribed them on
the best vellum-post: and the Southern maiden was as well
content to pen a billet-doux to her soldier lover on the
coarse, rough sheet, that blot-tod at almost every touch of
the pen, and to inclose the precious document in the rude
Confederate envelope of turned wall paper, as if she had
written her love on the softest, tiniest sheet of French note,
aud tho seal to tho enameled envelope bad been a sdver
dove, bearing in its beak a scroll, on which was lettered a
line of melting French or Latin. We gloried = in our na
tional simplicity, and looked to a peacefid release from the
inconveniences of the momont. -'? ¦;..;¦>,• ; i m A<
Amusements woro almost entirely abandoned. , Our only

SCENES LN RICHMOND.

191

theatre had beeh destroyed- by fire; and the exhibitions at
the Varieties and the heterogeneous shows and performances
, at the Metropolitan Had, faded to attract the better class of
the Richmond jmblio: Our women, who during tho day,
watched beside the couch, and made up clothes for the sol
diers, would often at night, get up concerts for their bene
fit. Little chddrch added their mite to the soldiers' fund,
by hoarding up their trifling sums, originating fairs, and
selling refreshments. Such were some of the means of vir
tuous endeavor.
But whdo those brilliant examples of tlio spirit of true
patriotism were noticcablo in our city, thoro were some, and
I regret to record, not a few, who made use of this time of ur
gent necessity, to amass riches, which could only be acconi-
pilshed at the expense of all the nobler principles that shoidd
have actuated' a people. That no man could make money fair
ly and honestly, under the painful circumstances in which wo
were placed, is a fact too wed understood to neod much
argument to substantiate. A distinguished officer in tho
Confederate Army, who had Berved in an honorable capac
ity in tho war with Mexico,' said, "I should think there
are very few men who will be widing,". after this war, to
acknowledge that they served the Confederacy as a commis
sary or quarter-master."'' Such constant use was mado of
tho funds of the government in outside speculations, by
those connected with the commissary and quartermaster's
departments of the army, that the wealth acquired in that
way, or the sudden riches of thoso men, over excited sus
picions of foul play.
The same officer — a lawyer of fine ability — remarked: "It
would be wed when the war is over, for the assessment of
the taxes on the property of persons then and before tho
commencement of the war, to be compared, and all abovo a
legitimate gain to his means, under all the circumstances by
which wo are surrounded, should be confiscated to tho uso
of tho soldier, who loses by tho neglect of his business, while
at work for his country. "No man can honestly and con-

102

SCENES IN RICHMOND.

scientiously amass wealth at this time." And yet there were
those who were before poor, now purchasing fine estates,
driving fine horses, rolling in the finest coaches they could
procure, and faring as sumptuously as our market would
allow-, while others wcro growing poorer and poorer, re
trenching in expenditures, doing all they could, and giving
all thoy had to spare for the support of the cause in which
the interests of the South were so fully involved.
When Ihe autumn came on, tho store-houses which had
been occupied for hospitals throughout the summer, were
cleared of their patients, and- cleared up for other uses,
and although wo groaned under the blockade that hind
ered tho importation of goods into our country, these
buildings wero all more or less filled with articles run in on
tho under-ground route, and frequently overland, under the
pretext of bringing in medicines, wines, etc., for tho. use of
tho Confederate Government. On almost every Bquaro in
the business portion of Main Street,, thoro was ait auction-
house, and wc could seldom wade down that street without
seeing numerous red flags of. tho auctioneer, or passing
a motley crowd of Jews and Gentiles eagerly desirous to
purchase their stock for the retail trado. Stopping, a mq^
ment, wc could hear tho stentorian voico of the seller, as ho
cried, "This beautiful article (perhaps a flimsy pieco of cot
ton domestic, or a five cent calico) going at such a price.
Shameful I going at such a sacrifico, only ,-  dollars par
yard. II is, I assure yow, gentlemen, an outrago upon my
better judgment te bo compelled to sell it upon such terms !
Will no ono give more?— I say will no ono make a bettor,
bid on this valuable article ? — going I — onco 1— twice I —
three — times!" and down would come. tho gavel of tho
auctioneer, and the gratifiod purchaser would be cogitating
the immense percentage ho should rcalizq in the retail. It
was said not unfrequcntly to have been tho case, that the
wholesale merchants of thoso stocks of blockade goods, had
their " by-bidders," and if a price unsatisfactory, to thefr av- <
arice or cupidity could only bo obtained, they, wero sold to

SCENES IN BICHMOND.

193

theso fictitious purchasers, to be resold at an early day, at a
price far exceeding that offered at the previous sale. Had
these dishonest proceedings been confined to articles of
taste or luxury alouo, we could bettor have endured the im
positions and extortions for which we had no redress; but
when, for the bare necessaries of hfe, we were at the mercy
of these relentless persecutors, the curse became so heavy
that we groaned and writhed under it.
Tho remark of a lady, " After the war is over, the par-
venues of the time wdl roll by in their splendid carriages,
and throw the dust of their insolence in tho faces of tho old
aristocrats," was quoted by many, and the prospect for such
a state of things seemed altogether probable.
In the stores of tho jewellers thoro wcro nover finer dia
monds exhibited in Richmond. Tho sellers woro not usu
ally thoso who had boon long established thoro, but now
shops woro opened, in which were displayed splondid goms,
fine watches, and various other artieloH which gave rine to
tho question, " Where did they come from ?" They were,
howovorj sold, and tho fortunate purchasers mado wiso in
vestment of thoir Confederate nionoy in diamonds and
other gems. Tlio oxcuso offered for all this was always
found in tho depreciation of tho currency, which continued
until tho inflation of tho prices on articlos of food and cloth
ing, put it quite out of the power of the masses lo live in any
sort of com fort. As yot, when spoken to on tho subject of
peace by submission, wo wero laughed at, and tho noble
loply, " Wo can onduro much more boforo wo are prepared
to submit dishonorably," Was that which camo from the
lips of those who were subjected to tbese additional dis
tresses./ '''-':'¦ -A- A . SA" '•'•- *
That tho depreciation of tho currency was brought about
or greatly assisted by the insano spirit of speculation which
possessod the people, is true beyond tho power of refuta
tion, and tho valuoless money was only made the apology
for the continued frauds that Wore practiced on tho govern
ment and tho pcoplo. ''-* '^'A'-lp-AA ' , •-¦-¦'¦': ''AAA
9 ~ 4~" •

194

SCENES IN IUCIIMOND.

It was, however, resisted by many, who were impotent to
correct it. The indulgence in extravagances, and even the
purchase of necessary articles of clothing, were abandoned
by the bettor thinking and more patriotic class of our in
habitants. It was not in the power of the ladies -of
Richmond to manufacture their domestic dresses, as did
the ladies in other parts of tho South, but they became
proficient in making thoir carefully kept wardrobe (by
judicious turning and mending, and careful brushings
and cleansing,) appear quite as well as they wished in the
situation in which we were placed. Luxurious dressing was
altogether given up, but for neatness, taste, elegance and
refinement, oven under the Confederate dross, tho Southern
women would comparo favorably with those who never for
a moment wore shut out from tbe world of fashion and in
dulgence, i . ;-.-.=
Our gentlemen appeared under thoir homo-mad o hats,
their homespun coats, or well-worn broadcloth, brushed un
til the threadbare appearance indicated the longth of timo in
which it had been iu servico, or bettor, the coarse, Confederate
grey, was the fashionable dress of the Southern gentleman.
It was not in the power of our people to cultivate tho ca
prices of fashion, nor to indulgo in wanton luxury or ex
travagance, to be clad in scarlet or fine linen, nor to fare
sumptuously every day, but they cultivated the better graces
of the heart, the refinement of benevolence and Christian
charity, and laid by useful lessons of economy and content
ment, and becamo philosophers under tho bitter chastiso-
mcnl of most cruel adversity. The cheerful fortitude .with
which the people of the South endured. the numberless ills
entailed upon them by the courso of war bids us hold thorn
up as brilliant examples of virtuous patriotism and heroic
contentment. "The bravo unfortunate aro our bost acquaintance;
Tlmy show us virtue mny bo much distressed,
And (jivo ns their oxamplo how to miflor." -'--.:,¦.. -A.; , .

Ok

SCENES IN BICHMOND.

195

T

S**":

The literature of tho time was almost whody connected
¦ with the all-engrossing topic of the war. Histories of bat
tles and sieges, of successes and defeats, of dangers by land
'and soa, woro those with which the Confederate reader was
usually entertained. But in our miseries and misfortunes
we were frequently cheered by merciful visits from the
muses, who, picking their way through the blockade, and
'running tho gauntlet of fines of battle, and ignoring whizzing
balls and bursting, crackling shell, would sing a lullaby to
¦ anxious fears, or inspire strains of patriotism. The war
pootry of the South would do credit to and would bo
proudly claimed by any nation.
Romance was little indulged. There wore neither tho
time nor the means for it. Tho appearance of " Macaria,"
from tho eloquent pen of Miss Evans, of Mobile, was a wel
come exception to the literature of tho times. A few books
straggled to us through the blockade. Joseph the Second
1 and his Court, and Victor Hugo's Les Miserablos, afforded
' us 'the most pleasurable recreation and enjoyment, and
¦•added a charming variety to our reading. A few original
! novelettes appeared, but there was little literary endeavor.
i -Mental improvement was pursued under difficulties well-
nigh unconquerable.
v 'A remarkable change had become evident in the agricul
tural interests of our people. As the raising of cotton in
' the more southern States bad been superseded by the
cultivation of the then more important crops of wheat,
corn, oats, rye, and potatoes, for the use of man and
' beast, so in Virginia the " nauseous weed," so long a source
¦'' of wealth to her planters, was made to yield placo to the
cereals which furnishod broad for the pooplo and the army.
In many sections of our country, from which tho slaves had
been driven or seduced to leave, the plowing and reaping,
the hoeing and planting, wcro performed by mon over tho
conscript age, assisted by tho women, the delicate daughters
of caso, whose faces tho "winds of heaven " had never been
permitted te "'visit too roughly;" and thoso labors, mado

196

burnside's camtaigna

BURNSIDE S CAMPAIGN.

197

compulsory by cruel misfortune, were performed with cheer
fulness, and in no craven spirit of submission, or longings
for luxurious indulgence heard in a sigh for the " flesh-pots
of Egypt.'"

CHAPTER XXXVIH.
BURNSIDE'S CAMPAION — EEITJOEES IN RICHMOND.
ALTHOUGH no State of the South had been exempt
from the scourge, Virginia had borne the brunt of tho
war. Wherever tho foot of tho invader had been pressed,
it left its mark in desolation. Along tho Potomac River
scarcely a dwelling remained to indicate that that fair re
gion had once been the abode of one of the happiest, most
refined and intedigent communities in our country, but
charred monuments of destruction betokened the work of
tho incendiary and the despoder. . . ,
Wo had enjoyed for an unusual length of time a season
of calmness, but it was not to continue much longor;
Our enemies were not satisfied to depredate alone upon
our northern border. The cry: "On to Richmond 1"
again awoke an echo from our fancied security. A change
of prograinmo had been effected. Discarding the beaten
track of his unfortunate predecessors, General Burnside
cbai-"-cd himself with tho destruction of tho rebel capital
in the usual "ten days," but, by a different route. Through
Fredericksburg, though by a- feint iu tho direction of Gor
donsville, ho expected te deceive his formidable rival, and
thus secure the shorter road to Richmond ahd tho attain
ment of the desired end, by crossing the Rappahannock at
that city, under tho impression that General Lee had thrown
a largo portion of his force down the river and clsowhere,
and bad thus weakened his dofoncos in tho front. How fa-
tady this mistake told upou his enterprise, is inferable from
the unwilling retreat ho was compelled. to make across the

,.£i^w^

Rappahannock, and the immense heaps of dead left .behind
him to testify to the faduro of his movement. On tho night
of the 10th of December the enemy began to throw his
bridges across the Rappahannock. On the night of tho
11th the cheers from the troops announced that the work
was completed, and it only remained for the two armies to
take such position as they could best obtain for the dreadful
work ahead of them. Already the bombardment had com
menced. Hundreds of famdies, remaining there until the
last moment, now fled for their fives from the homes that
had sheltered them. There they wero, in the cold of win
ter; wandering, housoless, hungry and wretched, they know
not whither, seeking safety wherevor thoy could find it, and
many following tho track of the railroad until they found
shelter from the freezing cold, and were out of sight if not
of sound of the missiles of destruction that were desolating
the homes from which they had been forced Under such
cruel circumstances.
On the morning of the 13th of December, as the sun rose
and dispersed the fog that had settled over the mutilated
remains of old Frodericksburg, it revealed tho Confederate
troops under arms and awaiting the attack from the forces
of Burnside. Their batteries were all in position, and soon
the belching fire, and smoke, and death, and carnage, and
conflict of battle shook the hills that surrounded the ancient
town. Our enemios fought perseveringly, but against them
the two Hills were operating; Stonowad Jackson was forcing
them with. his unconquered band of heroes ; Genoral Long-
street was coolly trying their steel ; General Early was suc-
ccssfully telling upon them a story of dismay, and Goneral
Stuart was redeeming his promise to " crowd 'cm " with ar
tillery. The attack on Mary's Heights, committed to tho
task of Goneral Meagher, with his bravo Irish troops, left a
sad witness, in the piles of his dead, of his failnro to secure
this strong position of tho Confederates. Tho lighting was
principally with artillery. , Again and again tho oncmy rai
ded under tho sure and. steady fire of tho "robels," but

198

BURNSIDE S CAMPAIGN.

BURNSIDE'S CAMTAION.

199

were finally driven back in despair, and pushed into the
town by our infantry. *'-;"•
The day was won. Victory onco more perched on the
banner of the Confederates, and the utter rout of the army
of General Burnside was ouly prevented, perhaps, by the
failm-e on the part of the "rebels" to attack his forces on the
next day, whilo they remained in Frodoricksburg, without
affording them timo te attempt to recross tho river. This
they accomplished on the following night, unmolested — and
the armi' that had scorned in the very jaws of destruc-
tion quietly reorganized on the shore opposite tho town,
which to many had appeared as inevitably the scone of their'
utter demolition. , :>¦.
Again at this place was repeated the old story of a bar
ren victory. A powerful check, had been given to the
enemy, but no more than a check. He had succeeded per
fectly in withdrawing the army that had seemed in - the'
grasp of capture. - wl
A Southern historian says: "The story of Fredericksburg
is incomplete and unsatisfactory, and there appeared no'
prospect but that a war waged at awful sacrifices was yet'
indefinitely to huger in the trad of bloody skirmishes. The'
victory which had only tho negative advantage of having
checked the enemy, without destroying him, and the vulgar
glory of having killed and wounded several thousand men
more than wo had lost, had boon purchased by us with lives'
though comparatively smad in numbers, yet infinitely more
precious than those of the mercenary hordes arrayed against
US." , , A
Besides largo numbers of brave men from tho ranks, and
numerous subordinate officers in this battle, wo lost two dis
tinguished brigadier-generals. They were Goneral Thomas
R. R. Cobb, of Georgia, (brother of General Howell Cobb, a!
member of our provisional Congress, and a man well known
in the political circles of our country,) and General Maxcy'
Gregg, of South Carolina. ., -p, * -
Every battle added fresh leaves to the mourning chaplet

&&^-

of tho South. General Gregg's name was bo familiarly asso
ciated with the opening of the war, that to us in Richmond
it had become a "household word." Hehad commanded
tho first regiment sent to tho war in Virginia, (the 1st
South Carolina Regiment. ) After its term of sciwice had ex
pired, and it had returned to its native State, Colonel Gregg
remained in Virginia, and subsequently reorganized the reg
iment, which after that time was constantly and conspicu
ously in service. Ho was afterwards commissioned Briga
dier-General. General Gregg was a lawyer of distinguished ability, and
had for moro than twenty years hold a prominont position
at, tho bar of South Carolina. He possessed, in an eminent
degree, that thorough goodness of heart, that real politeness,
which can emanate alone from the generous and virtuous,
and the most finished eulogy on his fine character is better
expressed in the remark of an humble courier, who said of
him, "He was the Genoral who always said to his couriers,
' / thank you ' to do this and that," than hi any redundant
terms of measured encomium. AYe find that " Goneral
Gregg was remarkable for hi3 firm and unflinching temper.
In > the army he had an extraordinary reputation for self-
possession and sang froid in battle. He was never discon
certed, and had the happy faculty of inspiring the courage
of his troops — not so much by words as by his cool deter
mination and even behavior." The conduct of the women
of Fredericksburg at this terrible time surpasses ad expressed
admiration, and the success of our engagement there is greatly
attributable to their heroic courage and patriotic self-abne
gation. '¦'•:': ¦ ' .'  i... ¦ . ¦'¦:-'
-The writer to whom we have so frequently referred, says,
" The romance of the story of Fredericksburg is written no
less in the heroism of her women than in deeds of arms.
The verses of the poet, rather than the cold language of
the mere chroniclo of events, are the most fitting to describe
the beautiful courage and noble sacrifices of these brave
daughters of Vfrginia, who preferred to see their homes

200

BURNSIDE'S CAMPAIGN.

reduced to ashes rather than polluted by the invader, and who
m the blasts of winter, and in the fiercer storms of blood
and fire went forth undismayed, encouraging our soldiers,
and proclaiming their desire to suffer privation, poverty, and
death, rather than the shame of a surrender, or the misfor
tune of a defeat. In all the terrible scenes of Fredericks
burg there were no weakness and tears of woman. Mothers,
exiles from their homos, met their sons in the ranks, em
braced them, told them their duty, and with a self-abnega
tion most touchiug to witness, concealed from them their
¦want, sometimes their hunger, tolling their bravo boys they
were comfortable and happy, that thoy might not bo troubled
with domestic anxieties. At Hamilton's Crossing, (near
Fredericksburg, on the Bichmond, Fredericksburg, and Po
tomac Railroad,) "Many ofthe women had the opportunity
of meeting their relatives in the army. In the haste of
flight mothers brought a fow garments, or perhaps the last
loaf of bread for the soldier boy, and the lesson of duty
whispered in the ear, gave to the young heart the pure and
brave inspiration to sustain it in battle. No more touching
and noblo evidence of tho heroism of the women of Fred
ericksburg could be offered than the gratitude of our army,
for afterwards, when subscriptions for thefr relief came to be
added up it was found that thousands of dollars had been
contributed by ragged soldiers out of their pittanco of pay
to the fund of the refugees. There could be no more elo
quent tribute than this offered te tho women of Fredericks
burg— a beautiful and immortal souvenir of their sufferings
and virtues."
What occurred in tho sacking of tho town must bring a
blush of shamo te the cheeks of all those who were cngagodin
tho wanton destruction and robbery of the houses of those
forced to leave under such cruel circumstances. Not even
the thirst for revenge, the promptings of malice against a
people, who had dared to raise their hands to prevent fur
ther eucroachmeuts upon principles thoy held as sacred,— but
to which others gavo the name "treason,"— can oxcuso tho Iaw-

burnsiDe's CAMPAIGN.

201

'W

loss violence ahd the wanton destruction of the places of
abode of wandering and holpless women. " Might " can
never make Right a cowardice, that takes form in deeds of
ignoble revenge.
Very soon the population of Richmond was increased by
hundreds of these helpless refugees, hundreds of the wound
ed of our army, and hundreds of the prisoners taken captive
at this time. The labors of benevolence that had boen for
awhilo suspended, or less extensively exercised, were caned
into fuU action, and the summer occupation of the inhabitants
of Richmond was rehearsed in the cold of winter. There
did not at this time exist so great a number of private hos
pitals, but tho goneral hospitals remained in full oporation,
and tho nursing qualifications of the women of Virginia
wore kopt in constant practice.
; Conspicuous among the laches of the South, whose man-
' agement of hospitals in Richmond was blessed to the final
^health or the comfortable condition of the soldier, we
, mention first the noble " Sisters of Charity," of the institu-
. tion of St. Joseph's and St. Frances de Sales, Mrs. Judge
Hopkins, of Alabama, Mrs. General Momminger, of Georgia,
Mrs.. Webb, Miss S. Robinson, Mrs. Judge Clariton, and
Mrs. Grant, of Richmond; Miss Mason, Mrs. Rowland,
Mrs. Hove, Mrs. Taylor, of Virginia; Mrs. Upham, of Lou
isiana, and many other ladies whose names' it is unneces
sary to mentiou, but who wore angels of mercy to the sick,
tho wounded, and helploss sufferers from the dire misfor
tunes of the war. Again the cycle of timo had brought to
us tho Christmas season. But with sadder remembrances
stiff was the festival observed than that of ono year before.
Aside from the usual religious observances of the day— the
joining in tho chorus :
" Shout the glad tidings, exulting sing —
Jerusalem triumphs, Messiah is king, "
thore was little to remind us of the festival of yore.
The Christmas dhmer passed off gloomily. The vacant

202

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE.

chairs were multiplied in Southern homes; and even the
children who had so curiously questioned the 'cause of ho
absence of the young soldier brother- from the festive board
had heard oo much, had seen too much, and knew too well
ti mtelf o°f t gai'm'~t, ™ W°m * ^e- mother, and
the fold of rusty crape placed around the worn hat Of the
father, and why the joyous mirth of tho sister was re
strained ana ner beautiful figure draped in mourning-:
Congratulations were forced, and tears had taken the place
of _ snides on countenances where cheerfulness was wont to

CHAPTER XXXIX.
ETTNNINO THE BLOCKADE.
A T an early period in the New Year-18G3-the Confedi
J-X. crate Congress reassembled, and our reading was va-
enlteml 1° " -^ ^ *"* ^ "* ™ «™
enb.ened by mornings spent at the. Capitol. Discussions
n Congiess were mainly carried on between Mr. Foote on
the one side and one or another of his many incorrigible
opposers on the other. He was sensibly affected with the im-
£;C10 mn,Tlff 1^™ With CGrtai» of *« Western and
Middle States which wero suffering from tho effects of tho
var, in proportion as the New England States were gaining
m wealth ,nd importance, by tendering them the free navb
gation of the Mississippi River, and proposing to secure to
them that right in an alliance with the ConfedLcy How
ever much these propositions, apparently submitted hi good
faith by he aged member, may have been for the real good
of the Confederacy, thoy were feebly encouraged by the
press and in the army and in Congress it seemed enough
that they originated with the unfortunately unpopular mem-

RUNOTNG the blockade.

203

v£V

-.*r

"V I

That active measures were necessary on the part of our
Congress to meet the opportunity which had arisen in the
divided, sentiment at the North, from the Emancipation
Proclamation of Mr. Lincoln, appeared obvious ; and that
terms offered the States so greatly disaffected at that time
to tho Federal government, by internal trouble, might have
resulted in good for the Confederacy is also supposable ;
but these opportunities for profit, if indeed they chd
exist, were permitted to pass by unimproved — were lost.
Upon whose head must rest the consequences we know
not. The scarcity of provisions was becoming a matter of se
rious consideration. This is known from tho fact that Con
gress passed laws for the impressment of food for the army.
At the same timo -our financial troubles had grown to be
alarming. A great portion of our territory, and especially tho prin
cipal grain-growing section of Virginia, was in the occupa
tion of the enemy. . Ad theso difficulties combined to bring
about tho enormous prices placed on ad articles of food, and
to meet the excessive demands, Congress authorized a heavy
increase in the circulation of the money issued by the Con
federate Treasury, and every attempt made to improve our
condition, under the unfortunate financial management of
our Secretary of the Treasury, was from bad to worse. Tho
depreciation of . our currency was mainly attributable to the
redundancy, of the circulating medium, and encouraged a
spirit of the wildest speculation and the most relentless ex
tortion. ,;
Blockade-running was extensively practiced by the Jews
of Richmond, as well as by others, whose nationality, purely
Southern, ought to have encouraged expectations of more
docidod patriotism than" was exhibited by them in their in
sane desire to grow rich. In this unlawful business they
found willing coadjutors in Baltimore and other cities, and
it soon became evident that all tho boxes, barrels and

201

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE.

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE.

205

crates that wore brought into Richmond could not contain
drugs for the Confederacy. The city almost abounded in
well-filled stores. The quantity, rather than tho quality,
was noticeablo in these supplies, and for the most worth
less articles we were compeded to pay the most extravagant
prices. The region of country from Richmond across the Pamun-
ky and Mattapony Rivers, through King and Quoen and Es
sex counties to tho Rappahannock River, and tltenco across
the northern neck of Virginia and the Potomac into Mary-
laud, was constantly traversed by these wanderers, who
took delight in a trade which, notwithstanding tho ¦ dan
gers from capture and tho confiscation of their strangoly
gotten merchandise, had in it a pleasurable excitemont.
Ports of entry wore opened at different points on the route;
and sometimes the unlucky blockade runner, for want of
proper credentials for carrying on his trade, was unmor-
cifully relieved of his goods by a cunning custom-houSe
officer, and the confiscation of his effects was the conse
quence. Occasionally women wero found engaged in this singular
business, and successfully smuggled into Richmond many;
articles that failed to pass the inspection of the custom
house officers, and thus mado heavy profits on the goods
thoy succeeded in taking in free of duty.- A lady who had
been on a visit to some friends in King and Queen County-
tells a u amusing story of her trip te hor home in Richmond,
and hor apprehension as a " blockade-runner." She says :
"I had been mud-bound in King and Queen County from
tho middle of January until the beginning of March, and
constantly fearful that by somo movement of the enemy I
might be cut off from Richmond, I was in great anxiety to
return. From day to day it would rain and snow, and hail
and sleet, until the roads, cut up witb the heavy wagons of
the army, were left in no condition for a carriage to travel
even a mdo in the direction of Richmond,

r; >"

A

h " At last a friend took me in a baggy as far as Frazier's
Ferry, oh the Mattaponi River, with the intention of going
With me to the "White House, on the Pamunky, there to
take the cars on tho York River Railroad for Richmond.
When we arrived at the Ferry we met not less than a dozen
wagons, filled with the goods of the blockade runners, en
route to Richmond. But the wind was high, and the ferry
man positively refused to tako the boat over, as thereby ho
should endanger the lives of his passengers and the loss of
the teams, goods, etc. I was in despair. At last two or
three blockade runners, of the tribe of Israel, proposed to
help mo out of my difficulty by crossing in a foot-boat, and
if a carriage could bo procured on tho opposite sido of the
river, to signalize mo, and thon I could decide whothor or
not I should accept their escort to Richmond. They were
rather questionable looking men, and thefr trade being so
much in disfavor, I debated in my mind whether I should
go with them : but the fear of being thrown in the lines of
the enemy decided me. When I caught tho signal of suc
cess in procuring a carriage, I passod over the stream in a
foot-boat, and on tho opposite shore took leave of the kind
gentleman, who regretted his inability to go on with me
further. ,i/_ -v -A -AAiiAA-,
" Our conveyance was an ambulance, and making myself as
agreeable as possiblo to my friends, the blockade runners, I
passed on safely- to the ferry at the White House. When
we arrived at the river, there was standing a wagon tided
with trunks, barrels, boxes, kegs, carpet-bags, and articles
of baggago of every conceivable description, all of which
were stored around me in the ferry-boat, to the exclusion
of my escorts. When I arrived on tho opposite shore, point
ing out my bonnet-box and carpet-sack to an officer who as
sisted mo from tho boat, I hastily purchased a ticket at the
station, and had only timo to take my scat in tlio cars bo-
fore the time for thorn to leave.
" I confess I felt some anxiety for the welfare of my Jew-

206

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE.

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE.

207

ish friends, but I was awakened to a sense of the suspicion
my own appearance amid the pdes of baggage had created,
by tho appearance of two villainous-looking detectives, who
demanded my passports for the goods I was carrying through
the blockade.
" ' I bave no blockade goods,' I replied, regarding this as
a joke. " ' Oh,' said the detectives, ' do yon pretend to tell us that ;
a lady travelling alone can carry as much baggage as you
carry, and have nothing contraband ?'
" ' You are indeed mistaken,' I replied ; 'the baggage that
came over in the boat with me is not ad mine, by any means.
I only have a small carpet-bag and a bonnet-box.'
"'Very strangcl' continued ono of the detectives; 'but
havo you a passport to go into Richmond?' -. ;
" ' I chd not know that a passport was necessary to taker
me into Richmond.' A -A"
" 'Whore is your home ?' askod the detective.
" 'In Richmond,' I replied. -A?
" 'Where have you been, and where are you now froin?'
persisted the detective. '- '.¦'• =- ,.-;-
" 'I have been making a visit to some friends in King and
Queen County ; I am a nativo Vfrginian, and have dono ad
I could for the success of tho Confederacy. I am a lady,
sir; (which remark was intended to bo very comprehensive,)
and would harcdy engage in the questionable business ; of
blockade-running ; and from whom should I obtain a pass
port?' "I was growing angry, but began to fear further trou
ble. •
" ' You should have obtained a passport from a Justico of
the. Peace, and then you woidd not have been suspected.
Our orders are to put off ad suspected persons.'
" ' Well, do you intend to put me off here ? It is almost
dark, very cold, and no accommodations for the night I'
" ' Our orders are peremptory,' replied tho detective.

~<h h

'«^>

"IT

""' " Turning on my seat, (the trouble was growing serious,
that I at first considered only a capital joke,) I caught the
attention of a Confederate officer of my acquaintance, who
was just then approaching me, and I implored him to help
me out of my difficulty.
" He laughed heartily, and then turning to the persistent
detectives, remarked : ' Be off, sirs, I can indorse this lady.
She carries nothing contraband, I can assure you.'
" " The dissatisfied detectives, who evidently wished to havo
' ' a scene,1 left me rather reluctantly, and soon returning,
said to me : 'Wid you be Itind enough to go into the bag
gage-car and point out your baggage ?'
" 'No, I will not,' I rophed ; ' if you are not satisfied with
tho identification of me by my friend, Lieutenant  ,
just put me off the car, and I'll seek protection somewhere
hi the neighborhood, and see about this hereafter.'
" This show of courage," said she, " drove away my per
secutors, but I was caroful after that time not to travel over
the route of the blockade -runners."
This species of trade became so objectionable, and added
so greatly to the discomfort of our situation, that " running
in goods" in that way was made subject to a heavy legal
penalty ; but it was either impossible to binder the under
ground importation, or it was winked at, for these supplies
of goods continued to bo brought into Richmond, and the
temporary check to the trade by legal prohibition only made
an excuse for the increase in price of those goods already
on the shelves of the merchants.
Whether it was in the power of Congress to correct tho
evils entaded upon us so singularly, or whether they lacked
the moral courage to pass stringent laws against such
abuses, it remains for those better informed to speak.
To add to other afflictions, our city was visited by the
sniad pox early in the winter. This disease not only
prevailed among the soldiors in and around tho city, but
many of the inhabitants, exposed to the contagion they
could not tell when, nor where, contracted tho disoase, and

208

THE BREAD RIOT IN RICHMOND.

ad over the city the infected houses were distinguished by
the white flag of alarm from the windows. The mortality
from smad pox was not extensive, and considering all the
circumstances of its appearance and prevalence, it, existed
for a very short time, and its disappearance was sudden. It
is said to havo been brought into Richmond by the prison-;
ers taken at the battle of Fredericksburg ; but by the
spring it had entirely disappeared from the city, and only
existed at the smad pox hospital, more than a mile without
the limits of the corporation. In connection with tho smad
pox other violent diseases appeared, and there seemed to
remain for us to endure only the last of the three great
plagues — war, pcstilcuco nnd famine 1 Somo of our hope
less ones— the miserable croakers who overlook on tho dark
side of the picture— added to our distress by predicting
that famine woidd certainly fodow in the train of evils, and
our enemies had engaged to bring it upon us as one of the
means of our subjugation. ,

*"

CHAPTER XL.
THE BltEAU RIOT IN EICHMONU. ' ' ¦ ;
THESE precautions had somo influence in originating in
Richmond in the Spring of this year, (18G3,) a most
disgraceful riot, to which, in order to conceal the real de
signs of tho lawless mob engaged in it, was given tho namo
of Ihe "bread riot."
The rioters were represented in a heterogeneous crowd of
Dutch, Irish, and free negroes— of men, women, and chd-
(b-en— armed with pistols, knives, hammers,, hatchets, axes,
and every other weapon which could be made useful in their
defence, or might subserve their designs in breaking into
stores for the purpose of thieving. Moro impudent and
defiant robberies wole never committed, than disgraced, in

•*

THE BREAD RIOT IN RICHMOND.

"209

''O

the open fight of day, on a bright morning in spring, the city
of Richmond. The cry for bread with which this violence
commenced was soon subdued, and instead of articles of
food, the rioters directed their efforts to stores containing
dry-goods, shoes, etc. Women were seen bending under
loads of sole-leather, or dragging after' them heavy cavalry
boots,' brandishing their huge knives, and swearing, though
apparently wed fed, that they were dying from starvation —
yet it was difficult to imagine how they could masticate or
digest the edibles under the.weight of which they were bend
ing. Men carried immense loads of cotton cloth, woolen
goods, and other articles, and but few were scon to attack
tho stores where flour, groceries, and other provisions wero
kept.."' This disgraceful mob was put to flight by the military.
Cannon were planted in the street, and tho order to dis
perse or be fired upon drove the rioters from the commer
cial portion of the city to the Capitol Square, whore they
menaced tho Governor, untd, by tho continued threatenings
of the State Guards and the efforts of the police in arresting
the ringleaders, a stop was put to these lawless and violent
proceedings. 'A" fi- -Ap-.'AA A, ,- <-'r:~~
It cannot be denied that want of bread was at this time
too fatally true, but the sufferers for food were not to be
found in this mob of vicious men and lawless viragoes who,
inhabiting quarters of tho city whero reigned riot and de
pravity, when fodowed to their homes after this demonstra
tion, woro discovered to bo well supplied with articles of
food. Somo of them were the keepers of stores, to which
- they purposed adding the stock Btolcn in thoir raid on
wholesale houses.
Thus demonstration was made uso of by the disaffected in
our midst, and by our onomios abroad, for tho misrepresen
tation and exaggeration of our real condition. In a little
whilo tho papors of the North published tho most startling
and highly colored accounts of tho starving situation of the
inhabitants of Richmond. ' By tho prompt proventivo mea-

210

THE BREAD RIOT IN RICHMOND.

ures brought into requisition this riot was 'effectuady
silenced, and no demonstration of tho kind was afterwards
made during tho war. i .'-.o.-
The real sufferers were not of the class who would engage
in acts of violence to obtain bread, but included the most
worthy and highly cultivated of our citizens, whq, by the
suspension of tho ordinary branches of business, and tho ex'-'
trcmo inflation in the prices of provisions, were often re
duced to abject suffering; and helpless refugees, who, driven
from comfortable homes, were compeded to seek relief in the
crowded city, at the time insufficiently furnished with the5
moans of living for tho resident population, and altogether
inadequate to the increased numbers thrown daily into it
by the progress of events. How groat their ' necessities
must have been can be imagined from the fact that many
of our women, reared in the utmost ease, delicacy and re
finement, were compelled to dispose of all articles of taste
and former luxury, and frequently necessary articles of
clothing, to meet the everyday demands of life.
These miseries and inconveniences were submitted to in no
fault-finding spirit; and although the poverty of the masses
increased from day, to-day there is no doubt that tho sympa
thies of tho people were unfalteringly with the revolution in
ad its phases. Our sufferings wore severe, and the uncom- >
plaining temper in which they were borne. was surely no evi-,
deuce that there was in the Southern. masses a chsposition of
craven submission, but rather of heroic devotion to a cause i
which brought into exercise the sublime power " te suffer !
and be strong." While our enemies in their country were
fattening upon all the comforts of Id'e, faring sumptuously
every day, clothing themselves in rich garments, and enjoy
ing all that could make existence desfr able, they mado
merry over the miseries endured by tho Southland laughed i
at the self-abnegation of a people who surrendered luxuries
and comforts without a murmur for tho cause of the rovolu- '
tion. , -
Our churches were shipped of their cushions, which fur- <

f.
-W

A«AA!=""A SPIES.' 'v-r/-<'

211

-*£>

t--'
- ¦

. nished beds for the hospitals. Private houses were denuded
of pdlows to place under tbe heads of the sick. Carpets and
cm-tains were cut up for blankets for the soldiors, and many
a poor woman yiolded up her couch to the invalid and suffer
ing. Many times the dinner was taken from the table
and distributed to .soldiers in thefr march through our
streets, when porhaps thore was nothing in the larder with
which to prepare another for the self-sacrificing family
which had so geneiously disposed of the principal meal of
tlte day. The generosity of our people was unstinted, and
became more and more beautifudy manifest as our poverty
increasod. A disposition was eviheed to withhold nothing
of ease or luxury which might in any way benefit a cause
that caded forth the most earnest devotion of patriotism.

CHAPTER XLI.

_.., sriES.
THE existence of spies had become more than a mere
suspicion, but whether from the amiable temper and
laxity of our government or the inefficiency of our mditary
police, there were very few apprehended and brought to trial.
It was during the spring of 1863 that ono Webster, a clerk
in the War Department, and his wife, were suspected,
brought to trial, and found guilty of the charge of espion-,
age for the Federal government.
He had undertaken the difficult and dangerous part of a
double spy, and was in the pay of both governments, and had
also been guilty of murder. The facts being fully mado man
ifest, be was condemned to die upon the gallows, and his
wife, not loss guilty of treachery, was sent through the lines
to Washington.
Since the occupation of Richmond by the Federal forces,
wo have boon told by thoir ofiicors that numerous spies

212

SPIE&

*l

wore in the city during the entire existence of tho Confeder
acy, and were in constant communication with tho enemy:
' They were, said the officers, genorady ladies who occupiod
enviable positions in society, and wero in tho regular pay of
the Federal government. Suspected persons were, however;
extremely rare, and wo aro inclined to believe the state
ments of these officers admit of much questioning.
A residence there during the entire period of the Con
federacy, and a pretty general acquaintance with the state
of feeling and society, would warrant us in allowing much
latitude to remarks coming from a source which would fain
establish the idea that a certain portion of' our population,
and a much larger portion than thoro is any evidence to be
hove, were disaffected towards tho Confodorato government.
Wc shad later havo occasion to notice tho apprehension of
a female spy; but that they existed in alarming numbers
cannot have been true. ' "':'"
The lenity of tho government towards suspected persons
was one of its most remarkablo features," and illustrates
the confiding and unsuspecting character of tho Southern5
people. " It is bettor to trust all than to suspect any of
wrong," becomes not a useful maxim when circumstances
arise such as have recently convulsed our common country. '
It was not easy for us to accredit the tale that there'
were those among us who worshipped at tbe same altars,'
who knelt at the samo chancel, who broke bread at our
tables, who co-operated with us in works of benevolence/
who bent with us over the couch of suffering, and whose
words as well as actions wcro ad in sympathy with tho rev-r
olution, who could only bo enacting a falsehood, and using
their real endeavors to sedus into tho hands of our enemies;
and all for filthy lucre — bartering for it their honesty, their
integrity, their reputation, thefr eternal salvation.
It is difficult for us to imagine that thoso who smiled
when prosperity seemed about to shod over oiir cause a per
manent light, and who seemed to sorrow when our troubles
thickened, who joyed whon wo joyed, who wept when wo

STONEMAN S RAID.

213

'r-r

r

*¦•!

*5

V-

wept, were the ones who were ready to open upon us tho
floodgates of destruction, and te consign us to all the hor
rors of botrayaL We are not willing to believe this to be
true, and would let the mantle of oblivion fall over those
who have proved so base.

A>-te

pVA'a

-i\<-

CHAPTER XLIX

p'-I'j ..;.-,.•'.'..¦:.
j.t.-o ¦¦¦.'•¦:. :¦
ili''J: i'! '}¦'*.' stoneman's eaid— panic in bichmond.
THE cold, stern, dreary winter, through which we had
experienced so mauy trials and had witnossod so much
suffering, had at length departed. It had lingered tarddy,
but tho snow, had melted. from tho hillsides, and the, ice
bound streams once more gushed forth, and made merry
music in the warm, genial sunshine! The meadows were
green with verdure, and bright with golden dandelions and
buttercups. In the gardens, fragrant exotics threw out thefr
budding beauties, and the atmosphere was redolent with
thefr perfume. Amid the tree's,- feathered songsters fided
the air with .melody, and trilled joyous welcome to the re
turn of spring. Ad nature invited to the enjoyment of the
season, yet were our hearts heavy, and these beauties sick
ening, since they but awakened the remembranco that they
were indeed the heralds of the opening of active operations
in the military campaign. The roads were becoming firm,
the mud which impeded the movement of the armies was
fast drying up, and we looked forward to another movement
having in view the capture of Richmond.
The long season of quiet had been broken only by an en
gagement at Kolly's Ford, in Culpepper County, in March.
Here we lost our bravo young artillerist, Major Pelham. Ho
had attracted tho special attention of Gonoral Lee, and was
styled by him in his report of the battlo of Frodoricksburg,
" the gallant Pelham." His remains wero brought to Rich-

214

stoneman's raid.

mond, and laid in our Capitol, and loving stranger hands
strewed raro flowers over the young hero. ¦ ¦" " - ' .-•-->
We were now awakened by threatening demonstrations
at our own doors. Tho cavalry of tho enemy, were becom
ing troublesome, The alarm bells toded, and there -ap
peared the forms of our enemies, headed by General Stone
man, at tho very gates of the city. It is said that somo of
his men slept within tho intrenchments. This may hot have
been true ; but it is true that they came near enough to"
create general agitation and the wddost excitement. Our
forces for local defence were under arms at a few moments'
notice, but the wary foes, afraid to venturo upon us, thoimh
all unconscious of our danger, contented themselves with a
detour around tho fortifications, and passed down across
the Chickahominy and Panmnky into tho county of King
William, where they captured a train of commissary wag
ons belonging to the Confederates, and frightened "tho
inhabitants by their unexpected appearance. - No greater
harm was done.
How much mi-chicf they -might have wrought upon us
had they persisted in forcing thefr way into Richmond, we
cannot tell ; but unconscious as wo were of tho approach of
danger, and equally unprepared to resist it at that timo "it
may not be wrong to suppose that in a rapid raid upon our
city much evd might have come to it. At all such times
mingled vnth the tragical thoro was a singular blcndfro- of
the ludicrous. When the news spread that the Yankees were
within a few miles of tho city, the most energetic prepara
tions tor ihght were noticeable. Trunks; long empty on ac
count of the security that wo had for months enjoyed, woro
suddenly brought out, and again the panic caused by tho
Yankees induced tho more careful of our ladies to secrete
tho valuables they possessed, and make ready for flight to a
place of greater safety. Closets, drawers and presses wore
speedily stripped of their contents, and trunks quickly filled
and strapped for travelling, were scon in tho hobs of the
frightened inhabitants. Tho news was communicated from

STONEMAN S ¦ RAID.

215

«L

; one to another on the street, the beds were rung frantically,
and the whole place was soon thrown into tho most intense
alarm. nAn old lady, noticing the commotion, stopjied a gentle
man on the street and inquired the cause of it. On being
informed, she turned about to go back to her home. An-
i other lady, perceiving her perturbation, and not baring
beenr informed of the cause of tbe agitation of her friend,
approached quickly and asked: "What is the matter?"
•The old lady rephed : "Why, tho Yankees are within two
miles of Richmond I I was just going up on Broad street
to purchase a bonnet, but now I shan't go." - Her friend,
notwithstanding the evident cause for alarm, could not sup
press a laugh at the manner and language of tho old lady.
" Why, will you not need a bonnet if the Yankees do come?"
.inquired 'the second lady. "No, no ; I shad want no bon
net if tho Yankees got bore 1 " roturnod tho old lady, hasten
ing hor steps in the diroction of hor home. " No, I shall
not want a bonnet 1 "
The raid of General Stoneman, whde it appeared so in
significant in its' results,, was the precursor of the great
battle which occurred in the month of May, on the banks
of the.Bappahannock. The long delay, the "grand hesita
tion " of tho enemy, had been the cause of much impatience
at tho South. Wc had seon one and another of the com
manders of the armies of our enemies deposed, and more
trustworthy men, or those who made louder pretensions to
skill, elevated to the command of the Northern army, to try
tho mettle of the veteran "Army of Northern Virginia."

-:¦- CHAPTER XLILT.
HOOKER'S CAMPAIGN — DEATH OF STONEWALL JAOKSON.
TO General Hooker, whose fightiug qualities had gained
for him tho sobriquet of " Fighting Joe," was committed

21G

HOOKER'S CAMPAIGN".

HOOKERS CAMPAIGN.

