Siege of Richmond (Virginia : 1864-1865)

Scope and Contents The collection consists of a one page Civil War letter, dated 1865 March 17, from Headquarters, Artillery Defenses, Richmond, Virginia. The letter was written by Confederate officer Lt. Col. Charles E. Lightfoot to Colonel Benjamin S. Ewell, brother and staff officer to General Richard S. Ewell. Lightfoot asks for a clarification of command responsibility for Richmond's artillery defenses, stating that the present command situation places him in conflict with Lt. Col. Carter M. Braxton. General...

Scope and Contents This detailed letter provides an eyewitness account of the last days of the Civil War in Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy. Oscar Weisiger, a long-time city resident and businessman, describes the evacuation of the city, the extensive fires, the occupation of the city by federal troops and the troops' treatment of former slaves, the problems he faces in attempting to reestablish his mercantile business, and a discussion of his relationship with northern creditors. The letter is...