MILITARY RAILROAD, CITY POINT.

[Where President Lincoln took the cars. From a sketch made in December, 1864.]

thousand Confederate prisoners crossing the track. They were mostly boys, who had been forced into the army by the remorseless Confederate Conscription. They were in rags, and had no blankets. Many had neither shoes nor hats. Mr. Lincoln watched them in silence a while, then said, as if in soliloquy: "Poor boys! poor boys! If they only knew what we are trying to do for them they would not have fought us, and they would not look as they do." (')

An escort awaited the President at the station. The Union soldiers gave a cheer. He thanked them for what they had accomplished, mounted a horse and rode to Petersburg. He dismounted at the mansion of Mr. Wallace, with whom he had been acquainted when member of Congress. Mr. Wallace's young son, fired by Southern patriotism and prejudice, saw Mr. Lincoln entering the grounds.

"You are not going to let him come into the house, are you, father?" he said.

"I don't think it will be best to try to stop a man who has such an army," the father replied.

"I think we have met before. May I take a seat on your piazza?" said Mr. Lincoln.

"I am pleased to see you. Will not you and General Grant take seats in the parlor?” said Mr. Wallace.

The President accepted the courteous invitation. When seated, Mr. Wallace narrated the conversation between himself and his son, at which Mr. Lincoln laughed heartily. They talked of former times, recalling the days before the war. Mr. Wallace was much impressed by the quiet, unassuming ways of the President and General Grant. The latter, while the troops were passing, sat quietly on the piazza smoking a cigar. (°)

More dramatic the scenes in Richmond during the early morning hours. The Confederate troops were leaving the city. Stragglers and citizens, men and women, were breaking open stores and shops. One who participated in the plundering has thus described the events of the morning:

"I turned into Thirteenth Street, and from thence into Cary. A strong odor of whiskey greeted my nasal organ. A voice cried, 'Look out below!' A moment later a barrel of whiskey was hurled from the third story of a warehouse. It was dashed to pieces against the pavement, the liquor running in streams down the gutter. A crowd was gathered around the door of the medical purveyor's office, where stood a guard with fixed bayonets. From this building barrels of liquor were

rolled into the streets and knocked to pieces. The streets literally ran with whiskey. A lieutenant told me that it was to prevent the Yankees from getting tight when they should enter the city. Unfortunately, the Confederate officers were allowed to fill their canteens. Drunken officers were unable to maintain any authority over the excited men, who roamed at will over the city." (')

The blowing up of the vessels increased the frenzy. Long trains of wagons and artillery were crossing the bridges at the moment. After the wagons came the infantry. A spectator has vividly pictured the scene:

"Custis Lee's division came first, many of the men singing, others joking, but the majority tramped on silently, evidently depressed by the great disaster. Lee's forces were about forty-five minutes in passing, and then came Kershaw's division, a much larger body of troops. Old women and girls were constantly passing and repassing, their backs bending low beneath the weight of heavy sacks of flour, meal, sugar, butts of cloth and cotton goods. Some loaded their carts with plunder, some returned again with their wheelbarrows, while many more were rolling barrels of bread-stuff or meat. . . .

"While Kershaw's division was passing, General Ewell came over from Richmond. The appearance of this distinguished veteran was by

no means prepossessing as he sat on his horse with his old black hat pulled over his brows. He rode an old gray horse, wore a faded cloak, and carried a stout walking-stick. Shortly after I recognized the wellknown form of J. C. Breckinridge. He, too, halted, and for a moment viewed the passing troops. He wore a suit of plain black, with a cape or talma thrown over his shoulders. He was attended by several officers in dress uniform. My soldiers recognized the familiar face of 'Old Breck,' and acknowledged his presence by hearty cheers, which the secretary returned by touching his cap. . . . At length the last straggler crossed, and as delay now seemed dangerous, the order to fire the bridge was given, and in a few moments the whole structure was enveloped in a broad sheet of flame. . . . As we mounted our horses, flames suddenly burst from the windows and roof of one of the tallest buildings. Haxall's mills were burning, and a moment after we perceived that Crenshaw's mills and a great tobacco warehouse were wrapped in flames. The laboratory was now on fire, and explosion followed explosion in quick succession." (")

A

By mid-forenoon 800 buildings were burning. A few citizens attempted to work the fire-engines, but to no purpose. The panicstricken crowd was powerless to stay the progress of the flames. little past four o'clock in the morning Major Atherton H. Stevens, with two companies of the Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry, reconnoitred the Confederate lines east of the city. He found the intrenchments. evacuated and the cannon spiked. He met a carriage containing the mayor and Judge Meredith of the Confederate State Court, who tendered the surrender of Richmond. Major Stevens proceeded to the Capitol, ascended the roof, pulled down the State flag which was flying, and hoisted a guidon of his troop in its place. It was nearly eight o'clock when the infantry, with General Weitzel at the head of the column, entered the city. The colored soldiers sang,

"John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,

His soul is marching on."

With even ranks, steady steps, colors waving, drums beating, the column passed up Main Street to the grounds surrounding the Capitol, laid aside arms and equipments, manned the fire-engines, mounted the roofs, poured buckets of water upon the kindling shingles, tore down buildings, and fought the destroying flames. These the benign acts of the men who, through the four years of conflict, had been stigmatized as a "vandal horde."