| Bradlee, Blockade Running During the Civil War, pp
270 - |
| {This is set of excerpts from
the Southern Historical Society Papers, Vol. 25, pp 267 - 273, which
was published earlier in the Richmond Dispatch, July 4, 1897,
which had previously been published in the Nashville Banner
(no date). The original article was written by J. H. Averill.
Averill had been a Transportation Agent (bio
here) in Columbia and had obviously
left ahead of Sherman's arrival in that city. Sims would certainly
found use for a man with a bright railroad future.} |
| |
| In the early months of 1865 J. H.
Averill was Trainmaster of the Richmond & Danville Railroad and
stationed at Danville. On Sunday, April 2d, he was wakened from a
sound sleep, the first he had enjoyed for twenty-four hours (for in
those days a railroad man slept when he could, and that was not
often), by the telegraph operator with the information that
"Richmond says come to the key at once." Reporting there as soon as
possible, Mr. Averill received the following message: "Hold all
trains in Danville; send nothing out." |
| No one in the latter place had heard of
any impending danger to General Lee's army, or of the probability of
the evacuation of Richmond, so a reason was asked for the order.
None was given and the construction placed upon it by the railroad
officials in Danville was that Richmond had news of a raid by Union
cavalry, and that it was feared that the railroad would be cut
between Burkesville Junction and the Staunton River. Thereupon Mr.
Averill interrogated the operators along the line by means of the
local wire for news of the supposed raiders, but they knew nothing.
Many travellers were gathering the regular passenger train due to
leave for Richmond and the question was frequently asked, "Where is
the train, what is the matter, etc." Then those passengers who lived
in Richmond grew anxious and suspicious. The railroad men were
questioned on all sides but could tell nothing. Soon, however,
another message came as follows: "Come to Richmond with all engines
and empty passenger and box cars you can pick up. Bring no freight
or passengers." Four locomotives and what cars there were were made
ready for the run, when another telegram came, short and terrible:
"Too late. Richmond is being evacuated. We will all leave this P. M.
Arrange for all track room possible in Danville." |
| The waiting, anxious passengers were
then told the news y Mr. Averill and the scene was one never
to be forgotten. One man shed tears and offered any amount for an
engine to take hi to Richmond, where his wife and children were.
Others seemed to be completely crushed and unable to express
themselves. |
| Daylight next morning brought the first
train from Richmond -- President Davis, his Cabinet, their families
and many members of Congress. Other trains soon followed. There were
women and children in box cars, many without baggage, few with
anything to eat. It was a sad scene but the doors of the Danville
houses were wide open and the refugees were soon housed as
comfortably as possible. |
| It was then supposed by everyone that
the Army of Northern Virginia was moving to join General Johnston's
forces, and the Richmond & Danville Railroad was ordered to forward
trains of supplies to General Lee at Mattoax Station where it was
expected his army would cross the railroad. There were large
government storehouses in Danville, all filled, as well as many
loaded cars awaiting shipment. Trains of supplies were made up, but
it was slow work. The yard was crowded with cars. Cabinet Officers,
their families and other prominent people, living in box cars, were
greatly in the way of the railroad officials but the latter did the
best they could. |
| The first supply train was ready to
leave Danville when an order came to hold it. General Lee had not
been heard from. Then news came that it was too late; the enemy had
crossed the road, going in the direction of Appomattox, and no
provisions in sight to feed the starving soldiers, while there were
thousands of rations in the storehouses and cars in Danville, soon
to be raided and plundered by a mob. Someone had blundered badly. |
| While Mr. Averill was in the yard busily
engaged in getting a train off for Greensborough, North Carolina,
the Assistant Superintendent came up and said to him: "John, come
here; Lee has surrendered." Mr. Averill said: "I felt as though the
ground had opened up under me," The telegraph operator had caught
the news from the wire as it was flashed to President Davis. It was
then 3 P. M., and at 5 P. M. an aide of the President ordered a
locomotive, a flat car, a stock car, a box car, and a passenger
coach, to carry Mr. Davis and party to Greensborough, then held by
General Johnston. |
| The train was made ready but car after
car was added to accommodate the refugees, until ten cars composed
the train. When the train had proceeded but five miles from Danville
the engine blew out a cylinder head and much time was lost in
getting another locomotive to take its place. Soon after dawn
(probably April 10th) the operator reported the wire to
Greensborough broken, and that it was impossible to obtain
information of the President's train. Soon, however, a message was
received from the operator at Beneja, a station eleven miles from
Greensborough, saying: "Watchman at Big Troublesome Trestle is here.
Says just at dawn a train passed going to Greensborough, Yankees
came out and burned the trestle, missing the train by only a few
minutes." |
| ***** |
| As soon as news was received of the
approach of the Union forces, the railroad officials ordered trains
withdrawn, and Mr. Averill was instructed to take all the rolling
stock of the 4 feet 8 1/2 inch gauge to Greensborough, report to
General Johnston, and follow the fortunes of that army. However,
before this could be carried out General Johnston had surrendered to
General Sherman and the war was over. In a day or two Mr. Averill
and his men were astonished to be asked by Major Wright,
Quartermaster of the 5th United States Army Corps, to re-open the
road between Burkesville, Danville and Greensborough, for the
purpose of handling supplies for the Federal army, and in a short
time matters were once more "upon a peace basis" although, as may be
easily imagined, it took the Richmond & Danville Co. many years to
recover from the injuries of those four terrible years. |
|