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before the Nationals crossed the Pamunkey. He was at a point where he could cover the railways and highways leading

and in communication with its new base at the White House. This movement compelled Lee to abandon his strong position at the North Anna, but, having a shorter to Richmond. route, he was in another good position The Nationals were now within 15 miles

RICHMOND, CAMPAIGN AGAINST

of Richmond. Their only direct pathway Grant proceeded to throw his army across to that capital was across the Chicka- to the south side of the James River, and hominy. There was much skirmishing, to operate against the Confederate capital and Grant was satisfied that he would be on the right of that stream. It was near compelled to force the passage of the the middle of June before the whole

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Chickahominy on Lee's flank, and he pre- National force had crossed the Chickapared for that movement by sending Sher- hominy and moved to the James by way idan to seize a point near Cold Harbor, of Charles City Court-house. There they where roads leading into Richmond di- crossed the river in boats and over ponverged. After a fight with Fitzhugh Lee's toon bridges; and on June 16, when the cavalry, it was secured, and on the same entire army was on the south side, Gennight (May 30) Wright's corps pressed eral Grant made his headquarters at City forward to the same point. A large body Point, at the junction of the Appomattox of troops, under Gen. W. F. Smith, called and James rivers. A portion of the Army from the Army of the James, were ap- of the James, under General Butler, had proaching Cold Harbor at the same time. made an unsuccessful attempt to capture These took position on Wright's right Petersburg, where the Confederates had wing. There a terrible battle occurred constructed strong works. Before them (June 1-3), in which both armies suffered the Army of the Potomac appeared on the immense loss. It was now perceived that evening of June 16, and in that vicinity the fortifications around Richmond were the two armies struggled for the mastery too formidable to warrant a direct attack until April the next year, or about ten upon them with a hope of success, so months.

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Sunday morning, April 2, 1865, while safety. That body employed every vehicle attending service at St. Paul's Church, for this use, and the people who prepared President Davis received this message to leave the city found it difficult to get from General Lee:

"It is absolutely necessary that we should abandon our position to-night, or run the risk of being cut off in the morning."

Hastily reading it he left the church, quickly followed by others, and the service was abruptly concluded. Rumors that Richmond was to be evacuated were soon succeeded by the definite announcement of the fact. One special train carried the President and the cabinet, together with several million dollars in gold. Late in the afternoon Governor Smith and the members of the legislature embarked on canal-boats for Lynchburg. The roads from the city leading to the north and west were crowded with wagons, carriages, and carts, horsemen, and men and women on foot seeking for a place of refuge.

The night when the Confederate government fled from Richmond was a fearful one for the inhabitants of that city. All day after the receipt of Lee's despatch"My lines are broken in three places; Richmond must be evacuated to-night "the people were kept in the most painful suspense by the reticence of the government, then making preparations to fly for

any conveyance. For these as much as $100 in gold was given for service from a dwelling to the railway station. It was revealed to the people early in the evening that the Confederate Congress had ordered all the cotton, tobacco, and other property which the owners could not carry away, and which was stored in four great warehouses, to be burned to prevent it falling into the hands of the Nationals. There was a fresh breeze from the south, and the burning of these warehouses would imperil the whole city. General Ewell, in command there, vainly remonstrated against the execution of the order. A committee of the common council went to Jefferson Davis before he had left to remonstrate against it, to which he replied that their statement that the burning of the warehouses would endanger the city was "a cowardly pretext on the part of the citizens, trumped up to endeavor to save their property for the Yankees." A similar answer was given at the War Department.

The humane Ewell was compelled to obey, for the order from the War Department was imperative. The city council took the precaution, for the public safety, to order the destruction of all liquors that

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RICHMOND, CAMPAIGN AGAINST

might be accessible to lawless men. This the city. When at 7 A.M., the troops was done, and by midnight hundreds of were all across the river, the bridges were barrels of spirituous liquors were flow- burned behind them. A number of other ing in the gutters, where stragglers from vessels in the river were destroyed. The the retreating army and rough citizens bursting of shells in the arsenal when the gathered it in vessels, and so produced the fire reached them added to the horrors calamity the authorities endeavored to of the scene. At noon about 700 buildavert. The torch was applied, and at day- ings in the business part of the city, break the warehouses were in flames. The including a Presbyterian church, were in city was already on fire in several places. ruins. While Richmond was in flames The intoxicated soldiers, joined with many National troops entered the city, and, of the dangerous class of both sexes, by great exertions, subdued the fire and

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formed a marauding mob of fearful proportions, who broke open and pillaged stores and committed excesses of every kind. From midnight until dawn the city was a pandemonium. The roaring mob released the prisoners from the jail and burned it. They set fire to the arsenal, and tried to destroy the Tredegar Iron Works. Conflagrations spread rapidly, for the fire department was powerless, and by the middle of the forenoon (April 3) a greater portion of the principal business part of Richmond was a blazing furnace.

