Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-04-26
Chaos.

MOTH AMERICA IN all ITS length anu pFedtfs
seems TO be one universal chaos Calamities and
horrors and tragedies and good reports and evil.
reports follow upon each other so rapidly, and so
that even the calmest, coolest and
wisest men sre uttsrly confused and dumbfound-
ed, not knowing what t. say what to predict or
even what to think. The Northern people, MS
we'll MS the Southern, seem to'bo drifting about
without n helinsman and without rudaor. Well
will it be for US in these times if have faith to
believe that God above is at the helm. For our
own part, we thank that God that VIC havo such
faith.
Ia our pews columns will DO found all tho par
ticulars Of Gen. LEES capitulstion. The first
fight Of any importance which took place between
Genls. LEE and GRsST 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 Jstcrsvills still furthor South on'the
line Of tho Danrile Railroad. Here, he again
fought and repulsed the pursuing foe. IN tho
meantime Sheridan occupied Burksvillo Stallion,
thus rendering It unsafe fer Gen. Lee to continue
his retreat along the Danvi1le road. The latter
accordingly turned of and marched westmardly
through Cumberland and Buckingham counties
into Appoma.o1 county. On this march Gen.
Lee lost his baggage and ordnance trains,. and a
large part Of His artillery. AtAppomatox C. a., 4
on the sth April the Confedetate General found
himsolfconfronted;o ;or rather snrrounded,by Grant,
Sherid.n and Thomas With 200, 900 men. To give.
thom battle, Gen. Lee hnd only $4,000 men-and
fhese without food or ammunition. Tho 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 Gen. Lee With $4,000 me1t-hi, whole army.
Of these only 5000 were effective men. Gen. Lee
surrepdered the army in person; Gen. Gran.
treated him. with extreme courtesy, refusing to
receive, or retain, his sword.
when one thinks eoolly Of the matter, he will
not wonder at the dvindling away of the Army
of Northern Virginia. Many uero killed, and
stilllarger number captured, during the protract-
ed fighting which preceded the abandonment Of
Richmond. Many were captured on the retreat;
and many again we're killed or castured during
the hard fighting which Immediately preceded the
surrender.
The grent and glorious army of Northern yir
ginia was 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
years, they have marched and foughtand charged
and starved and bled and died, uncomplaingly,
invincibly, unyieldingly,. on the field of battle
and in tho camp, in easements full of blood and
thunder, in dark, dank and dreary trenches, in
ghasily and unwholesome hospitals, on bone-cov-
cred plains, In psstilentisl mar.hes, on fields of
muddy ooz.; their food ana their clothing have
been Of the coarsost and, scantest And their
sublimeIy noble leader has led them and followed
them and loved them through veal and through
WOO and at the last moment, proved lis lofty
hOrSiam and high moral courage by refusing to
sacrifice them to 100000 butchers. Anathomn
maranatha be the man who uttors n word of re-
proech against Gen. RoDsRT E. LEE or his noble
| veterans! Each one of them deserves monu-
ment as high as that of Cheops.
Since the surrender, report has located Con.
Lee in Greensboro, N. 9, at Richmond where his
family Was at the time Of the evacuation, and
more latterly at City Point, on James River, ne
gotiating terms of-peacs. Tho soldiers OF his.
army were paroled upon the fold, and are at
present rapidly returning bome
Aud nov occur, tho question lYhat is to be
~ d.
the idea TINT 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 "Mans extremity is Gods opportunity"