Grant Took Richmond (1920)

[James A. Landau]

But Grant did not take Richmond.  He was already south and west of Richmond
when he chased Lee westward to Appomattox Court House.  RIchmond was captured,
rather absent-mindedly, by African-American troops of Weitzel's division of
the Army of the James who were chasing Lee and found that the main road westward
happened to run through Richmond.  They stopped to put out fires in the city,
thereby preventing Richmond from burning to the ground as did Columbia, South
Carolina.  Citizens of Richmond should be thankful to these African-Americans
for keeping their city from being wiped off the map.

      - Jim Landau