Bright and cool.
Gen. Weitzel and his
corps having been ordered away, Major Gen. Ord has succeeded to the command at
Richmond, and his corps has been marching to Camp Lee ever since dawn. I saw no
negro troops among them, but presume there are some.
Gen. Weitzel's rule
became more and more despotic daily; but it is said the order dictating prayers
to be offered by the Episcopal clergy came from Mr. Stanton, at Washington,
Secretary of War. One of the clergy, being at my house yesterday, said that
unless this order were modified there would be no services on Sunday. To-day,
Good Friday, the churches are closed.
The following
circular was published a few days ago:
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
The
undersigned, members of the Legislature of the State of Virginia, in connection
with a number of the citizens of the State, whose names are attached to this
paper, in view of the evacuation of the City of Richmond by the Confederate
Government, and its occupation by the military authorities of the United
States, the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, and the suspension of
the jurisdiction of the civil power of the State, are of opinion that an
immediate meeting of the General Assembly of the State is called for by the
exigencies of the situation.
The
consent of the military authorities of the United States to the session of the
Legislature in Richmond, in connection with the Governor and
Lietenant-Governor, to their free deliberation upon public affairs, and to the
ingress and departure of all its members under safe conducts, has been
obtained.
The
United States authorities will afford transportation from any point under their
control to any of the persons before mentioned.
The
matters to be submitted to the Legislature are the restoration of peace to the
State of Virginia, and the adjustment of questions involving life, liberty, and
property, that have arisen in the State as a consequence of the war.
We
therefore earnestly request the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, and members of
the Legislature to repair to this city by the 25th April (instant).
We
understand that full protection to persons and property will be afforded in the
State, and we recommend to peaceful citizens to remain at their homes and
pursue their usual avocations, with confidence that they will not be
interrupted.
We
earnestly solicit the attendance in Richmond, on or before the 25th of April (instant),
of the following persons, citizens of Virginia, to confer with us as to the
best means of restoring peace to the State of Virginia. We have procured safe
conduct from the military authorities of the United States for them to enter
the city and depart without molestation: Hon. R. M. T. Hunter, A. T. Caperton,
Wm. C. Rives, John Letcher, A. H. H. Stuart, R. L. Montague, Fayette McMullen,
J. P. Holcombe, Alexander Rives, B. Johnson Barbour, James Barbour, Wm. L.
Goggin, J. B. Baldwin, Thomas S. Gholson, Waller Staples, S. D. Miller, Thomas
J. Randolph, Wm T. Early, R. A. Claybrook, John Critcher, Wm. Towns, T. H.
Eppes, and those other persons for whom passports have been procured and
especially forwarded that we consider it to be unnecessary to mention.
A.
J. Marshall, Senator, Fauquier; James Neeson, Senator, Marion; James Venable,
Senator elect, Petersburg; David I. Burr, of House of Delegates, Richmond City;
David J. Saunders, of House of Delegates, Richmond City; L. S. Hall, of House
of Delegates, Wetzel County; J. J. English, of House of Delegates, Henrico
County; Wm. Ambers, of House of Delegates, Chesterfield County; A. M. Keily, of
House of Delegates, Petersburg; H. W. Thomas, Second Auditor of Virginia; St.
L. L. Moncure, Chief Clerk Second Auditor's office; Joseph Mayo, Mayor of City
of Richmond; Robert Howard, Clerk of Hustings Court, Richmond City; Thomas U.
Dudley, Sergeant Richmond City; Littleton Tazewell, Commonwealth's Attorney,
Richmond City; Wm. T. Joynes, Judge of Circuit Court, Petersburg; John A.
Meredith, Judge of Circuit Court, Richmond; Wm. H. Lyons, Judge of Hustings
Court, Richmond; Wm. C. Wickham, Member of Congress, Richmond District; Benj.
S. Ewell, President of William and Mary College; Nat. Tyler, Editor Richmond
Enquirer; R. F. Walker, Publisher of Examiner; J. R. Anderson, Richmond; R. R.
Howison, Richmond; W. Goddin, Richmond; P. G. Bayley, Richmond; F. J. Smith,
Richmond; Franklin Stearns, Henrico; John Lyons, Petersburg; Thomas B. Fisher,
Fauquier; Wm. M. Harrison, Charles City; Cyrus Hall, Ritchie; Thomas W.
Garnett, King and Queen; James A. Scott, Richmond.
I
concur in the preceding recommendation.
J. A. CAMPBELL.
Approved
for publication in the Whig, and in handbill form.
G. WEITZEL, Major-Gen. Commanding.
RICHMOND,
VA., April 11th, 1865.
To-day the following
order is published:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
RICHMOND, VA., April 13th, 1865.
Owing
to recent events, the permission for the reassembling of the gentlemen recently
acting as the Legislature of Virginia is rescinded. Should any of the gentlemen
come to the city under the notice of reassembling, already published, they will
be furnished passports to return to their homes.
Any
of the persons named in the call signed by J. A. Campbell and others, who are
found in the city twelve hours after the publication of this notice, will be
subject to arrest, unless they are residents of the city.
E. O. C. ORD, Major-Gen. Commanding.
Judge Campbell
informs me that he saw Gen. Ord yesterday, who promised to grant me permission
to take my family to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and suggesting some
omissions and alterations in the application, which I made. Judge C. is to see
him again to-day, when I hope the matter will be accomplished.
Judge Campbell left
my application with Gen. Ord's youngest adjutant, to whom he said the general
had approved it. But the adjutant said it would have to be presented again, as
there was no indorsement on it. The judge advised me to follow it up, which I
did; and stayed until the adjutant did present it again to Gen. Ord, who again
approved it. Then the polite aid accompanied me to Gen. Patrick's office and
introduced me to him, and to Lieut.-Col. John Coughlin, "Provost Marshal
General Department of Virginia," who indorsed on the paper: "These
papers will be granted when called for."
SOURCE: John
Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate
States Capital, Volume 2, p. 476-9