The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-11-21
THE coNFEDERAcY.

Its Dying Hours and Strugyles-The Nodii-
.ty Of Lee-Ihe HOpelessness Of the Struggle
"A Thrilling account BY an Impartial
Observer.
From the London Fortnightly Review.
1t is said by Coleride that no man thrown to
the surface of human affairs even succeeded in
simultaneously gaining distinction and affee-
tion, unless he possessed something of an cpl
Gene nature, that is to say, mixture OF mascu-
line and feminine qualities. Without claiming
for General Lee in the highest sense of the IT,
tie "great," it is. impossible to deny that his
memory will be cherished by those who, in the
crisis Of his three years trial, stood and suffered
by bis side, as an exceptionally dear and pre-
cious possession. Few soldiers, if asked wheth-
er they would rather have served under Lee on
the one hand, or under Cromwell, frederick the
Great, Marlborough or Napoleon on the other,
would hesitate to prefer the four famous gene
rails to the discounted Confederate. Yet it is
doubtful whether any of the four, after they
had passed away, and had ceased to communi-
cate the electric shock of their presence and
contact-of eye, voice, character and iafuence
to others, possessed such hold on the aztec
! tions and esteem az were inspired by Robert K.
Les.
The exceeding loveableness of Lee became
politician he lacked vigor and self-assertion be-
ssDe more irresistible. This loveableness was
based upon a never-tiring unsel6shness, con-
tagious endurance of hardship and danger, a
shrinking modesty, an Astounding tenderness
The child and the young girl, who had never
seen him before, ran to him instinctly as to a
friend. His look spoke of honesty, directness,
kindliness, courage. His smile was irresista-
bly, winning. But the stuff which made Crom-
we'll, Napoleon, William the Silent, greater as
politicians than as soldiers was lacking in Lee.
All that there was Of true and brave in the peo
pie whom he so nearly made nation called on
him by signs that be who ran might read, to
put Congress aside, to control the press, to be
Dictator indeed; and yet he would not! Never
.theless il the belief that there is no more pow
erful stinulant toa noble ambition than the
study of such character as Lees, l desire to
throw my stone upon the cairn by gathering to-
gether few notes, for the general accuracy Of
WHICH / can entirely vouch, exhibiting the
main features of the eveotful six days which
interviewed between the evacuation of the Con-
feaerate lines around Petersburg and Richmond
on the night Of April I'd, and the surrender of
Lees army on the morning of April 9th
In order rightly to understand these six days,
it should be promised that the Federal cavalry,
massed under General Sheridan, numbering
about 5000 sabers, splendidly equipped, and
converted by their able commander into body
Of military horsemen upon whom an Austrian
OF French sabreur might have looked without
disdain moved southwards down the valley of
Virginia between the LIST and 10th of last March,
about 5 900 men, under Gen Early, at Waynes-
boro'. Gen. Early dstrustful of his men, who
were equally distrustful of him. planted them
with their backs to deep river in order to
make retreat impossible. The result is easily
foreseen. Gen. Sheridan bagged two-thirds Of
bis enemys force and most of his euemy's ar
,tillery. Sweeping rapidly onward towards the
james River between Richmond and Lynch
burg, Sheridan found himself confronted by
swollen and impossible stream. He fell back,
rounded the left wing Of Lees army, crossed
the Pamunkey River at the White House,
(where he recruited his strength by picking up
! 200 fresh horses which awaited him there
and up to the 25th Of March joined Gen Grant
in the lines before Petersburg. To Sheridan's
untiriug aud sagacious activity in the subse-
.quent operations, more than to the agency of
any other man, is due the con,aseteness of the
collapse of the Confederacy.
It was not long before Gen Grants accession
Of strength was felt by Lee.
Upon the evening of Saturday, April l, Gen.
Longstreet, who had defended Richmond by
commanding the Confederate forces to the north
of James River received information from Lee
that Grant had detached Sheridan's cavalry and
two corps of infantry (about Is, 600 men in alp
TO act as ainst the Southside Railroad. Before
communicating with Longstreet, Lee had dis
patched Pickett's and Bushrod Johnson's divis-
ions, Husars battalion of artillery, and Fitz-
hugh Lees division of cavalry Gin all about
a7,0OO men, Lee had so veakened his lines
before Petersburg, that there was but one Con-
federate left to every fifty yards
Under these circumstances, Lee called upon
Longstreet for men. But at dawn upon the I'd
of April, before Longstreet had bad time to
obey Lees orders, Grant deserted from his
wooden tower OF observation of the weakness of
the Confederate lines. Immediately he threw
very heavy column consisting believe, chief
~ of Gibbons Corps, upon the weakest spet
The Fe6erals carried with very slight loss the
outer line, thinly held by Heath's Division Of
Confederates, and bulged inward until they
struck two Of the detached forts, whereof a
string or system ran behind the whole length
of the Confederate outer works. These two de-
tached forts, which were of course designed to
cover each other, were named Forts Gregg and
Alexander.
The officer in command of Fort Alexander,
which was farthest away from the on-coming
FederaIs, deemed it more important to save his
guns than to try aud help FORT Gregg. Re-
.oeiving no assistance from it's twin -brother Fort
Gregg, manned by Harris's Mississippi Brigade,
numbering $50 undaunted men, breasted intre-
pidly the tide of its multudinous assailants.
Three times Gibbons Corps surged up, and
around the work-three times, with dreadful
carnage, they we're driven back. am teld that
it was subsequently admitted by Gen. Gibbon,