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it was while
Richmond was in flames, on Monday morning, that National troops entered that City.
General Godfrey Weitzel, as we have observed, was left on the
North side of the
James River, with a part of
Ord's command, to hold the works there.
He had with him
Kautz's division of the Twenty-fourth Corps,
1 and Ashborne's and
Thomas's divisions of the Twenty-fifth Corps.
He had been instructed by
Grant, to make all possible show of numbers and strength.
This had been done, and
Longstreet was deceived by his antagonist's noisy demonstrations, for four or five days. On Sunday evening, while the
Confederates were preparing to steal away from
Richmond, and their “Government” had actually taken wing, his bands gave out a great amount of music.
It ceased at midnight, and the occupants of camps were all in repose, excepting the sentinels and the
commanding General and some of his staff.
He was watching, for he suspected what was actually occurring; and when the sound of the magazine explosion reached his alert ear, he was quick to seek knowledge of its meaning.
Lieutenant Johnston Livingston De Peyster, one of his aids, ascended a signal tower, near Headquarters, seventy feet in height, and reported that he saw a great light in the direction of
Richmond, but could not determine its meaning.
Soon afterward, a Confederate picket was