Danville After Davis’s Departure

ECW welcomes back guest author Jarred Marlowe, who continues his look at Danville at the Civil War’s conclusion.

On the morning of April 9, Jefferson Davis, then located in new Confederate Capital of Danville, Virginia after departing Richmond almost a week prior, tried to inform General Robert E. Lee of the skirmish that had transpired at Henry Court House (modern-day Martinsville). Davis explained that approximately 3,000 infantry and artillerymen were stationed in Danville, emphasizing the urgency for Lee to reach the town before Union General George Stoneman arrived. Meanwhile, Union Colonel William Palmer had altered his course that morning to intercept the Piedmont Railroad, the newly constructed line between Danville and Greensboro. Palmer aimed to prevent any trains from reaching Greensboro, effectively trapping anyone attempting to flee Danville. His men destroyed a railroad trestle shortly after Davis’s train crossed it on the way to Greensboro.

By the evening of April 10, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard, en route to Danville, learned of Palmer’s maneuver. He halted in Greensboro and consulted General Henry Harrison Walker in Danville about whether he should continue north. Walker, unaware of the day’s events, requested Beauregard’s presence in Danville to take command of the town. However, Walker was also unaware that earlier that morning, General Lunsford L. Lomax and his cavalry division had left Lynchburg, heading south toward Danville. Simultaneously, Major General Thomas Rosser was also moving south from the Shenandoah Valley toward the recently evacuated Confederate capital. Despite recent defeats, both commanders were determined to continue fighting.

While on the move, Lomax received word of Lee’s surrender. He instructed his artillery commander, Colonel William Nelson, to unload artillery at Pittsylvania Court House (modern-day Chatham) and distribute the horses among his men. Lomax and Rosser continued toward Danville, where they met with Secretary of War John C. Breckinridge, who had arrived shortly after Davis’s departure. Breckinridge stayed in town briefly before heading to Greensboro to reunite with Davis. Beauregard remained in Greensboro and instructed Lomax to hold Danville. On April 12, Rosser left Danville, passing through Pittsylvania Court House on his way to Lynchburg and eventually surrendering his forces on May 10 in Staunton.

Expecting Federal forces to advance south after Lee’s surrender, Lomax ordered the destruction of Danville’s two bridges—the Main Street bridge (a wooden structure from 1850) and an adjacent wooden railroad bridge from 1856. Lomax also dispatched scouts to the Staunton River to monitor Union movements. The bridges were to be burned if advancing Union troops were confirmed. However, Danville’s citizens were furious, calling the plan a “useless and unjustifiable” act against public property. Mayor J.M. Walker demanded to know under whose authority Lomax had issued the order and requested its suspension. Walker also sought intervention from Beauregard and Davis. Major William T. Sutherlin telegraphed a similar plea to Davis. Meanwhile, Colonel Robert Enoch Withers mobilized the Danville Home Guard with orders to protect the bridges and fire on anyone attempting to destroy them. Lomax ultimately agreed to suspend the order after meeting with Withers.

By April 15, General Joseph E. Johnston no longer considered Danville threatened by Federal forces after Davis’s evacuation. Consequently, Beauregard directed Lomax to proceed south to Greensboro to join Johnston’s main force. Although Johnston was unsure of Lomax’s troop strength, he counted on Lomax bringing much-needed supplies from Danville. Johnston also advised Lomax to cross the Haw River bridge north of Greensboro (as Palmer had destroyed the main railroad trestle) and coordinate with General Wade Hampton.

With regular troops moving south to North Carolina, Colonel Withers faced mounting challenges as Danville’s provost marshal. His small home guard struggled to manage the influx of soldiers arriving after Lee’s surrender. Initially arriving in small groups, soldiers’ numbers quickly swelled to dozens, then hundreds, with more than 3,000 arriving within hours to access Danville’s stockpiled supplies. To accommodate the crowd, boards were laid across the railroad tracks on the bridge, ensuring safe passage for parolees from Appomattox.

While some soldiers were heading south to join Johnston or cross to the Trans-Mississippi, most just wanted to go home. Despite hunger, many behaved respectfully, though a few resorted to violence over food, prompting intervention from the home guard. Withers considered declaring martial law but ultimately refrained. Over 2,000 soldiers temporarily stayed in Danville, primarily gathering around the railroad depots. Tensions escalated when some soldiers threatened to form a mob and cause destruction. Mayor Walker confronted the group, ordering them to disperse. When ignored, he fired his pistol at the mob’s leaders. Though he missed, his display of force emphasized his seriousness.

In the ensuing confusion, some soldiers stormed a warehouse stocked with bacon, cornmeal, molasses, clothing, and blankets. During the looting, one soldier fell into a barrel of molasses. Covered in the sticky liquid, he filled his canteen and left. Another soldier, Frank Mixson from South Carolina, managed to gather bacon, cornmeal, blankets, and a McClellan saddle—despite not having a horse.

After Davis’s departure, the Confederate government began shipping supplies to Greensboro. However, Governor William “Extra Billy” Smith halted the shipment of rations upon seeing the influx of soldiers in Danville, aiming to feed those still in town. While most soldiers passing through Danville were well-fed, shoes were scarce as the entire stock had been sent south. Reverend Dame arranged transportation for soldiers in desperate need of footwear.

Easter Monday, April 17, brought further challenges for Colonel Withers. A week had passed since the Confederate government’s departure, but thousands of soldiers still moved through Danville. Train service to Greensboro halted when no one could be found to pump water for the engines. Withers eventually recruited enough volunteers to move one train south. Another train, fully loaded with passengers bound for Greensboro, sat idling at the Piedmont Depot’s water tank.

Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the area, sending soldiers scrambling for cover. The engineer and fireman fled as shells and canisters filled the air. Flames shot skyward in a series of chain-reaction explosions. Someone shouted that the Yankees were attacking, throwing the town into chaos. Trainmaster J.H. Averill narrowly avoided being struck by a shell. Debris, including human remains, was launched 300 feet into the air.

The Danville Arsenal, one of the Confederacy’s largest, had exploded. Marauders and curious children had broken into the building, where powder, shot, and shells lay scattered. A stray spark ignited the arsenal, triggering six hours of continuous explosions. By the end, only a massive crater remained near the corner of Lynn and Franklin Streets, close to the railroad depots.

In the aftermath, 14 victims were buried near the explosion site. Several others, including two women walking nearby, had their clothing catch fire. Desperate to extinguish the flames, they ran to the nearby Dan River and jumped in, but tragically drowned. Despite the explosion, many passengers re-boarded the damaged train, which departed with the help of a makeshift crew.

The events in Danville during April 1865 captured the turmoil and disarray that accompanied the Confederacy’s collapse. From the destruction of critical infrastructure to the explosion of the Danville Arsenal, the town’s residents and soldiers alike faced hardship and confusion during the war’s final days.

Sources

-Calkins, Christopher. “The Danville Expedition of May and June 1865.” The Papers of the Blue & Gray Education Society 8 (September 17, 1998).

-McFall, F. Lawrence Jr. Danville in the Civil War. Lynchburg, VA: H. E. Howard, Inc., 2001.

Jarred Marlowe is a historian who currently lives in Collinsville, Virginia. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from the Virginia Military Institute and master’s degree from Johnson University. Jarred is a member of the Col. George Waller Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Membership Director of the Blue & Gray Education Society.