Last Day in Richmond Hears Lee Defeat and Night of Fright
In Richmond during January to March 1865 residents faced growing fear as Lee’s troops held firm while Sherman neared. President Davis and cabinet attended services as alarms spread, mobs looted bakeries, and bells rang across the Capitol grounds amid rumors of evacuation. Fires, explosions, and a chaotic flight followed, with Davis, his cabinet, and state officials fleeing as cannons boomed and the city prepared to surrender.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Murray
Washington Republican
Richmond
Grant
Lee
Haven
Earth
Confederacy
General Sherman
Early
Sheridan
Virginia
Columbia
South Carolina
Sherne
Allezams
Sumter
Ltst
Victis
Paris
Gamay
Jan
Wade Hampton
Sherman
Bridan
Five Forks
St. Paul's Church
Mr. Davis
Gerton
William H. Mearland
Capitol
the James
Aerosfare
John Smith
Rockett’s
Jefferson Davis
Amelia Court House
Billy Smith
Richmond Fractured by Federal Troops Enduring Siege
Federals entered Richmond as fires burned and shops looted. Troops restored order without harming private property or entering homes. A cavalry column approached Capitol Square and whites fled. Federals declared protection for all, bringing relief after months of fear.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Federate Soo
Recco
Wera
Capitol Square
Richmond
The Old Hoop Skirt Reminiscence Now Returning Fashion
Peck's Sun recounts hoop skirts and their chaotic past when barrels and brass hoops shaped dresses. Women faced tight fits, doors, and nosed blows from swinging hoops, while conductors and bishops alike noted humorous mishaps and scars. The column ends urging, as Patrick Henry said, to let them come.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tony
Senate
Patrick Henry
Gabriel's Horn A Duck Trap In Hexawottamie Tale
The Hexawottamie Herald recounts Dr. Gimp's odd duck trap story. He builds a twenty foot platform and a ten foot long horn, aiming it south to lure ducks. A duck crowds the horn, speeding through the kitchen, as the horn toots each time canvasbacks scrape.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hexawottamie Herald
Dr. Gimp
Parson
Jack
Insane Asylum
Gabriel
Sitle
Gimp
Scenes in the Steerage on the Fulda A Harsh Voyage
CE W Lightner recalls a rough voyage aboard the Fulda, detailing steerage life and hunger on a nine day crossing. He condemns dirty stewards, meager rations, foul coffee, and tainted soup while noting theft among passengers and lax oversight by officers. He contrasts his own comic stance with the despair of most travelers as seas worsen and food dwindles.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
CE. W. Lightner
Pittsburg
Thames
Tanner
Cepia
Neptune
Esca
Florida
A Forgotten Novelist in a Fix
An anecdote about G P R James shows his heroines’ dilemmas. A friend asks why he cannot let the heroine act freely. James says he must avoid any action a strict mamma might object to. They miss a train as the heroine remains constrained.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
G. P. R. James
Crace at the Restaurant Table
A Syracuse clerk and his country father dine Saturday evening amid a telegraph operator and a reporter. The father prays, the son blushes, and all diners bow their heads as a waiter proclaims meals. The scene ends with a shared moment of dignity and restraint.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Crace
Syracuse Standard
Grace
United States
Land of the Dog Pony in Northwest Manitoba
Butler's account describes dog teams in the Northwest Territories used for hauling, with mixed breeds and Esquimaux drivers. It depicts brutal conditions, perpetual cold from midwinter, daily long treks, meager rations, and effects like frostbite, ice on breath, and tea freezing as travelers push through storms and paralyzing cold.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Northwest
Climbing Irazu Volcano in Costa Rica at Sunrise
A Costa Rican ascent to Irazu by H Remsen Whitehouse and a Chicago descendant follows a moonlit path through moss draped trees. They reach a crater rim with seven craters, fresh ash, sulfur odor, and dramatic panoramic views across Costa Rica.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
San Jose
Costa Rica
Irazu
Turrialba
Mr. Whitehouse
Whitehouse
Accumu
Firelight Courtship Tales From a Country Hearth
Uncle Davy recalls courting by firelight with simple tools and home warmth. A lively tale of young couples, ash covered embers, and shy glances, ending in a winter reunion by the same hearth.