217

the command of the army declared to be the "finest army
on the planet," the same which had so frequently fied before
the "ragged rebels" led on by Gonoral Lee. Once moro;
those ragged rebels, those miserable troops, 'that were1
despised by the well-fed, well-clad troops of our enemies,'
were to meet them on the field of conflict. Once' more
the "On to Richmond " movemcut was to receive a check1
at the hands of our invincible Lee, and another Federal'
commander was destined to tho place on "tho shelf"-1
occupied by so many illustrious predecessors. A But wo"
aro anticipating. Hooker, following the plan of General-'
Burnside, attempted tho " On to Richmond " by tho way of
Fredericksburg. He was allowed by Genoral Loo to 'cross
tho Rappahannock without opposition'and without loss, aud'
to secure a position deemed by him impregnable," where lie'
proclaimed: "The rebels must fly ingloriously, or come out
from thoir defences and do battle on our own ground, (the"
ground of tho Yankees,) where certain destruction, awaited'
them. ' .j.-.- , i . \ i -,J
To secure success, nothing had beou left wanting in the
appointment of his army. The North had been ransacked" -
for horses for the cavalry and for artillery purposes; the;
most improved arms hud been placed in the hands of the
troops; General Hooker had made extraordinary exortions '
to increase the strength of his army, and everything was
done to place every department of the command upon a1
thorough wir footing; and these labors completed, our on-!
einics vain gloriously boasted that they only awaited the'
expected measurement of strength to overwhelm Lee with
his army of "half-starved secesh." This spirit of confidence
seems to have been shared with General Hooker by the ma
jority of officers in his command.
Whether deceived by tho false representations of spies,
or whether from an overweening confidence in his own abil
ity to succeed, the Federal commandor mado tho loudest
pic ten sions to wisdom in the management of an army, and
represented to his government tho causes for fadure in his

V

^4>-

predecessors in command, and pointed out the manner in
which he would steer clear of the shoals upon which they
had beeh strandod, and moor his bark in a haven of peace,
by the destruction of the army of the Confederates, under
General Lee.
Wisely keeping his counsel, but keenly watching tho
movements of. the enemy, General Lee permitted Ids plans
of strategy to be perfected, and when ad was arranged, and
he had secured a position which he deemed impregnable,
whde .congratulating himself upon his good fortune in se
curing, tho roar of the Confederate army, and finding only a
small force to oppose him, and whde engaging Andorson's
and McLaw's divisions in tho front, with tho swift move
ments for , which he was so famous, and in the mystery
which he termed the""" secret of success," General Jackson
amazed and confounded the Federal . commander by sud
denly fading upon his right and rear. His assault was fierce
and furious, Says a writer of the time : " Li a short timo .
he threw Sigel's corps (the Eloventh) of Dutchmen into a
perfect panic, and was chiving the whole right wing of tho
Yankee . army fiercely down upon Anderson's and McLaw's
sturdy veterans, who in turn hurled them back, and ren
dered futde their efforts to break through our lines, and
made it necessary for them to give back towards the river.
There was an intermission of about one hour in the firing,
from threo untd nine o'clock. It was about this time that
Genoral Jackson received his death wound from his own
men, who mistook him for tho enemy."
For threo days, with short intervals in which to givo somo
attention to the dead and wounded, this bloody work con
tinued. Time after time the enemy rallied his ahnost dis
comfited hosts, and brought them to the onset to be bcaton
back, to rady again, until, on tho evening of tho 4th of May,
the signal for a goneral attack was given, when the Con
federates rushed on tho foo with the fury of a hurri
cane. , But littlo further resistance was made. Tho enemy wcro
10

218

HOOKERS CAMPAIGN.

hooker's CAMPAIGN.

219

driven iu the wddest confusion to the banks of the river,
and on that night ended his remarkable series of battles on
the lines of the Rappahannock.
The courage of our troops, tested on so many fields
of conflict previous to this time, had been fudy maintained
during this succession of bloody battles. Tho raggod Reb
els had defeated and discomfited tho well-appointed armies
of the vainglorious Federal' commander, who, taking ad
vantage of the rain and darkness of the succeeding night,
recrossed the Rappahannock, and on the opposite bank
reorganized his shattered and disheartened forces. 'A A-
But with the thanksgivings for victory that wont up from
our hearts, with the shouts of triumph in which, with tho
deeds of our brave troops, there were blended the names of
Lee, Jackson, the two Hills, Wdcox, Barksdale, Stuart,
Ewell, Rhodes, Pryor, Anderson, McLaws, and others hold
ing rank in our army, (too numerous to mention,) there
went up from every Southern heart a wad, so long, so loud,
that in tho sad sound was heard only tho hoart-breaking
refrain, " Jackson has fallon 1" It could not be, the unwel
come news could not be true! We hugged the phantoin
Hope from day to day, as from all who could give us
information we anxiously inquired after the condition of
his wounds. Anon wo would hear, "He is better — bis
wounds, though serious, aro . not necessarily fatal," and
buoyed up with tho thought "ho cannot die; he is ah
immortel reality," we prayed for his recovery, and very
fow sent up to the car of the Almighty their . petition
coupled with Christian resignation to the Almighty will.
Discarding the submission which should have accomjianied
our confidence in tho wisdom of the dispensations of Prov
idence, and not possessing tho sublimity of faith, tbe sim
ple, childlike trust in God, which issued from tho lips of
our beloved hero, in tho thrilling words, "It is all right 1"
wo felt that wo could not give him up. We hoped on until
hopo was against hope, and then came the crushing intelli-

¦w

-i-

"»--

gence that covered our hearts with the midnight gloom
of sorrow — "Jackson is dead!" A pad of deepest mourn
ing mantled the South, and with impious hearts we in
veighed against the will of God in the destruction of our
idol. 1 The thundorbolt was too sudden, tho blow too heavy.
Our uninstructed hearts were not prepared for a chastise
ment so severe, and in the miserable impotence of human
nature wo dared to question the designs of Omnipotence.
What to us were the victories gained on the fields of Fred
ericksburg and ChancedorsyiUe ? What to us were all the
spoils of conquest ? What to us were tho long lines of cap
tives that were marched through our streets ? WJiat to us
aU the glories that perched upon the banners of the Con
federacy ? What to us the triumphs that proclaimed trumpet-
tongued the deeds of heroes and martyrs in the cause of
the South, when the tower of strength upon which we had
leaned had boen overthrown — tho brave heart upon which
we had thrown so groat a portion of the dire troubles that
Surrounded us had boon- stilled in tho icy calmness of
death 1 ;
*¦ Were we writing alone of tho soldier, we should refer
-with sadness to the grief which must have torn his noble
soul as he listened upon his couch of suffering to the roar of
'battle that stiff raged, and reflected on the probable condi
tion of Ids beloved command, that seemed dearer to him
than the life that was soon to be extinct. We should refer
with pride to the declaration made by him with tho glow
of martial ardor suffusing his countenance, and the proud
snide that is said to have beamed over his face, " If I had
not been wounded, or bad had one hour more of daylight,
I could have cut off tho onomy from the road to United
States Ford; we woidd havo had them entirely surrounded,
and they would have been obliged to surrender or cut
thefr way out — they had no other alternative. My troops
may sometimes fail in driving an enemy from a position,

220

hooker's campaign;

hooker's campaign.

221

but the enemy ahoays fads to drive my men from a posi
tion." We should refer with pleasure to the fact that in his
moments of suffering he remembered and kindly inquired
after the officers of his command, and thoughtfrdly remem
bered the honor due Genoral Rhodes, whoso commission;
said ho, as Major General should date from that day, (moan-
iug from the 2nd of May, for gallant conduct on the field
of Chancellorsvillo,) — we should refer to the pride with
which he regarded the brigaplo made memorable through
thefr wonderful leader, and tho smilo with which ho said,
"Tho men who live through this war wid bo proud te say,
to thefr children, 'I was ono of the Stonowad brigado!'"
But it is not of Stonowall Jackson alone, the soldier,
that we write- — but of more — of Jackson the Christian 1 It
was not alone on the battle field that traits of heroism
shone out so conspicuously in his spotless character; but
tho patient resignation, the calm " Thy wid be done, oh
Lord 1" with which ho awaited tho sure and steady coming
of the " King of terrors," had moro of heroism in it than
the courage with which he had faced so often the mouth of
the, cannon. The calmness with which he could say to his
stricken wife, when she informed him that his physicians
thought he had not long to live, "Very good, very good;
it is all right," had more of sublimity in it than the valor
which dilated his figure as tho battle raged, and carved his
name in letters of immortality.
The Christian character which shone out in the gesture
that raised his hand to heaven, at which sigDal the men of
his command woidd take off thoir hats, and order, " Hushl
old Stonewall's going to pray !" was moro radiant far than
the mighty deceds wdiich mado him the idol of bis men and
tho terror of the enemy.
The fodowing account of, the dying moments of this great
and good man is taken from tho authentic testimony of a
religious friend and companion:
"Ho endeavored to cheer those who were around him.

j'.i-.

!1

*- - *> ^
"' %

p I
X
A

Noticing the sadness of his beloved wife, he said to her,
tenderly, 'I know you would gladly give your life forme,
but I am perfectly resigned. Do not be sad; I hope I shall
recover. Pray for me, but always remember to use in your
prayer tho petition, ,". Thy wid be done." Those who were
around him noticed a remarkable development of tenderness
in his manner and feelings during his illness, that was a beau
tiful medowing of that iron sternness and imperturbable calm
that characterized him in his military operations. Advising
his wifo in the event of his death to return to her father's
bouso, ho remarked, ' You have a kind and good father, but
thore is none so kind and good as your Heavenly Father.'
When sho told, him the doctors did not think ho could
live two hours, although ho did not expect, himself, to die,
be replied, ' It wdl be infinite gain to be translated to
Heaven and be with Jesus.' He then said he had much to say
to her but was too weak. He had always desired to dio, if it
were God's wid, on the Sabbath, and seemed to greet its
light that day with peculiar pleasure, saying, with evident
delight, ' It is the Lord's day,' and inquired anxiously what
provision had been made for preaching to the army; and
having ascertained that arrangements were made he was
contented. Delirium, -which occasionally manifested itself
during the last two days, prevented some of the utterances
of faith which would otherwise have doubtless been made.
His thoughts vibrated between religious subjects and the
battle field; now asking some questions about tho Bible
or church history, and then giving an order, 'Pass the
infantry to tho front,' 'Tell Major Hawks to send forward
provisions to the men,' ' Lot us cross over the river and rest
under tiie shade of the trees,' until at last his gallant spirit
gently' passed over the dark river and entered on its
rest." " For nono return from thoso quiet shores
"Who cross with the boatman cold and palo;
We hoar tho dip of tho golden oars,
And cateh tho gloam of the showy sail,

222

HOOKERS campaign.

hookers campaign.

223

-"And lo ! they have passed from ouryeaming heart. ,-, ¦
They cross tho stream, and are gone for aye;
Wo may not sunder the veil apart
That hides from our vision the gates of day."
With the words of cheerful resignation, " It is all right,"
with which ho bowed to the wdl of God, almost tho last '
words that fell from his lips were, -'A. P. Hill, proparo for
action 1" and at fifteen minutes pnst threo in tho evening
of tho 10 th of May this great spirit roturned to tho God
who had given it to bless us only a httle whde here oh
earth. Such was tho death of Jackson, resigned, cheerful, hope
ful. As his life, had been a model of ad that was enno
bling in virtue, heroism and patriotism, bis death taught tho
more useful lesson stiff — how a Christian soldier ought to
die. . "'¦'"'
His body was conveyed to Richmond, where a great and
solemn pageant attested the feeling of universal loss iu the
death of this hero-idol of the South. His body was em
balmed and laid in a metallic coffin in the reception room
at the Governor's House. Tho mourning and stricken
daughters of the South congregated from all parts of the
Confederacy in Richmond, wended thefr way to the sacred
spot, and covered the star-crossed pall with floral offerings,
bedewed with the tears of national grief. ¦ The coffin was
diaped with tho snow-white banner of the Confederate
States — fit emblem of his own pure spirit, and the sublime
courage with which he bore his Master's cross. Alas 1 it was
the first use to whicb. was devoted this, thenow banner of
his cause, under whose folds wo had so hoped to see him
travel until its establishment; but there rested his noble
form — ^ '
" Liko one -who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him and lios down to pleasant droatns."
On the next morning at the appointed hour, the coffin was
borne to the hearse, a signal gun was fired from near tho

<*

4&-

equestrian statue of Washington on the Capitol Square,
and the great procession began to move to the solemn
strains of the Dead March in Saul. The hearse was pre
ceded by two regiments of General Pickett's division, with
arms reversed, General Pickett and staff, the Fayette Artil
lery, and Warren's company of cavalry. The carriage which
boro the body camo, slowly, mournfully on, tho mourning-
plumes nodding dark and gloomily, and casting long shad
ows over tho flower-covered ensign uuder tho folds of which
he woidd have caught that heroic inspiration that he had
boon wont to communicate to the Old Brigade. Thon, led
by a groom, came tho war-borso of tho dead soldier, capari
soned for battle, and bearing across tbe saddlo tho boots last
worn by tho rider now stiff in death. Thon followed, with
saddened mien, and hearts crushed with heavy sorrow, tho
staff officers of the departed hero; then, more sadly stdl,
the remaining members of the Stonewad Brigade, invalids
and wounded, with downcast looks and sad forebodings that
they should novor see his like again; thon, a vast array of
officials, President Davis, the members of his Cabinet, Gen
erals Longstreet, Elzey, Winan, Kemper, Garnett, Corse,
Commodore Forrest, and other officers of the Confederate
Navy, the Mayor and city authorities of Richmond, and a
long cavalcade of carriages bearing the heart-broken friends
of the deceased.
. j The procession, nearly a mile in length, proceeded down
Govornor stroet, and thenco up to tho head of Main street,
whence it returned to the western gate of tho Capitol
Square, where a dense throng, of countless numbers,
awaited to see it enter.
,, Business had been suspended in the city, and all along
the route of tho procession were seen the saddened counte
nances of weeping friends and admirers, as they gazed on
the mighty pageant that commemorated tho death of Stone
wall Jackson. The hearse moved on to tho steps of tho
Capitol, the band playing a mournful dirge, and lifting tho
coffin, tho pad-bearers, Gonoral Longstreet, General Kcm-

224

\

hooker's campaign.'

per, General Elzey, and others, bore it into the Had of the-
House of Representatives, where it was deposited on an al
tar covered with white linen, and looped with' bows of crape,
in front of the Speaker's chair. The crowd was then admit
ted. So densely were the multitude packed in the vestibule
and balls that opened into the legislative chambers of the
Capitol, that only one at a time could be admitted to
view' the remains of the man who had won so dear 'a
place in the hearts of the people. Slowly and patiently
they remained, regardless of tho sweltering heat which op
pressed them, until a fortunate momont placed them at tho
door of tho hall, now sacred with the hallowed dust that in
it lay, and then a moment's glance at tho lovod form, no
more to bo witnessed until the last trump shad sound tho.
awakening note to the resurrection of the just. A momen
tary glaneo, a single tear on the lid of the coffin, and they
passed away to give place to others in waiting. All day,
and until a late hour of the night, this continued, and it
is computed that moro than twenty thousand persons
came thus to gazo on the form so dear, now still in the
quiet repose of death, to pay this last tribute of admira
tion to the body of General Stonewall Jackson, "who,
though he were dead, yet shall he five 1"— "that was not
born to die."
When we reflect upon his stainless reputation, we feel
that he was one of wdiom the world was 'not worthy,— that
"ho walked with God, aud Was not, for God took him."
With us, Jackson can never die. The mouldering remains
that he where he wished them, in the ' beautiful village of
Lexington, in the. Valley of Vfrginia, are not ad of him ;
there is an immortal part to which ad the South, all the
noble,' good and true of all lands lay claim,— the spirit of
patriotism in Stonewall Jackson,— that can never diel In
onr soids ho lives ; in our hearts is graven the name whoso
destiny is a glorious immortality. Though dead, he yot
lives — shall ever live 1
From tho Capitol the remains of General Jackson were

A ;
JLa

1

1
4*

''A hooker's campaign.

22

conveyed to Lexington, where so many years of his life hat
been spent in the tranqud quiet of domestic life, according
to the murmured wish of his last moments : "Bury me ii
Lexington, in the Valley of Virginia."
• Around this unpretending little village how many tendei
associations how cluster ! There he the remains of the great
. the good Stonewall Jackson, to whose tomb the pilgrims o:
J s p the South may wend thefr way, if not with the idolatrous
v devotion of tho Mussulman to the tomb of Mahomet, yet
with a patriotic devotion, which would bend the knee npor
the hallowed sod, and pray to tho mighty God whom h
served, that a doublo portion of the spirit that moved this
wonderful man may descend upon the sons of freedom, anc
--nerve their aim as his was nerved, to the service of theii
country.
-. The distress of General Lee, when informed of the dan
gerous nature of the wounds received by General Jackson,
:> and the critical condition of his health, is said to have been
".of the most poignant character. The soul of tho great com-
c tnander, so long tutored to self-control, bursting the bonds
which fettered the emotion he could no longer restrain
cried out, in the anguish of the deepest bitterness : " Jack-
¦i son wid not, he cannot die 1" Waving his attendants fron:
^ him with his hand, he repeated "he cannot, he cannot die!'

CHAPTER XLIV.

''. \\ ,,, BTJITiEE!NG9 Off THE WOUNUEn  LACK OF SUPPLIES.
WE had but littlo time to indulge the luxury of grief ii
quiet retirement. Tho mournful strains, as thej
grew fainter and fainter on the car, had only died at las"i
away, and wcro drowned in the sound of the' shrill whisth
of the cars that boro off to Lexington the remains of oni
departed hero, when,; with, hearts burdonod with sorrow
10*

226

SUFFERINGS OP the wounded.

almost too heavy for endurance, our attention was again
called to the activo duties of benevolence to the mutilated
beings who had again so dearly purchased for us victory on
the' banks of tho classic Rappahannock. Tho busy round
of hospital duties again engrossed surgeons, stewards and
nurses, paid and amateur. Our stock of delicacies by this'1
timo was nearly exhausted, and it required the exercise of
the greatest skill and judgment to compound appetizing1
food for the invalid. Very fortunately for the condition of
the Confederate larder, the vigorous appetite occasioned
by the constant drain on the system from the suppu
ration of wounds, rendered the coarse aud simple diot of
the hospital grateful to the ever-hungry wounded men, and
wo wcro not pained to see a delicate appetite turn with nau
sea from the repulsive food served on tho coarse tin plate,*
or from the miserablo tea and coffee, sweetened with coarse ;
brown sugar, and served in tho dingy tin cup. • "A
" Never mind, this will do ; it is indeed very good," was '
almost constantly the grateful rosponso to an apology for
the poor and simple fare of tho wounded, which our hearts
were pained to be compelled to offer, and. the cheerful sub
mission to these unavoidable inconveniences was one of tho
most strikingly admirable traits of the Southern soldier. Not
alone in the camp and on the field did his courage shine
forth, but in tho loathsome wards of the hospital, when
under the most intense suffering, the patient endurance of
racking pain and cruel privation displayed yet more actively
this trait in his character.
^ Many a woman's heart has been fided with grateful emo
tions, too great for utterance, as she bent over tho couch of
the sufferer, when hor hand was grasped by the rough, hard
ened hand of the soldier, and his voice, husky with feeling'
long suppressed, would break out with: "I thank you— I
can never forget you for this kindness;" and many a soldier
has gone out from the hospital a better and braver man for
tlie remembrance of tho angel of -mercy who made pleasant
the couch of suffering by her gentle acts of kindness andlove.

ki

SUFFERINGS OF THE WOUNDED.

227

iWe were at this time blessed with a plentiful supply ol
ice, (gathered and housed with unusual care during tho
severe whiter that had passed,) and to its use many a poor
follow owed his life.
] For more than two weeks after the battles on the Rappa
hannock, detachments of prisoners were sent into Rich
mond from day to day. These men presented striking con-
•trasts of temper and spirit, as they were marched through
our streets. _ Many were sullen, morose, gloomy, and glanced
with an angry scowl upon the spectators who assembled on
the pavements, at the window's and on the porticoes to look
at them. Many seemed huradiated, cowed. and depressed,
while others were buoyant and cheerful, and laughingly left
tho ranks to purchase papers, and occasionally a loaf of brond,
with which to regale themselves on the march to the prison.
These were frequently amused with the cry from the
bystanders, "On to Richmond, boys !" to which would be
repliod, in the Western or Tankee dialect : " I guess wo
didn't think 'to come this route ;" or, " I guess wo got hero
sooner than we thought ;" and not unfrequently we heard :
" I guess I'm glad I am here, for I'm tired of fighting the
Johnnies, anyhow." Their appearance was quite as dissim
ilar as. their manner and expressions. Tho prisoners seemed
to bo gathered up from ad the nations of Europe, with a very
fair showing of Western men, and " a smart sprinkling " of
down-casters. Some were well clad, but many were bare
footed, ragged, and quite as miserablo in appearance as the
ragged rebels of Texas, who marched so cheerily through
our streets. Tlie most remarkable were the villainous look
ing Zouaves, with their fanciful costume, and countenances
disfigured by long acquaintance with crime, in the reeking
purlieus of New York or other cities of America or Europe.
The reputation brought with them of infamy, desper
ation and degradation, elicited no sympathy for them
in their pahiful condition of captivity, Yet, as before stated
though the -writer of those .dotads has witnessed the pass-
ago of many thousands of prisoners of war. through tho

228

SUFFERINGS OF THE WOUNDED.

THE FALL OF VICKSBURtt

229

streets of Richmond, and although the niinds of the people ,
were keenly sensible of the immense endeavor to capture
their city, with the prospect of being rendered homeless,,
she has yet to remember a single expression of hatred.
or reproach against the unfortunates taken captive by Con
federate arms.
With the rejoicings over victory, in vvhieh grief for tho
dead was minglod in the strange incongruity that so fro-.
qucntly brings together joy and sorrow, our minds wero not,
relieved of the heavy load of anxiety in regard to our mditaiy
situation. The victory of Chancedorsville was again a vie-,
tory barren of practical results. It was remarkable that in
the changing fortunes of war, thore had not yet on either
side been secured a success wdiich might be considered deci
sive, for at that time no entire army had been captured.
But our hopes wrere brightening. Speculation was on the
decrease in Richmond, and the idea of a speedy termina
tion of our diffictdties Idled the publicmind for a time. .,,,-

CHAPTER XLV.
THE FALL OF VICKSBIUtO  ITS EFFECT. ; p- - pi T
1TETE question of tho fall of Vicksburg was now consid-
. mod by our enemies only one of time. From day to
day, as reports reached us of a contradictory character,, our
hopes would rise and fall as the mercury in a barometer, yet
wero kept up to a healthy standard by tho thought that tho
garrison wTas supplied with provisions for six months, and
although tho siege was telling fearfully upon tho bravo men
who stood in the intrenchments, yet thoy declared thoir
willingness to dio (bore rather than give up the place; and
wo w ere also bnoyed up with tho thought that Gonoral John
ston coidd finally extricate Vicksburg from the hold of tho
invader. This was a most Unhappy delusion to tho unfor-

j^

"U

"J! II

tuhate garrison and a credulous public. With the Confed
erate authorities in Richmond a singular correspondence
originated in regard to the situation of Vicksburg, and Gen
eral Johnston was advised to movements that would have
endangered his own army, which were by him left unat-
temptod. General Kirby Smith, and General Dick Taylor,
from the trans-Mississippi, sent troops to tbe assistance of
Goneral Pemberton, but all to no effect. The garrison was
in a deplorable condition, constantly exposed to the shot and
shed of tho enomy, and if a man dared to raise his head above
tho breastworks ho was immediately a target for hostilo
sharpshooters. Yot thore is no reason to doubt that tho
placo was provisioned sufficiently to hold out much longer,
and much suspicion attaches to the loyalty of General Pem
berton to the Confederate cause from the fact that he pre
pared himself on the third of July to surrender .the city on
tho Fourth of July — the cherished anniversary of the decla
ration of American Independence — a day peculiarly glorious
to our enemies.
The news to us in Richmond was astounding; it was par
alyzing, and at first accredited only as a sensation rumor
got up by somo shrewd sugar speculator. The authorities
hi Richmond maintained a sullen silence. But at last the
unwelcome truth came out, naked, stark, appading, and with
tho surrender went a forco of more than twenty-three thous
and men, with three Major-Generals and nine Brigadiers,
upwards of ninety pieces of artillery, and about forty thous
and small arms, throwing the Confodoracy back upon its road
to success, giving the key to tho free navigation of the Missis-
' sippi into tho power of our enemies, and throwing an alarm
ing preponderance of prisonors into their hands 1
Tho sun of hopo had receded many degrcos on tho good
fortune of the Confederacy, and for the first time a prop was
knocked from the fabric, which caused it, indeed to totter.
The public indignation against Pemberton was at first
fearful, yet novor did Mr. Davis defer to public, opinion, and
his fidelity to Pemberton was never mochfied.

230

THE FALL OF VICKSBURG.

THE FALL OF VICKSBURG.

231

In connection with the siege of Vicksburg many incidents
of thrilling interest are related. The apology given by Gen
eral Pemberton to the enraged public for ' the surrender of
Vicksburg was, " to save further effusion of blood," and the
explanation of his motives for yielding up the city on the
Fourth of July to Genoral Grant was the hope of concil-:
iating the ambition of Grant, and invoking the generosity
of the Yankees. He says: "If it should be asked why
the Fourth of July was selected as the day for the sur-,j
render, the answer is obvious. I beheved on that day I
should obtain better terms. Wed aware of the vanity of our -
foes, I knew they attached vast importance to the entrance , :
on tho Fourth of July into the stronghold ' of the great;
river, and that to gratify thoir nativo vanity, they would.-,
yield then what could not be expected of them at any other
time. " This miserable excuse increased the humiliation and , i
disgrace of the surrender of Vicksburg. ,.. , i.
The conduct of somo of tho inhabitants was in many ¦
respects exceptionable. As in other cities of the South, there ,.
were thoso who rushed, through fear of farther distress, to ,j
tako the oath of allegiance, and the Jewish portion of the,,
population, it was said, with ono honorable exception, went
forward and took it.
Theso evidences of submission were rewarded at first with.j
some show of leniency, to bo followed by a tyrannical dos7f,
polism under the Dutch General Osterhaiis— quite equal in ;
its rigor to that exercised by Butler in New Orleans.
About this time, as noticed in Pollard's History of the -
War, a Mississippi paper declared that it had no words of ;
excuse or charity for tho men who had remained iu Vicks- ,
burg under tho enemy's flag. To quote thefr own slang;
dialect, 'The Confederacy was about gone up, and there.
was no use in following its fortunes any further.' But it
repeated the characteristic stories of the conquered cities
of tho South. The spirit of the women of Vicksburg was
unbroken, and amid ad its shameful spectacles of subser-. .
viency, female courage alone redoomed the sad story of ,a .,
conquered city."

>*

k

-A

From Captain W., the young Mississippian heretofore
mentioned as being the soldier for whom a lady of Rich
mond braved the august presence of the Surgeon General to
secure a furlough, we heard of many interesting circumstances
connected with the siege of Vicksburg. For gadantry there
he was promoted from the position of privato to Captain of
Cavalry, and from time to time his promotion continued
untd he ranked as Brigadier-General, (but subsequently to
bis exchange.)
He says: "I paid frequently two and a half dollars for
rats for food, and was glad to get them, for I assure you
thoy are quite as nico as squirrels; but I never could bring
myself to decide to dine upon mule-meat until I was
deceived at dinner with Genoral B., by the assurance that I
was dining upon beef . , I ate peas-bread. Oh, we lived very
hard it is true, but there was no lack of provisions such as
they wero, and there was no excuse in that explanation of
Pemberton for surrendering Vicksburg when he did. Our
men, some of them, cad him ' a traitor.'" In describing the
spirit of some of the troops that occupied Vicksburg, he
said, "I had a friond, (a lady,) sick, and rowed out of tho
city to a Yankee gun-boat to procure a lemon for her. On
my return I was surroundod by a squad of low fellows, who
took tho bridle of my horse and demanded my horse, side-
arms and watch. I explained, 'I am an officer, and by the
terms of tho parol, I am entitled to my horso and side-arms,
and I shall not surrender them.' Whereupon they cursed me
furiously) and then in the vilest manner commenced abusing
the women of Vicksburg, and heaping on them tho most
opprobrious epithets. One of them was particularly insulting.
Rising in my stirrups, and drawing my revolver, I exclaimed,
'I hate to kill as mean a dog as you, but you'd have to die,'
and shot him through the head. As he fed the remaining
five mado threatening demonstrations, and I remarked, 'you
can overpower me, but some more of you will have to die
before I surrender myself to you, or am killed.' Thinking
it quite as well to let me pass they loosened their hold on

?

232

THE FALL OF VTCKSBUEGA

the rem of my bridle, and I put spurs to my horse and gal
loped into the city." He succeeded in making his escape
but a price was set on his head for his arrest, and vengeance
threatened him for shooting an enemy, (a robber,) whde on
parole. During the bombardment of the city many casualties are
reported of citizens who ventured out of the pits dug for
their safe retreat. Mrs. Reed, the wife of Major Reed of
the Confederate army, ran out of the pit in which she lived
during the bombardment, to secure her httle child wdio, tired
of restraint, eluded the vigilance of tho mother, and made
her way into tho street. Terrified, the mother wont to seek
her chdd, and had just secured the mischievous little girl
and was returning to the pit, when a shell exploded near
her a fragment of which struck her on the arm and so man
gled it that amputation was deemed necessary, and she sub
mitted to the loss of her right arm.
Tim injury to the city was incalculable, but scarcely to be
considered in comparison with the moral effect upon the for
tunes of tho Confederacy,' " Yet the press of the South made
vigorous efforts to console the people, and represented the
advantage which might accrue in using the armies there in
co-operation with tho defence of Vicksburg more effectively
elsewhere. But it was impossible to close our eyes upon
the painful consequences of the downfall of this hope of the
Confederacy. [¦•-¦¦' -,.;>
Tho fad of Vicksburg was followed by the enemy's reo'c-
cupahon of Jackson, the capitulation of Port Hudson the
evacuation of Yazoo City, and important events in Arkansas
which resulted in the retreat of our army from Little Rock
and the surrender to the enemy of the important valley- in
which it was situated. 'A--/*' : - ¦; A- -;,-A,,,- - ,,. ,-
As was the case after the fall of Now Orleans, we were in Rich-
mond maele to feel at once some of the c6nsequences of the
disaster. Fortunate speculators who had on hand a good
supply of sugar saw within thefr grasp immediate wealth,
and many of the citizens from this timo, from the high price

LEES INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

233

<&

*£?;

to which it was at once raised by these remorseless merchants
(who might be termed "vampires,") wero compelled to
retrench heavily in- the use of sugar, or to give it up
entirely. ^ The speculation in gold, which had been dull
with the brokers, and the sale of "greenbacks," were busdy
resumed, and the evd to the many was made the source of
riches to the few.
From this time untd tho end of the war it was extremely
rare to see a dessert at dinner which requirod the use of su<mr •
and all delicacies compounded with the precious article,
were abandoned almost entfrely except when needed for
the sick. Yot for this there was never hoard a murmur,
and. as with articles of luxury this needful condiment was
used in the most sparhig manner, or altogether abandonod,
and still in a spirit of cheerfulness.

CHAPTER XLVL

LEE'S INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA — EFFECT' OF THE BATTLE OF
' .' 'A'V GETTYSBURG. -
CIMULTANEOUSLY with the intelligence of the fall of
kJ Vicksburg, tidings reached us of a stiff more distressing
character. We had been watching with intense solicitude
the operations of the army of Northern Vfrginia. Un
bounded confidence was felt in tho skdl and judgment of
General Lee, yet from the time of the battle of Chancellors
ville, the movements of his army awakened the keenest
anxiety. Important changes had been effected in the rank
ing and disposition of the Officers. General Ewell and Gen
eral A. P. Hill had been commissioned by the President as
Lieutenant Generals, the former to command the corps left
without a leader by the death of General Jackson, and tho
fondest hopes were entertained that with his mantio a double
portion of Jackson's spirit might have fallen on his successor.

234

LEE S INVASION \ OF PENNSYLVANIA.

' lee's Invasion of Pennsylvania.

235

Other promotions of inferior rank also took place. ¦ On the '
third of June General Lee began his onward movement.
On the ninth occurred the cavalry fight between the Confed
erates under Gonoral Stuart and tho Fedorals at Brandy Sta
tion, on tho Alexandria Railroad, in wddch the Federals were
defeated. In this engagement, the regiment under Colonel
Lennox was particularly distinguished. At the same time
our forces were advanced to operate in the lower portion of
the Valley, and on the fourteenth of June Gonoral Rhodos
drove tho enemy from Martinsburg, and took possession of
the town. On the same day General Ewell attacked and
drove Milroy from Winchester. ' , : '¦
Tho occupation of this town by tho Confederates was
attended with the wildest demonstrations of delight from
the citizens. They had long groaned under the yoke of cap
tivity, and the appearance of the Confederate troops was
like the opening of the prison doors to the long imprisoned.
It is said that as the Confederates came into the place, at
every door and window were seen the figures of tho ladies
with handkerchiefs waring and tears of gratitude flowing in
the unrestrained excess of joy. Loud cads were made upon
General Ewell from his fair friends for a speech, but the brave
old man pleasantly replied to thorn, " I can't make a speech to
ladies. Excuse me if you please, I never made a speech to
but ono lady in my hfe," and pointing to General Early, (an
incorrigible old bachelor,) ho continued, " My friend, Gen
eral Early can speak. He will address you, ladies." But- the
disconcerted bachelor, who it seems never made an effective
speech to one lady, was dumb before his fair and grateful
admirers, and was compelled lo stammer out the unfortunate
remark, " 1 can't speak to ladies — excuse me." This was to
General Early a serious misfortune, for just at that. time a
speech from him to somo fair lady might bave redeemed
him from the lonely, miserable estate of a bachelor, and
there is recorded against him the result of a "lost opportu
nity." By a scries of manoeuvres General Lee succeeded in free

z

ing that portion of Virginia from the invader. From the
24th to the 30th of June he was engaged in crossing his
army over tho Potomac into Maryland and Pennsylvania. His
progress had been effocted with trifling opposition. General
Hooker, satisfied, perhaps, with his essay at Chancellorsvdle,
and cured of his boastful spirit, declined a battle in Virginia!
This hesitation cost him his command. Lee had been allowed
to obtain important advantages, and had so disposed his
forces as to be able to hurl them wherever he might desire.
Ho was expected by Hooker to offer battle iu Maryland, but
finding himself disappointed in this, and smarting under
the distrust of the authorities which had placed hhn in posi
tion, Gonoral Hooker in disgust relinquished his command,
and was quiotly "laid on tho shelf" alongside of his unfor
tunate contemporaries who had aspired to the glory of con
quering the rebel army of Northern Virginia. The com
mand of tho Federal army was now given to General George
G. Meade, who, perceiving that General Leo had turned aside
in his march through Pennsylvania, moved towards Cham-
bersburg to meet him. The most intense excitement pre
vailed at the North. Tho sight of the horsemen of the
Confederate cavalry who were scouring the southern region
of Pennsylvania, dismayed them. • Their Capitol at Harris
burg was threatened, and the soimd of the trumpets of the
rebels as they dashed between tho Susquehanna and the
Alleghanies, and along the region of the tributaries of the
Potomac, awoke the most dire apprehensions in the minds of
the frightened population.
At the first news of the invasion, the President at Wash
ington called for' a hundred thousand more troops. The
Governor of Massachusetts tendered the services of' the
whole military strength of his State. Governor Seymour of
New York, called into consultation General McClellan to
advise in reference to measures of defence. Regiment
after regiment was sent to reinforce tho army of tho
Federals. Bells were rung in tho different cities] and tho
alarm for tho Condition of Pennsylvania, and the conso-

236

LEE'S INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

quent insecure condition of tho States further North became
universally contagions. The Dutch farmers of Pennsyl
vania drove their stock to the mountains, and every precaution
was used which was counselled by their fears to secure their
effects from captm-o by the foes who, were then in their midst
The contrast between our situation and that of one year pre
vious was startlingly vivid. Then our capital was sur
rounded by the " Grand Army " of our enemy, knocking at
our very doors, and threatening to overwhelm us. We had
seen that army driven from our sight, defeated, disgraced.
Another and another aud stiff another commander had been
compelled to retire before the invincible prowess of the
unpretending, unostentatious leader of' tho "rebel forces,'''
and now, instead of " On to Richmond," tho cry was :
" Washington is in clangor ! Philadelphia is in danger 1" and
il could not be conjectured what would be the conse
quence of the onward progress of the army that had at one.
time awakened only tho contempt of our haughty foes.
Remembering the desolation left behind him, wrought
upon tho sod of his own native State, it might bo sup
posed that a spirit of retaliation would have possessed Gon
eral Lee, but he was superior to a warfare waged against non-
combatants, and any depredation upon private property was
expressly forbidden ; protection was given to citizens, and the
destruction of subsistence never adowed. Where food Was
required, it was paid for in Confederate money— at first
refused by the indignant inhabitants, but, to use tho lan-^
guage of a soldier, "They wero finally very careful ,hT
making the change."
We are proud to know that not the slightest stain of per
mitted violcnco to tho citizens of the enemy's country, from
bis soldiers, can ever attach to the pure and noble reputa
tion of our beloved Commander-in-Chief. We aro proud to
remember his admirable practice of the "Gordon Rule"
towards thoso whom, if they did not, ordor, at least pormittcd
deeds which degrade them from the high position of tho
soldier to tho common murderer, and, marauder. We aro

LEE'8 INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

237

^

-H

glad to know that when our army left Pennsylvania, thore
the name of " rebel " was not coupled by its women with all
that is terrible. _
Whatever we may have lost by the leniency of our noble
commander, we have gained the happy consciousness that
no blush of shame can ever mantle the cheeks of the reb
els for maltreatment of tbe innocent and helpless in the
country they invaded. But his noble example was lost upon
thoso with whom we were waging war, as the tales of sor
row, of horror, too well attest, when recited with trembling
fearfulness by many of our Southern people, (need wo say,
our Southern women?)"-
It is said by those who disapproved of the courso of leni
ency and politeness pursued by General Lee, that "he
attempted the concihation of a people who were little capa
ble of it, but were always ready to take counsel of their
fears." The effect of this moderate warfare on such a peo
ple was to irritate them without intimidating them — in fact,
to compose their alarms and to dissuade them from what
had been imagined as the horrorB of invasion. In this
respect- his movement into Pennsylvania gave to the enemy
a certain moral comfort, and encouraged the prosecution of
the war." The same writer .observes : " Such tenderness,
tho effect of a weak and strained chivafry, or more prob
ably that of. deference to European opinion, is another of
the many instances which the war has furnished of the sim
plicity and sentimental nature of the South."
The position now occupiod by General Leo had been
secured with but little opposition. The rapid dispersion of
the armies of the enOmy on the route indicated plainly tho
moral reputation of the army under him. The wholo of
tho Valley of Virginia had been in tho possession of . the
enemy, and yet, from Culpepper Court-House, in Virginia,
until ho reached Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania, ho had
encountered only trifling opposition. Ho had carried his
army across tho mountains, along the valleys, and over tho
rivers, and mado his way into the heart of tho land of tho
oncmy, to bo confronted by General Moado at Gettysburg.

238

LEE 3 INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LEE'S INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

23!)

The hopes of the people of the South had risen to
fever height. The thought of a speedy termination of the
war was fostered, untd peace seemed somothing tangible,
and already within our grasp. To use the language of
another : " In Richmond, the garish story of the newspa
pers had prepared tho public mind for a great victory.
There was the renewed and feverish anticipation of an early
peace. The elated public of the Confederate capital little
imagined that in a few days events were to occur to turn
back the war for years." Alas! the clouds wero already
hovering over us, surcharged with dreadful disasters, soon
to burst-, only to collect again, and never more entirely to
bo lifted.
Tlio action of tho 1st of July was brought on by General
Reynolds, who commanded the enemy's advance, and who
thought himself superior in force to the Confederates. He
paid the penalty of his rashness by a defeat — was overpow
ered aud outflanked, and fell mortally wounded on the field.
The battlo of this day was fought on the side of tho Con
federates by General A. P. Hdl's corps, General Ewell's and
General Long-street's, and resulted in the repulse of tho
Federals. They were driven back through tho town of Geti
tysburg, to a mountain, at the distance of half a mile,
where they gained a commanding position, and there fortified.
The fighting ou Thursday, the 2d, was not resumed untd
lato in the afternoon, after which time it is said to havo
been of the most stubborn and desperate character. The
coufiiet was indecisive, but in the fight the Confederates lost
a number of officers, among whom fed the bravo and gal
lant Barksdale, from Mississippi. He perished whero he
had most anxiously desired to die — on the ensanguined fiold
¦ — declaring with his last breath that he was proud of the
eauso for which ho was fighting, proud of tho manner in
which be received his death, and " confident that he beheved
his countrymen invincible."
In the account of the death of this brave man by our '
enemies, hewas styled this "haughty. rebel," and scomingly

i

with fiendish satisfaction they related his pleading for a cup
of cold water, as a dying boon, and a stretcher from an am
bulance boy.
1 Tho fighting of Friday, the 3d of July, was more fierce
and bloody than on the preceding two days. Tho Federals
occupied tho heights, and from every crest cannon wero
planted, frowning down in grim array on tho assadants.
The charge of the Confederates upon theso heights is said
to have been of the most determined and irresistible char
acter ; but in tho attempt they were cut down liko grass
before tlie reaper. In describing this scene, a Southern his
torian says : " But thoro was now te occur a scono of moral
sublimity and horoism unequalled in tho war. Tho storm
ing party was moved up, Pickett's division in advance, sup
ported on the right by Wdcox's brigade, and on the left by
Heth's division, commanded by Pettigrew. With steady,
measured tread tho division of Pickett advanced upon
the foe. Never did troops enter a fight in such splendid
order. Their banners floated defiantly on the breeze as
they passed across the plain. The flags which had
ivaved amid the wdd tempest of battle at Gaines's Mill,
Frazer's Farm and Manassas, never roso moro proudly.
Kemper, with his gadant men, leads the right ; Garnett
brings up the left; and the veteran Armistead, with his brave
troops, moves forward in support. The distance is more
than half a mile. As they advance, the enemy fire with
great rapidity ; shed and solid shot give place to grape and
canister ; the very earth quivers beneath the heavy roar ;
wide gaps aro made in this regiment and that brigade. Tho
hno moves onward, cannons roaring, grape and canister
plunging and plowing through the ranks, bullets whizzing
as thick os hail-stones in wintor, and men falling as loaves
fall in the blasts of autumn.
" As Pickett got wed under the enomy's fire, our batteries
ceased firing, for want, it is said, of ammunition. It wa i
a fearful moment, and one in which was to be tested the
prido and mettle of glorious Virginia. In tho sheets of

210

LEES INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

artillery fire advanced the unbroken lines of Pickett's brave
Virginians. They have reached the Emmettsburg road, and
here they meot a severe fire from heavy masses of the ene
my's infantry, posted behind the stone fence, while thoir
artillery, now freo from the annoyance of our artillery, turn
their whole fire upon this devoted band. Stiff they remain
firm. Now again they advance. They roach the works' J
the contest rages with intense fury ; men fight almost hand
to hand; the "Red Cross" aud the "Stars and Stripes"
wave defiantly in close proximity. A Federal officer dashes
forward in front of his shrinking column, and with flashing
sword urges them to stand. General Pickett, seeing the
splendid valor of his troops, moves among them as if court
ing death. Tho noble Garnett is dead, Armistead wounded,
and tho brave Kemper, hat in hand, still cheering on his
men, falls from his horse. But Kemper and Armistead
have already planted their banners in the enemy's works.
The glad shout of victory is already heard.
" But where is Pettigrow's division — where are the sup
ports ? The raw troops had faltered, and the gallant Petti-
grew himself had been wounded in vain attempts to rady
them. Alas! the victory was to bo relinquished again.
rickett is left alone to contend with the masses of the ene
my now pouring in upon him on every side. Now* the
cnomy moved around strong flanking bodies of infantry,
and aro rapidly gaining Pickett's rear. The order is given
to fall back, and our men commence the movement, dog
gedly contesting every inch of ground. The enemy press
hoavdy on our refloating line, and many noble spirits, who
had passed safely through the fiery ordeal of the advance
and charge, now fed on the right and on the left.
"This division of Virginia troops, smad at first, with,
ranks now torn and shuttered, most of the officers kided or
wounded, no valor able to rescue victory from such a grasp,
annilidation or capture inevitable, slowly, reluctantly fell
back. It was not given to thoso few remaining brave mon
to accomplish human impossibilities. The enemy dared not
follow them beyond their works. But tho/lay was already lost."

