Show FIRST TROOPS TO ENTER RICH ra old 1111 thirteenth regiment of ne new W hampshire volunteers lays claim to the honor OR many years there was discussion F foil of the claims ot of several bodies of union troops tor for the honor ot of having been first into richmond the capital of the confederacy on april 3 1865 a fw few hours or possibly only an hour after the last men of the gray had bad filed out ot of the city the chief claimants for the honor have been the thirteenth regiment of new hampshire volunteers of which john M woods former nayor mayor of som erville orvllle and now department commander of the massachusetts G A R was a member and the body of colored cavalry the fifth massachusetts and that day led by charles francis adams son of the then minister to Engla england tid there has been much said and there was much to say on both sides the actual priority would seem to belong to the now new hampshire regiment and some borne of the facts of the story ot of that great day are summarized here informal surrender the mayor of richmond with some of the citizens met general weitzel a little before seven that morning a little outside the limits of the city to that point there had advanced a detachment of union pickets perhaps 60 to 70 men here an informal surrender took place then general weitzel heltzel and his staff proceeded into the city followed follow pd by lieutenant prescott and his force of pickets and preceded by a aqua squad d of the generals orderlies from the fourth massachusetts cavalry commanded by major A 11 stevens the general established his headquarters as Is well known in the house which jetterson jefferson davis had made tho the white house of the southern states james ford rhodes says that the evacuation was completed by seven in the morning and nicolay and hay say that lieutenant prescott reached capitol square soon after that hour general weitzel soon sent back an side alda with orders to get the first brigade he be could find and bring it in to act is aa a provost fprovost guard at the same time he sent word for all the test rest of thu the troops to remain outside the city and take possession of the inner line of confederate defenses marched into city the first brigade met by tho the aide proved to be gen E H Rl Ri pleys brigade of gen charles devens division of the twenty fourth army corps this was headed by devens with the new hampshire regiment to which john M woods belonged they marched into tho the city with colors flying and bands playing and reached the cAi pital gouid afons time between eight anil and nine on a glorious spring morning meantime the second orar had bad been sent and carried about but somehow it failed to reach the regiment of colored cavalry which had then for several weeks been in the command of colonel adams they were posted on th tho a extreme right of tho union line and they obeyed an earlier request from general devena and it was tho the only 0 order of 0 which they know knew any thing that they advance into the city and thus this colored regiment headed by the grandson of one president and the great gr edson of another earned for itself a share of tho the glory of that morning general weitzel himself in his report davs at daybreak I 1 started various divisions towards richmond general devens division came up the new market road and the cavalry under charles francis adams jr came cama up the darbytown Darby town and charles city roads I 1 directed them all to halt at the tha outskirts of the city until further orders I 1 then rode ahead ot of the troops long along a the osborne pike and entered the tha city hall where I 1 received the surrender of the city at a m troops placed in position malora majors stevens stevena and graves had entered a little after 7 a m I 1 ordered in immediately after my arrival a brigade of devens division under general ripley as provost guard and ordered all the rest of the troops into position along the inner line of redoubts re doubts about the city the first troops to teach reach the city were the comp companies antes E and II 11 of the fourth massachusetts cavalry who were the escorts to majors stevens and graves and their guidoes were the first national colors displayed over the city next came the pickets of the twenty fourth corps corpa after t that bat as I 1 was in the city and not on tho the guta kirts I 1 do not know what came and it Is a matter of dispute both divisions claiming the credit wherever the credit goes it will fall somewhere in new england and probably upon new hampshire tor for priority and massachusetts will have a full share |