Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Interesting News from Richmond

WASHINGTON, May 5.

The following statement, dated yesterday on the Rappahannock, has reached Washington:

A colored many came in to-day from the other side of the river, and represented himself as Jeff. Davis’ coachman.  From an examination of him this is probably true.  He reports scraps of conversation, overheard whilst driving Mr. and Mrs. Davis in the carriage, and between Mr. Davis and those who came to see him.  Mr. Davis and Gen. J. E. Johnson [sic] had a heated discussion about the latter’s retreat from Manassas:– Davis disapproved of it and ordered Johnson to make a stand at Gordonsville, Johnson declined to do this, and offered to resign, but he was indisposed to go to Yorktown.  Mrs. Davis said she thought it was very bad in Johnson to be unwilling to help General Magruder.

The coachman overheard a conversation between Johnson and Mrs. Davis, the former saying if he had not left Manassas McClellan would have come out against him, and cut him all to pieces.  Mrs. Davis read an article in the Examiner to her husband, stating that it was part of the Yankees’ plans that Gens. Banks and McDowell were to form a junction in Louisa or Caroline county, and move down on Richmond.  Davis remarked that he thought that was so, but his generals would take care of them.

The coachman represent that Mrs. Davis said that the Confederacy was about played out and that if N. O. was really taken, she had no longer any interest in the matter, as all she had was there; if that was a great pity that they had ever attempted to hold Virginia and other non-cotton growing States; and that she said to Mrs. Dr. Gwinn, daughter of Col. Jas. Taylor, U. S. commissary of subsistence, who was very anxious to get to Washington, where she has one of her children, not to give herself any trouble, but only to stay where she was and when the Yankees came to Richmond she should go.

The coachman says that Mr. and Mrs. Davis have all their books, clothing and pictures packed, ready to move off.  That there is much outspoken Union feeling in Richmond; That having been a waiter in a hotel there, he knows all the Union men of the place, and that the Yankees are looked at with more pleasure by the whites than even the colored people.

Confederate money is not taken when it can be avoided.  Mrs. Davis herself was refused when she offered a ten dollar Confederate note.

Many of the Richmond people which the Union troop[s to come as they are half starved.  The bank and government property is all packed up for removal to Danville, near the N. C. line.  Gen. Johnson did not think they would succeed at Yorktown.  The coachman overheard the rebel officers say if they fail at Yorktown and New Orleans they would leave Virginia.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, May 6, 1862, p. 1

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