LEE'S INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

241

0?

n

The field was covered with Confederates slowly and sul
kily retiring, in small, broken parties, under a heavy firo of
artidery. There was no panic. Never chd a commanding
Genoral bohavo bettor undor such trying circumstances than
chd General Lee. He was quiet in disaster. An English
Colonel who witnessed the fight says : "I joined General
Lee, who had, in the meanwhde, come to the front on
becoming aware of the disaster. General Lee was perfectly
sublime. He was engaged in rallying and encouraging tho
broken troops, and was riding about a little in front of the
wood, quite alone, the whole of his staff being engaged in a
similar manner further to the rear. His face, whicb is
always placid and cheerful, did not show signs of the slight-
'cst disappointment, care or annoyance, and he was address
ing to every soldier he met a few words of encouragement,
such as : 'Ad this will come right in the end, and we'd
talk it over afterwards ; but in the meantime ad good men
must rally. We want, all good and true men just now,' etc.
He spoke to all the wounded that passed him, and tho
slightly wounded he exhorted to bind up their hurts and
take up a musket in. this emergency. Very few failed to
answer his appeal, and I saw many badly wounded.men take
off their hats and cheer him."
Tho result of this day's fight was that at night tho Con
federate army held the position from which it had driven
the enemy two days previous. In the series of engagements
a few pieces of artillery were taken by the Confederates,
and nearly seven thousand prisoners, two thousand of whom
were paroled on the field. Our loss, in killed and wounded
and prisoners, was not less than ten thousand, and the ene
my's loss is said to have exceeded our own, and is supposed
to have been not less than twelve thousand.
But tho action of the last day's fight rendered Pickett's
division immortal. Their bravery on that occasion has
never been exceeded. The losses were appalling. . Every
Brigadier in the division was kdled or wounded. Out of
twenty-four regimontal officors, only two escapod nu
ll

242

LEES INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA

LEE'S INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

243

hurt. The Ninth Vfrginia regiment went into the fight
two hundred and fifty strong, and came out with thirty-
eight men !
Conspicuous among the dead of this day's engagement
was Major-General Pender, of North Carolina. Brigadier-
General Garnett was killed, and Brigadier-General Semmes
mortally wounded. Brigadior-Gonoral Kemper was sori-
ously wounded, and reported at first in Richmond "dead ;"
and many of us mourned his death for some days, until tho
news came that he was wounded and a prisoner. His doath
was afterwards reported, and his body was said to havo
been conveyed to his home at Madison Court-House, Vir
ginia, for burial. This was a mistake ; but it is cortain
the news of his death reached his young and Jovoly wife, and
friends were sent to Gordonsville to meet tho remains to
convey them to her.
The first news that came to us in Richmond relative to
these engagements was overpowering. Dismayed, defeated,
utterly routed, our army demoralized, and panic-stricken,
was said to be making its way out of tho country of
the enemy a disorganized mass of fugitives, pursued by
the enemy towards tho Potomac, at that timo swollen and
impossible to cross. Tins information came through Yankee
sources. A single day had served to crush the hope of a
speedy peace, and to cloud tho horizon of the future. Every
countenance was overspread with gloom, and doubt took
the place of hope.
A few days brought news from our lines contradictory to
the reports of our enemies, that although we had experi
enced reverses at Gettysburg, the results of tho ongagemonts
had been to hurt tho cuomy severely — to kill, wound, and
take captive a number of men exceeding tbe number wo had
lost— to capture some guns and small arms. Tho rotreat to
Hagerstown was no evidence of ill luck or fading success,
but a movement dictated by prudence and strategy.
There General Lee's position was known to be a strong
one — one in which he commandod a threatened advance on

.-3.^

: 1

Washington — and his recrossing tho Potomac into Virginia
stiff remains unexplained, and the Confederate authorities
are strongly suspected of directing it. Yet the hearts of
great numbers were gladdened when the safe passage of the
Potomac had been effected, and once more on our own sod
we welcomed the army of Northern Virginia.
While our losses wero severe and the gains by no means
commensurate with them, yot the invasion of Maryland and
Pennsylvania was not without advantages to tho army and
the State of Virginia. It withdrew the invading army from
our sod for a timo, and we wero freed from depredations
of and the constant drain upon our resources in feeding not
only Our own army but tho foraging parties of the enemy.
Our cavalry supplied their worn-out horses with the horses
of the well-to-do Dutchmen that inhabited the regions
scoured by them as they dashed through tho country of tho
enemy, and the fat beeves, mutton and pork of the settlers
of Pennsylvania were taken as pay for the losses sustained
for more than two years in the stock of the farmers of Vfr
ginia. It gave us an ' opportunity to harvest our wheat
; crop, and ad things considered we consoled ourselves with
the gains of the invasion, with all the philosophy we could
bring to our aid, yet we could not suppress the heart-sick
ening effect of the dire calamities which overtook us so sud
denly and unexpectedly.
On tho same day that we received intelligence of the fall
of Vicksburg, arrived the still more distressing tidings of the
defeat of the army of Virginia at Gettysburg. " In twenty-
four hours the two calamities had changed the entire aspect
of the war, and had thrown the South from the exultation of
hope to the brink of despair."
Tlio invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania was the fruit
ful sourco of much amusing anecdote Attached to the army
of Northern Virginia were two ministers of the Methodist
persuasion, ono of wdiom doffed his clerical habits, donned
the soldier's uniform and commanded a battalion to fight
tho battles of tho Confederacy. His brother accompanied

214

LEE'S INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

a regiment as chaplain. These two men, than whom there
were not more ardent adherents to the cause of the Con
federacy in the South, wero Pennsylvania™ by birth, natives
of Grcencnstlc, a town through which our armies passed on
their way to and from Gettysburg. The chaplain, in speak
ing of the invasion of his native State, was asked how ho
felt whon passing through the village of his birthplace, and
the scene of his boyhood and youth. He replied:
"I felt that I was engaged in a holy cause, and that I
was doing right; but," said he, "when we passed through on
the advance of our army, I saw no one I had ever known.
Tho doors and windows of tho houses were closed against
us, and no sign of notice was perceptible except from a
few of the curious who wished to know what a 'rebel'
looked like. But on the retreat of our army the village was
alive with the curious and triumphant spectators to witness
the flight of the rebels. Now and then I would see an old
acquaintance, perhaps a school follow, who would lift his
hands in astonishment and exclaim, 'Groat God,* Charley
B.I I never expected te see you in the rebel army!' 'In the
rebel army? Why, man, every gentleman' on this continent
is m the rebel army,' I would reply. Amazement met me at
every turn. My former friends had lost the history of me
after the commencement of tho war, and woro under the
impression I was pursuing the duties of the ministry quietly,
and were not tboreioro prepared to soo mo in the Confed
erate uniform and doing battle against the place of my-birth.
I had an old aunt in tho village, of whom I cherished the
most tender memories, but rather feared the kind of re
ception I might meet, if I attempted to make myself known
, to her; but I determined to run the risk. I rode up to her
house. Remembrances of other days camo over mo, and
ray heart was heavy with strauge forebodings as I crossed
the threshold so familiar in the days of my boyhood. When

LEE'S INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

245

-i

&h

"V

* The icleuUr-n] lflligungo.

-**3

announced, my old aunt met me, embraced me tenderly,
and led me into her own apartment, where she very soon
spread before me a collation of wdiat appeared to my inex
perienced appetite, accustomed only to soldiers' fare, tho
most choice dainties. The cause of my singular appear
ance there at the time was not mentioned until I was
about to depart, whon my kind old aunt embraced mo again,
and said, ' God bless you, my boy, and God bless the cause for
which you are fighting I I pray for your success ! This is
an unholy war waged against tho South, and my heart has
never favored coercion.'
" I was much surprised, and thanked my kind relative for
her generosity, and much overcome with emotion, I said
good-byo to her. But a young lady, a cousin of mine, who
lived with my aunt, followed me to the gate, and as she bade
me good-bye and I mounted my horse, she said, * C  , I
can ask the blessing of God on you individually, but cannot,
like my aunt, ask for success on the cause in which you aro
engaged, for I do not consider it right.'
" 'It is immaterial,' I replied, 'that you do not wish us suc
cess; we'd have it at any rale.' I kissed my pretty cousin,
and rode on to rejoin my regiment."
He told of riding with a party of Confederate cavalry,
to tho farm-yard of a rich old Dutchman, who bad in
his stable one horse alone, but as fine an animal as ho
ever looked upon. A cavalryman dismounted from, his
worn-out steed, and taking off his saddle and bridle levied
an attachment on the splendid horse of the old Dutch
man. He hadv tnly put on the saddle, and was about
to mount the captured animal when the owner came
out in the greatest agitation and distress, exclaiming,
"Mein Gott! mein Gott! don't take mein horse, don't tako
mein horse 1 Take anything else I've got, but leavo mo
mein horse 1 " And with tears in his eyes he implored thus
piteously. Tho rebel cavalryman replied, coody, " Must take him, old
fodow; military necessity, military necessity. Soo my worn-

246

LEE'S INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LEES INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

out nag You shall have that !" Finding his enemy unmoved
by his distress, the poor old Dutchman cried, "Veil vait!
veil vait!" and running into his house he brought a bag of
gold, counted out three hundred dollars in the bright yellow
metal, and handing it to tho rebel, he said, "Veil, take dish
but leave mein horse." " Oh, yes, I'll do that," replied the' J
incorrigible rebel, and pocketing the gold, he transferred"
the saddle to his miserable, hack, and left the farm-yard of
. tho old Dutchman to seek a steed clsewhoro.
We were congratulating the good old Dutchman on tho
security of his favorite nag, and found our sympathies al
ready warmly enlisted in behalf of tho old man, when the
chaplain continued, "But the old Dutchman lost his horse"
at last. Another detachment of cavalry coming on, and see- '
ing the horse, which the old man had not time to secrete laid
violent hands on tho animal, and that night it was tethered :
in our camp."
" Too bad I too bad I" we exclaimed. " An exchange is no "
robbery," persisted the chaplain. "For more than two'
years wo have had to submit to such depredations, and they
aro the very least of what wo havo endured."
Ho also told of compelling a native of that section to pilot
our forces to certain ravines in the mountains, to which tho
horses and cattle had been carried for security, and "where
we captured more than a thousand horses, and an immense
number of beeves and other stock." v , •¦>,
Our soldiers told amusing stories of the temper of the
women in the section of country through which they:
passed. At first they were defiant, abusive and demm-
ciatoiy, but grew amazingly polite to the "Robs," who
paid little attention to tho angry clamor of thefr female ;l
enemies. - , , \ ,,
In the diary of an English officer in the ' Confederate
army we notice : "I entered Chambersburg at 6 p.m. (on
Ihe 27th of July.) This is a town of some size and import
ance ; all its houses wero shut Up, but the natives wero in
the streets or at tho uppor windows, looking in a scowling

247

=-*»

<&.

and bewildered manner on the Confederate troops who were
marching gady past to the tune of Dixie's Land.
" The women (many of wliom were pretty and well
dressed) were particularly sour and disagreeable in their
looks and remarks. I heard one of them say : ' Look at
Pharaoh's army going to the Red Sea.1 Others were point
ing and laughing at Hood's ragged Jacks, who were passing
at the timo."
He speaks frequently of a genial son of Israol, who was a
most efficient commissary. His name was Moses, and Major
Moses retaliated with much apparent delight upon the well-
stocked farm-yards of tho enemy through whose country
ho passed, for the dopredations committed upon Virginians.
On his route, he Says : " Our bivouac being near a largo
tavern, General Longstreet had ordered supper there for
himself and staff, but when we went to devour it, we dis
covered General McLaws and his officers rapidly finishing
it. We, however, soon got more, the Pennsylvania proprie
tors being particularly anxious to propitiate the General, in
hope that he would spare the live stock which had been
condomucd to death by the ruthless Moses.
"During supper, women came rushing in at intervals, say
ing : " Oh, good heavens! now they are killing our fat hogs.
"Which is the General — which is the great officer? Our mdeh
cows are now going.' To all of which expressions Longstreet
replied, shaking his head in a melancholy manner : 'Yes,
madam, it's Very sad, very sad, and this sort of thing has been
going on in Virginia for more than two years — very sad I' "
But tho saddest of ad reflections is that it should ever
become necessary to settle disputes in a manner that brings
in its train the multiform evils of war. Ad the glory which
attaches to it seems but insignificant when brought into
comparison with the miseries it entails. Yet, strango para
dox 1 hi the history of nations no pcoplo havo ever yet
attained enviablo greatness who havo not passed through
the fiory yet purifying ordeal to national greatnoss and
national purity. ,,,-. Jr. ,- v ; .

248 THE SUMMER OF 1863.
CHAPTER XLVH.
• THE SO.™ OF 18G3-A WOMAN ABKESTEU FOR TBEASON.
O^HE spirits oi : the people were deeply bowed down by
and Gelte V Cmbl0 " ™ ^ cWterS at Vi^5
and Gettysburg, they were not sufficiently appalling to sub
due the courage and hope of the South. With a resilience
as astonishing as admirable, rising superior to these depress
ing influences, a stronger spirit of resistance was manifested
and a more ardent determination to bo free at any cost.'
This ,-esult, o inis ortunc must have disabused the nfind of
hearth of the idea, that there remained in the South an
element of Union sentiment sufficiently powerful to defeat
the cause of the rebellion. There were murmurs against
the administration, but as these complaints grew louder
more ardent devotion to the Confederacy was manifested'
and an increase of the persevering self-sacrifice and admir
able self-abnegation which from the first had characterized
the masses of tho people.
Doubtless many of these complaints had their origin in ima-
gma.ions painfully sensitive or preternaturally vivid ; but it
is true the public anger was not appeased by the continued
fidelity and devotion of Mr. Davis to his special favorites.
Pemberton had fallen under well-merited censure, and the
patronage of our President was put in mortifying con
trast to his depreciation of General Price and others, who
unfortunately lacked the valuable prestige of training at
West Point. To the graduates of that truly admirable
insiuution Mr. Davis was thought to accord special at-
tention. . .. ... ... ,( .
Wicn the relative position of the Confederate President
is rightly considered, wo cannot conceive of ono less desir
able, one of hoarier responsibility, one in which an Execu
tive would be as little likely to be justly or gratefully appre
ciated, and while we concede tho most indubitable faith in
Ins patriotism, his loyalty to tho cause for which ho had

THE SUMMER OF 1863.

249

'4.

made stupendous sacrifices, and had brought into exercise
tho most remarkable and conscientious efforts of his hfe,
while we accord the most unfeigned admiration for the vir
tue and purity of his morals, and the sublime and beautiful
simplicity of his manner of hfe, we must also concede the
right of a free people to demand of their Executive defer-
once to their wishes in acts of administrative character.
Man, at host, is fallible.
"Whether Mr. Davis's disregard of the public wish was the
result of the ordinary weaknesses of humanity, fostered by
the flattery of those in temporary power, or of an obstinate
confidence in his own judgment, in defiance of the cries of
tho multitude for the displacement of certain officers of tho
army and government, must bo decidod by tho judgments
and sympathies of the disinterested.
The summer of 1863 in Richmond was made memorable
by the apprehension and arrest of the wife of a wealthy and
respectable citizen, for treasonable correspondence with ene
mies of the Confederacy. The circumstances wore of an
aggravating character. - She was the confidential friend and
at that timo the guest of the wife of a prominent Presbyte
rian minister, who was then absent in Europe on a benevo
lent mission for the Confederacy. . Having tho unsuspecting
confidence of the famdy under his roof, she acquired the
information disclosed in the intercepted correspondence,
and basely suggested the plans and time for his arrest, as
a person who, from his talents and influence, was dangor-
• ous to the Union, and particularly useful to the Confederate
cause. At the same time, a child of the minister was dying
in the absence of his father, and in simulated sympathy
with them in affliction tho famdy were deceived, and unsus
pectingly harbored an enemy whose treachery to them w-as
moro fiendish than that to tho government which sho had
affected to sustain by her sympathy,' her wealth and her
influence. Tho mdignation against her was universal, and
Mr. Seddon, tho Secretary of War, was made to shnro it, for
tho special dfroction given by him against hor imprisonment

250

POVERTY IN RICHMOND.

POVERTY IN RICHMOND

251

in an ordinary prison. She was sent to an agreeable and
romantic confinement at the Infirmary of St. Francis de
Sales. Her trial was postponed for six months, and her
imprisonment in an institution of mercy was the pohte in
vention of the Confederate Secretary of War.
This course was by no means popular among the women
of the South when they remembered the treatment to whicb
Mrs. Grecnhow, Mrs. Baxley, Mrs. Phillips, and her daugh
ters, and numerous other females, (for tho open and con
scientious avowal of principles hold and expressed at the
cost of their personal freedom,) had been subjected. Their!
unwarrantable and lawless imprisonment by our enomics
was not forgotlen. The le.r lalionis was very rarely enforced
in the generous dealing of the Confederate authorities. It ¦
was something of which we hoard much, but saw little in
practice. . . .-: ,S:A, ,, ,..* .

CHAPTER XLVm.
POVERTY IN BICHMOND. " ' ' ' ' '
A T this time our Richmond workshops were turning out .
XAdarge supplies of valuable arms and weapons of warfare,
and our Nitre Bureau was made effective in contributions of
valuable ammunition. ¦Whdo.ou£jinaiicial_intcrests_were
going to_ ruin, and our navy domg comparatively nothing
for our assistance,- our pcoplo were striving, by their own
energies, and by the development of their personal re
sources, to neutralize, as far as possible, the maladministra
tion of certain departments of the government,' which. ¦
properly conducted, might havo remedied many of tho evils'
and inconveniences ontailcd upon us. While the men wcro
in the field branches of female industry wcro faithfully
attended to. Wo wcro carried back to the times of our
grandmothers. .... -.

*4

V

-X '*r

Our women were actively interested in discovering tho
coloring properties of roots, barks, and berries, and experi
menting with alum, copperas, soda, and other alkalies and
mineral mordants in dying cotton and wool for domestic
manufacture. On approaching a country house rather late,
the ear would bo greeted, not with the sound of the piano
or tho Spanish guitar, but with the hum of tho spinning-
wheel brought out from the hiding-place to which it had
been driven before the triumph of mechanical skill, and the
"bang-bang" of the old-fashioned and long-disused loom.
The whereabouts of tho mistress of the mansion might be
inforrod from the place whenco the sound procoedod ; for
sho was probably horsolf ongaged in, or superintending, tho
work of a servant, in tho weaving or spinning-room. It
was beautiful to watch the snowy cotton and wool drawn
out from the fleecy rod into long threads, and wound
up so dexterously on tho spindle. It was delightful to
watch tho magic shuttle shoot to and fro under the threads
of the warp, and to hear the strange music of tho almost
obsolete loom, and to see the stout fabric grow under
ingenious hands. Witlicommendable_piidc wo beheld
the Southern gentlemen clad in the comfortable homespun
ruff^aijpd^ur^ladies wearing domestic dresses tfrldT chal
lenged comparison with the pla^jind_meHnos^of-nom-
"^^rciaTmanufaoture. To "the rustic and virtuous simpli- "
city of the times, the honored wife of our President nobly
conformed. The winter evenings' exercises of knitting for the sol-,.
diCTS^ver£^yaried_ .by_JtK2hr^idimj_ of^traw for bonnets
_ amT^ate1^any of which jroujd^rompare favorably with
^thps^ <3l Enghsh_mLanufaatjim___For^ gloves, knitting was_
resorj^ojJ,q,_aiid_tiiey were also matte of "soft, thiTclolfr and
though rathor_rndj^
itcd as__ingonious i evidences that necessity develops re
sources. KitT gloves wore rarely seen. On a gentleman they
were considered as only httlo more than disgusting relics

252

POVERTY IN RICHMOND.

POVERTY IN RICHMOND.

of dandyism. Confederate simplicity was rigidly austere.
The Paris gloves remaining in possession of our ladies
were carefully preserved to bo the accompaniment to well-
cared-for silks and laces of tho abundance of days gone by,
and a costume so magnificent was only donned for some
momentous occasion.
Our style of living was quite as simple as our dress.
Hotels and boarding-houses, in consequence of the high
prices and scarcity of provisions, had ceased to furnish a
" tabic d'hote," and "keeping apartments " was the fashion
able mode of living in Richmond. " We are living in the
Paris style," did not mean, howevor, tho luxury of a suit
of magnificent apartments whero could bo served to, you ad
tho delicacies and luxuries of tho season, but generally the
renting of a single room, which served at the same time the
purposes of kitchen, dormitory, and parlor for the lucky fam
ily that could secure even such comfortable accommodations.
^The simple dinner was cooked in a smicj^an jm^he^grate,
and on.giTcjmsiste'doiny of potatoes and a very small quantity
of meat and _bread, varied with occasionally a fowl, and tea.
At weddings we were served with unfrosted~cake, anTdranTi""
the health of the fair bride in domestic wine, if wine at ad
could be procured. Wo knew nothing of dyspepsia, and tho-
thou-paiul affluents of an overcharged stomach woro unheard-
of. Wc practiced a compulsory system of "Banting," and
amused ourselves at the many laughable, yet instructive
inconveniences to which we were 'subjected. When invited
to breakfast with an intimate friend, tho inducement to ac
cept tho kind invitation was frequently, "I'll give you a cup
of nice pure coffee," and for dinners wo would sometimes
ask, " Will you give mo something sweet ?" (meaning a des
sert.) "Yes." "Then I'll come." There was something
romantic, something novel in this mode of life, and the
remembrance, though associated with much that is painfid,
is on the whole rather pleasant.
We were taught many lessons of forbearance and econ
omy, tho value of which to us must be tested by their influ-

•*'-

253

\

ence on our future lives. We were, in our poverty, prepared
t fully to realize the truth —
"Man wants but little tore below—"
but our trials only served to make us regret every piece of
economy practiced when goods were plentiful, and at such
prices that we could with ease obtain them.
• The situation of the refugees was often painful in tho
extreme. It was no unusual thing to have presented- at our
doors a basket in the hands of tt negro servant who sold on
commission articles disposed of by the necessitous to obtain
food. Handsomo dresses, patterns of unmado goods, pur
chased perhaps beforo tho commencement or in the begin
ning of the war, a piece of sdver, or sets of jewelry, accom
panied by a note anonymously sent, attested the poverty and
noble prido of some woman who doubtless wore a cheerful
face, and when asked if she desired peace, would reply,
"Only with liberty." , Jn_the stores of our jewellers were_
frequently seen diamonds and pearls, watches andTahiable ~\
plate for sale, placed there by some unfortunate, who dis- /
posed of these articles of former wealth, luxury and taste,/
to procure necessary articles of food and raiment. On tho I
shelves of booksellers valuable libraries wero placed, to be \
disposed of for the same purpose, and sometimes richly \
bound animals, tasteful articles of vertu, and cherished ,\
mementoes of former friendships, all whispering a mute but f
eloquent story of want, privation, and suffering. Conld'wo
havo traced tho history of a set of pearls, wo should havo
been told of a fair brido who had received them from a
proud and happy bridegroom but whose lifo had been
blighted in her youthful happiness by the cruel blast of
war, whoso young husband was in tho scrvico of his coun
try, to whom stark poverty had continued to como untd at
last the wedding present from tho dear one went to pur
chase food and raiment. But a cheerful smile greeted him
on his furlough, tho loss of the pearls, wns only felt from tho
tender associations, and her heart was made infinitely more

251

POVERTY IN RICHMOND.

appy in the necessaries that added to his comfort when;
d his leave from the regiment than in the possession
f the rich jewels. The rich card-case, or bracelet, or
t crhaps the diamond ring, told a story of friends num.-"
t ercd with the dead, whose gift it had been on a birth- ,
ay anniversary, or at Christmas, or on New Year's day.
Aut feeling must bo smothered, sensibihty hushed, be
tide the grim spectre of poverty. A richly bound vol-
-.tine of poems, with here and there a faint pencil-marked
i notation, told perchance of a lover perished on some
bloody field, and tho precious token 'disposed of or pawned
whon bread was at last needed for somo suffering lovod
iniie. , •. ,. , ,
Yet abovo all this, tho uneonquorablo spirit of resistance
i o submission, and the cheerful endurance of bitter poverty,
the determination to succeed in conquering a peace or
to perish in the effort, appeared grandly sublime above
the miseries and inconveniences of tho most cruel want;
and it was moro wonderful still, when these sacrifices
were made to pnrohaso comforts for the soldiers, at the
times wh.cn real poverty prevented the indulgence of tho
noble promptings of warm and generous hearts. These
wero some of tho sufferings, theso some of the privations
daily witnessed in Richmond during the war, among persons
accustomed to case, elegance, and all the delightful re
finements of social life, iu contrast to tho conduct of
some persons who made themselves rich by unprincipled
speculation, and by heaping misfortuue on their neigh
bors. Wo havo no need to turn to tho records of romance, nor
to draw upon the imagination for pictures that chdl the
blood by their bideousness, pictures of all that is grand
and ennobling in man, ad that is self-sacrificing, patient
and sublime in woman, in contrast to the sordid selfish
ness of greed, if wo turn back to the pages of history, as
developed in the place and period of which we write.
There, truth was indeed strangor than fiction. Evon

-V»»i

4k

POVERTY IN RICHMOND.

255

** ¦

how, though so late our experience, the reality seems almost
incomprehensible. That "necessity is the "mother of inven
tion," was fully exemplified in the South, in the exigencies
which brought into use the most valuable of all inventive
faculties— "How to live!" To exist in any sort of ease or
comfort, no calculation could be made upon the amount of
income in tho continuady and fearfully depreciating Con
federate currency.
For more than a year previous to this peculiar period,
•thero had not been any perceptible increase of crime. Wo
hoard of fowor instancos of midnight villainies, our citizons
walkod the streets at night with loss fear of garrotting and
robbery, but gambling-houses abounded, and wickedness iu
a shapo less ovidont— -loss palpable— but not the less un
questionable, existed in defiance of the rigor of military rule,
and all law, civil and religious.
We have in our possession an article taken from a Rich
mond newspaper about this time, which may serve to illus
trate to a certain extent, the contrast to the patriotic and
self-sacrificing spirit that characterized the majority of the
inhabitants. It is entitled the "Stranger's Guide," and
contains the following : . 3 - A .--o ,
.1. The very largo number of houses on Main, and other streets,
which have numbers ptiintod in large gilt figures over tho door, and illu
minated at night, are Faro Hanks. The fact is not known to tho
public. 2. The vory largo numbers of flashily-dressed young men, with villain
ous faces, who hang about tho street corners in the day timo, are not
gamblers, garrotters and plugs, but young mon studying for the minis
try, and thereiore exempt from militia duty. This fact is not known
to Gonoral Winder.
3. Tho vory largo number of able-bodied, red-faced, beefy, brawny in
dividuals, who are engaged in mixing voty bad liquors in the very large
number of bar-rooms in tho city, are not, as they appear to bo, able to
do military duty. They are consumptive invalids from tho other side of
the Potomac, who aro recommended by the Surgeon Clenopnl to kopp in
choorfiil company, and tako geullo oxorciso. Tor this roason only, thoy
have gone into the liquor businoBS.
1 Tho very largo number of mon who frcquont tho very largo numbor

256,

POVERTY IN RICHMOND.

of bar-rooms in tho city, and pay from one to two dollars for drinks of
very bad liquor, are not men of very large fortunes, but out-of-door
patients of the hospitals, who are allowed so much a day for stimulants,
or else thoy belong to that vory eommou class of pooplo who livo noboby
knows how. None of them aro government clerks on small salaries
with largo board to pay. This fact is not known to tho heads of depart-,
ments. , v
5. The pooplo of Richmond have little or nothing to do with tha gov
ernment of the city. Early in tlie war it was, for some reason, handed
over to Maryland refugees, who wero not thought fit for tho army.
Strangers stabbed, robbed, garrotted or drugged in Richmond will not
charge theso little accidents lo the people of Eichmond, but to tho eity
of Baltimore The keen irony in these notes presents an inside view of
Richmond on which a woman could not be permitted to
look; but from many things that were whispered in the
social circle, and from the very broad hints dropped in the
newspapers, our imaginations were left to conceive that
there were moro things of dady occurrence in the Con
federate metropolis, than were "dreamt of in our philoso-
1*7" But all must bo happy to know that the classes so strongly
hinted at in these notes, did not represent the riding class
of the Richmond pubhe. As intimated, they were generally
found in the cosmopohtan population that crowded into
the city during the war.
It is rather unfair, howover, to charge upon Baltimoro
exclusively, tho grave sins hinted at in these sarcastic
strictures. Thero was a lamentable importation of the
rowdies of Baltimoro; but willing coadjutors in vice are easily
found, and Richmond was not entirely exempt from facile
material. Congress passed an act/imposing a heavy fine and imprisr
onment on the keepers of gambling establishments, and^eL
in the search for the missing Federal Colonel Streight, who
had escaped from the Libby Prison, the military polico aro
said to havo surprised, certain persons of high positions,
and in the attempt te escape, thoso gentlemen mado exit

-t

i*

j .

BRAGG'S CAMPAIGN.

257

through the trap-door of a gambling den, and took an airing
on the roof of the building; greatly to ihe interest and
amusoment of tho crowd assembled to witness tho arrest of
the escaped prisoner. This was a sad and singular com
mentary on tho non-enforcement of law, and the demoral
ization of men in high places. However, with us, it ren
dered more bridiantly conspicuous the numerous excep
tional cases, the high and virtuous morality of thoso who,
in the furnace of four years' bitter trial, passed through
the fire unharmed, with not even the smed upon thefr gar
ments.

CHAPTER XLIX.

BEAGG's CAMPAIGN  THE BATTLE Or CHICKAMAUGA.
THE month of September, 1863, was full of painful in.
terest to the cause of tho Confederacy. While we
congratulated ourselves on the gallant defence of Charleston,
our minds wore directed with no less interest to the theatre
of war in Tennessee, upon the ill-starred sod of which the
Confederate cause was ever destined to disaster. With the
most intense anxiety we watched for the news from the Con-.
federate army under General Bragg, which was opposed by
General Rosecrans, who had mado in the commencement of
tho war a great reputation from his successes over General
Leo, in the campaign in Western Vfrginia. This general was
now to bo tostod in his generalship by one of the most ex
tensive movements in the West — the occupation of East Ten
nessee, and a movement into the heart of tho cotton States.
We havo before noticed that General Bragg's army had
boon weakonod by tho withdrawal of a portion of his forces
to Mississippi to sustahi Genoral Pemberton at Vicksburg.
The movoment against Chattanooga, tho principal point of
strategic importance in this soction of the Confederacy, was
made by tho enemy in two columns; Rosecrans advancing
on Chattanooga, and Burnside on Knoxvdlo.

258

BRAGG'S CAMPAIGN.

THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA.

259

The first engagement with the enemy in this campaign, ¦¦
occurred on the 9th of September, with Erazier's command
of Buckncr's Division, (at Cumberland Gap, in the moun
tains of East Tennessee,) which resulted in the disgraceful
surrender of that important point, without the firing of a
shot, at the demand of General Burnside. In his message .
to Congress, President Davis remarked of this, tbe most-
disgraceful occurrence of the war: "The country was pain
fully surprised by the mtclligcnce that the officer in com
mand of Cumberland Gap had surrendered that important
and easily defensible pass, without firing a shot, upon tho
summons of a force still believed to have boon inadequate
to its reduction, and when reinforcements were within
supporting distance, and had been ordored to his aid.
The entire garrison, including the commander, being still !
held prisoners by the enemy, I am unable to suggest any '
explanation of this disaster, which laid open Eastern Ten- ,
nessce and Southwestern Virginia to hostde operations,
and broke the line of communication botweon the scat of
government and Middle Tennessee." ,j ;
Various reports were in circulation explanatory of this
affair, some of which reflected on the bravery and loyalty of
the men, and some gave the want of provisions as the apol
ogy; all of which were disprovon by the correspondence
of Major McDowell, of Erazier's command, with a newspa
per of Richmond, for ho declared that he never saw men in
better spirits nor moro anxious for a fight, and that when <
surrendered they had provisions sufficient for thirty days.
This disgraceful episode in tho war was tho subject of a
"nine days' wonder" in the Confederate capital. We were
not willing to accredit the fact that without a single shot a
place of importance had been given up.. A feeling of in
tense chsgust and indignation was expressed, and our hear
ing was sharpened for other tidings from tho same section
of the Confederacy.
A Jew days brought us news of a victory gained by Gen-
ond Bragg, at Chickamauga. Thoso battles occurrod on tho , :

4>

^V

¦J

19th and 20th of September. The Federal General Rose
crans, who was considered one of the most distinguished
graduates of the West Point Military Academy, was de
feated, with the loss of eight thousand prisoners, fifty-one
cannon, and fifteen thousand stand of small arms, abundant
supplies of ammunition, wagons, ambulances, teams, medi
cines, hospital stores, eto.j in large quantities, and then
driven back to Chattanooga.
The victory, though a brdliant ono, was purchased at a
foarful prico to the Confederates. Bragg, in his official
report of these engagements, makes the confession that on
this "River of Death " ho lost "two-fifths " of his troops.
Our loss in general officers was conspicuous. Brigadier-
Gonorals B. II. Helm, of Kentucky, Preston Smith and
James Deshler had died on the field. General Hood, of
Texas, whose bravery from the commencement Of the war
had been distinguished, was wounded so dangerously that
he was compelled to submit to amputation of the thigh.
His extraordinary gallantry on this occasion was mado tho
subject of special notice by General Longstreet, in a letter
to the government, characterized by a noble and generous
ardor of praise, which obtained for the youthful General
tho commission of Lieutenant-General, and ranged him
with the heroes of the war. ¦'"•'"'
But our success was only half accomplished by the vic
tory at Chickamauga, so long as the enemy held possession
of Chattanooga. The awkward pause of General Bragg is
still unsatisfactorily explained to the public at the South,
and his attempt to mend the matter by avowing his inten
tion to invest Chattanooga and starve the enemy out is con
sidered a lame apology for the unprecedented halt on the
road to brilliant success, when his troops were flushed with
victory and ready for deeds of courage that might have
immortalized their commander.
Among the general officers of Bragg's army- thoro was a
galaxy of tho brightest names of tho South. Generals
Longstreet, Bucknor, D. II. Hill, Polk, Hood, Breckinridge,

260

THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA

Hardee, Hindman, Walker, Preston, Cleburne, Helm, Desh-
ler, Pegram, Cheatham, Wheeler, Forrest, Kershaw, Rob
ertson and Humphreys were some of tbe men upon whom
General Bragg coidd rely for successfully carrying forward
the campaign of East Tennessee ; and when we are assured
that the pause made after the victory of Chickamauga was
with the disapproval and in defiance of the convictions of
a majority of his officers, we are not at a loss to account
for the rapidly waning popularity of tho General in com
mand. The story of Chickamauga was burdened by much recrim
ination between General Bragg and his officers, yet in tho
public mind there is no doubt upon whom rosts tho blame,
for the fruitless victory. , - <
The grave mistake here made, says another, "must stand,
conspicuous among tbe fruitless victories gained by the
Confcder ites, amid the least pardonable blunders and short-.
comings of history." It must oven take precedence in mag
nitude of that at tho famous battle of Bull Run, when the
pursuit of the routed enemy might have gained for tho
Confederates the coveted possession of the. Federal scat of
government, and would doubtless have changed the entire
face of the war. Here again, at Chickamauga, by the fadure
of a proper and vigorous pursuit of the enemy, were neu
tralized the most bridiant successes that ever crowned Con
federate arms. , . . , '.'. , , A ,
As a disciplinarian, General Bragg is thought not to have
had a superior, if he had his equal, in the armies of the
Confederacy ; but this fundamental element of skillful gen
eralship and soldierly character seems to havo been indulged
by General Bragg untd it assumed the more rigorous form
of tyranny over the troops in his command. With them ho
was unpopular. He is said to havo required the strictest
obedience to orders, and to have carried this principle so far
that a soldier was condemned to bo shot for hiding a chick
en, in disobedienco to a command forbidding the distur
bance of private property. Whde in the mam, under the

THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA.

2G1

*-w'" i

rigid requirements of military law, it would seem right to
enforce such an order, it reflected unhappdy upon the char
acter of the Confederate commandor, and presented him in
an unfavorable contrast to the mdd and magnanimous policy
pursued by General Lee, General Beauregard and others in
our service.
In reference to the military prestige of General Bragg,
w'e had long been accustomed to hsten to stories of tho war
with Mexico, in which names that have become brighter
still, from great and glorious deeds, were interwoven, until
imagination elevated our hcroos into something moro than
mortal,, and alongsido of tho mighty dead of our own and
foreign countries we would place those mado famous on tho
blood-stained soil of tho rich country of the Montezumas.
Among the number was that of Captain Bragg, invested
with the glory which ever attaches to the hero of battle.
"A httle more grape, Captain Bragg," has grown to a prov
erb in military parlance, attesting his skill as an artillerist.
At the commencement of the late war our thoughts tinned
upon bim as one on Whom wo might rely with tho utmost
certainty; but as our troubles progressed, instead of tho
prompt and ready fighter, the active and brilliant strategist
which his reputation gained in Mexico warranted us in . ex
pecting, wo heard much more of him as the rigid disciplina
rian, punishing his men for offences in themselves venial,
and gaining for himself an unenviable reputation among
a people who delight in being generous, and would gladly
have been indebted to him in the obligations of grateful
hearts. However, id luck in such a position as that filled
by General Bragg does much towards revealing unfortunate
disagreements of character and disposition.

262

TROUBLE WITH THE NEGROES.

TROUBLE WITH THE NEGROES,

263

CHAPTER L.

TBOUBLE WITH THE NEGBOES.

IT^ROM pictures of battles and sieges, of carnage and
. strife, of victories and defeats, which make memorable
the history of tho autumn ofj.SOff, wo return to our capital
to note the effect "of" good fortunes and misfortunes, as
taken collectively, upon the spirit and temper of the people.
The idea of the final defeat of the cause for which -we
fought had not then possessed us, even in the faintest
degree ; yet gloom pervaded our hearts.
The tine weather, the bracing atmosphere, tho dehcious,
dreamy influence of the beautiful Indian summer could not
chase from our doors the dread phantom that lurked on the
threshold — could not drivo from the dark closet the skele
ton of the house. We felt, though wo might not see the
ghastly sight, nor stir tho curtain folds to hear tho awful
rattling of the dry bones. Our spirits were heavy. The
trod of win- had drawn its red lines around our hearts, had
mado huge gaps in our .home • circles, had multiplied the
vacant chairs around our hearthstones, had draped our
forms in the solemn livery of the mourner, and had bowed
us with anguish as wc counted here and there one or moro
gone of those who had made life to us a long holiday. But
our spirits wcro untamed ; tho fierce trials to which we had
been subjected served not to subdue, but to strengthen. in

us the desire

and the determination to be. free:

On our streets the trickeries of trade, tho unremittent
pursuit of bargain and sale, wcro rigorously enacted. - The
red flag of the auctioneer hung out, and the exciting and
fashionable scenes of the venduo entertained those whoso
selfish and avaricious propousities rendered them moro
intent upon the accumulation of wealth than upon the
greater interests and good of the country. But in tho
quiet of home, in tho private sanctuary, in the seclusion of
retirement, in every place whore the mind was given, to

%

•***.
A***-

thought and contemplation, . the dread of the future pre
sented itself in characters unmistakable.
Wmter^yjai^mr£5£hinj^
deprecMfr^&^an old story) we were wholly at the mercy of
avaricious speculators, (a story quite as old,) food was scarce,
fuel was scarce, articles of clothing, run in through the
blockade, wcro held at a figure that prevented many from
obtaining such as would shield them from the severity of
winter, and we saw no means of relief in the power of
those in authority over us.
Our soldiers in the field were insufficiently supplied with
shoes and blankets, subsisting on tho meanest and most
scanty fare, and tho prospect of peace was so far away in
the dim future that in bitterness of anguish we turned our
stricken hearts to God, and cried out again in the accents
of woe, " Oh, Lord, how long, how long?"
Our Congress met in December. In his message, Presi
dent Davis said: "We know that the only reliable hope for
peace is in the vigor of our resistance." We stifled our
complaints, we whispered to our fears the comforting talcs
of hope, and nerving our souls afresh for the contest
of trial, suffering and death, we unflinchingly trod tho
bloody track, and looked to the inestimable prize of Liberty,
the goal of Peace, conquered alone through our own en
deavors. About this time we were entertained with tho proceedings
of the trial for treason of the lady before mentioned. Much
interest was mandested, summary punishment was spoken of
' by some, to be discountenanced by the majority, who only
wished to seo her placed beyond the reach of further mischief
' to the Confederacy. The evidonco in the case was such as to
divido the opinion of the jury, though amply sufficient to
convict her iu public opinion. She was held to bad for hor
reappearance at some future time, and retired to her luxurious
homo on James Rivor, above Bichmond. After tho evacua
tion of the city by the Confederate forces, Mrs.  again
appeared on tho streets. . Guilty or not guilty, lot God
alone judge., No one should be willing to bo an executioner

26-1

TROUBLE WITH THE NEGROES.

on circumstantial evidence, yet against her, it appeared to
admit of no doubt. She is said to have suffered much.
The question is whether hor suffering was from conscious
guilt, or from unjust suspicions; if tho former, tho punish
ment could not well be too severe, if the latter, she was only
treading the path of a martyr, and tho consciousness of in
nocence must have converted hor anguish into peace. Her
reappearance in so short a timo after the occupation of the
city by Federal troops, was at least untimely, and argued
but little for the native sensibility of a woman, or of grati
tude for a pcoplo who had regarded with clemency an
oflcncc of so foul a character as that with which she was
charged. Domestic troubles of an irritating nature now arose to
vex and annoy us. There was unquestionably an under
ground agency to decoy away our negro servants, or to
assist any who meditated flight from their owners. Thefts '
of the most provoking character were everywhere perpe- '
tailed, usually under circumstances which pointed to fam
ily domestics as the perpetrators. For everything stolen'
purchasers could bo found among the low and depraved in
questionable quartern of the city, and the extraordinary
amount of money obtained in Confederate figures was a
temptation to dishonesty, with those' who did not under
stand tho real value of the money in circulation. The store
room or pantry of a citizen, or a gentleman's or lady's
wardrobe, woidd be plundered and the articles mysteriously
diia.ppear and all efforts of tho police to discover tho thief,
or the destination of tho missing goods, would generally1
prove unavailing, to be followed in a short time, by tho
singular disappearance of ono or more of tho domestics of
the robbed establishment, to bo heard of no more in Rich-"
mond. A lady who hved on Franklin Street, in ono of tho most
fashionable and respectable quarters of the city, loft her
house to attend an early prayer-meeting at tho church to
which she was attached, and returned about eight o'clock

^

TROUBLE WITn THE NEGROES.

265

A. M, to find two of her maids, reared, trained, and belong
ing to her, missing. Liquiries were made, detectives em
ployed, advertisements issued, rowards offered for their re
turn or apprehension, but no clue to tho whereabouts of the
abscondmg parties coidd ever be discovered. Nor was the
loss of tho negroes the only misfortune sustained by her
Upon a thorough examination into her wardrobe, linen
closet, eic, she ascertained that she had been robbed of
aches clothing of every quality and description, bed-clothes
to a largo amount, upwards of sixty dodars in gold, as much
perhaps m sdver coin, and with these things had disap
peared several trunks which had been empty, without doubt
used by tho cunning thieves for packing their stolen goods
Hor losses were estimated at several thousand dodars and
many of the articles wero of a description that could not bo
replaced in the Confederacy. Theso were confidential ser
vants, brought up in tho house of their mistress, and wed
acquainted with the depositories of everything valuable that
pertained to the establishment, and with the usual trustful
ness and want of suspicion of Southern character it was
an easy matter for them to hide away from time' to time
their petty thefts until the moment arrived for thefr escape
when thoy disappeared with their booty. '
The more effectually to carry out their plan of deception
they had professed to bo seriously exercised on tho vital
subject of religion, and the unsuspecting mistress much
gratified at the disposition evinced by her maids, permitted
them from day to day to go out, ostensibly to attend reli
gious meetmgs of tho friends of their own race, but she
had afterwards abundant reason to believe tkirt these were
only subterfuges invented by them and thoir guilty coadju
tors, tho bettor to carry out thoir nefarious intentions
^ Instances of this kind were, at tho timo, of constant occur-
f reuco A lady accepted an invitation to dinner with a
\ friend and returned iu a few hours to find her chamber
robbed to tho amount of several thousand dollars, in monev
jewelry and clothing, by her body servant, to whom she had

206

TROUBLE "WITH THE NEGROES.

\

intrusted the management of her room. But so soon was
the theft discovered, that the maid had not time to escape
with her plunder, and a portion of it was discovered. As
she was amenable to punishment, tho mistress was com
pelled to give her up into the hands of tho law, by which '
she was punished for the crimo, and her escape thus pre
vented. Wo will mention one moro incident in this connection. A
member of Congress from Tennessee — a man of wealth —
brought his famdy with him to the capital. His wife, one
of the most elegant and accomplished of the ladies of tho
South, owned a servant in whom sho_ placed implicit con
fidence, whoso honesty and fidelity had boon tested by years
of trial, and on whom the mistress relied perfectly. She
had been but a few weeks in Richmond, when ber servant
disappeared, and at the same time elegant and costly arti
cles belonging to her wardrobe, and diamonds valued at
thirty thousand dollars! Detectives were employed to
arrest her, advertisements and descriptions multiplied, but
no tidings of the fugitive ever, reached her quondam
owners. It appeared to be an easy matter to elude the vigilance of
the police, to flank the pickets on the outworks of Rich
mond, and when once at the pontoon bridge, or when a con
venient boat was found at hand to convey them across to
tho Peninsula, the.u iu the occupation of our enemies, all
attempts to arrest these fugitives were hi vain.
We were compelled to keep up a rigid practice of barring
and bolting and locking; yet all precautions proved ineffect
ual to prevent tho thievish dejpredatipns_ofJhe_jiegroes,
denioralwc^l3T"tlre^^o2§_conten,JinS influences which
scrvecfto develop such propeusitic^inihem^
¦~~nTowevcr, when all things relative to our peculiar situation
-, are considered, our troubles from tbe demoralization of the
) non-roes were of a character less remarkable, and by far less
annoying than could have been reasonably expected.