Two Simple Fish Tails Morristown Herald
A humorous snippet recounts a famous cook praising his fish preparation and the reaction of a trout hearing an angler exaggerate its weight. The tale highlights playful personification and the light, quaint tone of local reporting.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morristown
A Rough Passage
Yeast and Crimsonbeak converse after a voyage from Europe. Crimsonbeak notes the trip was stormy, countering a newspaper claim of a pleasant passage. The exchange hints at personal affairs as Yeast mentions his wife accompanying him.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Yonkers
Yeast
Crimsonbeak
Europe
Along Lake Superior and the Brule Trout Tale
Bill Nye recalls a Duluth visit and a journey along Lake Superior to the Brule. He mocks travel tales of health, endurance, and forest life, recounting a hypochondriac preacher, a 300 pound car companion, and lumbermen after a bracing climate. He warns readers not to credit him as the teller.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Duluth
Bay of Naples
Vesuvius
Lake Superior
Albert Victor
Albert
P. Wales’ Son
Boston
Great Lake Region
Braley
Bright
Eau Claire
Superior
Cultured Boston Surrenders To The Roller Skate Craze
A Chicago Rambler correspondent reports Bostonians at a rink discuss the roller skate fad with humorous science talk. The overheard exchange features Arethusa Minerva Clytemnestra and Eurydice debating periphery motion, balance, and astronomical observation while seeking remedies for minor bumps.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Rambler
Boston
Athens
America
Concord School of Philosophy
Arethusa
Minerva
Rashi
Clytemnestra
Eurydice
Cordelia
Fen
Arnica
Origin of the Fan in Chinese Legend
The tale describes Kau $i, daughter of a Mandarin, at a lantern feast. Heat forces her to lift her mask briefly, exposing her face. Fearing offense, she fans with the mask, inspiring others to imitate. Soon 10,000 masks fluttering become the fan’s emblematic gesture and air movement.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kau $i
There It Is Again Tobacco Theme Pokes Fun
A light exchange between Mrs. Minks and Mr. Minks on tobacco in a humorous wartime or daily life column. Mrs. Minks asks about heaven without spit, and Mr. Minks jokes about seats near the edge for tobacco use, ending with a puzzled shrug.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
iPhiladelphia
Notions of Gamblers and Luck in Chicago
A Chicago gambling feature recounts gamblers' superstitions and signs. Tales include a black cat bringing luck, a mouse that supposedly boosted wins, and players who chase lucky seats, decks, and coins. The piece cites Pat Sheedy, Tom Wallis, Sam Dall, and others, noting how beliefs persist despite skepticism.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Herald
Jeff Hawkins
Jeff
Jett
Pont Nh
Pat Sheedy
Tom Wallis
State Street
Tom
Dale
Joe
Thad Stevens
Cy Jaynes
Pelt
Rome
A Hint to the Frogs in Burlington Free Press
A recent distressing railroad accident is blamed on a defective frog. The piece hopes frogs of abnormal constitution or lacking physical perfection will avoid the tracks.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Burlington Free Press
Thread Smoking Inmates On Blackwell’s Island Learn Habit
The New York Mail reports that inmates at the public institution on Blackwell’s Island smoke thread when tobacco is scarce. The description notes a persistent habit among the elderly wrecks of humanity with time to spare in the facility.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Mail
Blackwell's Island
Tobacco Substitutes in Hard Times Noted
The article observes how poor workers improvise when tobacco runs low. It notes that some smoke burning scraps, steal straw from beds, dry tea leaves and coffee grounds, or use thread to seal clothing and then smoke it. It also mentions using dry bread and paper as substitutes, with black being a favorite.
