"The consent of the military authorities of the United States to the session of the Legislature in Richmond, in connection with the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, to their free deliberation upon public affairs, and to the ingress and departure of all its members under safe conducts, has been obtained.

"The United States authorities will afford transportation from any point under their control to any of the persons before mentioned.

"The matters to be submitted to the Legislature are the restoration of peace to the State of Virginia, and the adjustment of questions involving life, liberty, and property, that have arisen in the State as a consequence of the war.

"We therefore earnestly request the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, and members of the Legislature to repair to this city by the 25th April (instant).

"We understand that full protection to persons and property will be afforded in the State, and we recommend to peaceful citizens to remain at their homes and pursue their usual avocations, with confidence that they will not be interrupted.

"We earnestly solicit the attendance, in Richmond, on or before the 25th of April (instant), of the following persons, citizens of Virginia, to confer with us as to the best means of restoring peace to the State of Virginia. We have procured safe conduct from the military authorities of the United States for them to enter the city and depart without molestation: Hon. R. M. T. Hunter, A. T. Caperton, Wm. C. Rives, John Letcher, A. H. H. Stuart, R. L. Montague, Fayette McMullen, J. P. Holcombe, Alexander Rives, B. Johnson Barbour, James Barbour, Wm. L. Goggin, J. B. Baldwin, Thomas S. Gholson, Waller Staples, S. D. Miller, Thomas J. Randolph, Wm T. Early, R. A. Claybrook, John Critcher, Wm. Towns, T. H. Eppes, and those other persons for whom passports have been procured and especially forwarded that we consider it to be unnecessary to mention.

"A. J. Marshall, Senator, Fauquier; James Neeson, Senator, Marion; James Venable, Senator elect, Petersburg; David I. Burr, of House of Delegates, Richmond City; David J. Saunders, of House of Delegates, Richmond City; L. S. Hall, of House of Delegates, Wetzel County; J. J. English, of House of Delegates, Henrico County; Wm. Ambers, of House of Delegates, Chesterfield County; A. M. Keily, of House of Delegates, Petersburg; H. W. Thomas, Second Auditor of Virginia; St. L. L. Moncure, Chief Clerk Second Auditor's office; Joseph Mayo, Mayor of City of Richmond; Robert Howard, Clerk of Hustings Court, Richmond City; Thomas U. Dudley, Sergeant Richmond City; Littleton Tazewell, Commonwealth's Attorney, Richmond City; Wm. T. Joynes, Judge of Circuit Court, Petersburg; John A. Meredith, Judge of Circuit Court, Richmond; Wm. H. Lyons, Judge of Hustings Court, Richmond; Wm. C. Wickham, Member of Congress, Richmond District; Benj. S. Ewell, President of William and Mary College; Nat. Tyler, Editor Richmond Enquirer; R. F. Walker, Publisher of Examiner; J. R. Anderson, Richmond; R. R. Howison, Richmond; W. Goddin, Richmond; P. G. Bayley, Richmond; F. J. Smith, Richmond; Franklin Stearns, Henrico; John Lyons, Petersburg; Thomas B. Fisher, Fauquier; Wm. M. Harrison, Charles City; Cyrus Hall, Ritchie; Thomas W. Garnett, King and Queen; James A. Scott, Richmond.

"I concur in the preceding recommendation.

"J. A. CAMPBELL.

"Approved for publication in the Whig, and in handbill form.

"G. WEITZEL, Major-Gen. Commanding.

"RICHMOND, VA., April 11th, 1865."

To-day the following order is published:

"HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,

"RICHMOND, VA., April 13th, 1865.

"Owing to recent events, the permission for the reassembling of the gentlemen recently acting as the Legislature of Virginia is rescinded. Should any of the gentlemen come to the city under the notice of reassembling, already published, they will be furnished passports to return to their homes.

"Any of the persons named in the call signed by J. A. Campbell and others, who are found in the city twelve hours after the publication of this notice, will be subject to arrest, unless they are residents of the city.

"E. O. C. ORD, Major-Gen. Commanding."

Judge Campbell informs me that he saw Gen. Ord yesterday, who promised to grant me permission to take my family to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and suggesting some omissions and alterations in the application, which I made. Judge C. is to see him again to-day, when I hope the matter will be accomplished.

Judge Campbell left my application with Gen. Ord's youngest adjutant, to whom he said the general had approved it. But the adjutant said it would have to be presented again, as there was no indorsement on it. The judge advised me to follow it up, which I did; and stayed until the adjutant did present it again to Gen. Ord, who again approved it. Then the polite aid accompanied me to Gen. Patrick's office and introduced me to him, and to Lieut.-Col. John Coughlin, "Provost Marshal General Department of Virginia," who indorsed on the paper: "These papers will be granted when called for."