**tf*

f»>

CHRISTMAS, 186V-OPENING OF THE NEW YEAR. 267

CHAPTER LX.
3
CHEISTMAS, 1864r-OPENING OF THE NEW TEAE.
ANOTHER annual revolution in the cycle of timo
brought us again to the Christmas season, tho third
since the bloody circle of war had been drawn round our
hearts and homes. For days preceding the festival the
anxious little ones, who had learned to share the cares and
troubles of thefr elders, peered curiously into the counte
nances of mothers and fathers, for an intimation that good
old Santa Klaus had not lost his bravery, and that despite
tho long continued storm of war, he would make his way
through the fleet at Charleston or the blockading squadron
at Wilmington, and from foreign countries, or perchance
across the country from Baltimore, he would pick his way,
flank the numerous pickets on tho fines, and bring sowie-
thing to drop in thefr now stockings, knitted by mother her
self. Sometimes the simple present that brought happi
ness to the child was purchased at the expense of some re
trenchment in the table-fare for a week, or with the loss
of some needed article of comfort in clothing. But tho
influence of childhood is magical. The chddren find their
way to our hearts, and unloose the purse-strings when all
other inducements fail.
The Christmas-box for the soldier in the field was not
forgotten ; but it was less boimtifudy supplied than when
first the Christmas dinner was despatched to him to be
shared with his comrades in his soldier's tent. Santa
Klaus once more generously disposed of socks and scarfs
V. and visors, to the husbands, brothers, sons, and lovors in
the army.
ifi7 In the Confederate Capital, the churches were always
^filled on this particular festival. On this day not the kneo
/jdono, but the heart was bowed, and fervent prayers were

268 CHRISTMAS, 1864— OPENING OF THE NEW YEAR.
offered that no more should the Christmas sun dawn on
our land deluged in blood, but that when Christmas came
next the sun of peace' might shed its light on hearts now
breaking under the cruel oppression of remorseless war.
T^i5re}3^--at-chiuxKwerejdl that was left to remind us
of Christmas_as-of-yo«e. """"" **— — — ' — —  -~ — '
"" CuulcTtho vad have been uplifted that hid tho privacy
of home, and the Christmas dinner of Richmond on this day
have been exposed, we should have seen here and there, the
fat turkey, the mince pie, the bowl of egg-nog and other
creature comforts, wdiich ordinarily abound on the tables of
Virginia on this occasion; but generally, (and particularly
among those who wero reduced to keeping-rooms) if from
tho accumulating expenses of the times, the turkey could
be afforded it was , accompanied --. simply with potatoes
and corn-bread, and this was the dinner for Christmas
on the tables of .many, with whom ad, the luxuries of our
own and foreign climes had been in evory-day use. But
this could all havo been borne bravely, cheerfully, heroically
— it is almost too trifling to notice, had not the vacant place
recalled the memory of one, or moro, whoso bones were
bleaching somewhere on the field made red with the min
gled blood of friend, and foe. It was. not the want of deli
cacies and luxuries that brought tho tear to the eye of
the mother, or heaved tho fathor's bosom in a long-drawn
eigli- When such a multitude of striking events are compressed
inteia brief apace, timo appears much longer, and of more
importance than in the ordinary routine of every-day exist
ence. Tho years soomed now very long to us, and not tho
less that our hearts were burdened with present and prospec
tive sorrows consequent upon tho time and place of our
existence, and upon the mighty events which wore daily
occurring before our eyes— the most mighty, the most re
markable iii tho history of our country. Wo stood once
more upon tho threshold of a new year, and as the mind is

¦a:

-34a,

J

CHRISTMAS, 1861 — OPENING OF THE NEW YEAR. 269
prone to run forward, and wonder, and anticipate, and peer
into the misty mazes of dim futurity, and longs to draw
aside the veil that hides coming events from present scru
tiny, more than ever at this time, when the future held
within its remorseless grasp, the destiny of our infant nation,
our spirits grew restive and impatient, and we would fain
have spurred on the fiery coursers that drew the chariot of
time, to take us to tho goal more speeddy.
The New Year with us was celebrated by the inaugu
ration of another incumbent of the gubernatorial chair.
Governor Letcher— Honest John— whose courage, whose
patriotism, whoso loyalty had stood the test of fiery trial,
and whose integrity had been weighed in tho balances and
not found wanting, resigned the helm of state to another.
The g-ubernatorial mantle fed on the shoulders of an old and
tried friend of Virginia, an old " war-horse " of the South,
who, in the field as well as in the forum, in the chair of
state as well as in the councils of the nation, bad proved
himself worthy of the honor conferred upon him by his
fellow citizens of the commonwealth of the dear Old Domin
ion. Goneral and Ex-Governor Smith, who had obtained in
early hfe the sobriquet of Extra Bdly, was again inaugu
rated Governor of Virginia. He had the confidence of tho
pooplo, which was increased by tho bravo and patriotic ad
dresses delivered on this occasion. In Virginia tho pooplo
Were not divided by party spirit, and happily demagogue-
ism was almost wholly unknown. Tho best man for the
position the one who woidd most truly and impartially sup
port and sustain the cause of the South, was the one who
secured the suffrages of the people.
Tho terms Whig and Democrat, Federalist and Rcpublb
can were almost unheard; but the terms Unionist and Seces
sionist wore those that came into competition, where there
was any competition at the South; but with us a Unionist
was a comparative nonentity, and in the undivided feeling
there were no bickerings of politics or party strife.

270 CHRISTMAS, 1864 — OPENING OF THE NEW YEAR.
' We bad-stiff very few places of public amusement. The
Richmond Theatre had been rebudt, and 'the indefatigable
manager, Sir. Ogden, used praiseworthy exertions to render
it attractive. Tho stock company, however, ranked in talent
below mediocrity. No stars of bridiant histrionic lustre
loomed out on the Confederate firmament, and none wero
imported. Our social gatherings during this winter were much more
frequent than those of the two previous winters. They wero,
however, distinguished for their extreme simplicity. There
existed in Richmond, among the young people of tho best
class of society, a club known as the "Starvation Club,"
which weekly, or semi-weekly, assembled at different houses
in tho city for social enjoyment. Monoy was contributed
amongst them in payment for tlie music required for dancing;
but all refreshments were strictly forbidden, and the only
expense to the generous host, whose house might bo
impressed for the novel reception of the "Starvation Club,"
was an extra firo in the rear parlor, then not in every-day
use, from the scarcity and high prico of fuel. These enter
tainments wcro varied occasionally by the performance of
plays and tableaux vivants, in which considerable talent was
exhibited iu the histrionic art by some of the quickly cre
ated actors and actresses. .Thm_introduction of plays^ and
t,abloa,ux.added_an^xquisitdyjdm^^ tcr's social enjoyment in tho rebel capital. MrsTDe~S  ,
Mrsrcrahd Miss C^— -, (the latter tt'cliarimng little belle,)
were particularly distinguished for the roady talent displayed
by them.*

A"

* Miss C. is well known in tlio literary circus of Bichmond an Kofugitn, and over this
tp-to ile I'inmo hns written noine vory touching ami beautiful romancoa, aorao o£ which
found publkntku in Tho Bichmond Illustrated News and in tlio Magnolia, tho princi
pal mediums in Itkhmond for the publication of such literary efforts.

¦fiL

A.

I

CONFEDERATE CURRENCY. 271

CHAPTER LH.
OONDFEDEHATE CURRENCY — FABULOUS PKIOES IN EICUMONn.
OUR chief interest was now centred on the promised
redemption of tho currency, which had accumulated
and depreciated until its nominal value was not more than
four cents in the dollar. We were told of various schemes
to bring our paper money up to a specie value, ad of which
fed through, and the redemption of the currency at last
resulted in the repudiation of one-third of the money in
circulation, the remaining two-thirds to be secured in Con
federate bonds bearing four per cent, interest; the old issue
to be withdrawn by the 1st of April in tho parts of tbe.
Confederacy east of the Mississippi, and by the 1st of June
in tho Trans-Mississippi department. This extended to ad
notes over the denomination of five dodars untd tho 1st
of May, and to all five-dollar bills after that time, subjecting
all Confederate bdls from five dollars and upwards to a dis
count of thirty-three and one-third cents.
.. This law increased instead of relieving us from tho oppres
sion under which we were already groaning. -Cojrfidenco^
in the circulating medium, was weakened. ^_JFor_ articles
""of fooclTmeTGcincsT^ncl ah needful clothing, our money was
taken at the prescribed discount,- and the prices increased
in this manner continued, nevertheless, to increase after
. _.the neTv "issue ofthe Confederate Treasury was in circu
lation. /It seemed to drive from us many" Of the tribe of
Israel, who had battened and fattened upon speculation to
the misery of the population of Richmond generally. They
sold out their wares, converted their money into gold, and
left for parts unknown, somo of them to be arrested
by the pickets on the linos of one or tho other army
in their attempts to run tho blockade, to be ilceccd of
their gold, and sent on thefr way, not rejoicing but miser
able

z'- CONFEDERATE CURRENCY.
There was one who had kept a jewelry store, in which
he displayed goods of the finest order — diamonds and rubies,
pearls and precious stones of rare value, gold watches of
splendid workmanship, and other equally rich and valuablo
articles. But finding it prudent to husband his riches whde
he had time for it, he advertised his goods and sold them.
Ho had, for more than two weeks previously, advertised
his household furniture, (which was of a style and richness
that was altogether croditablo to his taste,) in a manner
that was peculiarly noticeable from its imposing length and
style, in a city where rich furnituro was at tho timo rarely
or never offered for sale, His house was qidto low down
on Main street. For several days before tho salo took place,
it was thronged with visitors to examino the elegant furni
ture, and on the day of the auction a crowd fided tho rooms.
The mostiridjculous, _tho most fabulous prices were paid for_
ccrtninjii;ticb^_aiid_Jhe_Rceji reminded one of
the Toodles, said a Richmond paper. But_some of our
people had superfluous amounts_of CjDnfgdei\at^monoy~ancT
..they wove glad to invest itTn his curtains, sofas, plate, ete ~*
To elude suspicion, those ancient people usually'jifotoncled
they were going to Europe — back again to Germany — where
they figured as alien friends, and not as ahen enemies, and
thus prevented the confiscation of property' left behind
in the Confederacy. But generally they found Germany,
on this sido of the water, for New York became a " city of
refuge" for the Jews from tho South while the war lasted.
These poor wanderers, claiming no distinctive nationality,
finding nowhere rest for the solos of thefr feet, seem happy
and contented at any place where they can accumulate
riches, and show singular talent and wisdom in amassing
of wealth even under the most discouraging circumstances.
In Richmond tho road to its accomplishment appcarod easy
to si.oie, whilo others, were suffering from extreme penury.
We sometimes hear of thoso who did not "foel the war."
Situated as wo wore, wc coidd not exactly understand what
the idea imported. If not in fortune at least, in tho moro

CONFEDERATE CURRENCV.

273

delicate and refined sensibilities of our nature, in the loss
and absence of dear friends, in the constant anxiety for the
probable fate of our country, .surely every Southern person
must have " felt the war." There was no one so obscure or
humble, so far remote in the wilds and mountain fastnesses
of our country, but that he shared in the common distress,
and there was no table so bountifully supplied, no ward
robe so faultlessly elegant in its appointments, that did not
show the offect of the war. If within our homes wo had
comforts and elegances, we had only to step out on our
-j streets to meet hore a soldier with ono leg, there one with
| ono arm, another who had lost an eye, another with hor
rid scar, that told a tale of battle ; or on our passage
3 through a certain quarter of our city where government
work was given out to the indigent, wo would see hundreds
of poor women in waiting for the coarse sewing from which
Op they earned the pittance that saved them from hunger ; or
1 we might pass government offices and Bee numbers of the
j most refined and elegant daughters of former ease and lux-
j ury, accustomed from their birth to seek only thefr own
| enjoyment, indaily tod at the desk of clork, by which
i they earned a livelihood. : , t, ¦:
'l _.,--"¦ H feeling was not dead within the soul, if the sensibili-
) / ties were not benumbed by extraneous influences, there was
\ no one in our Southern land who did not "feel the war."
And while this was our situation, while an air of the deep
est seriousness • pervaded our capital, while with every
breath we inhaled the vapors of war — in the news that came
to us through tho blockade from the . scat of the rival
government we heard of balls and brdliant receptions, of
fashion and show, extravagance and plonty; and we took
these things to heart, and pondered and meditated, and
eagerly looked forward to tho end which should decide
whether tho greater strength lay in moral courage — the
force of human will and virtuous endeavor — or in tho mere
*s*_ majority of numbors. We hfted our hearts to God, and
prayod in tho depths of onr spirit, and asked His ad-pow-

1

274

THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS.

erful help in our weakness ; but we rarely said : "Thy will
not^ours, oh Lord, be done!" Perhaps therein lay our'

M

THE CONFEDERATE CONORESS.

275

CHAPTER LIT. ,,a
THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS IN THE WINTER OP 18G3-4.' '
TOURING tho winter of 1863-4, the military operations
-J~y of the Confederates were eminently successful. On
the 30th of January an expedition undertaken by General
Rosser, in the Valley of Virginia, was brilliantly successful.
Iho details are full of interesting incident, but cannot here
be noticed.
On the 1st of February General Pickett undertook an
expedition against Newbern, North Carolina, which resulted
m tho destruction of the "Underwriter," one of the largest
and best of the Federal gunboats iu the Sounds.
On the 11th oceun-ed the affafr at Johns Island, in tho
vicinity ot Charleston, disturbing the monotony of the
attempts on that city. On the same day the Federals were
repulsed by the Confederates under General Wise— break
ing in confusion and leaving some of their dead. But the
most important of the active engagements of the winter
was at Ocean Pond, in Florida, where the Federals, under
General Seymour, were dispersed and badly defeated by the
Confederates, under General Finnogan.
General Sherman's expedition in the Southwest— a part
of the grand combination of Grant in the West, in co-ope
ration with a naval expedition from New Orleans against
Mobile— was a stupendous failure. Thomas's advance on At
lanta was suddenly checked, and he was compelled to fad
back upon his ba.se at Chickamauga. As says another : " Tho
' On to Atlanta ' was a programme, all parts of which had
been disconcerted, and to amend which tho campaign in fb0
West had to bo put over untd tho fighting month of May."

With this digression we return to Richmond, to give
a passing notice to the actions of the Confederate Con
gress during tho session of this winter. In the early part
of the session, the Senate was interested in discussing the
right of the President to remove or appoint certain officers
pertaining to the military department of the government.
This arose from the removal of /Quartermaster-General
Myers, who had been considered one of the most prudent
sagacious and efficient officers under the government, and
the appointment of General Lawton, to whom no objection
could bo urged, save that he was used to supersede Colonel
Myers, whoso Conduct of the affairs under his supervision
had been singularly free from mistakes. The discussion was
excited, and often bitterly acrimonious, and gave rise to
some unpleasant on dits of a personal character. In his
action, however, the President was sustained, and tho gos
sip circulated in the capital was silenced, imequivocady, by
the Senatorial voice.
The effort of Congress to increase the conscription met
with the hearty approval of the pubhc, and was by no means
considered unjust or oppressive, as it served to keep in
course of instruction an army of reserves, of youths from
sixteen to eighteen years of age, which could be sent in to
reinforce the army, depleted by death, or to meet the
demands for more troops, occasioned by the continual and
heavy reinforcement of tho army of tho enemy. But tho
suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, as passod under
an enactment of our Congress, was considered unjustifiable
intolerable and tyrannical, though its enforcement was qual
ified by a stringent bid of particulars. A writer says :
"But what can be most said to wipe from the record of the
Confederacy tho stain of this infamous act is, that it was
never put into practice. It was not put into practice for
the simple reason that there was no occasion for it. No ono
doubted tho integrity and patriotism of our judiciary ; that
branch of the government was practically permitted te con
tinue- its dispensations of law and justice, and the worst

27(3

DAHLGREN'S RAID AROUND RICHMOND.

that can be said ofthe law suspending the habeas corpus
was that it was a stain upon our political history. It was
an uncalled-for libel on the Confederacy; but although it
might blacken our reputation, yet it is' a satisfaction to know
that it did not practically affect our system of liberties."
Ihe writer proceeds : " In contrasting the pohtical systems
of the North and South in this war, we find an invariable
superiority in the latter with respect to all questions of civil
liberty. This, indeed, is to bo taken as the most striking
and significant moral phenomenon of the war" These
questions, together with the more important and absorbing
ma, icrs of (mance, were tho burden of Congressional duties
ior this session.
Tho winter was waning. The increased depression and
anxiety consequent upon the increase of suffering and pri
vation from the severe cold and dreariness of the season
were lightened m a measure in prospect of the bright, warm
weather which would soon mantle the earth with the beauty
and .fragrance of spring. Our military successes, also,
served to lift tho gloom that rested on our hearts in the
early days of winter. But wo wcro on tho eve of bomg vic
timized by a fiendish attempt at tho destruction of our city
tnat must vie, in the horror of its details, with the most
cruel arts of warfare practiced in the darkest ages.

DAIILOREN'S RAID AROUND RICHMOND.

277

CHAPTER LIV.
DAKLQREN'S RAID AROUND RICHMOND.
/'"yr tho 28th of February, a raid was undertaken towards
V_./ P.ieh.non.l by the Federal cavalry under Goneral Kil
patrick, seconded in omumand by Colonel Ulric Dahteren
a son of Admiral Dahlgren, of Charleston notoriety.
After reaching Beaver Dam, a sf ation on the Virginia Central
Railroad, hi Hanover County, tho force chvided, Kilpatrick

««?

t

with his command passing through the upper part of Han
over and Louisa, where he took a road that led to the
Brooke turnpike, leading immediately into Richmond.'
Daldgren's command proceeded at once to Frederick Halt
in Louisa County, where they captured several of our officers'
who were engaged in holding a Court Martial, among whom
was Captain Dement, of a Baltimore battery, whom they
compelled to follow the expedition.
After tearing up tho railroad for some distance, Dahl
gren proceeded towards James River, which he struck in
Goochland County. Here he burnt a gilst-mdl, some barns
some locks on the canal, and did other trilling damage. His
mon, m tho meantime, wero adowed to amuse themselves by
destroying furniture, pilfering plate, and doing other mis
chief to the farm-houses in the vicinity. His purpose was
to cross the James River, and get into Richmond by the
south side; and to accomplish this he employed a negro to
guide him to a ford in the river, and for this service paid
him what the black supposed to be a five-dollar note, but
which in fact proved to be only a barber's advertisement,
gotten np in the ingenious fashion common at the North.
The negro. conducted Dahlgren to a ford, but finding tho
water too high to cross, he turned upon the helpless guide
and ordered him to be instantly hanged, and to expedite
this horrible deed he furnished a rein from his own bridle
for the purpose.
Finding that he could not cross, he sought to make a
junction with Kilpatrick, but in the meantimo all other parts
of the expedition had failed. The part under the command
of General Custer, which had moved towards Charlottesville
intended merely to distract attention, had suffered disaster!
A portion of Stuart's horse artillery, under Colonel Bock-
ham, stationed at Rio Mills, in Albemarle County, opened
upon tho advancing column, and drovo them into rapid
retreat, which was not abandoned until I hey reached their
infantry supports at Madison Court House.
A cowardice not less ridiculous was manifested by Kilpat-

278

DAHLGREN'S RAID AROUND RICHMOND.

nek m the part ot the expedition intrusted to, or assumed
by him. He had reached the outer line of the fortifications
around Richmond a little after ten o'clock on the mornin- of
the first of March. A desultory fire was kept up for several
hours, im which the enemy, who had set out with the in
tention of making a desperate inroad into Richmond, never
got within sight of the artillery of the Confederates, and,
contented to boast of having got within sight of , the'
spires of the rebel capital, they retired in the direction of
the Peninsula.
Unapprised of the cowardly flight of his coadjutor, on the
night of tho 1st of March, Dahlgren, with some seven' Or
eight hundred horsemen, pursued his way towards Richmond '•
following tho Wcstham plank road until within a fow miles
of the city. But a slid greater exhibition of cowardice was'
reserved for him than had been manifested even by Custer
or Kilpatrick. """ -. .,
All that intervened in the darkness of the night between
Dahlgren and Richmond, between the remorseless enemy
and the revenge he had threatened to visit with dire destruc
tion, fire and blood, upon tho devoted capital of the South
ern Confederacy, was a force of Local Defence, composed of,
artisans from the Richmond armory, and a battalion of clerks
from the different government departments, many of whom
were young boys. But this was the force to give Dabl
gren's "braves " a lesson for thoir temerity.
The Armory battalion were on the enemy's flank, and are
reported to havo been surprised. But when they came in
contact with Henly's battalion, (the clerks,) the well-
ippointed cavalry of the enemy, which had started with
uieh grand expectations, broke at tho first fire. A single
.-olley of musketry seems te have been quite sufficient for
ho completion of all tho disaster that occurred, and to havo
misbed tho business. Eleven of Dablgren's Yankees were
filled, and thirty or forty wounded, whdo tho rest scattered
n shamefid flight.
Somo prisoners woro then captured, from the persons of

DAHLGREN S RAID AROUND RICHMOND.

279

T

whom, when brought into Richmond, were taken silver egg-
cups, spo.oDs, forks, and other articles of plate marked with
the initials of famdios whose houses, they had robbed in
Goochland County.
After his disgraceful defeat, Dahlgren appeared only
intent upon his retreat. He divided his forces so as to facd-
itate thefr escape, and the command of which he took charge
moved down the south bank of the Pamunky River, and
proceeded by the most direct route through King William
County to Aylett on the Mattaponi, watched at every turn
by scoute detached from Lee's Rangers.
Lieutenant James Pollard, of this command, who had
chauced to notice on a newspaper budetin the direction of
Dablgren's retreat, declared that ho would make him "pay
toll " on the route, and hastened to intercept him.
. Whde Dahlgren and his party of fugitives, with sinking
spirits and cowardly, caution proceeded on the road to Walk-
erton in King and Queen County, Lieutenant Podard, with
reinforcements from Captain Fox, of the Fifth Vfrginia
cavalry of Lee's Rangers, and some members of Lieutenant-
Colonel Robins's cavafry, continued to press them in the front
and rear, and by a rapid circuit they succeeded, when the
night came on, in getting ahead of him, and awaited his
approach in the darkness., To insure his position, Dahl
gren required Captain Dement, the Confederate officer
taken at Frederick's Hall, to ride by his side. Seeing in tho
darkness some figures ahead of him, and supposing they
were rebel scouts, he shouted, " Surrender I" It was a fatal
moment for him. "Firel" was returned, and the darkness
was lighted by a volley of. Confederate musketry. It was
enough. Dahlgren fell, pierced by two bullets in the head,
two through the body, and ono through the hand. The
woods woro filled with tho fugitives, who implored tho Con
federates to accept their surrender. Captain Dement was
miraculously preserved.- His horse was shot under him, but
he himself escaped unhurt. The remnant of Dablgren's force
taken at this timo was ono hundred and fifty negroes and Yan
kees. Thus ended Dablgren's raid around Richmond.

2S0

DAHLGREN'S RAID AROUND RICHMOND.

DAHLGREN S RAID AROUND RICHMOND.

231

On the body of this leader was found remarkable docu
mentary evidence, proving the intention of the expedition
and tho horrors from which we had been so providentially
preserved— escape from which was made the subject of pub-
he thanksgiving in om churches.
The following address to the officers and men of the com
mand was written on a sheet of paper, having in printed
letters on the upper corner, " Head-Quarters Third Division
Cavalry Corps,  , 1864;"
"Oftccehs and men:
" You havo been selected from brigades and regiments as a picked
command to attempt a desperato undertaking— an undertaking which if
successful will mite your names ou tho hoarts of your countrymen iu
letters that con never bo erased, and which will cause the prayers of your
follow soldiers, now confined in loathsome prisons, to follow you and
yours wherever you may go.
" We hope to release the prisoners from Belle Island first, and ho,vin«-
seen them fairly started, wo will cress James River into Richmond"
destroying the bridges after us, aud exhorting the released prisoners to
destroy and burn the hateful city; and do not allow the rebel leader,
Darin, and his traitorous crew to escape. The prisoners must render
great assistance, as you cannot leave your ranks too far, or become too
much sealteied, or yon will bo lost.
"Do not allow any personal gain to lead you off, which would only
bnng you to an ignominious death at the hands of citizens. Keep well
together and obey orders strictly, and all will be well; and on no account
scatter too far, for in union t'-iero is strength.
" With strict obedience to orders, and fearlessness in the execution,
you will be sure to succeed. ' *A''p -,
" We will join the main force on the othor side of tho city, or perhaps
meet them inside.
" Many of you will fall, but if there is any man here not willing to sac
rifice his life in such a great and glorious undertaking, or who does not
feel capable of meeting tho enemy in such a desperate fight as will follow,
let him step out, and he may go henco to the arms of his sweetheart and
rcpil rf tlie braves who swept through the city of Richmond.
" We waul no man who cannot feel sure of success in such a cause.
" Wc will have a desperato fight, but stand up to it when it does come,
and all will be well.
" Ask the blessing of tho Almighty, and do not fear tho enemy. ¦ "
TJ. DAmoBEtT, •
Colonel Commanding."

I

?&**,

The fodowing special orders, written on detached slips of.
paper, disclosed the plans of the leaders of this murderous
expedition. " Guides, Pioneers, (with oakum, turpentine and torpedoes;) Si<*nal
Officers, Quarter-master, Commissary, Scout and Pickets, men in rebel
nu i form:
These will remain on the north bank, and move down with the force
on the south bonk, not getting ahead of them; and if the communication
can be kept up without giving alarm, it must be done; but everything
depeuds upon a sukphise, and no one must be allowed to pass ahead of
tho column. Information must be gathered in regard to the crossings of
tho river, so that should we be repulsod on the south side, we will know
whore to recross at tho nearest point. All mills must be burned and the
oinnl destroyed, and also everything which can bo used by the rebclB,
must be di-stroyod, including tho boats on the river. Should a ferry
boat bo seized and can bo worked have it moved down. Keep tho force
on the south side posted of any important movements of the enemy, and
in case of danger, some of the scouta must swim the river, and bring us
information. As we approach the city the party must take £reat care
that they do not go ahead of the other party on the south side, and must
conceal themselves and watch our movements. We will try and secure
the bridge to the city, (one mile below Belle Isle) and releaso the prison
ers at the same lime. If we do not succeed, they must then dash down
and we will try and carry the bridge from each side.
When necessary the men must be filed through the woods and along
the river bank. The bridge once secured, and the prisoners loose and
over tho river, the bridge will be secured and the city destroyed. The
men must keep together and well in hand, and onco in the city, it must
be destroyed, and Jeff Davis and his cabinet killed.
rioueers will go along with combustible materials. The officer must
uso his discretion about the time of assisting us. Horses and cattlo
which wo do not need immediately must be shot rather than left. Every
thing on tbe canal and elsewhere, of service to the rebels, must be des
troyed. As General Ouster may follow me, be careful not to give a false
alarm. The signal officer must be prepared to communicate at night by
rockets, and in ottter things pertaining to this department.
Tie qimitvnoastets and commissaries m'.isl to on Sb? 1ooSk*hI £ps S>pA
departments, and see that there are no delays on their account.
The engineer officers will follow to survey the Toad as we pass over
it, etc.
The pioneers must bo prepared to construct a bridge or to desiroy
ono. Thoy must have plenty of oakum and tnrponliuo for burning,

282

DAHLGREN'S RAID AROUND RICHMOND.

which will bo rolled in soaked bolls, and given to the men to
burn when We get into tho city. Torpedoes will only be used by the
pioneers for destroying the main bridges, etc. They must be prepared
to destroy railroads. Men will branch off to the right, with a few
pioneers, and destroy tne bridges and railroads south of Richmond and
then join us at tho city. They must be prepared with torpedoes,' etc.
The una of Falling Creek is probably the best to work along-or, as they
approach tho city, the line of Goody's Creek, so that no reinforcement
can come up on any cars. No ono must bo allowed to pass ahead, for
fear of communicating news. Rejoin tho command with all haste, and
if cut off, cross the river abovo Richmond, and rejoin ns. Men will stop
at Uellona Arsenal, and totally destroy it, and anything eke but hospi
tals; then follow ou and rejoin the command at Richmond with all haste,
and if cut off, cross tho river, and rejoin us. As General Custer may
follow me, bo cnroful and not givo a false alarm."
Theso documents developed a plot so murderous in inten
tion, (hat many persons in the Confederacy thought the
prisoners taken in this adventure should not bo accorded
the usual privileges of prisoners of war, but should bo turned
over to the State authorities to be dealt with as thieves and
murderers, and subjected to the usual punishment of felons.
Again we heard tbe old talk of retaliation, and to give the
show of reality to the threat, the Libby Prison was. under
mined as a miserablo warning against attempting another
such demonstration, but no one for a moment believer! that
the threat of blowing it up would ever be carried into effect.
Dablgren's body was buried out of sight, mysteriously
concealed from all but tho prying, curious eyes of a negro,
who for a heavy bribe disclosed tho place to parties who
exhumed it, and since have returned it to his friends.
Tiiero is one revolting circumstance in connection with •
tho termination oi tins raid of Dahlgren, and tho capture
and death of that officer, which, we regret exceedingly to
record, and would if possiblo forget— that his fiugor was cut
off at the joint to secure a handsomo diamond ring, worn
by him. Hut if anything so revolting to the nobler instincts
of humanity must bo excused on any ground, it shoidd bo
in the general and disgusting practice permitted on both
sides, of stripping dead bodies on tho battle field.

4

DAHLGREN'S RAID AROUND RICHMOND.

283

.-**,-

*L.

There was very little excitement in Richmond. So sud
denly and unexpectedly did this adventure occur, that we
wero scarcely aware of our danger untd it was over. "What
"might have been," was so terrible to reflfect upon, that it
awakened grateful prayers to a merciful and protecting-
Providence. Tho ease with which the invading force "was
scattered and repulsed, tho signal failure of every part of
the combination, give evidence of the cowardly fear which
must always possess those whose purposes aro guilty, and
the strength which nerves tho arm when the design is
founded in right. The moral of this story is pointed in the
memorable language in Hamlet's eulogy:
"Thus, conscience doth make cowards of us all,
And thus tho native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'or with the pale cast of thought ;
And enterprises of great pith and momont
"With this regard, their currents turn awry
And loso the name of action."
It may or it may not be surprising to the people of the
South to learn that the papers found on tho person of Colo
nel Dahlgren aro said by our enemies to have been forged,
or interpolated so as to present the aspect in which they
were made pubhe. It is a grave charge, and reflects
heavdy on those who intercepted the raiders and brought
the evidences of thefr gudt into Richmond — a charge which
we feel prepared to resent with sincore indignation, as
Lieutenant Pollard, a man as much distinguished for his
nice senso of honor as for his bravery, would be altogether
incapable of an act that would so compromise his character
as a gentleman and a soldier. To all, it must appear patent
as a flimsy subterfuge, by which to palliate or extenuate tho
diro offence against a comparatively defenceless, and un
suspecting poople.
" Ad other evidence wanting, tho headings of tho ordors in
print are in thomselvos sufficient, and magnanimity would
suggest that it were, perhaps, more honorable to permit the
mantle of oblivion to fad ovor tho ill-starred leader of this

2S4

THE SPRING OF 1864.

unfortunate expedition, which, if not devised by him, was
one in which he himself became a victim to the diabolical
machinations of the projectors of the plot, than to attempt
to fasten upon the innocent the base charge of forgery. And
here it may be asked, whether if it had been successful, and
the capturo and killing of the much-hated Davis the result,
any extenuating apology would bo brought forward, for the
means by which it was accomplished? It failed, and the in
dubitable evidences of murderous purposes are pronounced
counterfeit 1

CHAPTER LY.
THE SPIUNO OF 18G4  MORGAN'S RETURN TO RICHMOND.
f^TiHE spring of 1604 set iu hopefully for tho cause of _ the
X ...South. Our successes during the winter had been of
tho most encouraging character. The spirit of the army
was. buoyant aud deteimhied— thatpf : the people elastic and
cht^fuL_ A generous disposition was shown by them in the
supply of means to support the war. The agricultural
interests of the country were attended to with redoubled.
energy, and tho impressment of supplies for tlie use of the
army was regarded with entire satisfaction by those who,
engaged in agricultural pursuits, were expected to furnish
them. In Virginia this was peculiarly evident. From her,
moral and geographical position, her responsibilities and
sufferings were heavier than thoso of any other State. Her
statistics are full of glory, and history must hand down
hor record so nearly stainless, that despite the contemptible,
weakness accredited to tho claims of the P. P. V.'s, her
children will bo pardoned a noble pride in the confession :
"My mother State is Vfrginia!" Moro than ever before a
nativity on ber soil is to be envied, if the place of birth can
lend, os it assuredly does, anything of interest to the indi
vidual. ,,. . i;. ,,?,-..;

THE SPRING OF 1864

285

From advantages gained in excess of prisoners taken at
Vicksburg, tbe conduct of tho exchange was almost wholly
under the power of the Federals. A refusal to accord terms
such as could honorably be acceded to by the Confederate
government, gave rise to anxious doubts and fears that an
exchange wrould not occur at all, or at least imtd some
unprecedented success placed it in tho power of our gov
ernment to dictate terms. After many disappointments,
and after tiresome negotiation, the disagreements on this
question were so reconciled that the much-desired busi
ness of exchange was resumed, "With_tho most gratcful_
pjensm-p it, was annommcdto us in Richmond that certain..
numbers were to betaken from our 'prisoners, and in return.
we were onco more to^wmcolM^'Di^fe's^Lahor^tho defend-
ih^sTbTl^ie spiL_JTl^^ It*was
""omimuiccd frointhe different pidpits_of__our cliurcncs_oiiAa-
of

Tfabbath. m_ornhig_that aTioat load of roturiicd prisoners
was expected ^onthat dayTand thn'citrzehs- were requested
to sc~hcf te.thoJCapItoT ^Scjuai-e lirovTsions for their refresh
ment. The-occaaQn_called forth thousands to the square to
welcome thefr appearance. Refreshments were lavishly

provided, of the best that could be afforded__from._the^
impoverished ..dardet of. the city of Richmond, and after
waiting in intense anxiety for a sight of our returned
friends, gff.or ¦ an-gpvnl Timi-m, from afar off, down tho main
street, wero heard the strains of "Dixie," and the cheers of
the. jnuhitucle_that_.tesenrbled^d^^ong^ tlie route_to greet
the. soldiers so long imprisoned in a hostile laud. Finally
the strains, so faint at first, grew louder and louder, and
at last a body of nondescript Jpoking^jnen filed into tho
_. Capitol Square ; but there woro enough of them, clad. in the
Confederate grey to announce our roturnimr_bravcs. Hats
were all off on the instant; cheer after cheer rent the air ;_
the strains ofinus|c_vter£jfrojyjmd_i^^
oi_ delight, and as those sounds jsubsidod, enthusiastic boys
in the crowd raised _ another .shgiit-i.-." Hurrah for the grey-
backs," which was warmly rospondod to, and resounded in

286

TOE SPRING OF 1864.

volumes of hoartfelt congratulation over the hills of Rich
mond. Thj^oklters were i met ^__a^_^d£e^dj3yjh^resident_in
a stirring speech of welcome, praise and encourngern.p.nt ;
then foUowed a short and cheerful address from the Gover
nor of Virginia, and again the welkin reverberated the loud
acclaim for President Davis and Governor Smith. Refresh
ments were distributed, hands shaken, congratulations ex
changed, and tears of joy glistened on countenances radiant
with welcome to tho captives.
The scenes of this occasion can never be forgotten by
those who witnessed them. Mr. Davis evinced tho calm
_dign_ity for which he is distinguished, presenting a vivid "con-~
trasH ojbo_oxnber_ant j^vfrit andjmcrcurial youlhfnlucss of
J3°imnqr^mbh.__On this afternoonrwith^s~much' appar-
ent pleasure as a young gallant , of twenty-five, the latter
triumphantly exhibited a superb bouquet, the gift, of some
fair friend and admirer.
Of these festive scenes there was a quiet and unobtrusive
spectator, then the most distinguished guest in the capital.
He, too, had been a captive — not formally exchanged by the
provisions of the cartel, not accorded the usual privileges of
a prisoner of war ; but his escape had been from the con
victs' coll, the home of the felon — from tho gloomy, thick,
impenetrable waUs of tho Ohio Penitentiary ; and on the
Capitol Square of tho seat of government of his own coun
try, with tho brazen statue of Washington looking down
upon the scene, General John Morgan greeted tho return of
his follow- captives. This was not, however, his first appear
ance in Richmond after his escape from his disgraceful
incarceration. There was nothing needed in the manner of
his reception to testify the grateful appreciation of his fel
low citizens of tho South. A brilliant welcome was accorded
bim. A splendid banquet was served in his honor at the
lAillnrd House, and tho President and Vice-President, and
officers of the government, army and navy, the State of
Virginia and tho members of Congress attended, .in tcsti-

THE SPRING OF 1864.

287

'*>*J*9-

vz-.f

a

mony of their admiration and appreciation. He was the
hero of the hour. But General Morgan was far too modest,
' too'noble, too sensible, to be affected only in the deep grati
tude of his brave soul by these manifest declarations of his
worth by grateful countrymen.
On this afternoon, as he passed through the crowd,
accompanied by his young and beautiful wife, save for tho
stars on tho codar of his plain grey coat, and his military
cap, a stranger wrould have discovered about him none of
the insignia of rank, and from his modest bearing no one
would have supposed him to bo tbe Marion of Kentucky.
Of rarely precious materials aro heroes mado.
For awhdo the business of exchange was again conducted
regularly, and as the spring advanced fresh successes gilded
Confederate arms. Our hopes brightened_aiid_ojm_Mth
increased, yet were our hearts heavy with the dread of the
coming events which must mark their records again in blood
upon our sod, afready glutted with the crimson stream
whicb for tbree long years bad been poured in fury upon
our devoted land. Our souls were sick of carnage, but the
remorsoless maw of "War, like the daughter of the horse
leech, cried Give I give! And the gentle image of Peace
was thrust aside, and with horent front that of "War ob
truded. But there appeared another, — a mediator who,
capturing the olive branch of peace, waved it temptingly
before us, and whispered " Reconstruction 1" and vaguely
hinted at conquest , over foreign nations, in which were
strangely blended the words Mexico, France and England.
But thrusting aside a friend who came to us iu such ques
tionable guise, and refusing an alliance purchased at the
price of our national honor, we reached forth our hands,
and over tho heads of fathers, brothers, sons and friends
in tho field, grasping once more tho bloody hand of "War,
wo resolved to daro tho worst rather than bo a party to
ignoble submission.

288

PROPOSED EVACUATION OF RICHMOND.

li

. CHAPTER LVI.
PROPOSED EVACUATION OT RICHMOND-REMOVAL OF THE TREASURY
NOTE BUREAU.
O^HE month of Aprd, 1864, had chronicled a succession
-A- oi good fortunes to our cause, but the "river of death "
was ahead of us, and friend looked into the face of friend
to read a tale of anxiety and sorrow, while sighs usurped"
the place of snides as the names of friends were mentioned
Jiver busy Rumor circulated stories from her "thousand
tongues" in the Confederate Capital, and again wo heard
the ominous word, " Evacuation 1" It was reported that tho
government had appropriated a sum for tho removal of tho
non-combatants from tho city, in order to allow a moro
thorough opportunity for its dciencein the event of assault. ]
V lo give this story the semblance of truth, Mr. Memmin-
ger had ordered the removal of the Treasury Note Bureau
(in which women principally were employed,) to Columbia!
bouth Carolina, ostensibly to prevent the transportation of
unsigned notes to the Coital, (as the printing operations '
ot the Treasury were conducted hi that city,) but the cred
ulous and the suspicious drew a different augury The
greatest dissatisfaction at the prospect was manifested by
the ladies, and a petition was presented to Mr. Memmino-er'
signed almost unanimously by them, praying him to rescind
the objectionable edict; but whether" from prudential mo- ;
tivcs, or otherwise, tho Secretary of tho Treasury was inex- ' f
arable, and gave his fair operatives their choice, to go to '
Columbia or to resign their places in the department. !
Dcnving, many of them, their daily support from their
clerkships, they felt compelled to remain in the employment ¦'"'¦
of government, and in sorrow and in tears they bade adieu
to Richmond, and took up thefr departure for the capital
of the Palmetto State. -
T2iorJiv£ifrmcjdp^ thnt
tho archives of the government were ad to bo removed, and "

PROPOSED EVACUATION OF RICHMOND.

289

the time and placjj^gnated^ Every day the teeming pop
ulation of women and children, and the infirm and aged,
expected to be sentTlorth~as~wanderers, they knew not
wdiither, ovor the wasted teiTiteryo7"'tEe~Soul¥crn~C6nfcd-
eracy.. . — 

In a few days, corrected reports and satisfactory expla-
nations sufficed to silence these rumors, jmdjt o_re store con-
_fidence;_ Yet nought could lift from our hearts the heavy
gloom of impending terror in the immense preparations
made by the enemy for our destruction. The monster
"Anaconda," of which we had been hearing from the com
mencement of the war, which was to crush us in its fatal
coil, was reported by our enemies to be in a fair way to have
his " tail in his mouth." Once surrounded in his murder
ous embrace, there was little chance for our freedom ; the
death throes of the Confederacy would then ted the agony
of the final struggle. ..-;,-,-.
But we listened to these ominous warnings as we listened
to the whisperings of the wind ; they came to us from tho
North to dampen our ardor, to discourage our fortitude, to
dismay our souls, but they faded of effect. Defeat was
nowhere written on our future prospects." Discouragement
might be, but defeat nowhere I And we once moro hugged
to our bosoms the phantom of hope, and it sang a lullaby
to our fears, and the Confederate metropolis pursued its
usual busy routine, and contented itself with the thought
that "the end is not I" But the bright genial airs of Spring,
the perfume of the flowers, the carolling of tho feathered
musicians, awoke in- onr hearts little feeling of pleasuro,
whon we drew in - at every breath the fiery vapors of war,
and our ears were quickened to hoar once more the awful
music of artidory. v p'.A, .,
13

290

THE BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS.

CHAPTER LVH.
THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN OF 1864-THE BATTLES OP THE WILDERNESS.
THE summer campaign of 1864 against the South was
devised upon a plan of enormous magnitude. General
Grant, whose former successes had raised him to tho highest
popularity, and gained for him the wilhng confidence of the
North, had been commissioned Lieu tenant-General, and im
mediately transferred bis personal presence to the army of
the Potomac, leaving General Sherman . as his vicegerent to
carry out his campaign in tbo "West. Never, since the com
mencement of tho war, had there been made such magnifi
cent preparations in tho "On to Richmond " design. War
ren, Sedgwick, and Hancock had been mado corps com
manders of General Grant's army, and to Burnside had been
assigned a separate corps. Butlor, at Fortress Monroe,
was reinforced by Gillmore's corps from Charleston, and
by Baldy Smith's corps from the west. To the hero of
New Orleans was allotted the task of cutting off the city of
Bichmond from its southern lines of communication, whde ¦
Sigel, operating in the Shenandoah Vadey, was te cut tho
railroad which by way of Cnrdousvide connected the army of
General Lee with its principal base of supplies at Lynchburg.
Theso preparations complotcd for the most important
campaign in the history of our country, on Wednesday, the
4th of May, just eight weeks after Lieutenant-General Grant
had received his commission, his two grand columns were
readv to move— the one from the north on the hne of the
Rapidan, and the other from Fortress Monroe, one day's sad
from Richmond.
On the 5th and 6th days of May was fought the Battle of
the AVildcrncss. How wed tho Confederates sustained
themselves during the first fight may be inferred from an
account by a Northern correspondent, who says, "No cheer
of victory sweded through tho Wilderness that night."
Tho results of tho second day's fight wcro eminently suc-

THE BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS.

291

cessful to the Confederates, but it seems they were not
aware of the magnitude of their victory, and faded to press
the advantage gained by them. Generals Seymour and
Shaler, of the Federal army, with the greater portion of
their commands, were captured. Being confessedly outgen-
eraUod, Grant was compeded to change his front, which
required a change of hne for Genoral Lee. This change was
given by the enemy tho namo of "retreat," and it was her
alded in the press of the North as a ." Waterloo defeat of
the Confederates," and "Tbe retreat of Lee to Richmond."
But very soon these mendacious reports were corrected by
subsequent devolopmonts, as had been many of a similar
character in the preceding history of tho war. In this
engagement General Longstreet was sovorely wounded, and
General Jenkins, of South Carolina, lost his life.
On the 8th of May two engagements were fought at Spot
sylvania Court-House, in which the enemy were repidsed.
On the 9th, whicb was marked by some skirmishing, Gen
eral Sedgwick, one of the corps commanders of General
Grant's army, and reported to be a valuable and gadant
officer, was killed (probably by a stray bullet.) It is said
he had just at that moment been bantering his men about
dodging aud ducking their heads at the whistle of the Con
federate bullets in tho distance. "Why," said he, "they
couldn't hit an elephant at this distance," when in a mo
ment a ball entered, his face, just below the eye, penetrated
his brain, and caused his death instantly.
But on the 12th of May occurred what is entitled the
great battle of Spotsylvania Court-house. In this engage
ment the Confederate Major-General Johnston, with almost
his entire division, and a brigade or two of other troops
under command of Brigadier-General George H. Stuart'
were captured ; but the result of the battlo was that the
enemy were repulsed with tremendous loss. Tho ground
in front of tho Confederate linos was pilod with his slain.
Tho fighting had now continued during six days, and
had been of tho most obstinate and desperate character.