saved the city from utter destruction. Many million dollars' worth of property had been annihilated. Gen. Godfrey Weitzel had been left, with a portion of the Army of the James, on the north side of that river, to menace Richmond, and he kept up a continual show of great numbers, which had deceived Longstreet, standing in defence of the Confederate capital. After midnight on April 3, a great light in Richmond, the sound of explosions, and other events, revealed to Weitzel the fact that the ConBetween midnight and dawn the Con- federates were evacuating the city. At federate troops made their way across the daylight he put Draper's negro brigade bridges to the south side of the James. in motion towards Richmond. The place At 3 A.M. the magazine near the alms- of every terra-torpedo in front of the Conhouse was fired and blown up with a con- federate works was marked by a small cussion that shook the city to its founda- flag, for the safety of their own men, and tions. It was followed by the explosion in their hasty departure they forgot to reof the Confederate ram Virginia, below move them. Cannon on the deserted

works were left unharmed. Early in the morning the whole of Weitzel's force were in the suburbs of the town. A demand was made for its surrender, and at seven o'clock Joseph Mayo, the mayor, handed the keys of the public buildings to the messenger of the summons. Weitzel and his staff rode in at eight o'clock, at the head of Ripley's brigade of negro troops, when Lieut. J. Livingston Depeyster, of Weitzel's staff, ascended to the roof of the State-house with a national flag, and, with the assistance of Captain Langdon, Weitzel's chief of artillery, unfurled it over that building, and in its Senate chamber the office of headquarters was established. Weitzel occupied the dwelling of Jefferson Davis, and General Shepley was appointed military governor. The troops were then set at work to extinguish the flames. See "ON TO RICHMOND!"; "ON TO WASHINGTON!”

body, led by General Hill, was sent to West Union, to prevent the escape of any Confederates by that way over the Alleghany Mountains, to join Johnston at Winchester.

Garnett was then strongly intrenched at Laurel Hill, with about 8,000 Virginians. Georgians, Tennesseeans, and Carolinians. To this camp Morris nearly penetrated, but not to attack it-only to make feints to divert Garnett while McClellan should gain his rear. There was almost daily heavy skirmishing, chiefly by Colonels Dumont and Milroy, on the part of the Nationals. So industrious and bold had been the scouts, that when McClellan appeared they gave him full information of the region and the forces there. During a few days, so daring had been the conduct of the Nationals that they were regarded almost with awe by the Confederates. They called the 9th Indianawhose exploits were particularly notable

"Swamp Devils." While on the road towards Beverly, McClellan ascertained that about 1,500 Confederates under Col. John Pegram, were occupying a heavily intrenched position in the rear of Garnett, in the Rich Mountain Gap, and commanding the road over the mountains to Staunton, the chief highway to southern Virginia. Pegram boasted that his position could not be turned; but it was turned by Ohio and Indiana regiments and some cavalry, all under the command of Colonel Rosecrans, accompanied by Colonel Lander, who was with Dumont

Rich Mountain, BATTLE OF. Early in 1861 the Confederates attempted to permanently occupy the country south of the Baltimore and Ohio Railway in Virginia. They were placed under the command of R. S. Garnett, a meritorious soldier, who was in the war with Mexico, and was brevetted for gallantry at Buena Vista. He made his headquarters at Beverly, in Randolph county, and prepared to prevent the National troops from pushing through the mountain-gaps into the Shenandoah Valley. The roads through these gaps were fortified. At the same time ex-Governor H. A. Wise, with the commission of a brigadier-general, was organizing a at Philippi. They made a détour, July brigade in the Great Ranawha Valley, beyond the Greenbrier Mountains. He was ordered to cross the intervening mountains, and co-operate with Garnett. General McClellan took command of his troops in western Virginia, at Grafton, Rosecrans thought his movement was towards the close of May, and the entire unknown to the Confederates. Pegram force of Ohio, Indiana, and Virginia was informed of it, and sent out 900 men, troops under his control numbered full with two cannon, up the mountain-road, 20,000 men. With these he advanced to meet the Nationals, and just as they against the Confederates. He sent Gen. struck the Staunton road the latter were J. D. Cox with a detachment to keep Wise fiercely assailed. Rosecrans was without in check, while with his main body, about cannon. He sent forward his skirmishers; 10,000 strong. he moved to attack Gar- and while these were engaged in fighting, nett at Laurel Hill, near Beverly. At the his main body was concealed. Finally same time a detachment 4,000 strong, un- Pegram's men came out from their works der General Morris, moved towards and charged across the road, when the Beverly by way of Philippi, while another Indianians sprang to their feet, fired, and,

11, in a heavy rain-storm, over most perilous ways among the mountains for about 8 miles, and at noon were on the summit of Rich Mountain, high above Pegram's camp, and a mile from it.

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