Kautz, August V. "The Fall of Richmond." The National Tribune, 5/10/1888, p. 1

...On the following day

MR. LINCOLN CAME UP IN THE STEAMER

Malvern, one of the gunboats, from City Point, his presence being made known to me by the crowd of negroes that was following him from the landing, leading his little son Tad, accompanied by Admiral Porter. Having become acquainted with the distinguished party a few days before at a review on the Petersburg front, I recognized the purport of the visit, and joined the party, who were glad to meet someone they knew to show them the way to Gen. Weitzel's quarters, which was located for the time in the house so recently vacated by the Confederate President. An impromptu reception of the representative men of the immense crowd of blacks that filled street was held by the great emancipator then and there, in the house that only two days before was the home of the chief of the slave power.

Gen. Weitzel and myself and several other officers accompanied the President in some spring-wagons in a drive through the city to see the effects of the fire and to see the Capitol grounds. I remember Mr. Lincoln's nervousness, as the wagons turned the southeast corner of the Capitol building where the road ran very close to the step declivity on his side and made him shrink and seize the back of the seat in front of him as we whirled swiftly around the corner, in evident fear that we might go over the bank. Some of us had other apprehensions, that were fully justified by the fact that only 10 days thereafter the assassins bullet terminated his illustrious career in a public theater in Washington.

Mr. Lincoln remained until the 6th, trying to devise a method for the

RESTORATION OF VIRGINIA

To the Union, living during this time on the gunboat Malvern and meeting the parties to the scheme on the boat of at Gen. Weitzel's quarters. Some preliminary steps were taken to have the Legislature assemble to rescind the act of secession, but as soon as the news of it reached Washington it met the the opposition of Mr. Stanton and was never heard of again.

[remainder of article, unrelated to Lincoln's visit, was not transcribed]

Go to top