Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-10-24


came necessary Tor Lee 80 break nearly half his
army up into Ioragng p1Jtir- 10 &c. food Tie
country through which IL wa- passing va. q tract
oi strlgghng woods and pine tarT,u', with o-ra-
s'onal little patches Oi c!eJrine-. The l1Tssiur
parties had to go 50 far a-icid in quest ut food TIA.
they were taken prisoners by wholesale In the
face OF such suffering they left behind il cannot
be wondered at il some OF .hc poor fellows coufcd
capture. Those loagc:s who rctaruel % leo
brought little or nothing with tbcH~ Ihc salcgines
OF the men from the pangs oi hunger has nos been
approached in the military annals OF the a.f EEtv
years. But the sulefines OF the mules and horses
must have been even keener; for the meu assau--d
their CRAVINGS by pucklng the buds and twiE- Of
trees just shooting in the early sprin- herea, .l.
grass had not yet started from il winter sleep end
food Tor the unhappy quad!Upct5 there WIS uuas.
As early as the morning OF the ih Lee sent OF half
his artillery towards the railroad to relieve the
famished horses. The artillery making slew p.0-
gress, thanks to the exhaustion Of the horcs vas
captured by the Federals on the Su bat not un.
I'll General Lindsay Walker had barred many "a
his guns, which were Of course subsequently, c,:.
humed (seyenty OF them at one hau) by their cap
tors.
1t is easy to see that the loc0motion or an army n
such plight must have been slow and slower
The retreat conducted in the following fashion
About midnight the Confederate slipped out Of t2ir
hasty works, which they had thrown Hp and held dG-
ring the previous day, ana leil back Until 10 o. II
o'clock the next morning. Then they halted. and
Immediately threw upelTth work. fVrthe.rpT0'Jr,ion
during the day. 1t was not long before the wolves
were again on their heels and from .acrcarth works
the Coniederatcs exchanged heavy Ire with their
pursucrs throughout tie day. Delayed 10y the ne.
ce.sty OF guarding an ammunition train rom Thirty
five to forty miles in length. cneeb!ed hy hunger
and seeplessness, the reJi1atDg army was able TO
make only ten miles each night This delay enabled
the active Sheridan 10 get ahead with his cavalry
and TO destroy the depots OF PROVISIONS along the
railroad between Burkeyii!c and panyic. tpon
IL fln fT
struggle. It became necessary to burn hundreds Of
wagons. At intervals tie enemys cavalry Ga shed in
and struck the inteTmiHabie AMMUNITION Train here
or there. capturing ami burning dozens upon dozens
Of wagons. Towards evening OF tie 9th, and ali day
Ion1 upon the 9th, hundreds Of men dropped from
exhaustion, and thousands let fail then muskets
from inability to carry them any farther. The
scenes of the 5th 6th, 9Th and S;h, were Of nature
which can he apprehended in it, vivid reality only
by men who are thoroughly familiar with the har-
rowing details OF wal Brhnd, ana on either hanh'
an ubiquitous, and increasingly adventurous enemy
every mud hole and every rise in the road chOked
with blazing wagOns-tAa air filled with tie deaf
ennr reports of ammunition exploding, and she'll;
bursting when touched hy the ilamc'-dcnac col
umns Of smoke ascending to heaven from the burn
inc and exploding yehc!cs-eT!sUsted men, worn
out mules and horses. lying down s!e by side
gaunt famine garng EOpei'~ y rom sGnAen lack
lustre eyes-dead mules. dr,d hoIsos, dead men
eyerywlcra-leath, many t'r' ",.comed rs Gods
blessing in disgaise-who c'l N"naer il many
hearts. tried in tie fiery furnace oi iOUr years mn
plrailed suffering and never Aclio found wanting
should have qnaicd IN presence ot starvation a.
tiruc secy!es.ness iscry-VE,Itcfilitt2d Tor five
or six DAYS and eliminating IN Hop5ie'-G' -
Yet there were not wanting occasional episodes
which recalled something o! tie Old pfae o.. former
memories and reminded men ina; t'..S iau.cd i-In
shed crowd was still tie s5ma amy that hai Eoa
two Bull Runs. which had twice Ga pursuit. OF = ia
tai uolicyl trodden is enemys .1.!. enc! he'd written
prrtcrcksburE. Chancco!syi.ic, and dozen o. her
Glorious names up0n Us banners. on The r'h,
large body OF Federal Cavalry, having got ahead O.!