202

TE BATTLES OF THE . WILDERNESS.

An intelligent critic says of this period : "It would not
be impossible to match the results of any one day's battle
with stories from the wars of the old world ; but never,
we should think, in the history of man, were five such bat
tles as these compressed into six days." - ¦!!,-• -, ,;.,
Grant had been foded, but his obstinacy had not been
subdued. He telegraphed to Washington : "I propose to
fight it out on this line, if it takes ad summer."
Whde Grant was engaged on the Rapidan, a cavalry expe
dition, under tho command of .General' Sheridan, moved
around on the right flank of General Lee, to North Anna
River, committed somo damage at Beaver Dam Station, on
the Vfrginia Central Railroad, proceeded thence to the South
Anna River and Ashland Station, on the Richmond, Fred-,
ericksburg and Potomac Railroad, destroyed a portion of
the road at, that point, and made its way round to the James
River at Turkey Island, whore its forces joined those of
Butler. The damage inflicted in this raid was not consid
erable, but a severe fight, occurred at Yedow Tavern, on the
direct road to Rich mond, ,on ¦ the 10th' of May, where a
Confederate force of cavalry, under our gallant General J.
E. B. Stuart, encountered that of Sheridan. In this engage-,
ment our dlustiious cavalry commander, who had for so
long a time mado Virginia the theatre of brilliant and. chiv
alrous exploits, wfrich in. feudal times would have made all
Europe ring with the praise of so gallant a knight, was
killed. p r,--, " „,,, ;,,> -, .. _
It seemed indeed very difficult to realize that General
Job. Stnnrt, late so full of life, so bright, so gay, so brave,
could bo cut down in a moment ; but soon the mournful
strains of the Dead March, the Solemn procession of mili
tary mourners, the funeral carriage, the coffin draped with
tho Confederate banner, the saddened citizens who with
tearful eyes gazed upou the melancholy pageant, told but
too truly the story of the departure of another hero of the
South. Tlie laurel and the cypress strangely intertwined in
the wreath of the South, and tho mourning chaplot was
growing almost too heavy to be borne on her brow.

THE BATTLES -OF' THE WILDERNESS,

293

*3W

In the meantime, Butler's column, intended to operate
against us on the south side, in co-operation with Grant on
the north of Richmond, had commenced its movement.
On the 5th of May he proceeded with his fleet of gun
boats and transports up the James River, landing at Wil
son's Wharf ' a regiment of Wdd's negro troops, two brig
ades of negroes at Fort Powhatan, thence up to City Point,
where he landed Hinks's division, and at Bermuda Hundred
he disembarked his whole army. On the 7th of May a por
tion of his command struck for the Richmond and Peters
burg Railroad, and succeeded in • destroying a bridge seven
miles north of PetersburgA' His intention was, and he
boasted that he could carry tho defences of Drewry's Bluff,
the main barrier of approach to the Confederate capital,
by the route of the James River, and it had been stated in
the papers at the North that he had succeeded in cutting
the army of Beauregard in twain, and "held the koys to
tho back door of Richmond." • But this consummation, so
" devoutly to be wished " by tho redoubtable hero of New
Orleans was altogether in anticipation. Wo read : " On the
16th of May General Beauregard fed upon the insolent
enemy, in a fog, drove Butler from his advanced positions
back to his original earth-works, and inflicted upon him a
loss of five thousand men in kided, wounded and captured.
He had fallen upon the right of the Yankee line of battle
with the force of an avalanche, completely crushing it back
ward and turning Butler's flank. The action was decisive.
The day's operation resulted in Butler's entire army being
ordered to return from its advanced position within ten
milos of Richmond, to the line of defence known as Ber
muda Hundred, between the James and Appomatox Rivers."
''• Tho expedition of Sigel in the Vadey had also como to
grief. On the 15th of May his column was encoimterod by
the Confederate General Breckinridge, near New Market,
who drove it across the Shenandoah, captured six pieces of
artillery, nearly one thousand stand Of small arms, and
inflicted upon it heavy loss in inen. "¦ Sigel was forced to

294

THE BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS.

THE BATTLES OF TOE WILDERNESS.

295

abandon his hospitals and to destroy the larger portion of
his train.
In the meantime a now movement was undertaken by
General Grant, to pass his army from tho line of tho Po,
(wliich had been occupied by him since the battle of Spot
sylvania Court-House,) down the valley of the Rappahan
nock, which compeded General Leo to evacuate a strong
position occupied by him on tho line of the Po, and by
admirable strategy ho succeeded again in intercepting
Grant, and planted himself botween Grant and Richmond,
near Hanover Junction. Wc find : " On the 23d and 25th
of May General Grant mado attempts on tho Confodorato
lines, that wero repulsed, and left him to tho last alternative.
Another flanking operation remained for him, by which "ho
swung his army from the North Anna around and across
the Pamunky. On the 27th Hanovertown was reported to
be occupied by the Yankee advance under General Sheri
dan, and on the 28th Grant's entire army was across the
Pamunky." " General Lee also reformed his line of battle north and
south, directly in front of the Virginia Central Railroad, and
extending from Atler's Station south to Shady Grove, ten
miles north of Richmond. In this position he covered both
the Vfrginia Central and the Fredericksburg and Richmond
Railroads, leading to Richmond, west of and including the
Mechanicsville piko. The favorite tactics of Grant appear
to have been to develop the left flank ; and by this charac
teristic mancouvro he moved down the Hanovor Court-
House road, and on the first day of June he took a position
near Cold Harbor."
Ho w as now within a few miles of Richmond. The North
ern mind was buoyed up with the report of tho certainty of
the capture of the "rebel capital " within the usual time—
"ten clays.'' But it was altogether too fast. The circum
stance of tho close proximity to the city, the view of the
spires of tho churches and domes of prominent edifices in
Richmond, chd not mean that tho army of the enemy woro

h

T

8*^,

quite in occupation, as was proven by the defeat of General
McClellan, when so near that he might almost, with good
glasses, have looked in upon our breakfast tables ; and tho
"retreat of Leo," as usually understood by the Federals, was
simply to counteract and check every movement attempted
by General Grant, from the time of his advance at the battle
of the Wilderness up to the time that he essayed the pass
age. of the Chickahominy and succeeded in establishing him
self at Cold Harbor, a strategic point of great importance to
him, as it furnished him an easy communication with his
base of supplies at the Whito Houso, on tho Pamunky
River. But the attainment of this point had not been at
slight cost, but with the loss of moro than two thousand
mon in killed and wounded.
There is abundant evidence to infer that General Grant
intended to make the conflict at Cold Harbor the decisive
battle of the campaign. One who was wed-informed, and
and who closely watched the progress of these events,
writes : "The movements of. the preceding days, culmi
nating in tho possession of Cold Harbor — an important
strategic point — had drawn the enemy's fines close in front
of the Chickahominy, and reduced the mditary problem to
the forcing of the passage of that river; a problem which, if
solved in Grant's favor, woidd decide whether Richmond
could be carried by a coup de main, if a decisive victory
should attend his arms, or whether he should betake himself
to siege operations, or some other course.
Early on the morning of tho 3d of June tho assault was
made. The first lino of the Confederates held by General
Breckinridge was carried— but the reverse was only momen
tary—for the troops of Midegan's Brigade and the Mary
land battalion dashed forward, and retrieved the honors
temporardy gathered by the enemy.
The account beforo referred to proceeds: "On every part
of tho hne, tho enemy was repulsed by the quick and
decisive blows of the Confederates. Hancock's corps, the
only portion Of tho Yankee, army that had como in contact

206

THE BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS.

THE BATTLES ' OE THE WILDERNESS.

207

with the Confederate works, had been hurled back in a
storm of fire; the Sixth corps had not been able to get up
further than within two hundred and fifty yards of the main
works; whdo Warren and Burnside, or the enemy's right
and right centre were staggered on tho linos of our rifle-pits.
The decisive work of the day wTas done in ten minutes.
Never were there such signal strokes of valor, such despatch
of victory. It was stated in the accounts of the Confede
rates, that fourteen distinct assaults of the enemy were
repulsed, and that his loss was from six to seven thousand.
No wonder that the assurance of the capture of Richmond
was displaced in the newspapers of the North, by tho omin
ous calculation that Grant coidd not afford many such
experiments on tho intrenched fine of the Chickahominy,
and would have to make some other resort to victory."
The battle of Cold Harbor forever removed the impression
of the demoralization of General Lee's army, and ended
the attempt to take Richmond from the north side. The
barefooted, ragged, id-fed rebel army, which had been
under fire for more than a month, had achieved a succession
of victories unparalleled in the history of modern warfare.
General Grant and his friends wore alike astonished. The
latter insisted ho should have half a midion of men to en
able him to accomplish his work, and a Boston paper said,
"Wo should havo a vigorous and overwhelming war, or else
peace without further effusion of blood."
We had witnessed tlie fadure of tho seventh expedition
sent out for tho capture of Richmond. We had seen, ono
after another, six of the defeated candidates for that honor,
relieved of command, and quietly consigned to his place on
the shelf. Wo had watched with the most curious interest
the rivalry in the different routes to the desired end. We
had seen General. McClellan in his Peninsular rout driven
from our walls, and taking refuge on board his gunboats ;
we had seen McDowell and Pope from tho North, driven
back, routed and dismayed, under cover of the guns of

•**• %

Alexandria and Washington.

Burnsido and Hookor had

*-

been driven back across the Rappahannock, and now Gen
eral Grant from his eccentrio route through the tangled
roads of tho Wilderness, and by Spotsylvania Court House,
dismayed, disconcerted with his stock of expedients well
nigh exhausted, had been compeded to transfer his army to
the south side of the James, and was driven to resort to
the capture of Richmond by siege operations.
Notwithstanding, his avowal to " fight it out on this hne "
if it took ad summer, Grant found himself most unwillingly
transferred to a new base of operations.
The most striking feature in the character of this dis
tinguished commander of the Federal army, seems to be
quiet determination, and indomitable perseverance and en
ergy. Under simdar disappointment, another woidd have
had his courage so shaken that he would gladly have fore
gone an undertaking that promised so little fulfillment in
success. The saving of his army appeared not to have been
with him an object, if by it h6 should lose an advantage.
He had received, from the battle of the Wilderness to that
of Cold Harbor, repeated and powerful repulses; his losses
in men were unparadeled in the whole history of the strug
gle, but his perseverance was undisturbed, and the inten
tion to bear him out is evidenced by the immense rein
forcements with which he was continually supplied.
From the Wilderness to Richmond he is reported to
have lost from sixty to one hundred thousand men — some
accounts place his figures still higher, but from tho teeming
multitudes of the North, it was an easy matter to fill up the
gaps in his ranks — whde for a Confederate soldier kdled, the
question began te be one of importance, "Where shall ono
be found to fill bis place in the ranks ?"
A Confederate officer, in speaking of one of these battles,
remarked, " I never witnessed such destruction of life. One
day after a battle," said ho, "my own horse being exhausted,
I borrowed one' to ride te a position of tho field, a mile, or
two distant. On passing a company of soldiers, I asked,
'Are there any Yankees in this direction?' thoy replied,

298

THE BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS.

| Yes; thousands, and in line of battle.' 'Well, then,' I re
joined, 'I must retreat, this horse is a borrowed one, and
however little I may care for my own capture, I do not wish
my friend to lose his horse.' I had turned my horse to ride
back, when they shouted, ' Halloo, soldier, but they are ad
dead!' I then pursued my way to that portion of the
field, and such a sight met my gaze as I had never before
witnessed, and pray nover to seo again! In a direct line
for moro than two mdes, in ovory attitudo of death, it
seemed to me there was not a foot of earth uncovered by a
human figure. In some places they lay in heaps of two,
three and four, wliich proved that a wholo lino of tho enemy
must have been cut down by our firo, and there they lay
unburied, thefr ghastly fcaturos distorted in the terrible re
pose of an agonizing death."
It has been said, (but denied by certain Federal officers
with whom we have conversed) that at the battle of Cold
Harbor Grant's men wcro furnished with extra rations of
whiskey, to sustain thoir sinking courage; but it is a fact
that many of them were said to have been partiady intoxi-
eated-when taken prisoners, and to have marched up to the
breastworks of the Confederates and voluntarily surrendered
thcmr.clvcs, and those who resisted were knocked down by
clubbed muskets. These things were stated to us by more
than one Confederate officer, of whose veracity there is not
the slightest question.
From the difference also evinced in the temper and dis
position of the prisoners taken during this Series of battles
may be gathered the impression made upon the mind of
the army of General Grant, by the repeated reverses ex
perienced iu his attempt to lake Richmond,' in the spring
of 1861. At first thoso. taken seemed defiant and revenge
ful, spoke freely of a speedy rescue, and the certainty of
the capture of the rebel capital, and of the success of
Grant's campaign; those captured at tho later battles were
despondent, discouraged, hopeless, and heaped unmeasured
blame upon their government for continuing a war that

\%'

. PETERSBURG.

299

Jt

&~

appeared to them unlikely to end successftdly for their
cause; and applied to General Grant an unenviable sobri
quet, for the unparalleled sacrifice of human lifo in an under
taking that promised so little hope of accomplishing the end
desired.

CHAPTER LVLTI

PETERSBURO.

TDETERSBURG had already sustained a heavy attack. On
-L tho 9th of Juno an expedition under Butler, had essayed
the capture of tho "Cockade City." The approach was made
wioh nine regiments of infantry and cavalry, and at least
four pieces of artillery, with which the enemy searched the
Confederate lines for a distance of nearly six miles. They
were opposed by Hood's and Battle's battalions, the forty-
sixth Virginia, one company of the twenty-third South Car
olina, with Sturdevant's battery, and a few guns in position,
and Taliaferro's cavalry. The enemy were twice repulsed',
but succeeded finady in penetrating the hne of the Confed
erates, when the timely appearance of reinforcements to tbe
Rebels, the most of whom were raw troops and mditia, en
abled them to drive back tho greatly superior numbers 'that
opposed them. Tho successful repulse of tho first attack
upon tho "Cockade City" greatly encouraged the forces for
its local defence. General Wise delivered an address to tho
troops under his command with his peculiarly thrilling elo
quence, tcding them that "Petersburg is to bo and shall be
defended on her outer wads, on her inner hues, at hor cor
poration bounds, in every street, and around every temple
of God, and every altar of man."
However, tho resolution of this gadant httle city was to
be tested by a moro severe trial, and to stand the shock of
battle from tho bulk of Grant's army. General Beauregard
was transferred with his army to command and operate in

300

PETERSBURG.

tho defence. On tho 14th June an assault was made on the
hne of the Confederates which covered tho northeastern
approach to the city, and resulted in the capture of that
hne of works. On. the evening of tho 16th an attack was
ordered on tho Confederate works in front of Petersburg,
resulting not only in a repulse at every point, but, tho rebel
troops, assuming the aggressive, drove the enemy from thoir
breastworks at tho Howdett Houso, and opened upon them
an enfilading firo under which they fled with the utmost pre
cipitation. Particularly noticeable in this defence was the
action of General Hoke's division, which SuccessfuUy
repulsed three chfferent charges of the enemy. In tho final
repulse a large portion of a brigade of the foe, boing exposed
to a heavy fire from the Confederate artdlery, sought shelter
in a ravine, and surrendered to tho Sixty-fourth Georgia
regiment. • . , r .o -
On the 17th, the fighting was renewed without result.
On the 18tb, it was resolved by the enemy to make an assault
along the whole line for the purpose of carrying the town,
and evidently intended to be decisive. Three different
assaults wcro made during the day, each to be repidsed.
After severe losses on tlio part, of each corps of the enemy
engaged in the assault, at night tho Confederates were still
in possessiun of their works covering Petersburg, and Gen
eral Grant was driven to tho nocossity of making still
another ebango in his operations."- Tho scries of engage
ments around Petersburg had cost him not less than ton
thousand men in killed and wounded, and had culminated in
another decisive defeat.
Pickett's division at tlio same time taught the enemy
another severe lesson at Port Waltbad Junction. It was
here (hat the, heroes of Gettysburg engaged and repulsed a
force under General Gillmore, (of Charleston notoriety,) who
wcro employed in the destruction of the railroad, took two
lines of his brea-tworks, and put him te tho most disastrous
flight. Another portion of the combination, designed as an aux-

i
Is

'%,

PETERSBURG.

301

diary to the general plan of Grant, had also failed of success.
General Sheridan, in his advance on Charlottesville, had, on
the 10th of June, been intercepted by tbe Confederate cav
alry under General Wade Hampton, disastrously defeated
'in an engagement at Trevilhan's Station on the Central Rad-
' road, and compeded to withdraw his command across the
North Anna River. 'M.-v'v
General Hunter's expedition had also faded. On the
18th of June he made an attack upon Lynchburg, and
was repulsed by the Confederates from General Lee's fines
under General Jubal Early. On tbe next day, more reinforce
ments having arrived, General Early prepared to attack the
enemy, when ho retreated in great confusion. An account
says, "Wo took thirteon of his guns, and pursued him to'
Salem, in Roanoke County, and forced him into a lino of
retreat into the mountains of western Vfrginia." Strange to
say, General Hunter ofiiciady announced to his government
that his expedition had been "extremely successful;" that
he only left Lynchburg because his ammunition was running
short, and that as to the eccentric line he had taken up, he
"now was ready to move in any direction."
But the measure of tho misfortunes of this campaign was
not yet full. On tho 22d of June, Grant made an attempt
to get possession of the AVeldon Railroad, which resulted
in disaster, tho Confederates under General Anderson cap
turing four gams and ono entiro brigado of prisoners, and a
portion of another brigade from tho Second and Sixth corps
of the army of Grant. And yot another expedition was des
tined te failure Another raid on tho railroad was atl empted
in the neighborhood of the Spotswood River, on the 28th of
June, by Wdson's and Kautz's divisions of cavalry- Hero
they encountered the Confederate cavalry under Hampton,
and the infantry brigades of Mahone and Finnegan, and the
results of the engagements were in loss to tbe enemy of
one thousand prisoners, thirteen pieces of artdlery, thirty
wagons and ambulances, and many small arms.
With this may be said to have ended this long-protracted

302

PETERSBURG.

and remarkable campaign. It had been distinguished, from
the beginning, by a series of disasters, and would have
effectually discouraged ono less intrepid and persevering
than Goucral Grant. From afi indications it appeared to
us evident that the North was beginning to stagger under
the accumidation of disaster. Gold had already touched
nearly threo hundred. There were ominous whispers in
Washington of tho necessity for another draft, and the dis
content at tho North was growiug strong. The disposition
at tho South to continue tho war at all hazards, had boon
combated by the Confederate Congress in a published depre
catory address. Ono account says: "Those declarations wcro
eagerly seized upon by Northern journals, who insisted that
no time should bo lost in determining whethor they might
not possibly signify a willingness on the part of the South
to make peace on the basis of new constitutional guaran
ties/' The financial condition of the Federal Treasury was
growing desperate. Mr. Chase, tho Secretary of the Treas
ury, had peremptorily resigned, and had declared that noth
ing could prevent the financial ruin of tho country but a
scries of the most unqualified successes.
In the temper of the masses at tbe South there was stdl
no perceptible change. Thoy seemed more than ever before •
determined on the prosecution of the war, and desired peace
only upon the recognition of their independence. It is truo
iu the last elections to the Confederate Congress there wcro
several members elect known as "Union Mon," but they only
held those piinciplcs under certain guaranties to the South,
and th'so men represented a very small portion of ono of
the States of the Confederacy, and thefr influence was almost
inappreciable in that body.

A

(I

'V

i
A-

PETERSBURG. ^03
CHAPTER LIX
STARVATION IN RICHMOND.
IN Richmond we had never known such a scarcity of food
—such absolute want of the necessaries of life. Tho
constant interruption to our means of transportation pre
vented the importation of tho usual supplies, and the huck
sters from the adjoining counties dared not attempt to
bring in their products to Richmond, for fear of capture or
other misfortune. Our markets presented a most. impover
ished aspect. A few stalls at which was sold poor beef,
and some at which a fow potatoes and other vegetables were
placed for sale, were about all that were opened in tho Rich
mond markets. Our usual supplies of fish were cut off by
the lines occupied by tho enemy, and as a general rule a
Richmond dinner at this timo consisted of (fried Indian
peas, rice and salt bacon, and com bread. A servant sent
to market would bo likely to return with an empty basket,
or something of so miserable an appearance that the stom
ach revolted, probably, at the sight, and we very gratefully
partook of 'our salt meat and dried peas,' varied sometimes
with a dessert of sorghum sirup. Yet the spirits of tho
people- were unconqucred. Despondency was unknown. A
cheerful submission to these increased inconveniences was
everywhere visible, and a more certain hope of prosperity
in the Confederate cause indicated by ad. Tho want of
necessary food, the inflated prices of provisions, the con
stant depreciation of the Confederate money, were all recon-
ciliable in the cheerful confidence of final success. The
safety of Richmond we began to regard as incontestable.
AVe had witnessed too many attempts and too many failures
in the attempts at its capture to believe it would ever be
abandoned to our enemies. We had begun to regard it as
invulnerable. In dlustratiou of this belief a lady says : "I was ono
afternoon, accompanied by a young officer of tho Confcdo-

304

STARVATION IN RICHMOND.

SHERMAN 8 MARCH.

305

rate army, returning from a visit te a woimdod friond, then
at Howard's Grove Hospital, a hide and a half from
Richmond. On passing the Capitol Square we wore
attracted by the music of a brass band. We turned into the
grounds, and thore we witnessed the reriew of the Corps of
Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute, by Governor
Smith. It was an interesting affair. These young soldiers
had acquired an honorable prestige in the war, and were
addressed with very happy effect by the Governor, who com
plimented them as they so well deserved on their services
in the cause of the. Confederacy. His speech over, there
were loud calls for an address from a prominent officor
then present, who was distinguished for his eloquence as
well as his patriotism. His remarks were beautiful and
encouraging. This corps carried a banner, on one side of
which was the coat of arms and motto of Vfrginia, and on
the other was the portrait of Washington. In one corner
of the banner was a miniature representation of the " old
flag"— the Stars and Stripes. It was an old banner and
had been borne by these youthfid soldiers on many a hotly
contested field. The orator alluded, in beautiful and glow
ing language, to the gallant action of this youthful band
of soldiers, and pointing to their banner, happily alluded
to the fact that, though riddled ad around by the bads of
tha enemy, the portrait of Washington stid remained un
touched. There on tho canvas it remained intact, whde tho
miniature flag in tho comer was riddled with bullets. He
alluded to tho piotractcd and bloody campaign through
which wc had passed, and to the many futile attempts to cap
ture our capital — and then pointing to tho equestrian
statue of Washington, he declared that untd wo gained our
independence, 'On that statue no Yankee shad ever look,
unless he comes as a captive.'
"Standing on tho outskirts of tho crowd, I was led by
these remarks to approach near enough to examine the
ensign borne by the cadets. Sure enough, the image, hko
the living body of the immortal Father of his Country,

A

seemed not made to be pierced by a ball ; and, strange to
say, the miniature Stars and Stripes was very nearly cut
out, and I laid this by in my heart as an omen of good for
our cause."
Alas for the wisdom of human calculations, for the pre
science which is uttered with all the assurance of prophecy I
Twelvo months had not passod and the beautiful month of
May had not returned to chronicle the records of another
bloody campaign, ere, underneath the shadow of that same
equestrian statue, on which our distinguished orator had
told his youthful fedow soldiers " no Yankee shad ever look,
unless ho comes as a captive," there were seen thousands,
not as captives, but as the conquering hosts, to whom our
devoted city was at last compellod to surrender. Whon
they once more planted the " Stars and Stripes " over the
building where once sat in councd our National Legislators,
— our prophetic orator was a fugitive ; and the cause that
gave inspfration to his eloquence was ruined I

-. , ¦-; , J. CHAPTER LX.» L
DESTRUCTION OP THE ALABAMA  SHERMAN'S MARCH.
CLOUDS and sunshine, light and darkness, alternately
shed their brightness or thefr gloom upon tho firma
ment of the Confederate capital, as day by clay we heard
tidings of success or failure in our causo. While our hearts
were idled with congratulation at tho success of the cam
paign in Virginia for the Confederates, from the high seas
was borne to us the intelligence of the loss of our most
officicnt privateer, the "Alabama." Having so littlo of a
navy with which to compete with tho powerful and wed-
appointcd fleets of tho oneray, and fidly appreciating tho
value of the " Alabama," her loss to us was a severe inflic
tion, a heavy blow to the privateering interests of tho South.

306

Sherman's march.

When we compare the glory which might have attached
to Confederate arms in the event of his success, -with the
more powerful interests impended by defeat, we cannot for
bear to censure Captain Semmes for the risk he ran in the
naval engagement which, although it might have been vic
torious, could but very little have damaged the cause of the
enemy, while his own defeat and the loss of tho " Alabama "
threw a heavy shadow over tho fortunes of tho Confederacy.
This engagement occurred noar the French port of Cher
bourg. Whether through the persuasion of others, or be
cause Captain Semmes felt persuaded that victory would
settle on the Confederate flag in this naval duel, it seems
he had not the moral, courage to rosist tho temptation whon
placed in his way in a form so alluring. An hour's fight
decided the fate of the "Alabama," So seriously had she
suffered that she was foimd to bo sinking, and when the
"Kearsarge" was within four hundred yards of him, Cap
tain Semmes hauled down his colors ; yet was tho "Ala
bama " fired upon five times after her colors were struck.
Captain Semmes said : "It is charitable to suppose that a
Bhip of war of a Christian nation could not have dono this
intentionally." Wo find that : "As tho Alabama was on the point of
settling, every man, in obedience to a previous order which
had been given te the crew, jumped overboard and ondeav-
orcd to save himself. There was no appearance of any boat
coming from the enemy after the Alabama went down:
Fortunately, however, the steam yacht "Deerhound," owned
by a gentleman of Lancashire, England— Mr. John Lancas
ter—who was himself on board, steamed up in the midst of
^ the cfrowning men, and rescued a number of both officers
' and men from tho water, among them Semmes himself, i
The loss of tho Alabama, in killed and wounded, was
thirty. Thoro was no life lost on tho Kearsarge, and but
little damage done to the vessel. In his official roport of
tho fight, Captain Semmes said, "At the end of the engage
ment it was ihscovcred by those of our officers who wont'

-*

SHERMAN S MARCH. 307
alongside the enemy's ship with the wounded, that her mid
ship section on both sides was thoroughly iron-coated, this
having been done with chain constructed for the purpose,
placed perpendicularly from tho rail to the water's edgo, the
whole covered with a thin outer planking, which gave no
indication of the armor beneath. The planking had been
ripped off in overy direction by our shot and shell, the chain
broken and iu dented in many placos, and forced partly into
tho ship's side. She was most effectually guarded, howrever,
in this section, from penetration."
Such had been the terror inspired by tho Confederate
privateers, (of which the Alabama was tho most formida
ble,) so "great tho damage done to Amorican shipping, that it
was officially reported in AVashington that 478,665 tons of
American shipping were flying other flags. That service had
caused nearly a thousand Yankeo vessels to be sold to foreign
shipping merchants. The Alabama alone bad accomplished
a work of destruction estimated at from eight to ten midions
of dollars. It is not, therefore, to be wondered at that the
news of her loss was received with the most intense delight
on the Exchanges of New York and Boston — in the language
of another, " with a joy far livelier than would have been
conceived by these commercial patriots if they had heard of
a great victory over Lee's army in Vfrginia."
Simultaneously with Grant's movement against Richmond
was the parallel movement of General Sherman against
Atlanta. It appears from the official report of General Sher
man's operations that ho estimated tho force required to
reach Atlanta at one hundred thousand men and two hun
dred and fifty pieces of artdlery. He started with ninety-
eight thousand sevon hundred and ninety-seven men aud
two hundred and fifty-four guns. He was opposed by tho
Confederates under General Joseph E. Johnston, who, with
his force all told, of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, had not
more than forty-fivo thousand men. Seeing himself cou-
. fronted by moro than twice his number, General Johnston
had no other prospect of success than in the exorcise of supo-

308

Sherman's march.

rior skill and strategy. From the very superior numerical
strength of the enemy, it became evident to General John
ston that it would be expedient in him to risk the chances of
battle only when some unfortunate blunder of the enemy
might place him in such a position as to give him coun
terbalancing advantages. He therefore fell slowly back, but
kept sufficiently near the Yankee army to prevont its send
ing reinforcements to General Grant, hoping by success-
hilly manceuvering, and by taking advantage of positions
as they opportunely appeared, to weaken the force of the
enemy, and reduce tho enormous odds against which he was
contending. , 4 .-,. ,.-. -¦ v ,
He also expected Sherman's force to be materially reduced
before the end of June by the oxpiration of the terms of
service of many of the regiments which had not re-enlisted.
He therefore fed back to Cassvillo in two marches, i Here,
expecting to be attacked, he made a stand. He had secured '
a position which ho considered highly advantageous to him,
but deferring to the opinion of Lieutenant-General Hardee,
ho dcciiled to abandon this position and fall back across the'
Etowah. In his official report of this movement he says
of this dilemma : " Tho other two officers, however, were so
earnest and unwidingto depend on the ability of their corps
to defend tho ground, that I yielded, and the army crossed
the Etowah on the 20th of May, a step which I have regret
ted ever since." PO'i'Jv .- );'.;. -.-,,; ,;, , .,» ;'¦
From tho 25th to tho 27th of May occurred the engage
ments at the New Hope Church, which resulted favorably
for the Confederates. Thus far the retrograde movemont
of General Johnston was regarded as successful, and the
victories achieved at Resaca aud New Hope, very consider
able, -i ; HI .,-;.¦; -. -,- ;-,);< ,],-.,. .-(; pp
A writer says of the strategy of Gonoral Johnston: "It'
had been executed deliberately, being scarcely ever under
the immediate presence of the enemy's advance, and it had
now nearly approached the decisive hne of the Chattahoochee,''
ir whatever other lino ho who was supposed to be greatest'

SHERMAN 9 MARCH

309

strategist of the Confederacy should select for the cover of
Atlanta." On the 1st of June he telegraphed to Richmond
with his usual modesty, "In the partial engagements,"
(referring to his army,) "ithashad great advantages, aud the
sum of all the combats amounts to a battle." The two armies
continued to manoeuvre for position. . From the 4th of June,
from point to point, the skirmishing continued at intervals
untd the 27th of June. General Johnston was attacked by
Sherman on his position on the Kenesaw Mountain, which,
by Sherman's frank admission, was to him a failure. He
again resorted to manceuvering, until finady General John
ston fed back upon Atlanta, and there commenced in
trenching himself. This rotroat of Johnston was variously
received tho Confederate public. To. many it was a soro
disappointment. It had abandoned to the enemy more
than half of Georgia, one of the finest wheat districts
of the Confederacy, thon ripe for the harvest, and at Rome
and on the Etowah River had surrendered to tho enemy
iron rolling-mills and government works of immense value.
In other respects it was considered a masterpiece of strat
egy, and a solid as well as a splendid success. ¦ General John
ston possessed in an eminent degree the confidence of his
army, and the people of the Confederacy, and although there
was evinced sincere disappointment in the conduct of tho
campaign, yet so wed satisfied were tho public generally of
the superior mditary wisdom and tact Of General Johnston
that few were ready disposed to complain of a strategy,
which was not altogether at that time understood.
The advantages secured by him. were indisputable. In
explanation, Johnston writes: "At Dalton the great numer
ical superiority of the enemy made the chances of battlo
much against us; and, even if beaten, they had a safo refuge
behind the fortified pass of Ringgold and in tho fortress of
Chattanooga. Our refuge in case of defeat was in Atlanta,
ono hundred miles off, with three rivers intervening. There
fore victory for us coidd not have been decisive, while defeat
would have boon utterly disastrous. Botween Dalton and

310

SHERMAN S MARCH.

i -

SHERMANS MARCH.

311

the Chattahoochee we could have given battle only by attack
ing the enemy intrenched, or so near intrenchments, that
the only result of success te us would have been his fading
bank into them, whdo defeat would havo been our ruin.
"In tho course pursued our troops, always fighting under
cover, had very trifling losses compared with those thoy
inflicted, so that the enemy's numerical, superiority was
reduced dady and rapidly, and we could reasonably bave
expected to cope with the Federal army on equal ground by
the time the Chattahoochee was passed. Defeat on this side
of the river would have been its destruction. AVe, if beaten,
had a refuge in Atlanta, too strong to be assaulted, and too
extensive to bo invested.
When midsummer camo on, it was obvious that an unmis-
takablo check had been given to the concurrent operations
intended for the destruction of the Southern Confederacy.
General Grant had been brought to a "stand stid" before
Petersburg, and General Sherman before Atlanta, and tho
rebellion, which in its inception its enemies vainly thought
to crush in tho spaco of three months, was then, in the
fourth year of its existence, oven moro formidable than
beforo and awakened in the mind of the North moro serious
doubt of its power to destroy it than when it first reared its
head in support of rights claimed by the South.
It was a curious question then to contemplate, and now a
curious ono upon which to reflect. - And if in the cause that
animated tbe South, that prompted devotion and self-sac-
rifico unparalleled in history, thorp were no elements of
right, it was most unmercifully given over to a delusion to
work its ruin. Can a believer in a God of justice accredit
this ?
AYe hardly dare to refer to the sufferings endured by the
people of that section of the South over which Genoral
Sherman drew the trail of war. Enough to say that deso
lation was written on almost every foot °f ground, misery
on almost every human heart. Let a pen more eloquent
describe ad except the fierce spirit of revengo that roared

I

A.

J

¦*«u.

its hydra head in every bosom, and quenched effectually the
latent fires of love that once glowed in devotion te the.
Union. The heart of .woman is rarely broken by oppres
sion, but it is sometimes turnod to stonol
At the same time the vandalism of Hunter in Virginia
awoke a similar spirit, and even drew upon him the censure,
in no measured terms, of certain journals of tho North.
After his defeat at Lynchburg by General Early, on tho 18th
of June, he found no way of escape but through the Blue
Ridge to tho Gauley River. His footprints were marked by
desolation, devastation, misery. He was distinguished in
Virginia for the lawless execution of Dr. Creigh, of Green
brier County, tho burning of the Vfrginia Military Institute
and the house of Ex-Governor Lotchor, whose family were
adowed only ten mhiutes to secure a few articles of cloth
ing.' These are prominent acts. On the fair face of the
country over which he travelled, unmistakable marks of
ruin sped the name of "Hunter!"
Yet no craven spirit of fear, no miserable spirit of sub
mission took possession of the souls of tho peojile, but a
more defiant resistance, a more stubborn resolution to
oppose to the bitter end the lawless mob who came armed
to commit outrages under the plea of "military necessity."
It is deeply painful to refer to phases of the late war that re
veal only the dark shades of demoralization and brutality.
We geneiady prefer to contemplate beautiful instances of hu
manity with which our recodection is furnished ; but truths
are stubborn — thoy are irresistible ; and in defence of tho
women of the South we may say, the wonder is not that in
many instances they are fiorce, revengeful and vindictive,
but that in them there is left any of tho woman's heart —
any quality to redeem them from the character of fiends
incarnate. Alas I too many of thorn have stories to ted-
not mere figmonts, painted in the glowing imagination of
tho sensitive, excited brain, but truth, "stranger than
fiction" — substantiated by the bare chimneys, the charred
and blackouod walls, tho ruin and dosolation of homos that

312

early's campaign.

awoke the 1 7 mm th° fiGrC0 blMt 0f ^ ™
Their tah of n ^ '^ °f ha^Uess' A»* -re.
eover tb em Ta" 7*°* ^ "10 6'r6en ***** ^
covei the imams of their hearts' treasures-the dear ones
fr nX o " ^P°T?r and ^ bUt Wh° f— "-° the
friendly bosom of "mother earth " the only refuge from the
dire i miseries cntail«;d upon them by the' invaclei Ov
th sC things we would fain throw the mantle of oblivion ;
but the wounds are too deep for the friendly covering to
lmlc from -view the ugly scars left by them. ' "

CHAPTER LXI.
EARLt's CAMPAIGN— WASHINGTON THREATENED.
HPO farther their summer campaign, the Confederates
-i- Planned a series of offensive operations, the object of
onimcl "l t ¦ a,"T WCl"C' h0WGVCr' °» a »«J1 *cale,
rien ! ^ irS1°U °f MaiTland Md P-nsylvania
by General Early, the invasion of Kentucky by General
Morgan, and the invasion of Missouri by General Price
Their results were in the main small, weak and unimport
ant, and productive of but little sensible good to fee Con-
icderacy. ¦' p
General Early penetrated as far as Hagerstown and
Grecncas-.le dislodging the enemy on the route, and cap-
urmgvaluabte stores. On the 9th of July he disappeared
from the vicinity of Hagerstown, Greencastle and other
points threatened, for the purpose of concentrating his
force*. In the meanwhile tho Yankee forces, who had held
Frederick City, fell back four miles, to Monocacy bridge.
At Uus point thoy were enf  1 ' •---..-

3-gcd by tho Confederates, which
csultcd in their disloclgment, and with considerable loss
thoy fled m the direction of Gettysburg'. In this "action,

4i}(

¦early's campaign.

313

which lasted only about two hours, General Early lost, in
killed and wounded, between five and six hundred men and
some valuable officers. He did not pursue the flying enemy
but pressed on directly" towards AVashington and Baltimore'
making rapid marches, but valuable codections of cattle and
horses ad along the route.
Washington was in imminent peril. The Confederate
army was within sight of tho city. AVhispers of alarm ran
through the North. Tho garrison defending tho city was
comparatively weak, and there aro roasons to behove the
Federal capital might have been taken by assault. But
tho opportunity was lost. General Early reconnoitred tho
defoncos, scattered his forces into expeditions to intercept
trains and destroy telegraphs, but coidd not decide to attack
the capital of the enemy
The hopes and expectations of tbe South, which had been
elevated to fever height, were doomed again to disappoint
ment. AVe were mortified -to contemplate another half-fin
ished victory, and public censure bore heavdy upon General
Early. But for his indecision, it was said, he might have
achieved for the Confederacy the most brilliant success that
ever adorned her arms.-:,;,, : o. ;!
But this expedition of Early was not barren of practical
results. About the middlo of July he recrossed tho Poto
mac, laden with tho rich spoils of the enemy. It was
reported that he brought with him five thousand horses and
twenty-five hundred beef cattle. Ho also created a useful
diversion, and compeded General Grant to weaken his army
materiady before Petersburg. Though ho accomplished ail
this, he was not forgiven at the South for the opportunity
lost for an assault upon AVashington.
After crossing the Potomac he gave the enemy another
severe losson. Ho was pursued by the Federal General
Crook, with about fifteen thousand infantry and cavalry.
At a short distanco from AVmchesfor Early turned upon
him, drove him twolve miles beyond Winchester, and
thoroughly routed him.' His. entire loss was sixty men.
14

311

LIFE IN RICHMOND TN 1.864

Crook confessed to a loss of one thousand kided and
wounded. After this there ensued a pause of some weeks in the vadey
campaign, broken only by a raid of Confederate cavalry to
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, in which, for a refusal of sup
plies to the invader, McCausland's brigade burned a con
siderable portion of the town. Although retaliation is
understood as an equivalent in warfare, this act, though
v considered justifiable, gave little pleasure to the Southern
people. By it the North was horrified, and loud and
revengeful were the cries. • "Tit for tat" is not always
regarded as a good rule. A , ' . „

Chapter lttt,
HFE IN RICHMOND TN 1864.
T)OSTON has been facetiously termed the "Hub of the
-LJ Universe." Richm-ond^jwjtjiou^undue assumption,
c?jllj^^lc_i!^^^!Hnb- of tlie~Con7ederac^~NCT:e~r
was her ..spirit more i bnoyaifrtiianovor^ the Jesuits of the
various campaigns of the summerlof lSfillPeaclTand inde
pendence .ficenmd dependent oidy_onJhe_^ndurance. oi the
Southern peoplo..._0f Jhat_theyJi&^lraa^^iv.emthe.most..
indubitable evidence. ,. ' A: a. ,<
So long had the camp-fires glowed around Richmond—
so long had wo breathed tho sulphurous vapors of battle-
so accustomed had our ears become to tho dread music
of artillery— so signal had been our deliverance from the
most elaborate combinations for the capture of our city,
that more surely than over before we felt at this time that
our Confederate house was budt "upon a rock."-;
AAte were practicady soiling a curious question, and one
which most nearly involved the vital interests of the pop
ulation of the city of Richmond. So enormous had become

XIEE IN RICHMOND IN 1864.

315

• ***9&tifs,\

-75

-*Jk

i .1

\l||'

the expense.B_of_ living that the question had grownjo be
one of moment^ " On what can we subsist that will furnish
the greatest amount of nutriment for the least amount of
money ?" In our social gatherings the war topic was most
frequently varied in the discussion of rich dishes, and the
-luxurious tables of days of yore. Sometimes woidd arise
the question: "I wonder if we shad ever see the like
again ?" Often were we forcibly reminded of our former
discontent and dissatisfaction with the luxuries under which
our tables thon groaned, when we contrasted them with
the severe and simple style to which we were now compelled
to submit. Yet we sipped our Confederate tea, swallowed
quickly our confederate coffee, (frequently without sugar,)
dined on fat bacon and Lidian peas, and took our dessert
of sorghum-syrup and corn bread, with as much cheerful
ness and apparent rehsli as we formerly discussed the rich
viands on the wed-fided boards of the old Vfrginia housewives.
Richmond was growing rusty, ddapidatod, and began to
asjume jajwor-worn appearance. Arery few of the buildings
tftdj3e_en brightened by a fresh appli cation of paint since
the commencement of hostilities, and where a plank fed off
PCOCTOTr^Ooo^_o£T^gate fed from~iti~ fringes^ or a
bolt gave way, or a lock was broken, it was" most likely to
remain for_ a time unrepaired; for the majority of_onr
™gc^HiSLZgIli]'L^g_i£^^^°"^.^^^^^'^1 ^h city were
generally in the employmont"of the governmont^and'we"
were forcedjo_ wait for a needful job, uhtiTpatience~would
bocome almost exhausted
The fashion for dress would have seemed absurdly simplo to
the. fashionable belle of New YorkTyet ""despite the rigor of
the blockade,"the latest mode would now and then struggle
through in Godey's Lady's Book, or Frank Leslie's Maga
zine, or Ijc Bon Ton, and when Richmond was disclosed to
the gaze of the outer world it was found that even the " water
fall" had worked its way through the " lines" to the heads
of tho fair ladies of tho rebel capital. AVo wore not so
much bohind tho times as might have boen supposed from

316 LITE IN RICHMOND m 1861.
tho sympathetic article that appeared in one of the journals
of our Northern friends, which stated that the women of
Richmond flaunted in the rich but well-worn silks in use be
fore the war, but that they were minus shoes and hose, and
perambulated the streets with their feet "wrapped in rags I"
We were never barefooted, although at_this_timej, pofr_of_
.ladiesl boots could notebejmrchased for less than one hun
dred and twenty-five dollars, an^this_priee_ala later" period^ "
was thought to be. very moderate... jwhon we' consider jtho"
times, we may say onr st oixs werejrejtyjw^ll^tocked with
goods, such as .they were, but ai.piices marvedous JoTcon-
templato, even in Confederate money.
Tho summer's work at tho hospitals Jn the year 1864
commenced in all its fulhioss early in Mayrafterdhe battles
of tho AVildcrness, It was attendedwith multiplied disadvau-
.frges, owing to the .increased scarcity of provisions. The
.... sick,_mutilated. and. miserable, as over before/uttered warm
expressions ...?f_ gratitude. _JThis last remark is hazarded,
though a matron in a Confederate hospital has written as
follows: "There is little gratitude felt in a hospital, and
none expressed. The mass of patients are uneducated men
who have lived by the sweat of their brow, and gratitude is
an exotic planted in a refined atmosphere, kept free from
coarse contact, and nourished by unselfishness. Common
natures look only with astonishment at groat sacrifices, and '
cunningly avad themselves of them,' and ;, give nothing, in
return, not even the satisfaction of adowing one to suppose
that the care exerted has been beneficial;— that woidd entail
compensation of somo kind, and in their ignorance they
fear tho nature of the equivalent which might be demanded."
( AYitbout desiring to create an issue with the excellent and
accomplished matron, pardon .may be craved for venturing a
most unqualified dissout from her views. 'Gratitude can
not truly be said to bo an exotic, needing the, nourishment
of refinement and cultivation. It is indigenous, rooted in
all the nobler instincts of humanity, a growth directly eman
ating from tho goodness and purity of God,, illustrating

LIFE IN RICHMOND

in 1861.

