diers were at hand, and, after the arrest of a few ringleaders and the more riotous of their followers, a fair degree of order was restored. But Richmond saw few sleeping eyes during the pandemonium of that night. . . . Either incendiaries, or (more probably) fragments of bombs from the arsenals, had fired various buildings, and the two cities, Richmond and Manchester, were like a blaze of day amid the surrounding darkness. Three high arched bridges were in flames; beneath them the waters sparkled and dashed and rushed on by the burning city. Every now and then, as a magazine exploded, a column of white smoke rose up as high as the eye could reach, instantaneously followed by a deafening sound. The earth seemed to rock and tremble as with the shock of an earthquake, and immediately afterward hundreds of shells would explode in air and send their iron spray down far below the bridge. As the immense magazines of cartridges ignited, the rattle as of thousands of musketry would follow, and then all was still for the moment, except the dull roar and crackle of the fast-spreading fires. At dawn we heard terrific explosions about “The Rocketts,״from the unfinished ironclads down the river.
By daylight on the 3d, a mob of men, women, and children, to the number of several thousands, had gathered at the corner of 14th and Cary streets and other outlets, in front of the bridge, attracted by the vast commissary depot at that point; for it must be remembered that in 1865 Richmond was a half-starved city, and the Confederate Government had that morning removed its guards and abandoned the removal of the provisions, which was impossible for the want of transportation. The depot doors were forced open and a demoniacal struggle for the countless barrels of hams, bacon, whisky, flour, sugar, coffee, etc., etc., raged about the buildings among the hungry mob. The gutters ran whisky, and it was lapped as it flowed down the streets, while all fought for a share of the plunder. The flames came nearer and nearer, and at last caught in the commissariat itself.
At daylight the approach of the Union forces could be plainly discerned. After a little came the clatter of horses’ hoofs galloping up Main street. . . . We saw another string of horsemen in blue pass up Main street, then we saw a dense column
WITH PATE AGAINST THEM.'’
Prom tlie painting hy Gilbert Gaul.
THE FALL OF RICHMOND.
I. THE EVACUATION—BY CLEMENT SULIVANE, CAPTAIN, C. S. A.
^ BOUT 31:30 A. M. on Sunday, April 2d, * a strange agitation was perceptible on the streets of Richmond, and within half an hour it was known on all sides that Lee’s lines had been broken below Petersburg; that he was in full retreat on Danville ; that the troops covering the city at Chaffin’s and Drewry’s Bluffs were on the point of being withdrawn, and that the city was forthwith to be abandoned. A singular security had been felt by the citizens of Richmond, so the news fell like a bomb-shell in a peaceful camp, and dismay reigned supreme.
All that Sabbath day the trains came and went, wagons, vehicles, andhorsemenrumbled and dashed to and fro, and in the evening, ominous groups of ruffians—more or less in liquor—began to make their appearance on the principal thoroughfares of the city. As night came on pillage and rioting and robbing took place. The police and a few sol-
*Mr. Davis attended morning service at St. Paul’s Church, where he received a despatch, on reading which he left the church to prepare for the departure of the Government.
let them vanquish their old enemy single-handed.”
“I see, I see,” said Mr. Lincoln, “but I never thought of it in that light. In fact, my anxiety has been so great that I did n’t care where the help came from so the work was perfectly done.” . . .
At 12:30 the general wrote a telegram to Weit-zel at Richmond, asking news from him, and showed it to the President before sending it. The general hoped that he would hear before he parted with the President that Richmond was in our possession, but after the interview had lasted about an hour and a half, the general said he must ride on to the front and join Ord’s column, and took leave of the President, who shook his hand cordially, and with great warmth of feeling wished him God-speed and every success.
The general and staff had ridden as far as Sutherland’s Station, about nine miles, when a despatch from Weitzel overtook him, which had come by a roundabout way. It read: “We took Richmond at 8:15 this morning. I captured many guns. Enemy left in great haste. The city is on fire in two places. Am making every effort to put it out.” . . .
Grant and Meade both went into camp at Sutherland’s Station that evening, the 3d. . . .
dered at 4:28 to Colonel Ralph Ely. A second communication surrendering the place was sent in to Wright. The evacuation had begun about 10 the night before, and was completed before 3 on the morning of the 3d. Between 5 and 6 A. M. the general had a conference with Meade, and orders were given to push westward with all haste. About 9 A. M. the general rode into Petersburg. . . .
Soon an officer came with a despatch from Sheridan, who had been reinforced and ordered to strike out along the Danville railroad, saying he was already nine miles beyond Namozine Creek and pressing the enemy’s trains. The general was anxious to move westward at once with the leading infantry columns, but Mr. Lincoln had telegraphed that he was on his way, and the general, though he had replied that he could not wait for his arrival, decided to prolong his stay until the President came up. Mr.
Lincoln, accompanied by his little son “Tad,” dismounted in the street and came in through the front gate with long and rapid strides, his face beaming with delight. He seized General Grant’s hand as
the general stepped forward to greet him, and stood shaking it for some time and pouring out his thanks and congratulations with all the fervor of a heart that seemed overflowing with its fullness of joy. I doubt whether Mr. Lincoln ever experienced a happier moment in his life. The scene was singularly affecting and one never to be forgotten. He then said: “Do you know, General, I have had a soi׳t of sneaking idea for some days that you intended to do something like this, though I thought some time ago that you would so manoeuver as to have Sherman come up and be near enough to cooperate with you.”
“ Yes,” replied the general, “I thought atone time that Sherman’s army might advance so far as to be in supporting distance of the Eastern armies when the spring campaign against Lee opened, but I have had a feeling that it is better to let Lee’s old antagonists give his army the final blow and finish up the job. If the Western armies were even to put in an appearance against Lee’s army, it might give some of our politicians a chance to stir up sectional feeling in claiming everything for the troops from their own section of country. The Western armies have been very successful in their campaigns, and it is due to the Eastern armies to
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