Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 29.djvu/168

 152 Southern Historical Society Papers.

[From the Richmond, Va., Dispatch, February 3, 1902.]

THE FALL OF RICHMOND. Graphic Description of Events of Evacuation-Day.

SURPRISE AND CONSTERNATION.

Faith in Lee and His Men so Great That Both Citizens and Off icals Were Unprepared for Abandonment of City From Gay to Grave Boys and Their Plunder Searching for "Bev." Tucker- Personal Recollections of General fleade.

The following personal reminiscences of the evacuation of Rich- mond are contributed to the Dispatch's Confederate Column by Rev. Dallas Tucker, now of Bedford City:

In this article I do not propose to describe any of the military op- erations which led up to the evacuation of Richmond, nor, of course, what occurred in connection with it in official circles. Of these, I was then too young a lad to know really anything, and I am not now sufficiently informed or competent to write on these subjects. What I shall record here will be, as the title indicates, reminiscences of things which came under my personal observation, and in which, as a younp-ster, I took part. Years, indeed, have passed since these things occurred, but the tremendous impression they made upon 'me has never been effaced, and is to-day as fresh in my mind as though they were of yesterday.

As I recall that period, nothing seems more remarkable to me than the absolute surprise the fall of Richmond caused in Richmond itself. Whether or not it was anticipated by the government, I do not know; but there can be no doubt that outside of official circles that is, to almost every one in the city the announcement came with the unexpectedness and surprise of an earthquake. My father,* who, at the commencement of the struggle, entered the Confederate army as a surgeon, was at the time in charge of or connected with the medical department of Libby Prison, and, from both his official

grandson of Judge St. George Tucker; Medical Author and Emeritus Pro- fessor, Medical College of Virginia.
 * Dr. David Hunter Tucker, son of Hon. Henry St George Tucker and