BRIC A BRAS Poem Fragment May Century Echoes
Fragmentary OCR verse notes spring imagery and fairy folk with lines about music, maidens, youths, and rural musings. It mentions poetic frenzy and the idea of versifying cranks, plus a stray line about artists sketching. The tone recalls period magazine jottings and publisher items.
The Three Maidens and the King's Court Love
Three maidens by the sea profess love to a king. The first loves him for a day and hopes for a return. The second vows to die to lift him, while the silent third gazes with sorrow. The king loves the first briefly, the second grants him life, and the quiet one is the happiest.
Hoxawottamie Girl's Generosity in Sunday Paper
A Hoxawottamie girl shares a Chicago newspaper with her family every Sunday. She takes the paper for her bustle and supplies the family when the Sunday issue arrives.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hoxawottamie Herald
Chicago
Spring in Chicago Chronicle Patchwork
A dusty damaged dinner and a wild strange strife stir a topsy turvy Chicago scene. A chronic carpet cleaning and perplexing pipe reveal muddled mischief as subtle soap hides near the fleet foot. A boundless bill weighs on a weary woman and a moody man amid whitewashed walls.
Curious verse and household quips from a bygone year
A Philadelphia Call excerpt mixes playful rhymes and lore about early needles, a Rochester Chronicle joke about a teacup eye, and a baby’s future pounds chart. It includes a mother’s quip about sweeping under the bed, revealing lighthearted domestic humor and period voice.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia
Worths latest gown draws admiring glares on street
In a shop window a wax figure models a Worth gown while women parade the street. Compliments flow from a swell, a dreamy aesthete, and a schoolgirl with chilly figures. A waif, her shoes missing, peers at the glass as the fur trim excites her.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Worth
Anxious Query About Fall River Sleigh Profit
An amused note questions how much pleasure and profit a Fall River man gained after buying a new sleigh last fall and letting his poultry perch on it during the winter. The piece casts a wry light on idle winter antics and local curiosity.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fall River Advance
Fall River
May Outing Poem by F. D. Sherman
A lyrical meditation set in a rural night scene. The narrator notes Betty carrying milk, barefoot movement through grass, and singing beneath stars. The poem evokes imagery of ripened corn, meadow bars, and a wooing moment among grain under a summer sky.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
F. D. Sherman
Betty
What Is It It Causes Men To Desert Firesides
The temperance lecturer asks what causes men to desert homes and bring misery. A small boy in the corner answers with a quip about the skating rink, delivering a brief, humorous exchange amid the crowd.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Skatin’ Rink
Little John Bottlejohn and the Mermaid
A whimsical Scottish tale follows Little John Bottlejohn who loves a sea mermaid. He answers her song, descends to the shore, and they dive into the sea together never to be seen again.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John Bottlejohn
Mermaid
John Bosshejohn
Little Mermaid
Little John Bottlejohn
Pretty John Bottlejohm
A Woman in a Hurry Reflects on City Pace
A San Francisco Chronicle piece observes a hurried woman sprinting briefly then fading, contrasting her rapid pace with a man walking calmly toward the next street corner, illustrating urban microdramas of speed and breath.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
San Francisco Chronicle
Also Mentioned on This Page
Jeff Davis
Peck
Zenischendeck
Fulda
Land OF the
DOG Pony
British Columbia
Butler
Manitoba
Chicago Inter-Ocean
Catargo
Owever
Ana
Merchant Traveller
Davy
Wisconsin
Bill Nye
New York Mercury
Boston Belles
Pet Mouse
Black Cat
iChicago Herald
Sam Dall
Sam
Market
Madison
Cence
the Galaxy
Chicago Tribune
Morris Miller
Rochester Chronicle
Nebraska
Alaska
Brooklyn Union
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