APRIL 17TH.—Bright and clear.

I add a few lines to my Diary. It was whispered, yesterday, that President Lincoln had been assassinated! I met Gen. Duff Green, in the afternoon, who assured me there could be no doubt of it. Still, supposing it might be an April hoax, I inquired at the headquarters of Gen. Ord, and was told it was true. I cautioned those I met to manifest no feeling, as the occurrence might be a calamity for the South; and possibly the Federal soldiers, supposing the deed to have been done by a Southern man, might become uncontrollable and perpetrate deeds of horror on the unarmed people.

After agreeing to meet Gen. Green this morning at the Provost Marshal's office, and unite with him in an attempt to procure the liberation of Capt. Warner, I returned home; and saw, on the way, Gen. Ord and his staff riding out toward Camp Lee, with no manifestations of excitement or grief on their countenances.

Upon going down town this morning, every one was speaking of the death of Lincoln, and the Whig was in mourning.

President Lincoln was killed by Booth (Jno. Wilkes), an actor. I suppose his purpose is to live in history as the slayer of a tyrant; thinking to make the leading character in a tragedy, and have his performance acted by others on the stage.

I see no grief on the faces of either officers or men of the Federal army.

R. A. Pryor and Judge W. T. Joynes have called a meeting in Petersburg, to lament the calamity entailed by the assassination.

I got passports to-day for myself and family to the Eastern Shore, taking no oath. We know not when we shall leave.

I never swore allegiance to the Confederate States Government, but was true to it.

APRIL 19TH.—Yesterday windy, to-day bright and calm.

It appears that the day of the death of President Lincoln was appointed for illuminations and rejoicings on the surrender of Lee. There is no intelligence of the death of Mr. Seward or his son. It was a dastardly deed—surely the act of a madman.



THE END.



Footnotes:

[1] Virginia undoubtedly contributed more than any other State, but they were not registered.

[2] It is held by the government now, January, 1866, and my family are homeless and destitute. Onancock, Accomac County, Va.—J. B. J.



Transcriber's Notes:

Passages in italics are indicated by underscore.

The following misprints in Volume I have been corrected: "their's" corrected to "theirs" (page 77) "increasas" corrected to "increases" (page 85) "instrutcted" corrected to "instructed" (page 164) "conntry" corrected to "country" (page 238) "Legisture" corrected to "Legislature" (page 242) "Deparment" corrected to "Department" (page 244) "ha" corrected to "he" (page 251) "a" corrected to "at" (page 255) "reappeard" corrected to "reappeared" (page 275) "calvary" corrected to "cavalry" (page 308) "assults" corrected to "assaults" (page 335) "peisoners" corrected to "prisoners" (page 360) "degees" corrected to "degrees" (page 362) "Wendesday" corrected to "Wednesday" (page 365)

The following misprints in Volume II have been corrected: "furnance" corrected to "furnace" (page 17) "miraculousl" corrected to "miraculously" (page 17) "13TH" corrected to "15TH" (page 44) "Corolina" corrected to "Carolina" (page 44) "affirmalive" corrected to "affirmative" (page 79) "nothwithstanding" corrected to "notwithstanding" (page 84) "necestity" corrected to "necessity" (page 93) "2D" corrected to "3D" (page 123) "develope" corrected to "develop" (page 135) "Henly's" corrected to "Henley's" (page 166) "APRIL" corrected to "MAY" (page 199) "May 19TH" corrected to "May 9TH" (page 203) "appropiate" corrected to "appropriate" (page 233) "at at" corrected to "at" (page 257) "commads" corrected to "commands" (page 292) "Tallahassie" corrected to "Tallahassee" (page 292) "Opeleka" corrected (twice) to "Opelika" (page 302) "not" corrected to "now" (page 309) "Congrees" corrected to "Congress" (page 316) "Weeler" corrected to "Wheeler" (page 333) "few few" corrected to "few" (page 337) "Georagia" correctedt to "Georgia" (page 341) "Octoberr" corrected to "October" (page 373) "sufferred" corrected to "suffered" (page 402) "sufferred" corrected to "suffered" (page 419) "parol" corrected to "parole" (page 438) "Peterburg" corrected to "Petersburg" (page 463) "Lietenant" corrected to "Lieutenant" (page 477)

Other than the corrections listed above, printer's inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, and hyphenation usage have been retained.

The two footnote markers [1] (Vol. I, page 114) are intentional to reflect the presentation in the original text.

THE END