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

P. Hill (who commanded the Corps to which
Heth's Division belonged) lost life which for
nearly four years he had unfinchiagiJ exposed
10 nearly q hundred of his country's battles.
About the same nonent was dispatched :he
memorable telegram which surprised Davis in
church, and announced that the last day Of that
heroic resistance which had made Richmond
the most notable of beleaguered cities had at
length arrived The delay purchased by the
obstinate defense 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 evacuation could be
made
1t is remarkable that no further onslaught
was made BY the Federals throug hout the day,
or during the evening, although the flames
springiug up 10 many parts of the town must
have told their own tale At nightfall on the
I'd all the Confederate troops, about 4,GOO
strong, which remained under command of Gen.
Ewell, to the north Of James River, fell back
from their lines, and passed through the bewil-
dered streets OF Richmond, traversing 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
Confederate troops also commenced leaving
Petersburg, their retreat being covered by
Fields Division under Longstreet. Pursuit
there was none. 1t is probable that already
Grant was bending all his energies to get round
and cut off Lees retreat. The Petersburg sec
ton of the Confederate troops, full Of vigor and
elan. crossed to the north side of the Appomat-
tox River on pontoon bridge, and made six
teen miles during their first night of retreat
1t would be difficult to conceive anything
L. khop sho Of
Lees spirits on the morning of the Sd. 81
have got nv army safe out of its breastworks,"
he said, "and, in order to follow me, my enemy
must abandon his lines, and can derive no fur
Their benefit from his railroads or from the
James River" There can be little doubt that
Lees design was to recruit his army with ra-
tons which he hoped to find in. abundance at
Amelia Court House, 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 view to vigorous pursuit.
Two DAYS rations at Amelia Court House for
10000 men would possibly have made a great
difference in the immediate, though, as be-
lieve, none 10 the ultimate history of the Cont
nent of North America
There is little satisfaction in dwelling in de-
tail upon the FIVE subsequent days, for which
parallel must be sought on the banks of the
Beresina, or 10 other similar passages of militia
ry anguish. 1t is hardly necessary to state that
at Amelia Court House Lee found not ration.
| shall not pause now to distribute blame, or to
investigate who was at fault. All that have
to state is that the fault was not Lees, whose
orders on this subject for fortnight past had
been urgent and precise. 1t became necessary
for Lee to break nearly half his army up into
foraging parties to get food The country
through which he was passing was tract Of
struggling woods and pine barrens, with ocea-
sional little patches of clearings. The foraslng
parties had to go go far field in quest of food
that they were taken prisoners by wholesale.
In the face of such suffering as they left be-
hind, ir cannot be wondered at if some of the
poor fellows courted capture.
Those foraeers who returned to Lee brought
little or nothing with them. The sufferings Of
the men from the pangs of hunger has not been
approached in the military annals of the past
fifty years. Bat the suffering Of the mules and
horses must have been even keener; for the men
assaged their cravings by pIucking the buds
and twigs of trees just shooting In the early
Spring, whereas the grass had not yet started
from it's winter Sleep and food for the unhappy
qnadrupeds there was none. AS early as the
morning of the 4th LeeA sent off half his artil-
lery toward the railroad to relieve the famished
horses. The artillery making slow progress,
thanks to the exhaustion of the horses, was cap
tured by the Federals on the 9Th, but not until
General Lindsay Walker had buried many of
his guns which were, of course, subsequently
exhumed (seventy of them at one haul) by their
captors.
1t is easy to see that the locomotion Of an ar
my in such plight must have been slow and
slower. The retreat was conducted in the fol-
lowing fashion: About midnight the Confede-
rates slipped out Of their hasty breastworks,
which they had thrown up and held during the
previous day, and fell back until 10 or II
o'clock the next morning Then they halted,
and Immediately threw up earthworks for their
protection during the day. 1t was not long be-
fore the wolves were again on their heels, and
from their earthworks the Confederates ex-
changed a heavy FIRE with their pursuers
throughout the day. Delayed with the necessi-
ty of guarding the ammunition train from thir-
ty-five to Forty miles in length, enfeeb!ed by
hunger aud sleeplessness, the retreatng army
was only able to make ten miles each night.
The delay enabled the active Sheridan to get
pots of provisions along the railroad between
Burkevie and Danville. Upon the 9Th many
of the mules and horses ceased to struggle. 1t
became necessary to burn hundreds of wagons.
At intervals the enemy's cavalry dashed in, and
struck the interminable ammunition train here
and there, capturing and burning dozens upon
dozens of wagons. Toward evening of the 5th,
and all day on the 9th, hundreds Of men drop
ped from exhaustion, and thousands let fall their
nuskets from inability to carry them any far
Their.
The scenes of the 9Th. 9Th, 7th and 9Th, were
of a nature which can be apprehended in it's
vivid reality only by meu who are thoroughly
familiar with the narrowing details of war
Behind, and on either flank an ubiquitous. and