At the close of the day’s work, when all was in readiness for the evacuation of our lines under cover of the darkness of night, I asked permission of General Lee to ride over to Richmond and to rejoin him early the next morning, telling him that my mother and sisters were in Richmond and that I would like to say good-by to them, and that my sweetheart was there, and we had arranged, if practicable, to be married that night.  He expressed some surprise at my entertaining such a purpose at that time, but when I explained to him that the home of my bride-elect was in the enemy’s lines, that she was alone in Richmond and employed in one of the departments of the government, and wished to follow the fortunes of the Confederacy should our lines be reestablished farther South, he promptly gave his assent to my plans.  I galloped to the railroad station, then at Dunlops, on the north side of the river, where I found a locomotive and several cars, constituting the “ambulance train,” designed to carry to Richmond the last of the wounded of our army requiring hospital treatment.  I asked the agent if he had another engine, when, pointing to one rapidly receding in the direction of Richmond, he replied, “Yonder goes the only locomotive we have besides the one attached to this train.”  Turning my horse over to the courier who accompanied me, with directions to join me in Richmond as soon as he could, I mounted the locomotive in waiting, directed the engineer to detach it from the cars and to proceed to overtake the engine ahead of us.  It was what the sailors call a stern chase and a long one.  We did not overtake the other locomotive until it had reached Falling Creek, about three-fourths of the distance, when I transferred to it and sent the other back to Petersburg.  I reached Richmond without further incident, and soon after midnight I was married to Elizabeth Selden Saunders....  As will be readily understood, the occasion was not one of great hilarity, though I was very happy; my eyes were the only dry ones in the company....

The people of Richmond were greatly excited and in despair in the contemplation of the abandonment of their beautiful city by our troops.  General Lee had for so long a time thwarted the designs of his powerful adversaries for the capture of the city, and seemed so unfailing and resourceful in his efforts to hold them at bay, that the good people found it difficult to realize that he was compelled at last to give way.  There was universal gloom and despair at the thought that at the next rising of the sun the detested Federal soldiers would take possession of the city and occupy its streets.  The transportation companies were busily engaged in arranging for the removal of the public stores and of the archives of the government.  A fire in the lower part of the city was fiercely raging, and added greatly to the excitement.

Somewhere near four o’clock on the morning of the 3d of April I bade farewell