New York Herald, 4/8/1865, p. 5, c. 1

RICHMOND.
Vice Admiral Farragut, General Gordon and a Select Party Visit Richmond.
General Weitzel Does the Honors of the City.
They Return to Fortress Monroe on the Late Rebel Flag of Truce Steamer William Allison,
&c., &c., &c.
Mr. William H. Stiner's Despatch.

NORFOLK, April 5, 1865

A TRIP TO RICHMOND.

On the conclusion of the ceremonies attending the grand reception given to Vice Admiral D. G. Farragut, and the celebration of the victory of our army by the fall of Petersburg and Richmond, a select part, composed of Brigadier General Geo. H. Gordon, commanding District of Virginia; Admiral Farragut, Captain A. P. Blunt, Chief Quartermaster of the district; Lieut. C. P. Brown, aid-de-camp to Gen. Gordon, and several other officers and civilians, besides Mrs. Gen. Gordon, Mrs. Lyman Doane, and others, left this city on board of the fine steamer City of Hudson, Capt. Fred. Powers, for Varina Landing, where they arrived at daylight yesterday morning. From thence the party started for the ex-capital of the late confederacy, in ambulances and on horseback, arriving there two hours subsequent. A number of distinguished ladies joined the visiting party at Aiken's Landing.
General Gordon and Admiral Farragut proceeded at once to the house lately occupied by Jeff. Davis, where they found the heroic Major General Godfrey Weitzel.

DESCENDING THE JAMES IN THE LATE REBEL FLAG OF TRUCE BOAT WILLIAM ALLISON.

A good portion of the city was perambulated by our visitors, after which General Gordon and Admiral Farragut embarked on the steamer William Allison, formerly used by the rebels as a flag of truce boat, and, notwithstanding the fears of the captain concerning injury from torpedoes, planted by the rebels in the James river on Sunday, they insisted on being taken down.
A short distance below Rockett's the boat of General Gordon and the Admiral met a rowboat containing Rear Admiral D. D. Porter and President Lincoln, ascending to the captured city. At Varina the Hudson took on board the two intrepid officers who braved the rebel torpedoes, and the ladies, and at an early hour this morning arrived here in good order.
Everybody speaks in terms of high praise at the treatment received from Captain Fred. Powers, commanding the Hudson, and Mr. Lyman Doane, the obliging purser of the same. They did everything in their power to make the guests comfortable.

AN APPROPRIATE RELIC OF TREASON.

General Gordon brought back as a relic from Jeff. Davis' house an ornament in the shape of an eagle, the neck of which is firmly held in the capacious mouth of an alligator. From the beak of the eagle is suspended a chain of five links, emblematic of the eagle fettering the South. An American shield is in the paws of the alligator, as having been wrested from the spirited bird of freedom. The height of the whole is ten inches, and the spread of the eagle's wings measures fourteen inches. The emblem of Southern treason illustrated was presented to Jeff. by a member of the North Carolina Legislature, who of late has been loud in preaching submission sentiments, and was ready to give up the confederacy.
This evening's boat carries this precious rebel relic to Boston as a present from General Gordon to Governor John A. Andrew, Executive of the Bay State, by whom it will doubtless be highly appreciated.

PRISONERS CAPTURED HAILING FROM NORFOLK, ETC.

The announcement of the capture and annihilation of Mahone's brigade, which in a great measure is composed of soldiers hailing from this city and Portsmouth, caused great excitement here among the friends and relatives of these men. A number of prominent citizens left here this morning for Fortress Monroe, where transports having these prisoners on board had arrived, to see them if possible.

JAMES RIVER.
Our James River Correspondence.

STEAMER WILLIAM ALLISON,
LATE REBEL FLAG OF TRUCE BOAT,
JAMES RIVER, Va., April 4, 1865.

VICE ADMIRAL FARRAGUT DESCENDS THE JAMES RIVER.

The first boat which has descended the James river with a Union company on board left Rockett's this afternoon at two o'clock. Admiral Farragut, who had come up the river from Norfolk and spent a few hours in Richmond, was disposed to try a return by the river, disregarding anything in the shape of torpedoes which might be met. This was the only available boat, and, leaving the smoking ruins in the city, he started off on the interesting trip.

PRESIDENT LINCOLN AND REAR ADMIRAL PORTER ON THEIR WAY UP TO THE CITY.

Upon arriving at Tree Hill bridge, about two miles below the city, the Stars and Stripes were discovered floating above a little steamer which was boldly steaming her way Richmondward. Arriving nearer it was found to be one of the tugs of the naval fleet, and that it bore Rear Admiral D. D. Porter, President Lincoln and a Presidential marine guard. Arriving alongside Admiral Farragut saluted the welcome visitors, and Admiral Porter, who had with accustomed promptness passed by rebel obstructions and sunken rebel rams and torpedoes, took his gig, in company with the President, Lieutenant Commander Adams and Lieutenant W. C. Clemens, of the Army Signal corps, and, in that unassuming manner, proceeded towards the crushed capital of rebellion.

PASSING FORT DARLING.

The Allison kept on her way, and safely passed the thickly clustered batteries on either side; by Fort Darling, with its black guns in embrasure and unmoved; by the sunken rams at Drewry's bluff; by the works on Chaffin's bluff, and just below this place was the new iron-clad unfinished ram Texas. She had a plain, flush deck, with no armament or engines, and was very light in the water.

THE RIVER WORKS OF THE ENEMY.

The river was found to be lined with formidable works on either side, the guns all remaining, and, such had been the haste to evacuate, that some of the guns were spiked only with wrought iron and nails. We soon passed the long lines of works on the terrace, near Cox's ferry, and then by the Dutch Gap canal; passed the "Howlett" House battery, across Trent's reach, and through the line of obstructions placed by Admiral Lee in the river, and on down to Varina Landing, encountering nothing which would cause the steamer harm.
The Admiral was accompanied on this first trip down the James, and in a rebel steamer, by General Gordon, commanding department, including Norfolk, &c.; by Major Binney, Chief Quartermaster of the department; Paymaster Samuel T. Browne, of the Navy, and Dr. R. W. Browne, of New London, Conn. The vessels which passed by and proceeded on to Richmond, were the Malvern, Admiral Porter's flagship, the Commodore Perry, the torpedo boat Spuyten Duyvel and a number of naval tugs and small boats.

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