Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-04-26
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seems 10 be one universal chaos. Calamities and !
horrors nnd tragedies and good reports and evil
reports follow upon each other so rapidly, and so
,umultro,tsy, that even the calrnest, coolest and
wisest ,nsn Ire utterly confused and dumbfound-
ed, not knowing what to say, what to predict, or
even what to think. The Northern people, MS
well rs the Southern, seem to DO drifting about
without hclinsman and without ruddor. Well
will it he for US in these times if We have faith to
believe that God above is at tho helm For our
own part, we thank that God that ws have such
faith.
Ia our pews columns will be found all tho par
ticulars Of Gen. LEES capitulation. The first
fight Of any Importance which took place between
Genls. LEE and GEsST after the evacuation of
Richmond, occurred at Amelia C. a., thirty-six
miles South Of that city. In this engagement
Gen. Zee repulsed tho enomy; and subsequently,
retired to Jatcrsville, still further South onthe
line Of tie Danrille Railroad. Here, he again
fought and repulscd the pursuing foe. In tho
meantime Sheridan occupied Burksville Station,
thus rendering it unsafe for Gen. Lee to continue
his retreat along the Danville road The latter
accordingly turned of and marched westmardly.
through Cumberland and Buckingham counties
into Appomasox county. On this march Gen.
Lee lost his baggage and ordnance trains, and a
large part Of his artillery. AtAppomatox C. H..
on tho sth April the Confederate General found
himsolfconfronted,o ,or rather surroundod,by Grant,
sherid.n and Thomas With 200, 900 men. To give
thcm battle, Gen. Lee had only $4,000 nen-and
these without food er ammunition. The Northern
commander, we'll knowing the desperate situation
Of his. great antagonist now addressed him a
| communication, and correspondence followed
which resulted in the surrender on the 9Th April,
| of Con. Lee with $4,000 meli-hi, whole army.
| Of these only 5000 wsro effective men. Gen. Lee
( surrepdered the army in person. Gen. Grant
treated him with extreme courtesy, refusing to
receive, or retain, his sword.
When one thinks coolly of the matter, he will
not wonder at the dwiudling away of the Army
of Northern Virginia. Many uero killed, and .
still large. number captured during the protract-
ed fighting which preceded the abandonment Of
Richmond. Many we're eapturod on the retreat;
aud many again wore killed or captured during
the hard fighting which Immediately preceded the
surrender.
The great and glorious army Of Northern Yir-
| gnia wns not whipped, but overcome by countless
numbers and mere brute force. The men compo-
sing this army did, and have done, their best;
they could not possibly do more. For four long
ycara, they have marched and foughtand charged
and starved and bled and died, uncomplaingly
inrincibly, unyieldingly, on the field of battle
and in the camp, in casements full Of blood and
thunder, in dark, dank and dreary trenches, in
ghastly and unwholesome hospitals, on bone-cov-
cred plains, in pestilential marches, on fields of
muddy ooze; their food snd their clothing have
been Of the coarsest and. scantiest And their
sublimeIy noble leader has led them and followed
them and loved them through veal and through
VOC; and at the last moment, proved kis lofty
herssm and high moral courage by refusing to
sacrifice them to 100000 butchers. Anathema
prosch against Gen. RopsRT E. LEE or his noble
yetsrans Each one Of them deserves monu-
ment IS high as that of Cheops.
Since the surrender, report has located Gen.
Lee in Greensboro, N. 9, at Richmond whore his
family Was at the time of the evacuation, and
more latterly at City Point, on James River, me-
gotiating terms of peace. Tho soldiers Of his
army parolcd upoa tho fold and are at
present rapidly returning homo.
Aud now occur, the question What is to be
| 1a nut i.tn d,uc,
the idea that we orc going to pass under the
Yankee yoke. Nothing of the sort is going to
take place. There is moro going on than VIC wot
Of "Man's extremity is Gods opportunity"