7/9/1862; letter of William A. Carrington to a member of
his family; mentions being the surgeon of Dooley's & Richardson's Hospital on
Main street, and that his hand is much better. Expresses that it is hard to
learn the routines of hospital life.
5/12/1863;
Incredibly detailed account of the arrival on the RF&P RR of Stonewall
Jackson’s body in Richmond. Body is removed to Governor’s Mansion. Detailed
order of funeral procession to bring the body to the State Capitol
5/13/1863; Very
detailed account of the funeral procession of Gen. Jackson to the State
Capitol – deposited in the Hall of the House of Representatives. Body will
be sent to Lexington for burial – expresses hope that it will later be
removed to Hollywood Cemetery. Notes on his final words, and that the first
use of the new Confederate flag was to cover Jackson’s coffin.
4/1/1865; fascinating
account from a Castle Thunder prisoner about life there – important details,
and the state of the Confederacy. Notes that only the Danville Railroad is
feeding Richmond, and that the machinery at Tredegar is boxed up. Specie
form banks is being moved away
5/1/1865;
Interesting account of the spirit in Richmond – real estate is booming,
anti-Confederate and anti-Booth feelings abound, wood is scarce, prices are
inflated. Rebel prisoners are no longer in Libby and Castle Thunder, having
been sent away. Dick Turner is in one of Libby’s dungeons
12/31/1904; S. A. Urquhart, Libby prison tunnel
escapee, writes on letterhead of “Libby Prison Tunnel Association,” and gives
figures for the tunnel escape. Notes that he was the 93rd person through the
tunnel.
no date; Luther Libby Jr.'s account of the seizure of his
father's warehouse "after the first Battle of Manassas" and how the sign was
left on the building, thus giving Libby Prison it's name. Also mentions
association with R. O. Haskins and being taken to Chicago after the war
5/4/1863; Robert
S. Forde, is before the mayor for shooting the Clerk of C. S. House of
Representatives. His defense has no witnesses and encourages Mayor to go
ahead and send the case to the Hustings Court which was done.
5/6/1863; Fleming
Putnam, said to be the guide for the Yankees at Tunstall’s Station, as well
as a negro named James E. Jackson (charge with burning Meadow Bridge) are
put in Castle Thunder. 13 POWs arrive at Libby and are instantly sent off by
flag of truce. 554 prisoners sent to City Point.
5/6/1863; details
on the case of Dr. Palmer – lawyer moved to quash the indictment. Judge will
rule “this morning.” Barbara Idle, indicted for engaging the riot, is found
not guilty and discharge.
5/7/1863; Dr.
Palmer’s indictment is “quashed,” and he is not prosecuted; Laura Gordon,
another bread rioter, is found guilty, fined, and sentenced to thirty days
in jail. She then “fell into hysterics,” takes “a large quantity of
laudanum” and is in critical condition
4/18/1863; 20 new
arrivals at Libby from the 3rd Indiana Cavalry on the Va. Central RR, 2
named. Notes that several hundred POWs are there awaiting transportation to
City Point.
4/20/1863; Ann
Thomas gets $50 & three months jail for keeping ill-governed and disorderly
house; Wm. Sullivan, charged with breaking into store and stealing $10,000
worth of goods (bread rioter?) is remanded for trial
4/27/1863;
fascinating account of the coroner’s inquest over Robert Emmitt Dixon, Clerk
of the Confederate House of Representatives, who was shot by a jealous rival
at 10th and Bank streets. Testimony from many members of Congress.
3/27/1863; Capt. A. C.
Webster, Castle Thunder prisoner, has been sentenced by court martial to
hang at Camp Lee. Notes that he has made several attempts to escape.
3/30/1863; Various local
notes: former soldier drowns in Shockoe creek, near the market; Capt. A. C.
Webster attempts to escape from Castle Thunder, but is recaptured; Union
prisoners continue to arrive – a “lot” comes in on the Danville train, and
1,500 are expected soon.
4/7/1863; extremely
interesting details of Dr. Palmer and his arrest during the bread riot. He
is arraigned for felony, but sent on for misdemeanor. Excellent testimonial,
signed by S. R. Mallory among others, giving important biographical details.
Palmer was represented by Geo. W. Randolph and John Gilmer.
4/10/1863; St. Charles
Hotel is sold for $79,600 – notes that that it was used as a hospital “for
some months past,” but that it will now probably be surrendered to the new
owner
4/13/1863; “Local
Summary:” old lady mangled at the Petersburg depot; 331 Yankee prisoners
were sent to City Point for exchange; shooting affair near the Spotswood
Hotel; Martha Burley, Brown’s Island victim, found in the river near
Haxall’s Mill
4/17/1863; Three more
bread rioters, Benjamin Slemper, Thomas Samanni and Mary Jackson, are to be
tried for felony. Another, William Turk, is acquitted.
2/26/1863;
Surgeon General orders all the hospitals to be cleaned and purified – paper
laments that Alms House has not been returned to the city, but apparently
the CSA wants to keep it
3/14/1863;
Explosion at the Confederate Laboratory on Brown’s Island. Wounded taken to
General Hospital No. 2. Important geographical details. At the time of the
explosion, firemen were fighting the blaze that destroyed the Public
Warehouse.
