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

Immediately threw up earth works for
their protection during the day. It
was not long before the wolves were
again on their heels, and from their
earthworks the Confederates exchanged
% heavy fire with their pursuers
throughout the day. Delayed by the
necessity of guarding an ammunition
train from thirty-five to forty miles in
length, enfeebled by hunger and
sleeplessness, the retreating army was
enabled to make only ten miles each
night. This delay enabled the active
Sheridan to get ahead with his caval-
ry, and to destroy the depots of pro-
visions along the railroad between
Burkeyille and Da.1ville. Upon the
9Th many of the mules and horses
ceased to struggle. It became neces-
sary to burn hundreds of wagons. At
intervals the enemy's cavalry dashed
up and struck the interminable ammu-
milton train here or there, capturing or
burning dozens upon dozens of wag
ons.
Towards evening of the 5th, and all
day long upon the 9th, hundreds of
men dropped from exhaustion, and
thousands let fall their muskets from
inability to carry them any farther
The scenes of the 9Th, 9th, 7th and 8th
were of nature which can be appre-
hended in its vivid reality by men who
are thoroughly familiar with the har-
rowing details of war. Behind, and
ON either flank, ubiquitous and in
creasing adventurous enemy every
mud hole and every rise in the road
choked with, blazing wagons-the air
filed with the dcafening reports of am
munition exploding and shells bursting
when touched by the flames dense
columns of smoke ascending to heaven
from the burning and exploding yehi-
cles- exhausted men, worn out mules
and horses lying down side by side
gaunt famine glaring hopelessly from
sunken, lack-lustre eyes-dead mules,
dead horses, dead men everywhere
death, many times welcomed as Gods
blessing in disguise who can wonder
if many hearts, tried in the fiery fur
mace of four years unparalleled suffer
ing and never hitherto found wanting
should have quailed in presence of star
vation, fatigue, sleeplessness, misery
unintermitted for FIVE or six days, and
eliminating in hopelessness?
| Yet there were not wanting occasion
al episodes which recalled something
of the old pride of former memories.
and reminded men that this hunted
| famished crowd was still the same army
that had won two Bull Runs, which
had twice Tin pursuit Of fatal policy,
trodden its enemys soil, and had writ
ten Fredericksburg, Charlottesville
and dozen other glorious names upoI
its banners. On the 9th, q large body
of Federal cavalry, having got ahead o.
Lees army and occupied Rice's Station
was attacked by some Confederate cav
J ally under Gen. Rosser, who drove then
of, capturing $50 prisoners. On th'
i 7th, heavy attack was made upor
Mahone's Division, and the PROV
ess of this active Confederate General
} so frequently exhibited during the las
twelve months of the war, was main
tanned to the end, inasmuch as Fede
! raj Brigade, getting entangled in ra
) vine, was surrounded by Mahone's mel
and literally disappeared. On the eve
ming Of the 7th, Gen. Gregg, with 81.
or seven thousand Federal cavalry
!. made desperate attempt to captur
r all the wagon trains. He was gallantl,
. met by two thousand horsemen unde
e Fitzhugh Lee, and defeated. Greg'
: himself was captured
g Throughout those gloomy days, as a.
J. offset to the countless Confederate
e captured while foraging by the FEEDER
!. ais, numerous Federal prisoners wer
e taken by the Confederates, and beeam
: participants of hunger and sufferin
y Of which they had no previous conceT
S ton. / may as well mention now tha
: as the surrender became more inevital'
S Gems. Fitzhugh Lee and Rosser, wit
# about 1000 Confederate cavalry tacitl
|, determined not to be included IN Il
d and started off towards Lynchburg.
e On their road they fell in with a Fede
}. raj supply train, and burned $50 wae
q ons. The scanty and partial ration
q which, after the surrender, we're issue
5. on the night of the 9th to the starvin
$, Confederates by their captors, wei
$, apologized for by the Federals on th
e ground Of destruction of these sc
l. xuoernrs hv Tftxhu0h lee.