317

.*.*w*

and embellishing the heart, despite adventurous or fortuitous
circumstances. Moreover there is understood in the remark
a direct reflection upon the rank and file of our army — the
usual class of patients in Confederate hospitals. This every
woman of the South should feel prepared to resent, when it
is romembered that these helpless unfortunates were her
defenders, her protectors, the slender thread upon which
her hopes were hanging, and that the few attentions
bestowed on them in hospitals wero a very meagre and dis
satisfying equivalent for the sacrifices, the miseries, the
wretchedness endured by them.
Oh, no i we cannot forgot the rough grasp of the horny
hand, the eye brightened by the glistening tear, the manly
lip quivering with emotions which surcharged the noble soul,
or tbe feeble voice whispering " God bless you 1" for simple
acts of attention that duty dignified into pleasure, and that
pleasure exalted into duty. H ingratitude was ever evinced,
let sensitive and exacting natures admit the instances were
not general, but exceptional and individual.
Early in June, the officers' hospital in the Baptist Female
College buildings was infected with pyremia— the most nialig-
nant disease which can attack tho wounded— a malady for
" whicb no specific has' ever "yet~Been found, and from which
many more died than from the wound itself. In this disease
the virus that should be discharged by suppuration is dis-
sominated through the circulatory system, causing chills, and
soon death supervenesA For awhile thisjiospital was a char-
nol house, and it was_hmnd necessary to romovo the patients
to the city alms-house, after which the disease disappeared,
and our hearts were more rarely sickened by tbe sight of
mifitary.fimerals'throu^ no^ .
coasojts rovols in our hospitals. This was ovidoncod by the
continually enlarging dmensiqns^f^urcemoterios, and.tho
multiplication of mounds that marked tho soldiers' graves.
It is gonerallycbncoded that the^medicallnlerests of tho
Confederacy were judiciously managed. Our Surgeon-Gen
eral, Dr. Moore, as heretofore remarked, was an exacting

318

LIFE LN RICHMOND IN 1864.

and conscientious officer, and few men who passed the Con
federate ordeal came out so nearly blameless. In the examin
ing Board of Surgeons he was assisted by the most eminent
and accomplished medical men of tho South, and no applicant
for commission as surgeon was permitted to receive it imtd
after passing a thorough examination, and had thus proven
to the Board his qualification for office.
Prominent, wc may say at the head of this Board, was the
lamented Dr. Charles Bell Gibson, whose skill in his profes
sion was rarely equalled in this country, and whoso broad
benevolence and thorough penetration admirably fitted him
for his position. AVe may also notice as belonging to' the
Examining Board, Dr. Peticolas, of the Richmond Medical
College, acknowledged to bo of superior skdl and talent in
his profession; while all attached to this responsible body
wore men of undoubted integrity, and pro-eminent nredical
information. The most efficient coadjutors of the surgeons, and those
to whom next the gratitude of the soldiers was justly due,
were the noble matrons and nurses of tbe Richmond hos
pitals. Yet, strange to say, some of the surgeons seemed
envious of, or impatient towards thorn. However, from the
testimony of the poor sufferers themselves, we may with
propriety assert where one owes his life to a sidlhul surgical
operation, or judicious medical treatment, a dozen owe their
lives to the patient and careful musing of woman.* -
Nor in this connection must ivo omit Jonpfico the noble.
body of chaplains who followed the army ..on.itsjnarch.es and
countermai-chcs, aml^
soldiers. T^ camp a^;i^
scenes of sublimely touching religious exercises. Doffing
the clerical vestments, nianyof the; chajplains donned Jhe
uniform of the soldier, and .wero.distinguisheiLonly byjfre

A'

LIFE IN RICHMOND IN 18G4.

319

V, <¦ linvn In Cmp notice,! tbo names of somo women Illustrious for their deeds of
dj.irify, nml to ails Hsl, wc will rcf.pn-tf.illy nclrt Hint of tho accomplished and glflod
Mrs. I'einuor, who long presided us chiof-mnlron nt ChImboru.ro Uoepltal.

simple cross of " gold lace " on tho sleeve of tho coat or
jackot77CrQnspicuous'limon^tn^ pying tho position of a chaplain, was the Reverend General
Pondloton, who at tho commencement of tho war was rector
of a parish in Lexington, Vfrginia. In Richmond, promi
nent in thefr efforts for the spiritual good of the soldier, wo
may name the Reverend Doctor M. D. Hoge, Reverend Mr.
Peterson, and Reverend Mr. Duncan, Christian ministers.
Tho inhabitants of Richmond were_very_ closely confined
to the _city,..not_only_by_ the active duties of benevolence,
which absorbed so much of their time, "means, and talents,
but frequently by the actual impossibility of travel. When
we summoned the courago to run the risks that a passage
upon our insecure railroads involved, the trip was usuady
accomphshed between the raids in which tracks were torn
up, bridges burned, and other damage done as a means of
capturing the city. ,.
Our delightful watering-places, which had formerly been.
favorite resorts of the, Southern people, for health or pleas
ure, wero most of them closed up, or occupied as hospitals,
or otherwise, for war purposes. However much the system,
relaxed or depressed by long confinement to the hot impure
atmosphere of the city, needed the bracing and healthy in
fluence of the mountain air, and the healing waters, our
situation was such that if we dared to travel fifty or a hun
dred mdes, we might be cut off, and subjected to nameless
inconveniences and troubles in getting back to our homes.
AVhile tho war lasted, the most of us were fixtures in Rich
mond. Wo ventured outside the city limits only when the
skillful manoeuvring of our army made it possible to go with
a certainty of being able to return when we desired. The
fresh fruits and vegetables, pure mdk and butter, and the
various other luxuries and comforts to be found in the coun
try served to tempt us, who subsisted on tho meagro supplies
of our markets; and when an opportunity o fibred, wo gladly
availed ourselves of the chance for rusticating in tho quiot,
dolightful country. ,...,. -.,.,.-, v.,, A

20

LIFE IN RICHMOND IN 1861.

The ade of exile, and refugees which set toward Rich
mond f^ntlm commencement of the war, continued until
its close Notwithstanding the -^^GrSffi^n^chh-
tme it, those driven from their homes crowded into the
capital. Their stones of terror and distress we're generally
¦ concluded with the exclamation, " OfrweTreToo happy te
getting to Bichmond I It is after" ad the safest place in the
Confederacy I"
Where to quarter the refugees, had long been a question
of serious importance. From the second year of the war
the floating population quite equalled, if it did not exceed
m numbers the resident inhabitants. Every influx of thcse_
unhappy wanderers occasioned gravoteonsidemfion "as to
where thoy might find resting places, and tho means of livc-
ihood.Tlic.ve were fow hotels, hnd " boaHing-houses mteht
then have been counted on tho^fiiigersT-Thu Spotswood
Hotel, the American and the Powhatan, were'ad of the larger
hotels then open for public accommodation; and so enor
mous wore expenses at thoso places, that very few of tho,
miserablo refugees, who had been compelled to fly from -
their homes of ease and comfort, could afford the luxury of
Irving in them. Lodgings were . hired which seemed of
india-rubber capacity froinjhojiumbersfrequontly packed '
in them, and" to tell oi the contingent expenses of houseT
keeping at this time would [ round JiJmjterie^oMyddcst ~
fable. •¦•'.- ,- ::-,-¦ , , .i];p„ -.«.. ,;,""".'.
"AAte wore frequently awakened from a temporary dream of
quiet and security, by tho sudden ringing of alarm bells,
occasioned often by only a reconnoissance of tho enemy, but
of a chaiactcr sufficiently threatening to call out our forces
for local defence, which consisted mainly of the battalion of
government clerks under Major Henly, and the battalion of
armorers and artisans from the government work-shops.
After several days of absence, they Would be ordered to re
turn to the city, generady without having participated in
any engagement. ¦¦ "
After the explosion of tho mine at Petersburg, there was

BOTH SECTION^ TIRED OF WAR.

32J

quiet on the Richmond fines during the remainder of the
summer, broken only by a demonstration at Bottom's Bridge,
in August, which, in practical residts, was scarcely of suffi
cient importance at that period of the war to deserve notice.
But our trials i werebocoming daily more and more severe,
and we Jooked io^M;djwiWjshudd^ring_ appreh^nrioM to
the aproaching winter. _x

CHAPTER LXm.
BOTH SF.0TI0NS TllUjn OF WAR— THE NE0OTIATI0N AT NIAGARA
FALLS  VISIT OF COLONEL JACQUES TO lUOmMONU— TUE CHI
CAGO CONVENTION.
THE failure of General Grant's campaign in Virginia,
and the stand-still of General Sherman had awakened
in the North the most clamorous demands for peace.
These desires, cherished in the public heart, found express
ion through the press. Peace was the ultimatum of the
wishes of the South. Thelast Confederate Congress had
published a manifesto that asked only immunity from inter
ference. "Let them forbear aggressions upon us and the
war is at an end. H there be questions which require ad
justment by negotiation; we have ever been wilhng, and are
stid wilhng to enter into communication with our adversa
ries in a spirit of peace, of equity and manly frankness."
In the month of July somo attempts at negotiation wero
undertaken by Messrs. C. C. Clay and Jacob Thompson,
who, associating -with them Mr. George Sanders, suddenly
appeared as Southern commissioners at Niagara Falls. There
they obtained the intermediate assistanco of Mr. Horace
Greeley, to negotiate for an interview with Mr. Lincoln in
order to ascertain on wbat common ground they could pos
sibly treat for the much desired end. It ended futile] y,
like ad simdar attempts. Mr. Lincoln did not appear; but
dispatched a reply addressed " To whom it may concern/'

322

BOTH SEOITONS TIRED OF WAR.

and signified unequivocally, that the Union with the posi
tive and unconditional abandonment of slavery were indis
pensable conditions of peace.
In striking contrast was the notice bestowed on the en
voys dispatched by General Grant, with permission of the
Confederate authorities, to meet Colonel Ould, the Confede
rate Commissioner of Exchange. Theso two, Colonel Jacques,
of tho 7i!d Illinois Infantry, and J. R. Gdlmore, were
brought, by Colonel Ould, into the prosence of Mr. Davis.
They were treated by him with marked courtesy and re
spect, and he discussed with them frankly and politely, the
leading questions of political dissension. It is said Oolonol
Jacques arrived in Richmond attired in a large liuon duster,
but ho had no sooner confronted tho President of tho Con
federacy, than ho threw off the garment and disclosed his
rank, and insignia in the Federal army.
It seemed that theso persons had not a single proposition
to offer, but they succeeded hi adroitly and insidiously ob
taining from Mr. Davis a thorough exposition of his views
and designs, of which, says an account, "They carried back
a long story to the Yankee newspapers, and made no little
capital out of their visit to Richmond by sensations in the
Northern periodicals, and itinerant lectures at twenty-five
cents a head."
It was mortifying to tho Southern people te contrast the
difference between the unmerciful snubbing received by their
commissioners from President Lincoln with the courtesy
and distinction with which Mr. Davis received the envoys
extraordinary of General Grant. Its influence on tho pub
lic mind, the compromise of dignity which it comprehended,
can wed be understood in the language of another, who thus
notices it: "The more intelligent and worthy portion of the
Confederate pubhc, were greatly wounded in their pride by
the behavior of their authorities on the peace question.
Many of these persons had, since tho very commencement
of the war, insisted on the futility and impropriety of essay
ing to open any special negotiations with the enemy on

-".rV. '-it

BOTH SECTIONS TIRED OF -WAR.

323

1

•;
1

peace. Thore were the many distinct avowals of the purpose
of the war on our side, in the declarations and acts of the
government, invariably protesting our simple desire to be
let alone, which were already a clear and standing tender
of peace. The issues could not be made more distinct or
more urgent than in the official record. Why, they argued,
should we go beyond it, by attempts at kitchen conferences,
which might not only be insolently rebuffed by the enemy,
to tbo damage of our self-respect, but which, as experience
had so far shown, were invariably misinterpreted, and not
without plausibibty, as signs of decadence and weakness in
our .military" affairs. True, proud and intedigent persons
in the Confoderaoy were as anxious for peace as those who
woro constantly. profossing thoir devotion to this end. But
they considered that the honor and self-respect of their
countrymen, had been lowered by devious and unworthy
attempts at negotiation. Having once announced the terms
of peace sufficiently, they judged they would do right, whde
awaiting the overtures of the enemy, not to betray thefr
anxiety, or open any unnecessary discussions on the sub
ject. , And there could be no doubt of the sufficiency of
those announcements." ... .•a-A-Aa.--.--a . ¦ -A
. AVhde the North cried "peace 1". peace was echoed at the
South, but when the North proclaimed " Union," the heart
of the South replied " Independence 1"
In reply to a letter from Governer Vance of North Caro
lina, alluding to the political discontent in that state, and
suggesting an effort at negotiation with the enemy, which
might appease the malcontents, and if unsuccessful inten
sify the war feeling — as early as January, 1864, Mr. Davis
wrote :
" "We have mado three distinct efforts to communicate with the author
ities at "Washington, and have been invariably unsuccessful. Commis
sioners vere sent before hostilities were begun, and the "Washington
government refused to receive them or hear what they hod to say. A
second time I sent a military officer with a communication addressed by
myself to President Lincoln. The letter was received by General Scott,
who did not permit tho officer to seo Mr. Lincoln, but promised that an

821

BOTH SECTIONS TTRED OF WAR.

answer would bo sent. No answer has ever beon receivod. Tho third
timo, a few months ago, a gentleman was sent, whose position, charac
ter, and reputation were such as to insuro his roeeption, if, the enemy
wero not determined to reooive no proposals whatever from tho govern
ment. Vice President Stephens mado a patriotic tender of his services,
in the hope of being ablo to promoto tho cause of humanity; and al
though little, hope was entertained of his success, I cheerfully yielded to
his suggestion that the experiment should be tried. Tho. enemy
refused to to lot him pass through their lines or to hold any. conference'
with them. Ho was stopped before ho reached Portress Monroe, on his
way to Washington. To attempt again (in tho faco of these repeated
rejections of all conferences with us) to send commissioners or agents to
propose peace, is to invito insult and oontumcly, and to subjeot oursolvcs
to indignity, without the slightest ehaneo of being listened to,
"I rnuiKit recall at this time one inslnneo in which I havo fulled to
announce that our only desiro was peaco, and tho only forms which
offered a .wjp qua non, woro precisely those which yon suggested, immoly,
'A demand only to bo let alone.' But suppose it were practicable to
obtain a conference through commissioners with the Government Of
President Lincoln, is it at this moment that we are to consider it desira
ble, or even at all admissible. Have we not just been apprised, that we
can only expect his gracious pardon by emancipating all our slaves,
swearing allegiance and obedience to him and his proclamation, and bo-
coming in point of fact, the slave of our owu negroes.''
The Niagara Falls negotiation, and the Jacquos-Gilhnore
embassy "served to sensibly weaken tbe confidence of the
Southern people in the strength of their government. AVe
were at this time, watching, with tho most anxious solici
tude, the movements of the Democratic party at the North,
in reference to the peace question. They wore expected to
be developed in a more practical direction in view of the
approaching Presidential election.
The Democratic National Convention met at Chicago,
Hlinois, on tho 29th of August, In the platform thore
adopted, notwithstanding its protestations of attachment to
the Union, the South understood an evident acknowledg
ment of the independence of tho Confederate States. Gen
eral George B. McClellan was the nominee for President,
upon the Chicago platform. In an eminent degree, General
McClellan commanded the confidence and respect of the

jA >.
j
* V'

BOTH SECTIONS TIRED OE WAR.

325

A

Southern people; and had men alone, and not measures,
been involved in the election, there is not doubt the voice of
the South would have been substantially in favor of his
election to office, inasmuch as the party represented by him
were the avowed friends bf the South, in her most vital
interests. ' •'> '
Witb the majority, the desire for McClellan's election
was intense, although in comparing the two adverse wings
of the Democratic party, known as the "War Democrats " and
the " Peace Democrats," the Republicans were considered
by many to bo more certainly friends of the South, than tho
Democrats, who advocated the prosocution of tho war.
In reforouco to tho final acknowledgment of Confederate
indopondonco, as understood in the platform of tho Chicago
Convention, an intedigent and sagacious Southern author
says: "It was proposed perhaps to got to this conclusion
by distinct and successive steps, so as not to alarm too much
the Union sentiment of the country. Tho first step was to
be the proposition of the 'Union as it was' in a convention
ofthe States; if that was voted down, then the proposition
of a new principle of federation, limited to tho foreign rela
tions and to the revenue; if that was rejected, then the
proposition of an inter-confederate, Union to preserve as far
as possible, by an extraordinary league, the American pres
tige; and, if all these propositions, intended as tests of the
spirit of the South, were to fail, then, at least, the independ
ence of tho Confederate States, under the sine qua non, was
to be conceded by the Democratic party of the North, as the
last resort of pacification, and one of the two alternatives
where their choice could no longer hesitate. In short it
appeared to be the design of the Democratic party to get
the North, on the naked issue of the war and separation.
* * * AAdiy tho programme broke down is explained al
most in a word. Tho ¦ military events which took place
betweon tho date of the Chicago Convention and election
day, put upon tho war a moro encouraging aspect, for tho
North, and witb those changes the Democratic party

326

THE CAPTURE OE MOBTUG.

abandoned ground which they took professedly on principle
hut really on the mean considerations of eJSiSTSd
time-serving The fact was, that ah party changes Tn the
North since the war, might bo said to be constant Mm
gating themselves to the course of mihtary events A ter
h tlmTlC°T'C1-rrU' thG PSaCe P^ ™d ™«» X
no i™ f "f itary miccoss' nnd " tbat ""*»tod £
fr almost Pmi°n; 'V611' UUm' " ™ SliaU See mont^ I-ter..
it almost approached zero."
But at this period we of the Confederacy dreamed not
hat we were on the very eve of disasters which would so
effectuady neutralize the successes of the summer cam
paigns as to work the change of sentiment understood Tn
-lie remarks we have quoted. AVe little thought that, tho
Wily intentions of the Democratic party oi the North
tttiltoTT" ^ ***»*»«» oi the South, wer on
nnsteriuue f r8' °,T thl'0WU hj the "fcnanagament or
SutJ wa I ££>"*** °Perati°M °f *• <*»**«^

CHAPTER LX1V.
TUE OAPmilE OF MOBILF.-THE FALL O* ATI,ANTA_THE FA1Il
CAMPAIGN AROUND RICHMOND.
j\ MOBILE was valuable to the Confederacy as one of the
±U. principal ports for the blockade-running business. It
ZZ budtaforltriT °f thQ ?°nfederat0 ^ Wh6re —1
veie budt for the purpose of raising tho blockade. Hence
it became an object of extreme desire on the part of oui-
enemies to get possession of Mobile Bay. As soon as ope
rations on the Mississippi permitted the detachment of a
sumemnt co-operating military force, an expedition for this
purpose was fitted out, and on the 5th of August Admiral
l-.m-agiit passed the forts and closed tho harbor of Mobile
Rut m the meantime wc had experienced a reverse, beside

THE CAPTURE ' OE ' MOBILE.

327

':.&

: if* ,

0

i ^,
,-. ,#"P

whicb tbe affafr in Mobile Bay was almost forgotten or over
looked. The events of the Georgia campaign were indeed
" to put a new aspect on the war ; to annihilate the peace
party in the North, to give a new hope and impetus to the
enemy, and to date the serious and rapid decline of the
fortunes of the Confederacy."
General Johnston's position at Atlanta was as Socuro as
that of General Lee at Petersburg, and judging by the
superior skid and energy he had displayed hi the conduct
of the forces under his command, from the beginning of
the war, we were led to expect that he would at least effec
tually hold Sherman in check, as General Lee was holding
Gratit. Ho could easily have done that, and if he had suc
ceeded in destroying Sherman's communications ho might
have compeded a disastrous retreat to Tennessee.
At midsummer we beheld both campaigns of the enemy
essentially fadures. Could the mditary situation which then
existed have been preserved, the election of McCleUan to
the Presidency of the United States would have been
secured, and a peace negotiation, tbat would have placed
the South in a different status, might have been effected.
But these bright prospects were changed in a day.
AVhether from a desire to gratify popular clamor, or other
causes at best imperfectly . understood, General Johnston,
who was then executing the masterpiece of strategy of the
w-ar, with a perfection of design and detail which delighted
his own troops and chadenged the admiration of his enemy
— who had performed the prodigy of conducting an army
in retreat over three hunched mdes of intricate country
without loss in prisoners or material, was removed. It was
a dark day for the Confederacy, and the public hardly
regarded tins act with leniency. But it is undeniable there
were some insane enough to inveigh against the strategy of
General Johnston, and to cry continually for a "fighting
man" — ono not given so entirely to "brilliant retreats."
AVed, indeed, might General Scott's remark have been
heeded: "Bowaro of Loo's advances and Johnston's re
treats 1"

828

THE EALL OE ATLANTA.

"

After General Hood was placed in command of the army,
there wore a number of engagements, from the 20th of July
untd the 1st of September. On that day the struggle for
the "Gate City" came to an end. Atlanta fed into the
hands of the enemy, and the Confederacy took tho first sig
nal step in its downward road to ruin.
Shortly after the fad of Atlanta it was declared that cer
tain loading men of Georgia, among whom were included
Governor Brown and Vice-President Stephens, were in
favor of the withdrawal of the State from the Confederacy,
and that negotiations to that effect had been opened with
General Sherman. This report arose from the fact that a
Mr. King had brought to Governor Brown a message to the
effect that he would bo pleased to confer with him and oth
ers upon the state of the country, 'with a view to the settle
ment of the difficulties, and would give him a pass through
the Federal lines, going and returning, for that purpose.
To this the Governor replied that he, as Governor of a State,
and General Sherman, as commander of an army in the
field, had no authority to enter upon negotiations for peace.
Georgia might, perhaps, bo overrun, but could not, be sub
jugated, and would never treat with a conqueror upon her
soil. That while Georgia possessed the sovereign power to
act separately, her faith had been pledged by implication to
her Southern sisters, and sho woidd not exorcise this power
without thefr consent and co-operation. She had entered'
into the contest knowing ad the responsibilities which it
involved, and woidd never withdraw from it with dishonor.
" She will never," he said, " make separate terms with the
enemy which may free her territory from invasion and leave
her confederates in the lurch. AAdiatever may be the opin
ion of the people as to the injustice done her by the Con
federate administration, sho will triumph with her Confede
rate sisters or she wid sink with them in common ruin.
The independent expression of condemnation is one. thin"',
and disloyalty to our common cause is another and quite a
different thing. If Sir. Lincoln would stop tho war, let

THE TALL OE ATLANTA.

320

'-&

i

him recognize the sovereignty of the States, and leave each
to determine for herself whether she will return to the old
Union or remain in her present league."
Vice-President Stephens defined his position in an elabo
rate letter, in which he declared that the only solution for
our present and future troubles was "tbe simple recognition
of the fundamental principle ' and truth upon which all
American constitutional liberty is founded, and upon the
maintenance of which alone it can be preserved — that is,
the sovereignty — the ultimato sovereignty — of the States."
In conclusion he wrote : "Ad questions of boundaries,
confederacies, and union or unions, would naturally and
easily adjust themselves according to the interests of
parties and the exigencies of tho times. Herein hes the
true law of the balance of power and the harmony of
States."'1 :'' " /'"' '"' 'A" \ ' ""',
The fad of Atlanta was a severe blow to the Confederacy,
and was received in Richmond with unconcealed distress.
Mr. Davis was sensibly affected by this misfortune. Toward
the close of September he made a visit to Georgia, and
delivered a remarkable speech at Macon. He told the peo
ple that it grieved him to meet them in adversity, but that
he considered the cause not lost — that sooner or later Sher
man must retreat, and then would he meet the fate that
befed Napoleon in his retreat from Moscow.
The reinforcement of Hood's army was a question of the
utmost importance ; but where the reinforcements were to
bo obtained was another question of equal significance.
From the army of General Lee none could be sent, for in
Virginia the disparity in numbers was as frightful as in
Georgia. Tho army of Early, that guarded the Aradey, was
absolutely necessary to prevent the enemy from gaining
possession of Lynchburg. After a consultation with Gen
eral Lee on ad these points, Mr. Davis's conclusion was :
"If one half of the men now absent from tho field woidd
return to duty, we can defeat the enemy. AVith that hopo
I am now going to tho front. I may not realize this hope, '

S30

FALL CAMPAIGN AROUND RICHMOND., •

SHERIDAN S CAMPAIGN IN THE VALLEY.

831

but I Imow that there are men who have looked death too ¦ '&¦
often in the face to despond now^."
The spirit and temper of Mr. Davis was encouraging, and
served in a great measure to restore confidence. AVe looked
forward with the greatest anxiety for the fruits of the coming
campaign, which we wero promised would repair our recent
disasters. Even then, in Richmond there were those of
superior prescience who openly predicted the end as it came.
AAre would not hston to them ; wo flouted the idea of down-
fad ; we called them "croakers." Our vain-glorious confi- |
dence had not yet received a check so signal as to destroy | -
all hope. Ui
The fall campaign of the enemy was unusuady active On S;i
the 28th of September a demonstration was made on tho Hi
Richmond lines, against the works on Chaflin's farm, in suf- $
ficient force to awaken the deepest interest. On the 29th it |,
was evident to us that a most terrific battle was raging. AVe I
had never heard peals of artdlery in more rapid succession,
or more continuously for hours. The flashes from the "{'..
pieces were plainly distinguishable from exposed points in |'j
the city. The evening brought to us the intelhgence of the
capture of Fort Harrison, which commanded a position1 |' -
below Drewry's Bluff, and constituted -tlie main defence at I
that point. !
The enemy then attempted the capture of Fort Gilmer, 'i
but were fearfully repulsed. General Field, who arrived
with his division just prior to the attack upon Fort Gdmer,
favored an attempt to retake Fort Harrison that evening,
before the enemy could have time to strengthen his position,
but being overruled in his opinion, the attack was deferred
until the succeeding day, tho 30th, when the main attack <£*\
faded, but the Confederates succeeded in retaking a redan
in the left of the fort, which so protected their left flank as * J'
to neutralize tho loss of the main defence. I
On the Gt.h of October a desperate engagement occurred ~!
on the Charles City road. It resulted in the repulse of tho f
enemy ; but in it the Confederates lost tho brave and chiv- K*

alrous General Gregg, of Texas, who fell at the head of his
troops, pierced through the neck by a Minnie ball.
Thus one by one our bravest and best were falhng, like
stars from the Confederate firmament. AVhenever tidings
came of the clash of arms in sanguinary conflict, wo laid
our hands upon our hearts until we could hear, "AVho is
dead?" ;' "' -'¦'¦ A'-1- '¦¦¦
After an interval of a month from the time of the capture
of Fort Harrison, another engagement occurred, on tho 27th
of October, on the Williamsburg and Boydton roads, which
led into Richmond. ' The Federals were repulsed at all-
points, and it was the last demonstration made by them on
the hues south of Richmond before the re-election of Mr.
Lincoln, which it was doubtless dosignod to facditate.

Ai f CHAPTER LXV.
BHERIDAn's CAMPAIGN IN THE VALLEV — NAVAL LOSSES— RE-ELECTION
OI? MB. -LINCOLN  ARMING p OF SLAVES.
IN the meantime, success had crowned the Federal arms
in a quarter heretofore unknown to us, and where it was
least expected. In the Valley of Virginia, General Early
was in command of the Confederate army. His first battle
with General Sheridan occurred on the 18th of September,
at Opequan Creek, of the result of which the latter tele
graphed to Secretary Stanton as f odows : " I have captured
one entire regiment, officers included."
On the 19th, an engagement occurred near Winchester,
It was a fiercely contested battlo, and was lost to tho Con
federates by the unaccountable misbehavior of thefr cavalry
when victory seemed ready to perch upon the Confederate
banners. In our losses was numbered the intropid General Rhodes,

332

SHERIDAN S CAMPAIGN IN THE VALLEY.

sheridan's < campaign - ln. the , valley.

333

than whom no young ofiicor in the Confederate army had
won a more enviable reputation.
The disaster of this defeat, unexpected as it was, was sen
sibly felt and painfully acknowledged by tho Conf crate public.
General Early fell back to Fisher's Hill, eighteen miles from
Winchester aud seventy-two from Staunton. This position is
considered by military men tho strongest in tho Valley of
Virginia. On the 22d of September, Sheridan brought up
his entire force to assault him in' his position at Fisher's
Hill. An account of this battle says: "The works were too
formidable to be carried by an attack on the front alone, and
therefore wdiile keeping up a feint of a front attack,' tlio
Eighth Corps was sent far to the right, and sweeping about
Early's loft, flanked him and attacked him in the rear, driving
him out of his intrenchments, while the Sixth Corps attacked
him at the same time in the centre front, and the Nineteenth
Corps on the left. Confused and disorganized by attacks at
so many different points, the Confederates broko at the cen
tre and tied in disorganization towards Woodstock. Artil
lery, horses, wagons, rifles, ' knapsacks, and canteens wero
abandoned and strewn along the road. Several hundred
prisoners and twelve pieces of artdlery were captured. Tho
pursuit was continued until the 25th, and did not concludo
until Early had been driven below Port Republic."
This second reverse, tho news of whicb was entfrely unex
pected and surprising, caused increased despondency in
Richmond. Though not so serious nor So extensive as
accounts from the enemy indicated, it was quite sufficient to
awaken alarm and misgiving. The harvests of the Shenan
doah Valley had been lost, and the most productive districts
of Vfrginia opened to the waste and desolation of the
enemy. It is said that General Sheridan was either ordered or
avowed his intention to so devastate this section of Virginia
that, "Tho crows in flying over should bo compelled to
carry their own rations." How nearly this was fulfilled is
shown by the charrod ruins visible at overy step over this
beautiful region.

A

This success at Fisher's Hid involved the capture of Staun
ton, with the loss of all the storehouses, workshops, and
other buildings there connected with the Confederate gov
ernment. .
After devastating the-Vadey, General Sheridan retired
northward to Woodstoek, where he made his headquarters.
On tho 9th of October ho had an affair with Rosser's cavalry,
which had, hung on his rear. In this engagement Sheridan
claimed to havo' taken eleven , pieces of artillery and over
three hundred prisoners. His dispatch to the War Depart
ment in AVashington was that he had. "finished the savior
of the Valley, and had pursued the worsted Confederates on
the jump for twenty-six miles."* ,,..,
Stid another disaster was to be the crowning misfortuno
of this ill-starred campaign. General Early again advanced
to Fisher's Hill. On the 18th of October he came out of his
intrenchments and attacked the enemy at Cedar Creek. , So
completely were they taken unawares, that at ton o'clock on .
the morning of the 19th two-thirds of Sheridan's army
woro routed, and nothing was left them but to cover their
disorderly retreat. But, as a published account says, "there
our troops stepped. There .was ..no, more- rushing, no more
charging. They had betaken themselves to plundering the
enemy's camp; demoralization wras fast ensuing, the fire and
flush of their victorious charge was quenched, the 'fighting
was now at long range, the infantry was pushed forward at a
snail's pace, then there was no longer ardor or enthu
siasm." p ..,--; .-,- , i , ,-
Tn the meantime the enemy were not idle. General
Sheridan slept at AVinchcster the preceding night, and on
hearing of the disaster to his forces at Cedar Creek, mounted

* A yemnf! officer of tho Confederate Army, a correBpondcnt of the author, wrote In
reference to tho retrrtit, from risher's Hill: " Compared with our flight from Fishor's
1 1111 , tho Ynilkoon nt. Hull Run (lliln't run nt nil."
t Our correspondent heforo alluded lo saya : "Wo lent tho Any by. tho ms:me Kipin-h
for plunder. Some of our men fieemed to forget their honor rm Bokllora In tlio mad
hunt for Ynukco glmeraeliK ihu! tho BpolIB of tho enemy's camp."

331

sheridan's campaign in the valley.

his horse, and pushed to the scene at frdl gadop. He imme
diately ordered a new line of battle. At three o'clock he
assumed the offensive. Attacldng our plundering and demor
alized forces, they were soon shamefrdly routed. Nover
before had our troops behaved so badly. An account of it
says, " Our loss in kdled, and wounded, and prisoners, . was
perhaps not greater than three thousand, but tho route of the
retreat was strewn with abandoned wagons, ambulances, and
smad arms, thrown away by the panic-stricken fugitives."
General Early lost nearly ad his artidery, and indeed
received so stunning a defeat that his army never, recovered
from it, and tho Valley campaign cro long ceased to absorb
so great a portion of public interest. It was not, however,
abandoned, but tho engagements after that time deserved
only the name of skirmishes, through a course of some
wreeks, until late in the winter, when the, affafr at AVaynes-
boro assumed the proportions of a battle.
"Troubles never come alone, but in battalions." The
truth of this proverb was experienced by us in our Confed
erate history. AVhde we were mourning our reverses on
land, misfortune settled, on our naval interests. H these
were not of such importance as to awaken serious appre
hension, they were at least of sufficient magnitude to afford
exultation to our enemies.
On the 7th of October tho Confederate privateer, "Flor
ida," while at anchor in the port of San Salvador, on the
coast of Brazil, was attacked by the Federal steamer
"AVachusott," and captured. So unexpectedly did this
occur, that at the time the commander and a portion of the
crew were on shore, httle dreaming that in this manner the
laws of neutrahty would be so violated.
A few weeks after this, the formidable ram "Albemarle "
was destroyed in tho Roanoke River. This was accom
plished by running a torpedo boat upon the ram at her
wharf, and sinking her by the explosion of a torpedo, in tho
darkness of the night, on the 27th of October.
The destruction of tho "Albcmarlo" left Plymouth do-

sheridan's campaign in the valley.

835

V

J

fenceless. On the 31st that place was taken by the Fede
rals, and thoy succeeded in re-establishing their supremacy
in the Sounds of North Carolina.
The military successes of our enemies in the last two
months had decided the Presidential election, and wrought
a second triumph for the Repubhcan party. The hopes of
peace that animated tho Democrats at the North went down
in darkness, and tho South was forced to look only to an
indefinite prolongation of hostilities, and to further revolve
the question of endurance. Early in November the Confed
erate Congress reassembled in Richmond. Mr. Davis's mes
sage was hopeful and encouraging. Ho doomed that tho
clouds whicb then dimmed the Confederate skies might and
would bo dispolled, hi the spirit of patriotic determination
that had ad along sustained the people of the South. He
declared the Confederacy had no "Vital points," that though
our principal strongholds might be captured, no peace
would be made which chd not recognize our independence.
He recommended tho repeal of ad laws granting exemption
from military service, and appealing to the patriotism and
just sense of duty in tho people, he said : " No position or
pursuit should relieve any one who is able to do active duty
from enrodment in the army." Upon the question of arm
ing the slaves of the South, after carefully noting its rela
tive bearings, he remarked : " The subject is to be viewed
solely in tho light of policy and of our political economy.
Should the alternative ever be presented of subjugation or
the employment of tho slave as a soldier, there seems to bo
no reason to doubt what then should be the decision."

336

HOOD S CAMPAIQN TN TENNESSEE.

HOOD'S CAMPAIGN TN TENNESSEE.

337

CHAPTER LXVI.
HOOD'S CAMPAIGN IN TENNESSEE  SHERMAN'S MARCH THROUGH
OEOROIA — CONFEDERATE DESERTIONS.
WHILE reflecting minds at the North were calculating
how long the South could withstand the gigantic
forces prepared for its subjugation, the people of tho South
expected to retrieve their disasters in the projected cam
paign of Hood. AVe had not long to wait. ,(
On the 18th of September Mr. Davis arrived at the hoad-
qnartcrs of General Hood, and in the evening delivered to
the troops an encouraging address. To General Cheatham's
Tcnnesscans ho said : " Be of good cheor, for in a short
timo your faces wdl be turned homeward, and your feet
pressing Tennessee sod." General Hood was' enthusiasti
cally called for. , He said : " Soldiers, it is not my province
to make speeches. I was not born for such work ; that I
leave to other men. AVithin a few days I expect to give the
command " Forward 1" and- 1, believe you are, hko myself,,
wdling to go forward, even if wre hve on parched corn and,
beef I am ready to give the command forward this very
night. Good night."
On the 29th of September Hood commenced his march.
AVe cannot fodow him through his course of strategy against
Shermnu, but wid notice him next on the 29th of Novom-,
ber, after two months, with thousands of his men within
sight of thefr own homes, ou tho soil of their native State,
dining tho eucury before him into their intrenchments at
Franldin, Tennessee. On tho succeeding day, without giv
ing them timo to strengthen their works, he attacked them.
General Thomas commaudod tho Federal army at, this point. ;
Hood knew that Thomas would endoavor to hold tho old
line of Nashville, Murfreesboro' and Franklin, and ho felt
that if he could fight tho battlo of Nashville at Franklin
with success, Nashvide would once moro be surrendered
to tlio Confederates, Tennessee bo given up, .and the war

l-i

transferred to the Ohio. Tho fighting was fierce and ter
rible. Our troops behaved with a gallantry unsurpassed in
any former engagements. Never before had our officers
displayed moro courago or determination. AVith reckless
gallantry thoy exposed themselves, and the loss in general
officers was unequaded in any battle of the war.
General Pat. Cleburne, who has been stylod the "Stone
wall Jackson of the West," fed pierced through tho head
by four bullets, and died on the ramparts. A description
of this battle says : " General Gist, previously wounded in
the log, had refused to leave the field, limping along on foot,
chooring his mon, and finady rocoived a bad through the
breast, killing bim instantly. Brown, Manigault, Johnston
and Stahl, and scores) of field and staff officers, wdio had
exposed themselves at the head of their troops, were either
killed or wounded. Still our men faltered not."'
Tho resistance was stubborn, but finally the enemy wore
forced to retreat into Nashvide, and General Hood pro
ceeded to invest the city. On the 2d of December he laid
siege to Nashvide. Whde Hood was intrenching himself,
Thomas was largely reinforced, and on the 15th of Decem
ber (after several consultations with his officers) he deter
mined to attack both flanks of Hood's army.
The results of the first day's engagement were not such
as to dispirit the Confederate troops. On the fodowing clay
the attack was renewed. All assaults of the enemy were
repulsed up to three o'clock in the afternoon; when Genoral
Hood thought ho had already his grasp on a splendid vic
tory, a sudden stampede took place in ono of his divis
ions, and tho day was lost in a moment.
It was considered a most disgraceful retreat. Hood lost
fifty pioces of artdlery and ad of his ordnance wagons, and
the utter demolition of his army, shattered and demoralized
by tho panic, was prevonted only by tho want of vigor dis
played by Thomas, in his fadure to pursue them.
Hood finally mado his escapo across tho Tonncssco River
at Florenco with the remnant of his army, having lost, from
IB

338

HOOD S CAMPAIGN IN TENNESSEE.,

various causes, more than ten thousand men, hah of his
generals, and nearly all his artillery. Ho was at Tupelo
on the 6th of January 1865; and on. the 23d resigned the
command of his army to General Joseph E. Johnston, whose
reinstatement was demanded by the Confederate Congress
and by public clamor.
The news of the failure of this campaign idled Richmond
with despondency, and was unmercifully commented upon
by the Richmond press.
But other, and more serious trials awaited us. "While the
Tennessee campaign had resulted in defeat, we were des
tined to experience disasters in Georgia, more fatal to tho
Confederacy than any previous misfortuno. i .'
Beforo undertaking his great campaign, Shorman orderod
tho destruction of the most inhabited portion of Atlanta,
and left behind him a picture of ruin and desolation, such
as is seldom found in the ravages of war. On the 15th of
November he began his march to the sea. This he accom
plished leisurely- and almost unimpeded. With the excep
tion of one or two smad conflicts with Wheeler's cavafry,
and some few militia men and conscripts, he was unopposed
untd, within ten miles of Savannah, he encountered a force
of skirmishers which indicated for the first time the pres
ence of the Confederate forces under Hardee.
On the 10 th of December ho lay in line of battle, confronting
the outer works of Savannah, about five mdes distant from
the city. Seeing that it w-as necessary for him to open com
munication with the fleet, he attacked Fort McAllister, tho
most formidable earthwork which guarded the entrance
to the city. So formidable was the attack that resistance
was upcless and the fort was surrendered.
The surrender of the city was now only a question of
time. From the 10th to tho ICth of December heavy artd
lery firing and skirmishing went on along the fines, but
no regular engagement occurred. On the lGth Sherman
demanded a surrender of tho city, from its commander,
General Hardee, who declined on the noxt day to accede to

HOOD'S CAMPAIGN LN TENNESSEE.

339

n>,AA

F

^

"?V*

li

!

"*jl»'

the demand. Sherman then hurried more heavy siege
guns upon the fines, and on the 20th was prepared to bom
bard the city and assault its works. But Hardee had taken
the alarm, and resolved to evacuate Savannah. On tho after
noon of the 20th he opened a tremendous fire from his bat
teries and iron-clads, and under cover of this demonstration,
he marched his army from the city and secured his httle
band of fifteen thousand men from capture.
On the morning of the 21st of December, it was formally
surrendered by its mayor, to General Geary of Sherman's
command. The Confederate troops were gone. The navy-
yard, two iroii-clads, many smader vessels, and a vast
amount of ammunition, ordnance stores, and supplies had
been destroyed before tho evacuation, but ad the rest of tho
city fed uninjured in to the hands of the enemy. Sherman
sent a characteristic dispatch to Washington, and to Presi
dent Lincoln he wrote:
"I beg to present you ns a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with
one hundred and fifty guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about
twenty-five thousand bales of cotton."
The fall of Savannah greatly increased the despondency
in the Confederacy. Calculations of fadure now took the
place of calculations of success in the minds of many. The
morale of the Georgia troops in the army of Northern Vir-
. ginia was unhappily affected by it, and desertions became
frequent among rhem. They seemed unable to endure sepa
ration from their families, placed in such cruel distress by
the devastations of the enemy that ravaged the territory of
Georgia. Tho people began to' count the cost of the sacri
fices of the war and to estimate the terrible depletion that
had taken place in the armies of tho Confederacy during the
campaign of 18G4 Tho causes of this extraordinary deple
tion can easily be made apparent. Dmfrig the year that
was fast drawing to a close, tho prosecution of the war
against us had been moro vigorous, a greater number
of sevoro battlos had been fought; and consequently tho

310

THE WINTER OF 1861-5.

casualties had been more numerous. There were in our
armies, as m ad largo armies, a great number of stragglers-
and as onr situation grew more unhappy, and provisions for
the sustenance of soldiers moro scarce, desertion was most
unworthily encouraged by our enemies. But a reason more
powerfid still, may be found in tho persistent refusal of the
enemy's government to exchange prisoners.
Simultaneously with the fall of Savannah the intedigence
was received that the salt-works at Saltville in the Kenawlia
Valloy, had been recaptured, and other misfortunes had
attended tho small but not unimportant campaign in South
western A'irgini a. vP; , .-- ,P'Pp.,,
Ill tidings had now been borno to us in long-continued,
and rapid succession. Sorrow had deeponed its shadows in
our hearts. But our faith in tho justice of our cause, sus
tained us in the behef that these were no more than pass
ing clouds, to be dispeded ero long by the sunshine of suc
cess. .--, .,,-,. ,

CHAPTER LXVH.
THE WINTER OP 1861-5— WANT OF FUEL AND PROVISIONS— RO
MANCE — nucES.
WE wcro now in tho midst of winter— tho cheerless
season to which wo hadjooked forward with dread.
It was the fourth year of the war. The festivities of Christ- -
mas were rendered mournful by the_ fall_of_ Savannah, and
the demolition of hopes wdiich J?a£teultedjinihat.nit^^s'.]r
stronghold which could not be taken. With saddened
mien we turned our steps towards the sanctuarios of Cod.
On this occasion our praise and thanksgiving were blended
with fasting and prayer, with deep humiliation and earnest
contrition. AAte left tho temples of the Most High, and wondod our ;

THE WINTER OF 1864-5.

