The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-30

four years, he had unfinchingly ex-
posed in a hundred of his country's
battles. About the same momeut was
despatched the memorable telegram
which surprised President Davis in
church, and announced that the last.
day of that heroic resistance which had
made Richmond the most notable of
beleaguered cities, had arrived The
delay purchased by the obstinate de-
fence of Fort Gregg, and by Long
streets bold handling of Benning's
Brigade, saved Petersburg until the
tobacco and cotton stored in that city
could be burned, and until leisurely
preparation for its evacution could be
made.
It is remarkable that no further on
slaught was made by the Federals
throughout the day or during the ev-
ening, although the flames springing
up in many parts of the town must
have told their own tale. At nightfall
on the I'd, all the Confederate troops,
about 1000 strong, which remained
under the command of Gen. Ewell, to
the north of James river, fell back from
their Lines, and passed through the be-
wildered streets of Richmond, travers-
ing before daybreak the bridges over
the James river, which were so soon to
be given to the flames About eight
on the night of the same I'd, the Con-
federate troops also began to leave Pc
tersburg, their retreat being covered
by Fields Division under Longstreet.
Pursuit there was none. It is proba-
bic that already Grant was bending all
his energies to get round and cut off
Lees retreat. The Petersburg. section
of the Confederate troops, full of vigor
and elan, crossed to the north side of
the Appomattox river on the pontoon
bridge, and made sixteen miles during
their first night of retreat. 1t would
be difficult to conceive anything brigh-
ter or more hopeful than the tone of
Gen. Lees spirits on the morning OF
tht Sd. 81 have got my army safe out
of its breastworks," he said, "and in
order to follow me, my enemy must
abandon his lines, and can derive no
further benefit from his railroads, or
from the James river" There can be
little doubt that Lees design was to
recruit his army with rations, which he
hoped to find In abundance at Amelia
courthouse, and to fall in detail upon
| the Federals, who, breaking up into
bodies of one or two army corps, were
scattering all over the country with 9
view to vigorous pursuit. Two days
rations at Amelia courthouse for 4O,-
600 men would possibly have made 9
great difference. in the immediate
j though, as I believe, none in the ulti
mate history of North America.
There is little satisfaction in dwell
ling in detail upon the five subsequent
days, for which parallel must b.
sought on the banks of the Beresina
or in other passages of military an,
guish. It is hardly necessary to stat
that at Amelia Court House, Lee founC
not ration. I shall not pause now tt
distribute blame, or to investigate wht
was at fault. All that I have to stat,
is that the fault was not Lees. who's
orders on that subject for fortnigh
past had been urgent and precise. ]
became necessary for Les to breal
j nearly half his army up into foraginI
{ parties to get food. The countr.
through which he passed was trac
of struggling woods and pine barrens
with occasional patches of clearings
The foraging parties had to go SO IA
a-feld in quest of food that they wer
E taken prisoners by wholesale. In tn
face Of such suffering as they left be
= hind, itscannot be wondered at if som
OF the poor fellows courted capture
Those foragers who returned to lie
Il + -
: brought little or nothing with then
The suferings of the men and th
4 pangs of hunger have not been al
! preached in the annals of the last fift
\ years But the suferings Of the mule
: and horses must have been even keer
4 er; for the men assuaged their craving
by plucking the buds and twigs {
! trees just shooting in the early sprinl
3 whereas the grass had not yet starte
s from it's winter sleep, and food for tI
r unhappy quadrupeds there was non'
3 AS early as the morning ofthe 4th, LIE
sent off half his artillery towards Il
: railroad to relieve the famished horse
y The artillery making slow progress
Is thanks to the exhaustion of the horse
: was captured by the Federals on Il
o4a. r,,,4 ~ ,x,4,T Ian Tindeav Wa