Hayes...
Probably anything and everything was being shipped out of Richmond by train, wagon, and river boat during the evacuation of Richmond- that included gold and currency as well as state papers. Many historical records did not make
it to the evacuation and were left behind in the court houses, government buildings, and in the Library of Virginia. The burning of Richmond by the command of Gen. Ewell very nearly wiped out a lot of southern and Virginia history. Many of the papers were discovered by Union officers entering the city. You can only imagine what was lost and maybe not even missed. I can't put my hands on it, but I can remember reading about individuals who had copies of books, papers, and historical documents; who after the war had them reprinted for the state (and the country) as the originals had been destroyed. I am attaching some information I found on "Richmond in the Civil War" site (www.mdgorman.com/fall_of_richmond.htm):
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From NY MOLLUS, Vol. III, 1907, pp. 472-502.
FINAL SCENES AT THE CAPTURE AND OCCUPATION OF RICHMOND, APRIL 3, 1865. READ BY BREVET BRIGADIER-GENERAL EDWARD H. RIPLEY, DEC. 5, 1906.
VALUABLE RECORDS SAVED.
"Among the acts of vandalism we were happily able to arrest, before irreparable damage was done, was the sacking of the Virginia State Library. An officer entering it found the floor covered with the colonial and other records in which it was so rich. They had been wantonly taken from their cases and thrown around. A guard was at once posted over it with imperative orders to let no person pass without written permission from headquarters, and when, several days later, 1 tried to enter it, it was with difficulty I could persuade my own guard to let me pass. The floor was yet covered with an interesting mass of timeworn papers. I believe little real damage was done to these valuable archives. The Confederate archives, such as were left in the hurried retreat, were the most interesting and important spoils of our capture, and the first things sought for and guarded, together with the contents of the telegraph offices. These I some days later, on the arrival of Chas. A. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War, turned over to him. One half of the large accumulation of copies of the Confederate telegraph dispatches were found, the other half have never been found. They were said to have been carried off by a woman on the day of our entry..."
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Also an article from From the Richmond Whig, 4/7/1865:
THE RECORDS OF THE CIRCUIT COURT. - "During the conflagration of Monday, when it was found that the State Court House (which is situated very near our office) was doomed to become another of the numerous sacrifices to the devouring element, the Hon. John A. Meredith, Judge of this circuit, went to work, and, with the assistance of others, removed all the papers which were necessary to pending suits and most of the order books but the wills and deed books were all lost. As many wills and deed, from remote parts of the State, had been recently recorded here, now that all traces of the records have been destroyed, much loss and inconvenience will be felt by individuals. Unfortunately, the records of the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Circuit Court of Henrico county, whose offices were in the same building, were all burned. Nothing was saved from the accumulated mass of important records. These papers were of great historical importance."
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In defense of Gen. Ewell burning Richmond was this testimonial from his brother, as mentioned in a Union officer's report:
"There has been much written on the subject of Ewell's responsibility for this terrible war measure, and I have this autograph letter from his brother, Prof. Benj. S. Ewell, of William and Mary College, dated Richmond, April, 1865. It reads as follows:
'SIR:-In relation to General Ewell and the late disastrous conflagration in this city, I ask to make the following statement: After the fall of Savannah, Ga., the Confederate Congress passed a law requiring officers in command to destroy all cotton, tobacco, and other valuable products liable to capture. Some weeks ago General Ewell received official notice of this law, and with it an order to prepare for the destruction of the tobacco, etc., stored in Richmond, that could not be carried away, the destruction to be completed in the event of evacuation. He immediately notified the parties concerned of the order, directing all tobacco not removed to be deposited in some place or
places where it could be destroyed without danger to the city. The details were intrusted to an officer of his command. For the fire in no way is General Ewell responsible, as in the execution of a military order in respect to which he had no discretion he sought by every means in his power to provide against such a catastrophe as followed.
Very respectfully your obedient servant, BENJAMIN S. EWELL.'"
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That will give you some idea what was being left behind.
John