3-11

way back, many of us, not to tho luxurious homes, where
once tho festival was gladdened by the reunion of loved
ones, but to the humble, contracted lodgings which were all
that remained to us, to cad "home." Instead of the sump
tuous banquet, around which we woro wont to gathor, we
sat down to the poverty-stricken board. We counted again
tho vacant chairs, and glanced with eyes blinded by tears,
Upon the sombre hving of woe, that indicated whither had
been borne our domestic idols.
With a brave attempt at cheerfulness, we decked onr
dwellings with the tevof green, cedar", arbor^vitae, and holly,
ond hero and thore, undor tho magical influonce of the kind
old patron saint of the holiday, "the Christmas tree "once
moro reared its' cheery head, laden with a precious and
incongruous burden of bon-bons and simple toys. -
The New Year was usherecfln with~no~b"etter prospects. _
If there was no foreboding of- tho coming wreck of our
coveted independence, we could at best only look forward
to an indefinite continuation of the dire evils which had
shrouded our land in sorrow and misery. Day by day our
wants and privations increased. The supply of provisions
in the city of Richmond was i altogether maclecpiate to the
demand, and generady of a quality that woidd have been
altogether ^unappetizing in seasons of plenty. Every fresh
encroachment of the enemy increascdJfchis^soaToity, and in
a proportionate ratio, tho prices at which articles of food
-were held. There "was also ajgreat want of fuel Those
formerly accustomed to well-heated houses, where comfort
and luxury presided, now parsimoniously economized with a
single ton of coal, or a singlo cord of wood to insure its lasr.-. 
ing as long as possible, Jest,, when the last Jump, or the last
stick was consume.d,jio.more_coulcLbo .obtained at any price.-
I_n_ Edition to_our other miseries, robberies were fearfully
on the incrcase.__The fortunate.ppsso_ssor_pf..a w.cd-stockcd
larder or coal house was in constant danger from burglary.
It finady became an almost universal fashion in Rich
mond to permit." ovory day to take care of itself." It

312

THE WINTER OE 1864-5

_ _was useless to lay un for n,„
breakers were" stiU bettn, I , , ' thfl-clmmn? *oMe-
npset the best hid t " ^tiqn, and would ever
depredations WS -^^-J^^JBJAaigJit .
During the war the "rebel canitnl " ]-,„„ , *
^t^r^rs,;;;,^:?1 wcrG ftssociJd the -^
beautiful belles J tl'ILl That*? ^f ^ "* ^
out their Wf- capital That they reckoned not with-
1-" ",' ; -
"Doffing her maiden joyousness,
For a name and for a ring "
b 1 ° T01' °U h01' r'ltn0t toAond, remarked "I
hod lathm be the w.dow of a bravo man than.the wiie of
Of the. ^¦norous. marriages; which_sorvod af fruitful
1 ,^0-ions from the war topic,, and bTig"htened the u s^T
gteo m that hung over the.sociaLcircies of Richmond we
Tn„ r , the associa«°"9 connected with it j£
January the brave, gallant, and chivafrous yomig Major!
General Pegram, of Richmond, led to the alter the £t

THE WINTER OE 1864-5.-

813

of the fair — the universady acknowledged queen of society —
the beautiful and accomphshed Miss C. A dense throng
crowded the church to witness the nuptials of the popular
young officer and his magnificent bride. Sincere congratu
lations were pressed upon fhem, and they set forth on thefr
matrimonial route with the brightest prospects for happi
ness, and sustained by the prayers and best wishes of num
berless friends.
Three weeks had only passed when on tho field of Hatch
er's Run this young officer — this happy young husband-—
was cut dowui. Death, remorseless, cruel Death, claimed tho
warrior bridegroom, and tho snowy robo of tho bride, tho
orange wreath, and the misty veil, which had shaded, yet
heightened her splendid beauty, were exchanged for the weeds
of the widow, the sable robe of the heart's deepest afflic
tion. It is noticeable in connection with the scarcity of food and
the Tiigh prices, that the class usually know as the poor,
was not the class which experienced the most serious incon
venience, and was reduced to the most dreadful misery.
They were provided by the Common Councd of the city with
such staple articles of food as could "he obtained, ancTin~a
quantitysiifficienTtb" secure" them from suffering. TheyTTad
furnished to them rations of corn-meal, sorghum syrup, and
small quantifies of bacon and floiif. Starvation to tlicnnvas
not imminent, and the pauper class were indeed in moro com
fortable circiimstanceF than persons who" lived oh salaries, or
depended upon a moderate income for support.*
.Salaried onteers~wIfITfaniilios dependent upon them found
it cxtrcmoly difficult, withrlhe constantly increasing prices,
and the depreciation of the currency, to bring thefr expenses

*In a conversation with a distinguished Southorn dhlne, the rector ol ft oncewoalthy
parish, ho Raid, ''Bulfcr is a luxury In -which wo rnrcly cvor include, nnil fre
quently wo nro without sugar; and if thoro in not sl,-ltnpss in our family wo
manage lo got on quite comfortably without tho use of many things once con
sidered necessary." This system of philosophizing becanio a ipart of our war educa
tion. * A :-'¦' AAA...

811

THE WINTER OE 1864-5.

within the hmits of their income. In some insfcances_we
heard of those who subsisted solely on bread, and not enough
oAtk/d to satisfy the cravings of hunger." But all this did
not subduo the indomitable spirit of tho people genorady.
Tho disaffected, if any such were discovered by signs of
weakness and a failing spirit, were not of those whose bodily
sufferings were greatest, but wero found among unwise finan
ciers, who began, to tremble for thoir own selfish interests in
the fear that Confederate investments might not in tho end
pay very liberally. Sherman's operations in the South, and
Sheridan's successes in tho Vadcy of Virginia, began to
arouse the apprehensions of extensive holders of Confeder
ate bonds, lest they had miscalculated and overshot the
mark. " Croakers " now began to multiply, and murmurs of dis
satisfaction, deep but not loud, and mutterings of vexation
and disapproval wcro sometimes heard from a certain class
of malcontents, who, when the light of prosperity shone on
our aims, wcro the fhst to hail tho Confederacy, but who,
like the fickle and inconstant people of Prance, in the time
of the revolution, were ready to veer with every chango
of the political weathercock, and possessed not moral cour
age enough to sustain them under tho dark. clouds and beat
ing winds of adversity. Like individuals, governments
havo their summer friends ; and though wo are proud to
know that theso exceptions in the Confederacy" were exceed
ingly rare, slid wo arc forced to admit, and mourn that we
aro compeded to admit, thoy did indeed exist.
Another and very obvious sigu of weakness was the grow
ing want of confidence in onr currency. The necessity for
final repudiation was currently entertained ; and thoso who
looked with certainly. to. the cstablishmoJlLofrtho independ
ence of the Confederacy, looked with equal eorlainlV to tho
great financial crisis whicjimusl, fodow, — Ruin, bankruptcy,
and the multitudinous evils which fodow in tho train of all
great political convulsions, wero predicted. These "birds

TliE WINTER OF 1864r-5.

315

C

of id omen " gave us to understand that though we might
safely steer the Confederate vessel through Charybdis, dan
ger equally imminent threatened to leave her stranded on
Scyda. But there were brave hearts that gave httle heed
to these warnings, and clung to the phantom of Hope that
lured them, like tho ignis faluus, to the bogs and morasses
of final and crushing disappointment.
There was, however, a marked change visible in the gen
eral disrespect ofrlhc pcoplo for tho circulating medium.
This was evident in a reckless expenditure of money, and a
disposition to indulge in extravagances, at whatever cost.
Tho trousseau of a bride, which might formerly have been
procured at an expense of a few hundred dollars, could now
only bo purchased at the expenditure of as many thousands ;
yet thero was no hesitancy manifested at this time to indulge
in what a year before we might have considered reprehen
sible extravagance As the result proved, if wanton expen
diture is, under any circumstances, to be tolerated, there
was evinced much real wisdom in what might have seemed
folly to tho prudent economist. It was simply a good invest
ment. The simplest wardrobe of a lady at this time was enor
mously expensive. Per an ordinary calico, for w;hich_we
formerly paid twelve and a half cents per yard, (a New
York shdling,) we were forced to pay from thirty to thirty -
five dodars. Por an English or French chintz, the price
was fifty dollars per yard. A nice French merino or mohair
dress cbst~frbih eight hundred to a thousand dodars. A
cloak of fine cloth was worth from a thousand to fifteen hun
dred dollars. A pair of balmoral boots for ladies brought
two hundred to two hundred and fifty dollars. French
kid gloves siddlitfrbirrohoTiuhdT^'and " liven ly-fivo to ono
hundred and soyenty^S^^Uai^Vpei'^iTli.l*. Irish linens
commanded from fifty to ono hundred dollars per yard, and
cotton cloth, of inforior- quality, varicd-from thirty to fifty
dollars per yard. " We hardly Haro trust ourselves to givo
the prico of ladies' hats; but they varied, from tho difference

346

THE WINTER OP 1864-5.

in quality and material, from six hundred to fifteen hundred
dollars; and all things else. periaining_to .a .simple outfit
C0lnl]iand_exipmpQriiQjiatmprices  -  -
AAJiile the industry and benevolence of our ladies wero in
no wise relaxed, there was a sensible disposition to a greater
indulgence m dress. This may be accounted for, in many
instances, by the threadbare condition of wardrobes, which
had been made to suffice through tho wear and tear of four
years of privation and self-sacrifice, and could no longer
resist the necessity for replenishment. ,- ,, - : ; ¦'» a >. , . (
Similar figures ruled tho market for gentlemen's goods
Wo cannot pretend to givo thopfiSe bf broadclotlior cassi-
mcro, or boots or -loves, etc., bTargohtloman's wardrobe.
Our men, however, (especially thoso connected with tho
army,) were relieved of a very heavy expense by being able
to purchase of government stores at government prices
such articles as were absolutely n6"c^saiyioTtfremr "A suit
of new broadcloth, or a new hot, or "other article of dress
of extraordinary neatness, would be sure to subject the for
tunate wearer te the annoyances of the boys or soldiers on
the street, who were wont to accost them te the slang of the
I army, with : " Come out of that broadcloth 1 : Come out of
that hat!" etc.
Onr dry goods were now_ principally obtainod throimh
the blockade from ^i^^T^S^Z^RoJ^tksi^ys^od.
in this trade, ami it .was.cnrric(Lon^mc.esMully.aild at com
paratively little risk. The. most important port to the Rich-
moiul market was WilmmgtoiVNoItn Carolina. But atlhT""
period which vfoiWo now noticing, (having in our narrative
gone ahead of our military history,) this port was in the
hands of tho enemyj_ji,nd_ as the ^^.circlo^f_2ur_advantagei "
gradually narrowed, the prieo of gold became higlior and
higher, and all articles of trade ' advanced in undue propor
tion. Day by day we congratulated ourselves on wdiat wo
were fortunate enough to have, and were not forced to pur
chase of the remorseless tradesmen, who exhibited a pro
voking indifference to tho salo of thoir wares, in striking

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CAPTURE OF FORT FISHER.

347

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La

contrast to the patronizing anxiety with which they had for
merly courted custom.
" Excopt wind stands as never it stood,
It is an ill wind turns none to good. "
In the month of February occurred one of the most
awful casualties which had been remembered in Richmond
since the burning of the Richmond Theatre in 1811. Dur
ing the night a fire originated in a block of buddings on
Main Street, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth, the low-er
stories of which were occupied for store-rooms, and the
upper stories for private . dwedings. This fire, it seems,
broke out in the lower story of the block, in the store of
a dew, who vory soon succooded in getting his goods
safely out of reach of the flames.. After the fire had pro
gressed to an alarming extent, it was ascertained that a
famdy just above the store were stdl in the burning budd
ing. They appeared at the windows, and the most extraor
dinary efforts were made for thefr rescue, but the sad story
may be told in the heart-broken shout of the unhappy
mother: "Too late!" In this awful manner six persons
met death. They consisted of a father, a mother, a young
and beautiful girl, who : had just attained the age of
womanhood, two young boys, and one negro servant. Their
charred and half destroyed bodies wcro secured from the
wreck of the burnt buildings on the fodovriug morning, and
deposited in Hollywood Cemetery. A young soldier son,
then in the field, is aU that is left of tho Stebbins famdy.
This awful catastrophe sent a thrill of horror over Rich
mond. -- ,p-J , ..:¦!.'

CHAPTER LXVHI.
CAPTURE OF FORT FISIIEB  OCCUPATION OF WILMINGTON AND
CHARLESTON — END OF SHERMAN'S MARCH.

I

N December an expedition had boon fitted out to operate
against Fort Fishor, which guarded tho cntranco to the

318

CAPTURE OE FORT FISHER.

MORE PEACE NEQOTIATION&

349

harbor of AAhlinington. The principal attack . occurred on
the 21th of tho month, and was completely and successfully
resisted by the Confederates. A second expedition was
undertaken in January, 1865, and resulted in the capture of
tho fort by the Federals. In a fow days Wilmington was
occupied without resistance, and General Bragg retfredwith
his army of eight or ten thousand troops to tho principal
theatre of war in tho interior of the Carolinas.
Knowing that it would bo useless, with his comparatively
smad forces, to attempt to hold Charleston, General Beau
regard prepared tb evacuate that city. Before retreating,
General Hardee made the destruction of all property belong
ing to the government as complete as timo and opportunity
would allow. On the morning of tho 18th of February the
enemy made a triumphal entree into the city. Charred and
blackened monuments of tho ravages of fire, scarred and
mutilated buildings showhig tho work of shot and shed,
and the rude and terrible marks of war greeted the beholder
at every turn.
On the same day Columbia, the capital of the State of
South Carolina, was occupied by Goneral Sherman. After
leasing Columbia, Sherman proceeded on his march north
ward. By the 11th of March he had reached and occupied
Fayetteville, North Carolina, not, .however, without a seri
ous conflict of his cavalry forces under Kilpatrick with the
Confederate cavalry under General AVade iHampton..- His
onward advance was again chocked by a smad detachment
of the Confederates under Hardee, at Averysboro', on the
Cape Fear River, about midway belwoon Raleigh and Fay
etteville. In this engagement General Johnston telegraphed
to Bichmond that the total Confederate loss was four hun
dred and fifty ; that of tho Federals, thirty-three hundred.
On tho tilth of March occurred the engagement at Bolton-
vdle, by which General Johnston designed to prevent tbe
junction of Schofield with Sherman. Though gaining, as
he conceived, an advantage, he found it impossible to accom
plish his purpose, and chew off. his forces , in. the diroction

\

-.

of Raleigh. On the night of the 20th tho enemy abandoned
their works and moved on towards Goldsboro'.
On the 22d of March Sherman published in Goldsboro' a
congratulatory address to his troops, in which he said :
"After a march of the most extraordinary character, nearly
five hundred miles over swamps and rivers deemed impas
sable to others, at the most inclement season of tho year
and drawing our chief supplios from-a poor and wasted
country, wc reach our destination in good health and con
dition." After disposing of his army in bis camp at Goldsboro',
Sherman hastened to City Point for an interview with Gen
oral Grant and President Lincoln, which gave rise in Rich
mond to talks of a " peace negotiation," but, as tho result
proved, was for anything else.

CHAPTER LXIX.

MORE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS— GOVERNMENT APPEAL FOR FOOD.
TT THILE Sherman was prosecuting his triumphal march
VV through a portion Of our territory, the minds of the
people of Richmond were encouraged to hope from certain
demonstrations, that, like ourselves, our enemies wero grow
ing heartdy tired of tho war, and were willing to make over
tures for an honorable and peaceable adjustment of the diffi
culties whicb distracted, and had already brought such ruin
on the country. • ¦ .
In January, Mr. Francis P. Blair of Maryland made seve
ral visits to Richmond, which occasioned much curiosity
and speculation in the public mind. He came with a pass
from Mr. Lincoln, but the objects of his mission were not
Committed to paper. Thoy were, however, soon developed.
After some preliminaries, in which a short correspondence
was entered into, by the rival presidents, it was decided that

350

MORE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

MORE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

351

the Confederate Government should send commissioners to
confer with Mr. Lincoln, as to what terms could be expected
from him, and what agreement might be entered into, to
effect a peaceable adjustment of existing difficulties. Mr.
Lincoln signified his wdhngness to receive ambassadors
regularly authorized to negotiate for the restoration of peace
to the people of our " common country." In consequence
of this notification Mr. Davis requested Vice Presidont
Stephens, Senator R. M. T. Hunter and Judge Campbell to
pass through the lines and hold a conference with Mr. Lin
coln, or such individuals as he might depute to represent
him. ¦
They met at Fortress Monroe. , The result of tho inter
view was that no terms woro agreed upon. President Lin
coln positively refused to hsten to any proposal that had in
view a suspension of hostilities, unless based upon the dis-
bandment of the Confederate forces. He refused to enter
into any negotiation on any other basis than "unconditional
surrender." The hopes of peace that had been for a long time enter
tained wero thus effectuady crushed.' The expectations of
tho majority, as to wdiat would be the result of this confer
ence, were frdly realized.
Every avenue of peace now being closed, except such as
might be conquered by our arms, a fresh attempt was made
to rally the people to a determined war feeling. ' A mass-
meeting of the citizens was caded at the African Church.
Business was suspended, stores were closed, and thorough
interest iu the action of the hour was manifested. Eloquent
addresses were delivered; patriotic appeals were made; a
spasmodic enthusiasm was enkindled. But despondency
rested too heavily on the hearts of many to permit more
than a momentary and convulsive effort to shako off the in
cubus. Strange terms now began to be in use. With
" evacuation," to which we had listened as a vague proba
bility, for four years, were intermingled the words, " sub
mission, surrender, subjugation, reconstruction," indicating

', ;a

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'U.

/[

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ideas hitherto unknown in the .Confederacy, or if enter
tained, certainly not bruited abroad.
To those who reflected on our situation in ad its bearings,
though it was evidently desperate and discouraging, there
seemed no necessity for subjugation. We earnestly looked
forward toHhe sprmg campaign. Wo relied on the grand
old Army of Northern Vfrginia to retrieve the reverses of
tho last fow months, and to lift the Confederacy from the
" Slough of Despond."
-" The Confederate Congress had passed a bid extending
the conscription to slaves. It was a desperate measure, and
was vigorously combated. It was a question which in
volved intricate and subtle interests, and was mado the
subject of careful and laborious legislation. Doubts enter
tained as to whether the negro could be made efficient as a
soldier, were sdenced by the use made of him in the Federal
army. General Leo favored the employment of negroes in
the service; the Richmond press had recommended.it since
the fad of 1861; and the majority of intedigent and patriotic
minds at the South inclined to beheve in the usefulness of
the measure.' 'A Almost at the eleventh hour of its session,
Congress passed the -bill, hedged by certain limitations, and
made dependent to a certain extent oh the wdl of the mas
ter, authorizing the employment of slaves in the military
service. Recruiting offices were opened in Richmond, and soon a
goodly number of sable patriots appeared on the streets,
clad in the grey uniform of the Confederate soldier. Their
dress-parados on the Capitol Square attracted large crowds of
all colors to witness them, and infused a spirit of enthusiasm
among those of thefr own race, that served dady to increase
tho numbers of thoso who woro wdling to fight.*

" An onlhusliwtto famnle slavo ono day said to hor mnstcr, " Tho very next timo I
moot Uoneral Leo on tho street, 1 mean to shako hands with him."
" Vou had bolter bo careful," roplicd the master, " you might And a place in Ciistlo
Thunder for your presumption." . '.
"No oh no ; ho won't send mo thoro," sho answered, " for whon I do ehalo hands

352

MOEE TEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

MOEE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

853

By examination of a secret committee of the Confederate
Congress, the Confederate Commissariat was discovered' to
be in a shamefully low condition, and under the supervision
of Commissary General Northrop, celebrated as much for
his want of judgment as for his contempt of advice, thore
seemed little prospect for its improvement. Various schemes
were devised for procuring supplies for the army, with
but slender probability of accomplishment, under the ob
stinate control of Commissary Northrop.
Bichmond was now almost destitute of provisions. Nor
throp was removed, and St. John appointed Commissary
Genoral, mid the following appeal "Tothe people of Vir
ginia" was put forth :
1 Bn-nMom-i, February 2'2d, 1805.
Fellow Citizens: Commissary General St. John, at his recent entrance
upon the duties of his bureau, invited, several gentlemen of this city,
including a number of clergymen, to a conference as to the best means
of increasing the supplies of food necessary for the subsistence of the
Army of Northern Virginia. At this conference, tho undersigned wore
appointed as a committee to pvcparo and issue an address to the loyal
pe iple of tho .State, for the purpose of placing before them such facts,
and of making such .suggestions as will, it is confidently beliovcd, ensure
a general and hearty co-operation in this groat and necossary work.
Tou are aware, fellow-citizens, that tho movements of tho enemy in
South Carolina and Georgia have interrupted our communications with
tlie Southern States, and seriously embarrassed tho operations of the
Subsistence Department, so' that immediate and energetic action on the
part of the Government and the people is demanded for tho support of
the army.
It is ascertained that the supply of food in tho accessible counties of
North Carolina and Virginia is ample, for tho subsistence both of soldiers
and eiti/,cns. Ofthe four modes of obtaining it forthe use of the army,
viz.: by impiossment, purchase, loan, and voluntary contribution, it is

wi'h liim, I »m going to toll him tl-.-il nil I'm sorry for Is, that I have not got ton sons
tn give liim In fiplil fir thn f ontodi-racy."
li- r leader, nniipii-il, commended hor for her patriotism. Tlio name ncgrcss, at tlio
time i.I I ho Diviinahon ol Hi.-hmond liy Ihe Fcli.-i-.-iI troops, scoured from tho wreck of
B,im-> of (lie dry-goo -Is stores a lot of ip-p.Hemen'q collars, which sho carefully prcsei veil,
to send, as die .-aid, —".Inst aa soon as I get a uhnnco "— as a present to President
Da™. Even lo this day, lids poor woman avows tho most unqualified dovotion to
Uio memory ol Ihe Southern Confederacy.

H*'

-*»i— i

believed that when the exigoncy, now existing, is clearly understood, tho
last mentioned method will be the one most approved by tho people, and
therefore tho one which will command the most cheerful, immediate,
and generous aid on their part.
The resources of the people have already been severely taxed. Vast
quantities of food have already been obtained by impressments, loans,
and voluntary contributions. But for these extraordinary efforts our
armies would have long Bince been disbanded, and without a continua
tion of theso efforts, our soldiers cannot accomplish the task yet before
them. Apart from all those considerations ¦ of honor and duty, which
most constrain high-tonod and patriotic men, these liboral contributions
on tho part of citizens aro necessary to tho prosorvalion of thoir own
rights of property and personal safely. Intorost itself demands any and
ovory sacrilico necessary to provont subjugation.
On this point, ono testimony will bo sufllciont. Virginians and pa
triots all over the Confederacy will regard with explicit belief and pro-
foundeHl respect any slatomont on such ft subject emanating from our
beloved General-in-chief, Robert E. Leo. In reference to the very ap
peal we are now making, he writes;
"I cannot permit myself to douht that our poople -will respond lo it, when they re
flect on tho altornativo presented te them. They have simply to choose whether they
¦will contribute such, commissary and quartermaster stores as they can possibly spare
to support nn army which has already borno and dono so much in their behalf, or re-*
tabling their Htorcs, maintain the army of the euemy engaged iu their subjugation. I
am awaro that a general obligation of this nature rests lightly on most men — each Do
ing disposed to leave its dischm-go to his neighbor — but I am confident lhat onr citizens
will appreciate their responsibility in tho caso, and will not permit an army which, by
God's blessing and their patriotic support, has hitherto resisted the eft'orta of tho
enemy, to sudor now through their neglect."
Such being the emergency, and the ' corresponding obligation, it only
remains now to consider the best practicable" means of attaining the end
in viow.
There is in every county accessible to us in the Stato an officer or agent
of the Bureau of Subsistence, charged with the duty of collecting, by pur
chase or otherwise, army snbsistonce, and forwarding the same to this
city. It is also proposed to appoint two or more gentlemen of influence,
energy and intelligence, in each county, (who shall appoint, others in
ooch magisterial district,) to call the attention of every family to tho
wants of tho army, and to urge them to contribute in some way as largo
a portion of their supplies as can possibly he spared. These contribu
tions can bo mado as donations, sales or loans, at the option of tho
owner, and the supplies so obtained, will bo sent to somo convenient
point to bo indicated, by tho local officer, whoro ho will roceive and re
ceipt the same, and give the parties, when required, an obligation in
kind or in cuvroucy.

851

MORE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

MORE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

855

But, as already intimated, thore are difficulties in the way of obtain
ing supplies either by purchase or by loan, which can be best overcome
by the spontaneous and free-will offorings of the people, generously con
tributing of their substaneo for tho support of tho army now battling and
suffering in their behalf.
Tor the information of those who desire to aid tho cause by voluntary
contributions, we beg leave to state that the following plan has boon
considered and approved by tho authorities;
1. Let every citizen who can, plodge himself to furnish the rations of
one soldier for six months, without designating any particular soldier as
the recipient of tho contribution.
2. Let those thus pledging themselves furnish, say 80 pounds of bacon
and 180 pounds of flour, or their equivalent in beef and meal, to be de
livered to tho nearest commissary agent.
3. Let the donor bind himself to deliver one half of tho amount above
stated, viz. ; 10 pounds of bacon and 90 pounds of flour (or its equiva
lent) immediately-, and tho remainder at the end of three months, unless
be prefers to adopt the better plan of advancing the whole amonnt
pledged at once.
4. Lot tho pledgo of each individual subscribing and furnishing the
rations of ono soldier for six months be made tho basis of larger sub
scriptions. Those whose generosity and whose means will enablo them
to do so, may obligate themselves to provido the rations of live, ten,
twenty, or any other number of soldiers for six months; while even the poor,
who could not affonl to supply tho rations of one man, -by uniting their
contributions may authorize one of tho number, so combining, to make
the designated subscription of at least one ration for one man for six
months. AVe trust that this plan, so intelligible and so easily put in execution,
will commend itself to thousands of our patriotic people who; by reason
of age, sex, or infirmity, cannot serve in the field, will yet take prido and
pleasure in being represented in tho field in the persons of soldiers whoso
rations tV-y themselves furnish.
On thA subject, General Leo expresses the opinion that almost every
ono who has n family, especially among our farmers, could afford to
support one moro in addition to his present number, and, that this plan
will not require a man to do more than to send to a soldier what ho
would always be able to give in the way of hospitality to such soldier,
were he an inmate of his house.
The scheme thus explained presonts a system which may be contract
ed or expanded according to tho ability of the contributor — not exclud
ing the poor, and giving scope to tho largest liberality of tho rich; and
infaot, presents a plan for securing oil the food hi the country which
can bo obtaiuod by voluntary contribution, , ; . , , - . ,,,

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And now in order to carry it into immediate execution, the co-opera
tion of the legislators, magistrates, ministers of the gospel, and all per
sons of influence and standing in every county is earnestly invoked. The
cause is one which makes its own appeal to fathers and mothers who
have sons in the army; to men of wealth who have large possessions to
protect; to men in humble circumstances, to whom the liberties of their
country are equally dear; to all classes in tho community, whose security
and happiness are involved in the issue of this straggle for the right of
self-government. Evory right-minded, and right-hearted mon must feel
that citizens in their comfortable homes, exempt from the privations
and perils of the field, should be willing to exercise the severest self-
denial, if necessary, that the army to which, under God, we are indebted
for our present 6afety, and to whom we must owe our final deliverance
from the presence and the power of the enemy, should at least bo sup
plied with the food which is essential to the vigorous health and com
fort of its soldiers. A claim so reasonable and just must and will bo
satisfied. - '
And now, in concluding our appeal to you, fellow-citizens, we do not
forget that Virginia has already suffered sorely in this struggle to obtain
all that is dearest to the patriot's heart. The bloody tide of battle has
swept over almost every portion of her territory; the sacrifices, ns well as
the services of her sons have been great; yet the spirit of her people has
never flagged, nor are her resources exhausted. She has hitherto res
ponded nobly to every call tho Confederate Government has mode upon
her: and it is not doubted that now, when made aware of its present
¦wants, her people will provfe themselves both able and willing to relieve
them. . ' •" • '-' A A'" ".' ;
Moses D. Hoob, J. L. Bunitows,
John E. Ehwaeds, Chas. Minnioeboue,
it. J. MiOHELiucnEB, W. J. Pettigbew,
Thos. TV. McCance, R. Edmond.
Samuel J. Habbibon,
The harmony of this session of the Confederate Congress
Was disturbed by-unfortunate rOcrimination between that
body and Mr. Davis. ' Tho latter was accused of boing self-
willed and intractable; the Confederate Legislature evinced
a spirit of captiousness and impatience.
It was during this session that a member of this body
attempted to escape- to -AVashington. The excitement pro
duced by his flight did not assumo tho character nf a "nino
days' wonder" in Richmond/and was tlio occasion of

o0b MOEE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS..
ridicule rather than indignation. Before its adjournment
the Confederate Congress publishod an address, which
served in a measure to inspirit the despairing, and to con
firm the hopeful, although there is abundant reason to be
lieve that they considered the reassembling of their body in
Richmond in the light of a bare possibility.
An important change had taken place in the Cabinet.
Under tho pressure of strong outside disapprobation, and
against the remonstrances of Mr. Davis, Mr. Seddon, the
(Secretary of War, had resigned, and General Breckinridge
had been appointed to the position. This appointmonfc was
popular, and from tho character of the now Secretary, the
pcoplo wcro induced to hope for and expect a more judicious
management of tho War Department than had been exer
cised by his predecessor.
Wo had now passed through the winter. The first month
of spring had been ushered in. We felt that the approach
ing campaign, which was oxpectod to open very early in tho
season, whether it terminated in favor of or against us,
would conclude the war. This opinion, which was freely
expressed, seemed rather tho result of intuitive conviction
than of extraneous evidence.
The exalted moral aud religious character of our men in
authority served greatly to encourage our belief in the coun
tenance of the all- wise Ruler of human affairs. Not aiew of
us Jove to recall iho scones at St. Paul's Church on tho first
Sabbath day in March, when the monthly celebration of the
Lord's Supper was observed. The • communicants had gen
erally approached, partaken of the sacred symbols, and
retired from tho chancel, when President Davis, General
Leo, and Secretary Tronholm came forward and knelt before
the sacramental table. Tho houso was solemnly quiet. Not
a sound was heard save tho low, swoot voicos of tho priests.
All hearts wove impressod, and silontly called down benedic
tions on tho heads of tho kneeling mon. Thoy retired from
tli c chancel. In a fow moments tho sublime strains of Glo-

FOBEBODINGS OF DISASTEB.

357

ria in Excelsis floated up from heart and lip, from choir and
organ. It seemed indeed as if that house of God was tho
very gate of Heaven. Many of us left tho holy place with
impressions time can never efface, and in the fullness of
trust, asked, "Can the Almighty forsake a people whose
God is tho Lord?". Alas I in one short month our idols of
hope were shattered by the rude iconoclasm of despair.

CHAPTER LXX.

FOREBODINGS OF DISASTER  SHERIDAN S OREAT RAID AND HIS
JUNCTION WITH GRANT.
VARIOUS rumors were now afloat in Richmond which
should have convinced any people that " evacuation "
was not improbable. Yet there were no more definito indi
cations of such an event than had existed frequently before.
Wo liad long been under depressing influences, and we felt
that the spirits of the people were gradually bending to the
stern destiny of defeat. But the fire, of resistance was not
yet extinguished. We were not blind to a certain weakness
that had developed itself; still we trusted to the latent
spirit which, though we mourned that it slumbered, was not
dead. We did not feel that it would require an Herculean
effort to shake off our lethargy. Wo had seen how much
had been done; we believed there was in us the power to do
much more.
Towards tho latter part of February, Sheridan again pro
ceeded up tho Valley of the Shenandoah. As wo havo boforo
noticed, hi advance of our narrative, a battle occurred at
AVaynesboro' between his forces and thoso of Gonoral Early,
resulting in tho rout of tho Confederates; Early himself
barely escaping capture. Sheridan then crossed tho Bluo
Ridge, and occupied Charlottesville. This villago is tho scat

358

FOREBODINGS OF DISASTER'

OPEEATIONS OF GEANT AND LEE.

359

of tho Virginia University, the principal institution of learn
ing in the South, and for the ability of its corps of instruc
tors, and for educational advantages, ranks below nono in
this country. Prom the imposing and peculiar style of
its architecture, this cherished pet of Mr. Jefferson's later
years, situated in the midst of the most beautiful and roman
tic scenery, as it bursts first upon the vision of the beholder,
presents a picture of enchanting loveliness.
A memorable remark is quotod of General Sheridan in
reference to this institution. Ke is said to have been asked
why lie did not destroy the University of Virginia, and was
reminded that such had been the intention of Hunter, had
he succeeded in capturing Charlottesville. " I wish to live
on the pages of history,'" replied tliis illustrious officer.
This is not given as indisputably authentic, and it must bo
hoped that a nobler principle and motive actuated him than
merely a weak desire for posthumous notoriety; and, en pas
sant, it may not be amiss to regret that he, scorns lately to
havo strangely forgotten tho promptings of that nobler inner
heart, in his ungenerous treatment of the unconscious re
mains of a distinguished enemy, in those of General Albert
Sidney Johnston.
After the capture of Charlottesville, Sheridan divided his
forces and proceeded on a gigantic and destructive raid* iu
two different directions, and finally brought his forces into
junction with the Army of the James." While nO one can bo

¦+ Tlio writer of these elo-tohcs m-knowlcdges her indebtedness to Gcncrtil Sheridan
for the last Mtei- thai renched her hand in tho Southern Confederacy. It was an object
to overhaul the mails in these predatory incursions. In tho one that fell under hostlio
r-c.rninntton at Frcderiricshall, in Loulsia Count)', VirglDta, there was a, billet-doux
addressed to her by a young Mifsh.sipplau who had only very lately been released
from captivity at Toint Lookout.. It. detailed a touching etory of disappointment in an
alftiire an rteur, fur wluch ho pleadingly nuked the sympathy of his friend, saying:
" To you Mono I commit ibis recoL-d of my troubles — for yout eyes alono this missive
is intended." It reached hor "Read, approved, lind respectfully forwarded to 
by ( 'olon,-l Sherman, by order of General Sheridan." She does not confeps to grenf grnt-
Itud,- to fii-ncra! Sheridan, however, as it Is peculiarly disngrccablo to havo one's corres
pondence, subjected to inquisition. It may not be uninteresting to learn that this young
Bon of Mars was finally consoled by tho hand of Ills lady-love.

•:*#-

so prejudiced as to willingly withhold from General Sher
idan tho meed of praise for skillful and brilliant general
ship, for perseverance and success, which his superior, Gen
eral Grant, generously avows was a powerful auxiliary to his
own success, it is equally true that the Confederate forces
in the Valley were destined to encounter numbers so greatly
superior that the principal element of success in tho opera
tions of Sheridan in that section of Virginia, may without
doubt be found in the numerical weakness of the enemy that
opposed him. As General Early has since declared:' "I
was leading a forlorn hope, and the people can appreciate
the character of the victories won by Sheridan oyer me."

CHAPTER LXXI.

OPERATIONS OF GRANT AND LEE — FALL OF PETERSBURG.
ON the 6th of February an attack was made upon tho
lines of General Lee at Hatcher's. Run, which resulted
in a rcpidse of the assailants. ' After this, quiet supervened,
unbroken by any remarkable incident for several weeks. A
history of, our experience during this interval may bo ex
pressed in the words, " We were only waiting." The mon
otony was now and then broken by the passage of troops
through Richmond. Many of them, from their rags and
tatters, would have made admirable scare-crows had they
made their appearance in tho spring in our corn-fields; but
their faces were radiant with coiirage and hope, and they
cheerily, even at that time, carried forward the colors under
which thoy had gained immortal renown.
Our infantry troops, however, did not present such an
aspect of misery as the cavalry. Among the latter wo saw
our tatterdemalions mounted on poor, weak, miserable ani
mals, scarcely more than moving skelotons.
On the 25th of March, tho quiot was broken. General Leo

360

OPERATIONS OF GRANT AND LEE.

made a sudden attack on Grant's Hues south of tho Appo
mattox, at Hare's Hill. It was a surprise, and at first £L
nahy successful; but when thoroughly aroused to their
danger, the enemy made a determined resistance, and under
the pressure of superior numbers, General Gordon, who
dnected the attack, was compelled to retire
Grant speedily retaliated for Lee's attempt to break his
lines In order to give an authentic account of the events
which brought upon us a sudden and unexpected calamity
that shocked our reason and unsettled memory, subjoined
from a history of tho times, is a sketch of tho battles around
I etersbiu-"- : .- •

So, UiMdc l,„lroad. Tho cavalry command, consisting of General Davr
son s and Sheridan's cavalry, moved out on the Jerusalem Hank RoTd
oW three and a half miles from Hancock Station, whore they took he
County road leading across the Weldon Railroad at Ream', <w i- !
etft r""*" """ ™ '* to» D"'*» <£ *•- s»s
"In tbo meantime, tho Fifth and .Sixth Corns r>f Tr,f„„t i , ,
-ying in a parallel line on the V*nSL*Tj ^altlZ
hedd.1uortersonthenightofthe20lh were onthoUnv^i ,
in the neighborhood of Gravelly Run on t]la B<*vn plank road
"The next day heavy rains impeded operations; but the force of th«
enemy pressed on towards the Five Forks, the extreme rLu nf T
hne on the Soutbsidc Railroad. General Lee had no" eSe n So"
mR this movement. On the 31st of March, tho enemy foundonh s front
prepared to contest the prize of the railroad P,W„ft- tv • '
fantry.GcueralFitzhugh Lee's and gL 1 SiS H F wT ¦ ' ""
of cavalry. In the afternoon of the day the Contode''!' °M
mined and gallant charge upon ^^S^Ti^.
"But tho news of Sheridan's rermlso hnd m „„„„ " , 1
-ant, than tho Fifth Corps ,ns mLd^ l^^aST
77" ""'^ 7 b™ t0 r«™° «,e fortunes of tho eno m£ Tho"
n xl day Apnl Ui the combined forces of tlio Yankee cavahv and
V* an-cn s of:,,, ry advanced against the Confederates. Overpowered bv
numbers the Confederates retreats to Five Forks, whore they 1^

OPERATIONS OF GRANT AND LEE.

361

fiw -.

pjft; j f

•*

I

r'''-
^

flanked by a part of the Fifth Corps, which had moved down the White
Oak Road. It was here that-several thousand prisoners wore taken.
" On the night of Saturday, April 1st, the prospoct was a most dis-
conraging one for General Lee. Grant had held all his lines in front of
Petersburg, had manoeuvred troops far to his left, had turned Lee's
right, and was now evidently prepared to strike a blow upon the lines in
front of Petersburg.
"By daylight on Sunday, April 2d, theso lines were assaulted in three
different places, by as many different Yankee corps. They were pierced
iu overy place. The Sixth Corps went tlirough first, at a point about
opposite the western extremity of Petersburg; tho Twenty -fourth, a httle
way further west; and the Ninth Corps further east, near tho Jerusalem
plank road, capturing Fort Mahone, ono of the largest forte in tho
Petersburg defences. Tho Confederates made a despcralo struggle for
Fort Mahone, whioh was protracted through tho day, but without suo-
eoss. At dark tho position of the contending parties was tho name as
during tho day.
"Tho Yankees had congratulated "themselves that by the success ol
the Sixth Corps, they had cut Lee's Army in two, cutting off tho troops
that were not in Petersburg. As that place was supposed to bo the
Confederate point of manoeuvre, as it was supposed that troops could not
cross the Appomatox except through tho city, their capture wns taken
as certain by the enemy, since they wcro hemmod in between Sheridan,
the Sixth Corps and the river. But in this they wore mistaken. Tho
Confederates easily forced tho river; and tho close of tho day found Leo's
army brought togethor within tho inner line of tho Petersburg defonecs.
"But the disasters whioh had already ocourred were in General Lee's
opinion irretrievable. In killed and wounded his loss had been small-
two thousand would probably cover it in the entire series of engage
ments; but ho had lost an entire lino of defence around Petersburg, and
with it tho Southsido railroad, so important to Richmond as an avonuo of
supply. Among the Confederate dead was tlie brave General A.
P. Hill,, whose name is reckoned amongst the most illustri
ous of the many heroes of the war. All through the long
series of battles, for four years, it had been untarnished by
a single accident or misfortuno, or roproach, to dim the
wcll-deservod brilliancy of its lustre, made memorable by
. deeds of heroism.
The news camo to us in Richmond in fragmentary parcels;
Goneral Hill's death producod a profound sensation and
iu

362

EVACUATION OF RICHMOND.

— _ #«yj

unfeigned grief. But we dreamed not, as nigliTbTought the
time for rest on the 1st of April, of the sad morrow in re
serve for us. The whole truth had not reached us. We
slept, as it were, over the heaving crater of a volcano. Des
truction hovered over our fan- city, yet happily we knew it
not, and dreamed on in blissful unconsciousness of impend
ing danger.

CHAPTER LXXII.

EVACUATION OF RICHMOND  BURNING OP THE OITT.
THE morning of theJMof Jipril, _18G5, dawned brightly
over the capital of the Southern Confederacy. A soft
haze rested over the city, but above that, the sun shone
with the warm pleasant radiance of early spring. .-, The sky
was cloudloKs. No sound disturbed tho stillness of the
Sabbath morn, save tho subdued murmur of the river, and
tho cheerful music of the church bells. The long familiar
tumult of war broke not upon the sacred calmness of the
day. Around the War Department, and tho Post Office,
news gatherers wore assembled for the latest tidings, but
nothing was bruited that deterred tho masses from seeking
their accustomed places in the temples of the living God.
At St. Paul's church the usual congregation was in attend
ance. President Davis occupied his pew.
It win; again the regular monthly return for the celebra
tion of tho sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The services
were progressing as usual, no agitation nor disturbance with
drew tho thoughts from holy contemplation, when a mes
senger was observed to make his way up tho aisle, and to
place in the hands of the President a sealed package. Mr.
Davis arose, and was noticed to walk rather unsteadily out
of the church. An uneasy whisper ran through tho congre
gation, and intuitively they seemed possossod of tho droad-

EVAOUATION OF KICHMOND.

363

"i -i

•v;

f

\ \

ful secret of the sealed dispatch — the unhappy condition of
General Leo's army and the necessity for evacuating Rich
mond. The dispatch stated that this was inevitable unless
his lines could be reformed before eight o'clock that evening.
At the Second Presbyterian Church, Dr. Hoge, who had
received information of the dire calamity impenchng over
us, told his congregation of our situation, and tho probabil
ity that never again would thoy meet there for worship, and
in the thrilling eloquence of which he is so truly the master,
bade them farewell.
'fV)"'The direful tidings spread with Jhe swiftness of electri
city. Prom lip to lip, from men, women, children and
servants, the news wfts_bandied, but- many received it at
first, as only a " Sunday sensation rumor." "friend looked
into theToce of friend to meet only an expression of incred
ulity; but later mTHoTIayTas'the truth,""stark and appalling,
confronted us, the answering look "was that of stony, balm
despair. Lato"ln_{Eo-aft6rnoon "tlio "signs of evacuation be
came obvious tq'evcnThe most incredulous. Wagons were
driven furiously through thejtreets, to the different depart
ments, where they received as freight, the archives of tho
government, ancl earned' them Id the DftnviUo Depot, to bo
thero convoyed away by railroad.
'Thousands of the citizens determined to evacuate the city
with the government. Vehicles commanded any price in
any currency possessed by the individual desiring to escape
from the doomed capital. Tho streets were filled with ex
cited crowds Jiurrying to the different avenues for transpor
tation, intermingled with, porters carrying huge loads, and
wagons piled up with incongruous heaps of baggage, of nil
sorts and descriptions. "The banks wero all open, and de
positors were busily and anxiously collecting their specie
deposits, and directors were as busily engaged in getting off
their bullion. Millions of dollars of paper money, both
State and Confederate, were carried to tho Capitol Square
and buried.
-'"Night came on, but with it no sloop for human oyes in

SGI

EVACUATION OF RICHMOND.

EVACUATION OF EICHMOND.

365

Richmond. Confusion worse confounded reigned, and grim
terror spread in wild contagion. The City Council met, and
ordered Jho destruction of all_ spirituous liquors, fearing
lest, in tho excitement, there would be temptation to drink,
and thus render our situation still more terrible. In the
gutters ran a stream, of whiskey, and. its fumes filled and'
impregnated the air. i1 After night-fall Richmond was rulod
by the mob. In tho principal business section of tho city
thoy surged in one black mass from store to store, breaking
them open, robbing them, and in some instances (it is said)
applying the torch to them./ , :A,j " .
In .tho alarm, and terror, the .guards i of JJioJStfite Peniten
tiary tied from their posls, and numbers of the lawless and
desperato villains incarcerated thoro, for crimes of every
grade and hue, after setting fire to the workshops, mado
good the opportunity for escape,, and donning garments"
stolen wherever thty could get_ them, in exchange for their
prison_livcry, roamed over the city like fierce, ferocious
beasts. No human tongue, no pen, however gifted, can give
an adequate description of the events of that awful night. ¦;.
While theso fearful scenes were being enacted on tho
streets,, in-doors there was scarcely less_ excitement, and.con-
fusion. Into every ho u, so terror penetrated. Ladies wcro
busily enp;nc;cd jn collccting_and ..scci^thigjilljhej^iluablos
possessed by them, togctherwith cherished correspondence,
yet they, found timo and presence of mind to prepare a few
com forts for friends forced to depart with tho army or tho
government.,. Few tears were .shod ; thero-waa4io-fimo-for
wculpiessoi sentiment. Tho grief was too deep, the agony
too terrible to find vent through the ordinary channels of
distress. Fathers, husbands, brothers and friends clasped
their loved ones to their bosoms in convulsive and agonized
embraces, and bade an adieu,, oh, how heart-rending 1 * —
perhaps, thought many of them, forever.
* At eleven oYloc-U on tip-it nip-lit, Colonel  , on General  'a staff, came into tho
rily and was married. In a few moments ho loft hie brido, in the torriblo nncortalnty
of ever agaiu Hurting, , '.--.. . - A~ ,Ap p-

4»

w

At midnight the train on tho Danville Railroad bore off
the officers of the Government, and at the same hour many
persons made their escape on the canal packets, and fled in
tho direction of Lynchburg.
But a still more terrible element was destined to appear
and add to the horrors of the Bcene. From some authority
— it seems uncertain what; — an order had been issued to fire
ihaio.ur_piin.cipad,.tobjwcpjs;archouses. Thoy wero so situ-
ated as to jeopardize the entire commercial portion of
Richmond. At a late hour of tho night, Mayor Mayo had
dispatched, by, a committee of citizens, a remonstrance
against, this reckless military order. But in tho mad excite
ment of the momenfAthe protest was unhcoded. The torch
was applied, and tho holpless citizens wore loft to witnoss
the destruction of their property. The rams in the James
River were blown up. The " Richmond," the "Virginia " No.
2 and the " Beaufort " were all scattered in fiery fragments to
the four winds of heaven. The noise_of theseexplosions,
which occurred as the first grey streaks of dawn broke, over
Richmond, was like that of a hundred cannon at one time.
Tho very ^foundations of the city were shaken ; windows
were shattered more than two miles from where these gun
boats were exploded," and the frightened inhabitants imag
ined that the place was being furiously bombarded. The
"Patrick Henry," a receiving-ship, was scuttled, and all tho
shipping at tho wharves was fired except the flag-of-truco
steamer " Allison." ' -A
As tho sun rose on Richmond, such a spectacle was pre
sented as can never be forgotten by thoso who witnessed it.
To .speed, destruction, sqmejmalicious and foolish individ
uals had cut the hose m tbe^citj^^lhe fire was progressing
with fearful rapidity. The roaring, the hissing, and tho
crackling of tho flames were heard above tho shouting and
confusion of the immense crowd of plunderers who wero
moving amid the dense smoke like demons, pushing, riot
ing and swaying with their burdens to make a passage to
the open airA From the lower portion of the city, near tho

'666

EVACUATION OF RICHMOND.