3/16/1863; More
important information about the Brown’s Island explosion – names Mary Ryan
as the culprit, and gives extensive lists of the victims, both dead and
wounded. At this time there were 34 dead and 29 wounded.
3/16/1863;
Fascinating repot on interments at Shockoe Cemetery – valuable data for
several years, and demonstrates the effect of the war on public health. Also
shows the serious increase in mortality during 1862 due to the smallpox
outbreak.
1/1/1863; a
“little girl” is before the Mayor for vagrancy and begging – paper takes
city to task for not “getting possession of the new Alms House” for this
class of delinquents
1/7/1863; long
description of an impromptu citizens’ serenade of President Davis “at a late
hour” on 1/5 at the White House of the Confederacy. Details President’s
speech, but concludes that the serenade was very badly managed
1/9/1863; “Show
Your Papers!” - interesting and long paragraph about the prevalence of armed
conscript gangs in Richmond. Anecdote given about men stopped on the canal
bridge at 8th street
1/9/1863; 500
prisoners to be exchanged today at City Point - “a large number of Southern
ladies,” detained at Fort Monroe, coming to Richmond with the flag of truce
boat
1/9/1863; Texas
Hospital (“at Hardgrove’s old factory, east terminus C. R. R.”) hiring a
Chief Matron and a “gentleman of good business qualifications.” Also
seeking donations for a Library and reading room.
1/22/1863; Report
on recent fires: brick barrel factory belong to Warwick & Barksdale’s mill
burns down, singing the large mill; stable near Danville depot burns down
1/28/1863; bridge
over the canal at 8th street collapses while Union POWs are crossing it. 25
prisoners and 8 guards are reported drowned. Basin is being drained to find
more bodies. Remarks that the prisoners should have been crossed at 7th
street, where the bridge is more “substantial”
1/29/1863; more
on the canal bridge collapse: Libby Prison reports that only two prisoners
are missing, and those bodies have been found. Another body found in the
basin when it was drained, but it was a Confederate who had been there some
time. Paper goes on to describe the history of the bridge and notes that it
was of northern manufacture.
8/31/1863; Surgeon Thom writes that "his hospital" [GH#12]
"is broken up" and that he is now in "charge of a division at Jackson Hospital"
with a capacity of 600 patients.
3/27/1865;
Abraham Lincoln arrived at City Point 3/24. Notes that there was supposed to
be a review on 3/25 but cancelled due to the Battle of Fort Stedman.
8/25/1865; Some
of President Johnson’s family and friends have come to Richmond aboard the
River Queen. It is expected that the President will go to Richmond
tomorrow.
1868;
recollection of Mary Lincoln's African-American servant pertaining to Mary
Lincoln's visit to Richmond and Petersburg, a day after Lincoln toured the
city. Valuable details.
9/30/1900;
paragraph describing Elizabeth Van Lew’s will – notes that her manuscript
has been given to John Phillips Reynolds of Boston, and that her house was
once very nice, “but is now much dilapidated.”
10/25/1900;
Elizabeth Van Lew’s personal property will be sent to Boston to be auctioned
off. Also notes that a grave marker will be placed over her grave in Shockoe
Cemetery noting her wartime service
1/30/1902;
Relative of Col. Rose corrects the Times’ use of the term “Ross”
Tunnel to refer to the Libby Prison tunnel – gives details about Col. Rose.
9/1903; excerpt of John Esten Cooke's recollection of J.E.B.
Stuart, in which he remembers Sweeney, Stuart's banjo player, playing a ballad
called "My Wife's in Castle Thunder."
12/30/1862;
Mayor’s Court: slave of J. R. Anderson embroiled in street fight; two
Maryland soldiers caught fighting and returned to Camp Lee; slave whipped
for stealing coat, Bellevue Hospital
12/27/1862; Mayor’s Court: usual prostitute and slave items; Charles, slave
at Florida Hospital, got 25 lashes for stealing 10 loaves of bread from
hospital
12/29/1862; All of Co. D, 20BnVaHA put in Castle Thunder for “mutinous
conduct” they say caused by Maj. DeLagnel, himself under trial by court
martial just now
12/29/1862;
Mayor’s Court. Usual mayhem: Thos. King, sailor at Drewry’s Bluff, drunk &
trespassing, sent back to Drewry’s Bluff via Castle Thunder; whorehouse
named “Solitude” raided – list of occupants
12/17/1862; Maxcy
Gregg’s body arrived 12/15 – placed in Provost Marshal’s office. City
Battalion & Public Guard, with full band, escorted it to R&P RR depot 12/16
afternoon. Route of parade given. No Hollywood.
12/13/1862; Dr.
Carrington, CSA, in charge smallpox hospital, corner 25th & Cary, addresses
city council – valuable details on his Hospital & Howard’s Grove
12/13/1862; very
long list of Castle Thunder accessions, giving name, unit, offense. Includes
man sent from GH#20 for bad conduct. 3 females there sent North yesterday
12/9/1862; City
Council: discusses CSA smallpox hospital, now near corner 25th & Cary; 798
kegs of powder in city magazine; sells settees from Mechanics’ Hall to
Govt., for use of patients at Chimborazo Hospital