EVACUATION OF RICHMOND

867

river, dense black clouds of sinoke arose as a pall of crape
to hide the ravages of tho devouring fiamos, which lifted
their red tongues and leaped from building to building as
if possessed of demoniac instinct)" and intent" upon whole
sale destruction. All the railroad bridges, arid Mayo's
Bridge, that crossed the James River and connected With
Manchester, on the opposite side, wero in flames.
TLe- ru_ost_^em aidml^l^6__BcGn os, however, were "said to have
occnrredjit the commissary depot. Hundreds of Govern
ment wagons were loaded with bacon, flour and whiskey,
an d dr i veh off TiT' hot Taste to JoinThe retreating army" "in"
a dense throng nround the d epot^stp^dJumdTeds" of men,
women and children, black and white, provided with any
thing in which thoy could _carry away provisions, awaiting
the opening of the dngrB_Jo_rush. in and Felp^iehi^olves.
A cascade of_whiskey_stroamod from" Mie^lndTwsT'^bout
sunrise the doors were thrown open .to Jhe,.p>op.ulace,_.aud 
with a rush that seemed almost sufficient. tojbear off the_ 
building itself, they. soon swept. away.auJhaLxemaine<t-of_~-.-
tbe Confederate commissariat of Richmond. aA r >.,,,A -:y..j,-. p-'
J?-Tjl'ii!i.Jirti0_i^1hi,ines had been applied to or had reached
the arsenal, in. Which _sevcrai.Iian3i:e70arII5a3's3prrd'adod
shell were left. At every mordent the most torrific explo
sions were sending forth their awful reverberations, and
gave us tho idea of a general" bonih^
rors of tho final conflagration, whon the earth shall- be
wrapped in flames and melt with fervent heat, were, it
seemed to lis, ¦ prefigurod in our capital. . a a a ¦
At an early hour iu tho morning, the Mayor of tho city,
to whom it had been resigned by the military Commander,
proceeded to tho lines of tho enemy and Surrendered it to
General Godfrey Weitzel, who had been left by Genoral Ord,
wlvm ho withdrew one-half of his division to tho lines
investing Petersburg, to receive the surrender of Richmond^
As early as eight o'clock hi tho morning, jvhilo the mob
held possession .of __Main street, _jwij3_jTCre _husily_heipin^ 
themselves to tho contents.. of_the. Alry„goods...Btoros„and 

'?"

A:

s *

..other shops in that ppj^ion_ofjho city, and while a few of
oitr cavalry were still-to be seen here and there in the upper
portions, a cry waiTaisecT: "TlieTTahkeosl^The Yankees
are coming I" Major A. H. Stevens, of the Fourth Massa
chusetts Cavalry, and Major E. E. Graves, of his staff, with
forty cavalry, rode steadily into the city, proceeded directly
to the Capitol, and planted once more the " Stars and
Stripes"— the ensign of onr Subjugation— on that ancient
edifice. As its folds were given to the breeze, while still we
heard tho roaring, hissing, crackling flames, the explosions
of the shells and the shouting of the midtitude, the strains
of an old, familiar tune floated Upon the ah- — a tune that,
in days gone by, was" wont to awaken a thrill of patriotism.
But now only the most bitter and crushing recollections
awoke within us, as upon onr quickened hearing fell the
strains of "The Star Spangled Banner." For us it was a
requiem for buried hopes. ' -¦
As the day advanced, Woitzel's troops poured through
the city. Long hues of negro cah ary swept by the Ex
change Hotel, brandishing thefr swords and uttering sav
age cheers, replied to by the shouts of those of thefr own
color, '-who were trudging a!ong^ncbr_Ipad3_gf Jpluncter,
laughing and exulting over the prizes they had secured from
.the wreck of _the_ stores; rather than rejoicing atthe more
precious prize of freedom which had been won for them. On
passed the colored troops, singing, " John Brown's body is
mouldering in the grave," etc.
By one o'clock in the day, the confusion reached its height.
As soon as the Federal trojpps^eadied jhe city fhoy were set
to work by_thejofl5cers_jto^ ari-est_Jhe_progress_of the fire.
By this tune a wind had_rison from the south, and seemed
likely tO carryjbe surging jlamesjiD^joyer tho northwestern
cportion. of .tho_cityA_The most strenuous efforts wore mado_
to prevent this, and the grateful thanks of tho people of
Richmond are due to General Weitzel and other officers for
thoir energetic measures to save the city from entire destruc-
tion. -p'AappA - Ai-A Ar"-^-.'' A.

368

EVACUATION OF RICHMOND.

The Capitol Squaro now presented a novel appearance.
On the south, east, and west of. its iow.orjialfjtwas bounded...
by burning buildings. The flames_ biirsting_froin the win
dows, and rising from the proofs, .were. proclaiming in one
wild roar their work of destruction. Myriads of sparks,
borne upward by the current of hot air, were brightening
and breaking in the dense smoke above. On the sward of
tlio Square, fresh with tho omoraldgroon of curly spring",
thousands of wretclmd cr^turos,j^vliq^had_b^c^Qjliiven from
their dwellings by the ciovouring flames, wero congregated.
Fathers and mothers, and weeping,-" frightened children
sought this open space for a breath of frosh air." "But hore,
oven, it vas almost as hot as a furnace Tnlorminglod with
these miserable beings wero tho Federal troops in thoir
garish uniform, representing "almost. overy_uarion on the
continent of Europe, and thousands of the Corps d'Afrique.
All along on tho north side of the Square were tethered
tho horses of tho Federal cavalry, whde, dotted about, were
seen tho white tents of tho sutlers, in which .there were
temptingly displayed canned fruits and meats,, crackers,
cheese, etc. ,,? . ... .p.-.:-.,, ..-I ,,...,-„;-;:,;,,, p
Tho roaring, crackling and hissing of the flames, tho
bursting of shells at the Confederate Arsenal, the soundB
of instruments of martial music, tho neighing of the horses,
the shoutings of the multitude, in which could be distinctly
distinguished the coarse, wild voices of the negroes, gave an
idea of all the horrors of Pandemonium. > Above all this
Scene of terror, hung a black shroud of smoke through which
the sun shone with a lurid angry glare like an immense ball
of blood that emitted sullen rays of light, as if loth to shine
ovor a scene so appalling. .a, .,,,.-""", ,:
Remembering the unhappy fate of the citizens of Colum
bia and other citios of the South, and momentarily oxpect-
ing pillage, and other evils incidental to the sacking of a
city, great numbers of ladies sought tho proper military
authorities and wcro furnished with safeguards for the pro
tection of themselves and thoir homes. These were wiUingly

r

EVACUATION OF RICHMOND. {
and generously furnished, and no scene of violence is reme
bored to havo been committed by the troops which pecup:
Richmond. 
Through out the en tfre^day^lhose-whahad-enriched the
selves by plundering -the- stores were-busy in_conveying
their goods. Laughing and jjosting negroes tugged alo
with overy^ conccivable.doscri^ a _
many an astuto shopkeeper from questionable quarters
Richmond thus added greatly to his former stock.
Tho sun had set upon this terrible day bofore tho awi
roverberations of exploding shells at tho arsenal ceased to
heard over Richmond. Tlie evening camo on. A deathli
quiet porvadedjhejatojicjiviiig andjAunultuoiis city, broker
only by tho murmuring waters of tho rivor. Night drew hoi
sable mantle over the mutilated remains of our beautiful
^capital, and we locked, and bolted, and barred our doors:
but sleep had fled our eyelids. All night long we kept a
fearfid vigil, and listened with beating heart and quickened
ears for the faintest sound that might indicate the devel
opment of other and more terrible phases-of horror. Bui
from all these we were mercifully and providentially spared,
Wo will just here notice the range and extent of the fire
which had in the afternoon liter ally burned itself out. From
an authentic account wo copy at length :
"It had consumed the vory heart of the city. A surveyor conic
scarcely havo designated the business portion of the city moro exnctlj
than did the boundaries of the fire. ' Commencing nt the Shockoe ware
house the fire radiated front and rear, aud on two wings, burning dowr
to, but not destroying, tho store No. 77 Mnin street, south side, halfwaj
between Fourteenth and Fifteenth Streets, and back to tho river througl
Cary and all the intermediate streets. > "Westward on Main tho fire mi
stayed on Ninth Street, swoeping back to the river. On the north sid<
of Main, tho Homes wore stayed botweon Thirteenth and Fourtecutt
streets. From this point tho flamos raged oh the north side of Mail
up to Eighth Street, and back to Bank Street.
"Among Bomo of the most prominent of tho buildings destroyed
wero the Bank of Bichmond, Traders' Bank, Bank of the Common
woalth, Bank of Virginia, Farmers' Bank, all of the banking houses
the Amorican Hotol, tho Columbian Ilotol, the Enquirer building, oi

870

EVACUATION' OF RICHMOND.

Twelfth Street, the Dispatch office and job-rooms", corner of Thirteenth
and Mam Streets, all that block of buildings know as Belvin'S Block,
tlie Examiner office, engine and machinery rooms, the Confederate Post
Office Department building, the State Court Houso, a fine old building on
the Capitol Square at its Franklin Street entrance, the Mechanics* Insti
tute vacated by tho Confederate War Department, and all the buildings'
on that Square up to Eighth Street, and back to Main Street, the
Confederate Arsenal, and tho Laboratory on SoVonth Street.
"The streets were crowded with furniture and every description of
wares, dashed down and trampled inthe mud, or burned where it lay
All the government stores were thrown open, and what could not begot
ten off by ihe government was left to the people.
" Nest to tho river the destruction of property was fearfully complete.
The Danville and Petersburg Kailroad depots, and the buildings and
shedding attached, for the distance of half-a-mile. from, the north side of
Mam Street to the river, and between Eighth and Fifteenth Streets,
embracing upwards of twenty blocks, presented one waste of smoking
nuns, blackened walls, and solitary ehimhoys." 1 - .*. • ' -A
Except the great firo in New York, in 1837, there is said
never to have boon so extensive a conflagration on this conti
nent as the burning of Richmond on that memorable day.
Upon reaching the city, General Weitzel established his
headquarters in the Hall of the State Capitol, previously
occupied by tho Virginia Houso of Delegates. He immedi
ately msued an order for the restoration of quiet, and
intended to allay tho fears and restore confidence and tran- ¦
qmlhtyto the minds of the inhabitants.- 'General Sheploy
was appointed Military Commander of Richmond, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Fred L. Manning was mado acting Pro
vost Marshal. '"
Gonoral Sheplcy issued an order which protected tho
citizens from insult and depredation by the Federal soldiers,
and which also included a morbidly sensitive clause in depre
cation of insult to the "flag," calculated rather to excite
the derision than the indignation of the conquered inhabi
tants. The scenes of this day give rise to many reflections, the
most of which are too deeply painful to dwell upon. The
spirit of extortion, the wicked and inordinato greed of mani-

¦4i

VISIT OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN TO RICHMOND. ' 3
mon which sometimes overclouds and overules all the nob
instincts of humanity, aro strikingly illustrated by a sinj
incident in this connection. A lady passed, up Frank
Street early on tho morning of the 3d of April, and Jheld
her hand a small phial in which there was about a tal
spoonful of paregoric. "This," said she, "Ihave just pi
chased on Main Street, at  ^'s drug store. Richmond is
flames, and yet for this Spoonful of medicine for a sick s<
vant I had to pay five dollars."
An hour had not passed when the fire consumed t
establishment of the extortionate vender of drugs. Tl
incident points a moral which all Can apply. Riches take
themselves wings, and in a moment least expected elude oil
grasp. Many who shirked the conscription, who mado un
worthy use of exemption bills, for the purpose of heaping uj
and watching their ill-gotten treasures, saw them in a singh
hour reduced to ashes and made the sport of the winds o
heaven. Truly man knoweth not what a day may bring forth

CHAPTER LXXIII.

VISIT OF HIESIDENT LINCOLN tfO EICHMONO  THE FEDERAL.
GOVERNMENT FEEDING TnE PEOrLE.
THE principal pillar that sustained the Confederate fab
ric had been overthrown, the chief comer-stone hac
been loosened and pushed from its place, and the crumbling
of the entire edifice to a ruined and shapeless mass, seemec
to us but a question of time.
On the morning of the 4th of April, the people of Rich
mond were aroused from the partial paralysis that sncceedet
the terrors of the previous day, by loud shouting and cheer
ing on the streets. As they very readily conjectured, it wai
occasioned by the presence of his Excellency the President o
tho United States. Mr. Lincoln came up as far as Varina ii

872

VISIT OF PBESIDENT LINCOLN TO RICHMOND,

VISIT OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN TO RICHMOND.

373

the steamer "River Queen," and was thence drawn over in an
ambulance to Richmond, where he met Admiral Porter, who
had by that time reached the wharf in tho Malvern. About
cloven o'clock he walked up the streets of the half-burned city.
He was accompanied by a young son, and escorted only by
Admiral Porter, Captain Bell, a few marines and some of the
citizens who had already declared Union sentiments, and had
been apprised of his approach. Hundreds of the colored
population thronged about him, to get a look at him, to
shako his, hand, to hear tho tones of his voice, or otherwise to
testify their admiration or socuro his notice. He made his
way to the Capitol, On tho Square a superb carriage was
in rendincss for him, in which ho was oonveyod through the
principal streets of tho city. In tho carriage were seafod
his son, Admiral Porter, and Captain BoU, while in attend
ance was an escort of negro cavalry. All along his triumphal
passage, sable multitudes of both sexes and every age gath
ered and pressed around the vehicle to press or kiss his hand,
or to get a word or look from him. As the carriage rolled
up the streets they ran after it in furious excitement, and
made the welkin ring with tho loud and continuous cheering
peculiar to thoir race. Mr. Lincoln visited the late residence
of Mr. Davis, and the principal places of interest in Rich
mond, and as night approachod returned to the stoamer that
had conveyed him thither, and departed forever from the
conquered capital of the rival government.
A tissue of unhappy events had thrown tho people of
Richmond into the most painful aud positive destitution.
We have before mentioned tho universal circulation of Con
federate money. We have noticed tho scarcity of provisions
and tho usual manner of living. Tho evacuation of tho city
found great numbers of the inhabitants totally without
food, and entirely destituto of means by which it might be
procured. The distress was wide spread, and to prevent tho
horrors of staivation immediate relief was demanded. In
a very tow days liberal assistance was extended through tho
Relief Association of tho United States and tho Oluistiau

1

Commission of the Federal army, and the. United States
Sanitary Commission dispensed suitable delicacies, and what,
indeed, in many instances, seemed luxuries to the sick and
enfeoblod. • To give an adequate idea of the extent of the destitution,
we notice, from the Richmond Whig, that Mr. J. L. Apper-
son, Secretary of the Relief Committee, reported that from
tho 8th to the 15th of April, inclusive, 17,367 tickets were
issued, calling' for 8G,555 rations. When tho number of
inhabitants in the city of Richmond is taken into the
account, it will bo seen that at least one-third of the entire
population remaining hi the city (and thousands had flod
when it was surrondorod) wore drivon to tho humiliation of
subsisting alono on supplies of food furnishod them by tho
conquerors. The supplies consisted of the coarsest and most
substantial quality of edibles, yet they wore not ungrate
fully, though with sickened hearts, received by the miser
able people who depended upon them to prevent hunger or
starvation. The miseries of our situation, jvhichjwould have been
incalculable at best, were inconceivably enhanced by the
.disastrous burning of the business ^qrtio^^oi^Jhe^city^^
"Nearly alt the supplies of food were kept in the stores
which wero consumed by tho fire, and* our poor people were
almost totally dependent upon the mercy of the captors.
For several months no remunerative employment could be
obtained by the masse~s77Jhd^bey"were~cTanpollod to live by
charity. The humiliation to many of this means of liveli
hood cannot be estimated. Commissary stores, where rations
were dispensed, presented a novol aspect. Intermingled in
a strange, incongruous and hitherto unacquainted throng,
might be seen some oFThe mosT refined and- delicately-nur
tured of tho women of Virginia, (who were drivon by cruel
want to seek such subsistence,) with the coarse, rude and
vidgar of questionable parts of tho city, and frequently with
negroes who had left thefr former homos, and who thus took
thoir first step in freedom. , ¦ ma -!-.-¦-« Aa

374

TIIE SURRENDER OF LEE

The wretchedness of our people was sometimes made tho
subject of ridicule in certain of tho illustrated periodicals
of the -North. One, which seems to find special dolight (or
perhaps profit) in delineations of the horriblo, flourished
an extensive illustration of "The Aristocratic Ladies of
Richmond drawing Rations." For" the sake of decency and
humanity, and all tho nobler instincts which must underlie
the promptings, of revenge or triumph in souls not dead
ened by vice to all fellow-feeling, we hope and must believe
that the only pleasure experienced in representations hold
ing up to ridicule the want, misery and humiliation of starv
ing, helpless women, found lodgment only in the breasts of
ambitious special artists and speculative picture-monger's.

CHAPTER LXIV.

THE SURRENDER OF LEE.

AFTER the occupation of Richmond by the Federal
forces, all tidings from our friends in the Confederate
army were as entfrely cut off as though an ocean rolled
between us and them. Nearly a week had passed, when, an
hour or two after sunset, reports of cannon disturbed tho
stillness of tho evening.
It boded no good to us, and we immediately connected it
with a victory over our war-worn and retreating army. It
was the Sabbath evening of tho 9th of April. Soon from
lip to lip ran the dreadfid intelligence: "General Lee has
surrendered ! " Our fears had boded but too truly 1 Victory
had perched triumphantly on tho banners of our enemies,
and our own cause, which had cost us four long and weary
years of prayers and tears, of sacrifice, pain and woo and
blood, was lost! "Our cause is lost 1" How dreadfully,
even at this moment, sounds the re-echo of those words,
as wc remember tho crushing of our hopes at tho tidings of

1 1

THE' SURRENDER Of LEE.

375

General Lee's surrender.- At the dawn of the followino-
morning, we were awakened by the reverberations of can
non, that confirmed the news of the evening previous. On
the stroets, gathered here and there at the corners, small
squads of citizens discussed the sad event. Upon every
countenance rested . the shadow Of gloom, and on every
heart the paralyzing torpor of despair. There was only
one whisper of consolation left to comfort lis in our misery;
and that was, "At least, then, the tide of blood is stayed."
No tears were shed.. In the speechless agony of woe, in tho
mute eloquence of despair, we moved about, httle moro than
breathing automatons, and were, slow to receive all the
dreadful truth, and slower still to say: "Thy will be done,
oh Lord I "
In accordance with the opinion of Virginians generally,
and of great numbers of the people of the South from other
States, the Bichmond Examiner, several weeks before the
fall of the city, had used the following language:
"The evacuation of Richmond would be the Iobs of all rospect and
authority towards the Confederate Government, the disintegration of
the army, and the abandonment of the scheme of an independent
Southern confederation. A Each contestant in the war hits made Rich
mond the central object of all its plans and all its exertions. It has be
come tho symbol of tho Confederacy. Its loss would bo material ruin to
the cause, and in a moral point of view, absolutely destructive, crushing
the heart and extinguishing the last hopo of the country. Our armies
would lose the incentive inspired by a great and worthy object of do-
fence. Our military policy would be totally at sea ; wo should be with
out hopo or an object ; without civil or military organization ; without
a treasury or commissariat ; without tho moans of keeping alive whole
some, and active public sentiment ; without any of the appliances for
supporting a cause depending upon popular faith and enthusiasm ;
without the embleniB or semblance of nationality."
After the -withdrawal bf General Leo's army, a very few
days sufficed to prove the wisdom of- this prophecy. As the
retreat progressed, day by day, tho situation became moro
and more desperate. Thoroughly demoralized, and seeing
the nocessity of siurendor inevitable, thousands threw away

376

THE SURRENDER OF LEE. ""-"¦'

their arms, and wishing to avoid what they supposed might
be the conditions of surrender, went to their homes. .
The meeting between General Lee and General Grant, to
arrange terms of capitidation, took place at the house of
Mr. Winner McLean. Genoral Lee was attended only by
Colonel Marshal, one of his aids, while with General Grant
there were several of his staff officors, and a number of Fod-
cral generals aro said to havo entered tho room daring tho
interview. The two commanders greeted each other with courtesy,
and without delay proceeded to the business that had con
vened them. Goneral Lee alluded at once to the conditions
of surrender, expressed his satisfaction as to their leniency,
and loft tho details to General Grant's own discretion.
General Grant repeated the terms of the parole; that tho
arms should be stacked, the artdlery parked and the sup
plies and miuiitions turned over to him, the ofiicers to be
allowed to retain thoir horses, side-arms and personal effects.
General Leo promptly assrnled to tho conditions, and the
agreement of surrender was signed by him at half-past three
o'clock in the afternoon.
General Lee's appearance on this memorable interview is
thus described by a northern correspondent:— "General
Leo looked very much jaded and worn, but nevertheless
presented the same magnificent jihysique for which he had al
ways been noted. He was neatly dressed in grey cloth, without
embroidery or any insignia of rank except three stars worn
on the turned portion of his coat' collar. His cheeks were
very much bronzed by exposure, but still shone ruddy
underneath it ah. He is growmg quite bald, and wears
the side-locks of his hair thrown across tho upper por
tion of his forehead, which is white and fair as a wo
man's. Ho stands fully six foet ono inch in height, and
weighs something over two hundred pounds, without being
burdened with a pound of superfluous flesh. During the
whole interview ho was retired and dignified to a 'degree
bordering on taciturnity, but was free from all exhibition

THE' SURRENDER OF LEE.

377

1

of temper or mortification, a His demeanor was that of a
thoroughly possessed gentleman who had a very disagree
able duty to perform, and was determined to get through
with it as well and as soon as he could."
General Grant's conduct on this occasion was in the high-
- est degree magnanimous. The' affair was conducted simply
and quietly, and with no offort or desiro on his part to inako
a sonsation. Ho exhibited no triumphant exultation, and
avoidod everything which might serve to wound the feel
ings of his vanquished foe. His whole deportment indica
ted the possession of a great mind, and the nobility of a
groat heart. Before the surrender, General Grant had
declared to his own officers, his intention not to require of
Goneral Loo, tho same formalities as aro required hi a sur
render of the forces between two foreign nations or belliger
ent powers, and to exact no terms for the mere purpose of
humiliation. While this interview between the commanders of the two
armies was taking place, an informal conference of tho gen
eral officors, occupied the poriod of the armistice. They met
in the streets of Appomattox Court House. On the Federal
side were Generals Ord, Sheridan, Crook, Gibbon, Griffin,
Merritt, Ayers, Bartlett,. Chamberlain, Forsyth and Michie.
Tho Confederate army was represented by Generals Long-
street, Heath, Gordon, Wilcox aud others. None but geno
ral officers were allowed to pass through the skirmish hne.
Mutual introductions were given, healths were drank in
whiskey, and there was a cordial interchange of fraternal
fcolings. This singular conference, from which was ban
ished all restraint, lasted for moro than an hour, when these
officers returned to their respective armies, to learn the re
sult of the important interview between the commanders.
Both armios awaifod iu tho most anxious susponso for the
word that was to signalize the resumption of hostilities, or
tho prospect of peaco which would terrainato tho dreadful
work of war. Anon, thore was heard the clatter of hoofs, a
flag of truce oppoarod, and an order from General Grant for
a suspension of hostilities until furthor orders.

378

SUEEENDER OF LEE.

After the interview with General Grant, General Lee re
turned to his own camp, where his leading ofiicers awaited
him. He mado known to them the result and the condi
tions. Thoy then approached him in the order of thoir
rank, shook hands, expressed satisfaction at the course he
had taken, and regret at parting, all shedding tears. When
General Lee appeared among his troops, after the surrender
had been announced to them, he was loudly cheered. .•
At four o'clock, when it was proclaimed to General Grant's
army that the surrender had been comsummated, and the
articles signed, the enthusiasm 'which had been restrained
by uncertainty— broke loose. The brigade commanders
announced to their commands tho joyful neivs, and cheer
after cheer of the most excititing description rent the air.
On the clay after the Surrender, General Leo bade adieu
to his troops in the following simple, manly and character
istic address: ,V ' A
Geneeal Oedeb, No. 9.
HeadqOahters, Aemt of Nom-meim Vinerim, t
April 10th, 18(15.(
After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage
and fortitude, tho A vmy of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield
to overwhelming numbers and resources.
I need not tell the survivors of so many hard-fought battles, who have
remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to this result from
no distrust, of them ; but feeling that valor and devotion could accom
plish nothing that would compensate for the loss that would havo
al tended tho continuation of the contost, I have determined to avoid the
useless socrmeo of those whose past servioes have endeared them to their
countrympn. Jiy the. terms of agreement, officers and men can return to their homes
and remain there until exchanged.
You will take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from tho con
sciousness of duty faithfully performed, and I earnestly pi-ay that a mer
ciful God will extend to you his blessing and protection.
Willi an uncrating admiration for your constancy and devotion to your
country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous consid
eration of myself— -I bid you an affectionate farewell. It. E. Lee, General. "
With heavy hearts our soldiors now turned thefr steps

SURRENDER OF LE&

379

homeward. Sad were the parting scenes as the veterans of
the Army of Northern Virginia bade each other adieu. The
ties of friendship which had sprung up in tho field, on the
inarch, and in the camp wero cemented by mutual glory,
mutual toil, privation and suffering; and in the common
cause, all were brethren; They returned to their homes,
not to contemplate the independence they had struggled so
bravely to Win, but cruel, crushing, bitter disappointment.
They accepted the decision with the fortitude of veteran
soldiers. They acknowledged their defeat as indeed accom
phshed. But the fire of patriotism Can nevef be quenched
on the altar of such hearts as theirs. >
Among the missing from Richmond, who returned hot to
their homes with their comrades after the surrender, woro
two noble young men whoso deeds of courage and bravery
were the theme of universal admiration. Our youthful, no
ble Colonel Willie Pegrafn, (whose brother fell at Hatcher's
Run) Was killed in the very last engagement of the Army of
Northern Virginia. His conduct at tho time, is said to have
been unsurpassed. He seemed to court death, and death
accepted him I For days we mourned, also, tho death of
young 0. M — ¦ — , the son of the beloved pastor bf St. Paul's
Church ; but finally our hearts were relieved when the news
came, "he is not dead." However, a wound of the most
painful character kept him hovering between life and death,
for many days, and left him, as wo then feared, a hopeless
cripple. A few days after the surrender. General Lee, accompanied
by five members of his staff, rode into Richmond. He had
hoped to reach his home unnoticed, but tho fact of his pres
ence spreading quickly through the city, crowds gathered
around his door to receive him, and Cheered him loudly a3
ho approached. As he dismounted from his horse, largo
numbers pressed around him, and shook his hand warmly
and sympathetically. Disengaging himself, hi a few mo
ments ho passed into his houso, and thus withdrew from'
public observation, i ;:-. a. ' A-

3S0 THE ASSASSINATION.
CHAPTER LXXV.
THE ASSASSINATION — OAPTUEE OF JEFFERSON DAVIS — CONCLUDING
EVENTS OF THE WAR.
THE news of the surrender of Lee's army had not been
carried to remote distances in the South, nor even to
all parts of the State of Virginia, nor had tho people of
Richmond more than begun to digest tho unwelcome truth,
when thoro came another startling piece of information to
disturb the public mind. ,
It was the Sabbath afternoon of the 16th of April. The
city was quiet. No sound aroso to disturb tho serenity of
the holy day. The church bolls wero calling tho pooplo
to vesper service. But here and there, groups collected;
and as they discussed the astounding intelligence' which
spread like electricity from one to another, doubt, amaze
ment, awe and incredulity, found expression on thoir coun
tenances. Passers by heard the ominous exclamation, f The
President is killed I" V-' "'• -;.-.' -~: . :A"1lij -."¦••"."¦<? ¦ ¦¦
It was whispered with bated breath,; yot even a whisper is
sometimes trumpct-tongued. "The President killed, Mr.
Seward and his sons killed; the lives of the entire Cabinet
attempted; the Vice-President escaping death only by a
fortunate providenco;" this was the appalling description of
tho Washington tragedy, as we received it in Richmond on
that Sabbath afternoon. ,. '. v, .e, .-,":, ¦ :-.;
The steps of many were arrested in their progress to
church. They returned to their homes, or sought the houses
of friends to inquire into the truth of the startling report.
Many doubted it, and some accepted it, with the Usual qual
ification of "A Sabbath clay rumor." On tho following morn
ing, a glance at tho newspapers, with thoir columns divided
by tho broad black hues adopted by the press in mourn
ing, indicated that this was no more fictitious report, gotten
up for effect; no figment of morbidly excited imaginations.
Though not so oxtensivo and torriblo as rumor had at first

THE ASSASSINATION.

381

¦ t
T

declared, it was substantially true. The head of the nation
' had fallen. The man who so short a timo before had
made our city a visit, who had trodden the streets of our
subjugated capital a conqueror, had been cut down by the
hand of violence 1 Reflection was terrible 1 The judgments
of God were abroad. in the land! In sections where late
there woro exultation and universal acclamations of delight
thore was one long, loud wad of sorrow. The country was
called 'to question' where these judgments would stop?
With reason overwhelmed by tho sudden, awful and signal
dispensations of the Providence which distinguished this
peculiar period in tho history of our country, we laid our
mouths in the dust, and were dumb before tho awful majesty
of the Eternal 1
Vague conjectures succeeded surprise at the appalling
news. With folded hands we watched the turn of tho whoel
of public events, and "acknowledging the impotence of man
to fathom the mind of the mighty God, with anxious hearts
inquired, "What next?" ""
In the wonderful charity which buries all quarrels in the
grave, Mr. Lincoln, dead, was no longer regarded in the
character of an enemy; for with the- generosity native to
Southern character, all resentment was hidden in his tomb
at Spring-field: We ' were satisfied to let the " dead Past
bury its dead."
To finish the story of the war but- Httle more remains to
be told. The surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia,
was "the beginning of the end," and in effect terminated
the contest. /
Contending against the most enormous odds, and without
the necessary means for its longer prosecution, all attempts
to continue the war successfully appeared to General John
ston as utterly futilo. Under thoso circumstances, ho an
nounced his conclusion to the governors of tho States within
his department in tho following address:
"The disaster in Yirginia, the capturo by tho enemy of all workshops
for tho preparation of ammunition and repairing of arms, tho iinpossi-

382

END OF THE WAR. ;

bility of recruiting onr little army, opposed by more than ten times its
number, or supporting it except by robbing our own citizens, destroyed
all hopo of successful war. I have therefore made a military convention
with Major Goneral Sherman to terminate hostilities in North and South
Carolina, Georgia and Florida. " I made this convention to sparo tho
blood of this little army, to prevent further suffering of onr people by tho
devastation and ruin inevitable from the marches of invading armies,
and to avoid the crime of waging a hopeless war."
The terms agreed upon between General Sherman and
General Johnston, which were intended to insure protection
to tho citizens as well as to soldiers of the South, but which
were understood to concedo certain privileges and prero°a-
tives to tho States, raised against the Federal Commander
such a storm of indignation in Washington, and called down
upon him such undeserved censuro as required all his mili
tary reputation to withstand. ¦' The President repudiated
them, the War* Department prohibited them, and General
Grant, although an ardent personal friend of General Sher-
mau, censured them. , AA v-.A;-:-Aa,
So decided was tho dissatisfaction at the conduct of Gene
ral Sherman, that Grant was ordered to proceed at Once to
North Carohna, to take control of Sherman's army, 'and to
compel Johnston at once to unconditional surrender. -'-" •¦! -
Here again General Grant exhibited the magnanimity of
character shown so signally and grandly in his hour of
triumph. Truly, as says a distinguished Southern author,
"in the most fortunate period in tho hfe of any living man
in America, Grant was not intoxicated by vanity or conceit.
Ho was incapablo of an attempt upon tho reputation of a
rival." General Grant, obedient to instructions, Went to North
Carolina, but he kept tho military operations iu tho hands
of Sherman, and insisted -on giving him the honor of con
cluding tho negotiation r with Genoral Johnston, and of ro-
cciving the surrender of his army, which was finally effected
upon such terms as had been conceded to Goneral Lee.
On the 4th of May, General Dick Taylor surrendered to
Genoral Canby aU tho forces, munitions of war, etc, in tho

" „?* In

END OF THE WAR. oOci
department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana.
The negotiations for this surrender were concluded at Cit-
ronville, Alabama, and were essentially the same as thoso
entered into with Generals Lee and Johnston.
Of the Confederate forces in Vfrginia, the last to lay
down tbeir arms were the brave band of dashing and valor
ous spirits that had rallied around our gallant young par
tisan leader, Colonel Jack Mosby. This remarkable young
man loft his law offico in Bristol, on tho western bordor of
Virginia, and gathering up a band of chosen men, made his
name ono of dread tp the enemy and a pillar of reliance to .
tho South. It is now a household word. Jack Mosby —
tho Albcinarlo boy — the youthful, unprotending lawyer of a
Western Virginia village, is known among our enemies as,
"Mosby, the guerrilla," a name inspiring terror from un
pleasant remembrances of bitter retaliation, but in the
South he is knOwn as " Mosby, the young partisan warrior
— Mosby, tho hero." Being an independent organization,
his force was not rogarded as included in the surrender of
the Army of Northern Vfrginia. Some weeks subsequent to
that event, he formally surrendered his command upon
terms similar to those accorded his illustrious companions
inarms. A .Apt _ . ,-.-..-¦ "'-._-,- A-
By the first days of May, ah the Confederate forces east
of the Mississippi had been surrendered. There only re
mained of the Southern armies in the field, the command
of General Kirby Smith, west of the Mississippi. With tho
struggling faith of a "drowning man that will catch at a
straw " for safety, tho hopes of some clung to the idea that
Southern independence might at last be secured through
the httle army that still carriod its colors in the far South
west. Gonoral Smith endeavored to infuso into his troops
a spirit of confidonco, a determination still to resist invasion,
and predicted -help from sympathetic foreign nations. He
said to them : " Tho great resources of tho Department, its
vast extent, the numbers, discipline and efficiency of the
army, will soenro to our country terms that a proud pcoplo

381

END OF THE" WAR.

can with honor accept; and may, under the providence of
God, be the means of checking the triumph of our enemy,
and securing the final success of our cause." War meetings
were held in different parts of Texas. At Houston, General
Magruder addressed the citizens, and told them he was not
discouraged by the turn of events ; and ended by protest
ing he had . rather be a " Camanche Indian, than submit
to the Yankees."
Tho excitement and enthusiasm thus awakened, was how
ever momentary. When the extent of the disasters east of
the Mississippi became fully known, symptoms of demorali
zation impossible to counteract spcodily possessed the army
of Goneral Smith. On tho 21st of May, ho sent officers to
Baton Rouge, whero General Canby was then stationod, to
negotiate with him terms of surrender. These were con
cluded on the 21st of May, and were such as : had been
accorded to other Confederate forces.
This was the last act in the Confederate War for Inde
pendence. But all was not yot accomplished. '- We had to
turn another leaf to look upon tho epilogue of sorrow. With
heart-sickening anxiety, with forebodings too dreadfid to bo
whispered, we hstencd for tidings from our beloved, our
unhappy and fugitive President. Wo were painfully aware
that his enemies were in pursuit of him. Various rumors
were in circulation. His escape across the Mississippi was
reported; and the doors of Moxico were said to have opened
to Jiini.
On a bright Sabbath morning, after the middle of May,
tho voices of news-boys in the familiar cry, " Extra ! Extra 1"
drew us to the doors and windows; and our hearts were
chilled, and our complexions paled, as in trembling agony,
wc hoard proclaimed, "The capture of Joff. Davisl"
Thus was announced tho fato of the unfortunate chiof
representative of our lost cause. What Southern heart can
not recall the sickening, (ho palsying weakness of that mo
ment ? Our chastisement seemed heavier than weak human
naturo could endure. "¦' A A- A .-'¦¦'

It

END OF TnE WAR.

Of

385

Our President a captive, the members of his Council fugi
tives or prisoners, our cause perished, our country ruined,
our land desolated, our armies overpowered 1 We were left
to muse on tho mutability of human events, to glance mourn
fully backward on the Past, and to gaze with steady, cold,
dead calmness on the altered Present. We wero driven to
reflect on the strango and mysterious dealings of the won
der-working hand of God, and wiping the film from tho
eyes of faith, to steer clear of the wrecking reefs of infidel
ity. Should these pages fall under the eye of one disposed
to censure, wo ask that the tones of human sympathy may
not fall on deadened ears, that tho heart may not bo
steeled against tho divine accents of tender mercy.
It may bo inquirod how wo fared undor tho regime of our
conquerors, in the quondam capital of what has been deris
ively termed the "so-called Southern Confederacy."
The psalmist of Israel tells us when the ancient people
were carried into Babylonish captivity:
"By the rivers of Babylon we sat down, yea we wept when we remem
bered Zion.''
" We hanged our harps upon tho willows in the midst thereof."
"For there they that carried ns away captive required of ns a song :
and they that wasted us, required of ns mirth." '
It cannot be tlenied that to some extent we experienced
the bitter fruits of subjugation, so graphically described by
David. The burden of our agony was thus exjn-essed: "If
I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, lot my right hand forget hor
cunning." The occupation of Richmond by our enemies
occurred at a peculiarlyintoresting period in the ecclesiasti
cal division of the ycar.__It_was the Jast week of _tho_Lental _
season, the week which commemorates the passion of our
.Saviour, In tho diocoso of Vfrginia, tho clauso in tho prayer for tho
" President of tho United States, and all others in author
ity," had boon altered by order of the Bishop, to corres
pond to our status under tho Confederacy. The Bishop
being absent, it could not thon be convoniontly changed,
17 ,„ - '- J? , . - '-AAA

386

END OF THE WAR.

END OF THE WAR.

387

and owing, as they felt they then owed, political allegiance
only to the President of the Confederate States, and with
no instruction at that time from their diocesan, to make use
of the prayer differently, the Protestant Episcopal ministers
of Richmond could not conscientiously use the unamended
prayer of the Prayer-book. They were therefore required
by the military authorities of the city to-close thefr churches.
It was the most rigorous and aggravating feature of our
peculiar situation, and was felt to be a direct blow upon tho
veiy root of the tree of religious liberty. In a few weeks
(hose unhappy disagreements were , reconciled, and the
Bishop directed tho use -of the unamended prayer in tho
churches. There would bo a failuro in simplo justice, and a com
promise of conscientious generosity, did we refuse to accord
to those placed in temporary authority over us as mihtary
rulers of Richmond, the offering of sincere gratitude, for tho
respect, the kindness, tho lenity with which the citizens
wero treated. For a conquered people, the lines had
fallen to us in pleasant places. The names of Ord, Weitzel,
Patrick, Dent, Manning, Mulford and others, cannot be
remembered with unkinchiess. They softened greatly tho
first bilter experiences of our subjugation.
Tho vast armies of our conquerors, on their homeward
march, now began to poiir through "Tih'e. streets of .Richmond.
Day after day, as wo witnessed the passage of the countless,
and as thoy seemed to us Tni^h^hahle^legipns.pT .the hncmy , .
against which onr comparatively, little_.airmy.had so obsti
nately, and all but succossfidlyjieldjiutfor.fo.ur._years,--the
question that arose in our minds, was not why we were con
quered at last, but "how we coidd have so long resisted tho
mighty appliances which operated against us." Our pride,
our glory in our countrymen was heightened, and we felt
indeed, " the South is the land for soldiers," and though our
enemies triumphed, it was at a price that was felt by them.
As General Meade's corps passed through Richmond, a
singular acquaintance was revived with a lady, by one of

~K

,4

t

his men. Going accidentally to the front door of her houso
a soldier in a Federal uniform sprang up from the steps,
and offered her his hand. She recoiled instantly, but over
come by the deprecating expression on the face of the man,
she reluctantly extended her hand.
" Do you not know me ?" inquired tho soldier.
"Your face is altogether familiar," replied tho lady, "but
you must pardon me for not knowing you under your bluo
jacket." " Don't you remember that you were kind to me in 
Hospital?" ' " Yes, I remember; I was attentive to you, when you were
.helpless, and nooded attention and sympathy, and I should
have dono tho sarao for any honorable soldier in tho Union
Army, had he been a sufferer and thrown under my notice —
but thon you were in the Confederate army, and how did it
happen that you were so base as to bo a deserter from our
cause — the cause in which you then professed to find such
glory?" "Did you never hear?" returned the crest-fallen, guilty-
looking man, who now cowerod before tho calm, steady
gazo of the woman, " did you never hear that when I loft
Richmond, I wont to .Fairfax County on some business for
Major  , when I was taken prisoner ? I was then car-
riod to Washington, and granted a parole. I then went to
Phdadelphia; there I made somo unfortunate acquaintances,
who invited me to a saloon to. drink. I wont with them —
drank with them, and knew no more, until I found myself
in a Yankee camp, with the bounty-money in my pocket."
"No;" rephed the lady, listening incredulously to tho
cunning story of the deserter, "I heard nothing whatover
from you aftor your mysterious disappearance from Rich
mond.".. t-r - - .:,,-- -
Tho deserter winced under the keen reproof ho well un
derstood. As if to palliato his unprincipled conduct, ho
remarked: "I never raised a gun agahiBt a Confederate sol
dier; I could not do- it. » This is my instrument, (holding
up a buglo.) And I coidd not pass your houso without

388

LIFE IN THE OLD LAND YET I

coming to thank you for your great kindness to mo
when I was wounded and helpless."
" I see, I see," replied the lady, sarcastically. " It has
been returned most gratefully. I have no sympathy, sir,
with deserters."
While this conversation was going on, several Federal
officers, attracted by the singular intorviow, gathorod around,
and smiled and bowed their admiration of the lady's re
marks. As she looked upon tho disconcerted, miserable wretch
before her, pity took the place of contempt; she regretted
that tho dormant spirit that rested in hor bosom, should
havo been fanned into a blazo of such severity. Kindly ex
tending her hand to him, and modulating her voico to a
softer key, she continued: "Listen to the voico of con
science, unless that in your bosom has become deadened by
disuse, and I shah hope to hear better things of you here
after."

CHAPTER LXXVI.
life in the OLn land yet! ,;
I]X)R Richmond — the still' fafr and beautiful ""seven
hilled" city of the South — there is a. great destiny in
reserve. Earthly malice would be powerless to prevent it.
Her climate invites it, her geographical position courts it,
the intoUigonce, enterprise, and industry of hor inhabitants
will compel it; by her side tho flowing waters of tho classic
stream upon which she proudly looks, send up a never
ceasing cry to expend onr might in works for her prosper
ity. We long to soo iho dust and rubbish romoyed, the
city thoroughly rebuilt and enlarged, her wharves multi
plied, the waters of iho James turning hundrods of mills,
and Richmond what Nature designed hor to be, the great
manufacturing metropolis of the Western Continent. ¦-.
The restoration of the railroad lines, now making good

¦i

LIFE IN THE OLD LAND YET.

389

-4

V
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progress, will again bring into her marts the varied produc
tions of her naturally generous soil. The farmer already
carries on his arm tho basket containing the seed of the rich
and rare vegetable products which must once more deck her
fields in loveliness, and bid her "deserts rejoice and blos-
^ som as tho rose." Tho miner, even now, holds tho pick
which shall compel tho jealous earth to disgorge her min
eral treasures for tho use of her master— man I
Tho rising generation pray their native mother to forget
not her ancient prestige, they plead for still greater light
they call for an increase of educational resources, for acade
mies and colleges, and with this cry is mingled tho plaintive
voice of the orphan. They conjure up the spirit of her
statesmen, and whispering hor honored and honorable
names m their nation's. history, pray her to remember:—
"Beneath the rule of men entirely great,
The pen is mightier than the sword !"
The energy, the enterprise, tho almost universal self-
abnegation, and complote devotion, with which tho people
of the South entered into and sustained the cause of the
war, to all but a successful termination, prove that they
are capable of still grander, and higher, and nobler enter
prises. The world must expect it, and they be held respon
sible if those .expectations fail of reality. Disappointment
does not comprehend a folding of tho hands in sleep, nor
defeat, death!
From tho Potomac to tho Rio Grande, from tho grass-
covered prairies of the West to the Atlantic shores, ovor
every desolato hill and valley, on every wasted homestead,
upon every ruined hoarthstone, is written as with an angel's
pen, in letters of fire, the magio word Resitbgaii !•
" There is life in the old land yet!"
THE END.

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