oc's army and occupied h'c.' station. was attack
ed by some Confederate horse under General Rosacr,
who drove them oil. capturing GU PRISONERS. On
tba 7th 4 heavy attac!. was made upon Malone :
Division and tie yJ"wcs' oi this act Fe confederate
General 50 frequently exhibited 0urnE iAe !-it
end. inasmuch as a Federal Brigade, getting entail
cIed in 4 ravinc. was surrounded By Makone men,
and literally disappeared. tp the Ciehhs 9! tie
1th General Gregg with six or seven thousand fed-
oral Cavalry made Il desperate &ttcmat u capture
all the wal agoii-trains he was CALAMITY ia, " t",
thousand holsemcn under r'iHhisi Lee ana "r-ttt
ed Gregg himself was captured.
Throughout those gloomy days, - an u..-2t 10 ta'
countless ConlcdcrItes captured va le io-t.iH D..
the Fcta,alS numerous Federal F.gon"Tf wee t'""'
by the Coniederates, ana become Fi'. Ha-i7 I'D
buucar and suffering OF which they b@d y" l.cs .yu
rou,crtion may well U', uti6H now ;I"t .s tA
surrender became more iHe, .Iclcf.is 'tlHH@!
Lee and R0ssrr. w.th about VJj Com .a-Tif' S..'
airy. tac;t!y determined not 10 b" included - IT, aH'
started oil towards l.yncEbnrg tn .Hr.r road tiei
fell in with Federal supply GAIA. ana ""Tc 80
wagons. The sran.y aud partial raii"pi "A.rh
after the surrender, were issued on the night "i u
9th 10 the starving CoHieucI4te+ ly ti"F cal'n's
were apo.ogi2cd for by the Fc.!e!a- "l tEe gr""n.
of destruction of these soJ wagons ~ IitHL"gi
Lee.
The reader will have gathered tia; whom Genera
Lee found h.s Gcpot7 along the nanyi.c road De-
trOycd by sheridan, b. had no alternative bat 20
make for lynchbHT&. lie still hoped To Get ration.
and 10 turn Suddenly upon Grant. Win'" army va.
dispersed into many ,OiUmns. H? iJttrEg Of the
pursuit though unaggrIyat"l hy famine, was be-
ginning t0 tell upon the puisi!'S. Hut ii Pr --ng
Tor Lynchburg Lee found himself 10 . Gta-clpu-
predcament He was on STRIP of Land not more
tnan seven or eight miles broad, between the aMs-
and AupomattOX riyc:-. TN ~" afternoon OF the
Ith Lees situation scented unp.Om.-.H", that
Grant for the fir; time. sent 70 igopofn urrpdc-.
ZEE at once replied that n ctcuin stances G.d not
seem 10 him such as 10 Justify S entertaining such
a proposal On the morning Of the StL. Grant le-
newet his solicitations. Ie" did not decline, but
debated the matter. calling council OF war in the
evening. 40 determination was arrived at on the
Sth and at midnight the usual Gse2Ty retreat was
ra.unpJ The springs OF energy ana VIII. uns,.gn .
bv lang want of food, had run down in the men Ike
the machinery ui broken ciOca Hitherto tie re-
treat had been covered hy IUHg~iit't and IyT''5n
alternately: hut now the Federal iurce which had
gOt ahead Of Lee, and was oDstIurtnE ms retreat.
had become so considerable. that Gordon was thrown
ont with , 100 men in front wil..r tae "C.t bal.
dog" Long,tfect whose pluck neither hunger nor
fatigue nor depression, could 2haia OF sabdu' = 'i
covered tho rear. 1t dayhrcGs on the #.i conner
from Gordon announced t. Lee iiat i"fI. BODY "l
Federal cavalry On other words Sheridan army
was across the road At AppJmaitoA Cont itou 90.
1T the same moment heavy force Of intant,y UnaoT
Grant was pushing .Ome-t.re r.@orpI-E ~ tic if
Between LUnC-tT,ct and Gordon were li" Ieiaflii-
inc wagons and cl.mg.ng u item tty".aai' 10 un
armed and fami-hei stragc,ri 100 "cd" I'D carry
thrir musketS Lee sent orders u Gordon 10 cgt a.
p,ay through c0als Q2'R cOafe. Hie-=at.y came aE.
other courier from Gordon annogItaE INA, TIE enc
nv was driving Inn back. Lee had az this MDiGcIt
less than UJU men with musa>-s iu Their b. li4.-.-
The fatal moment had ind!spUtabl! come. Hast :
donning hs best uniform anu hN'"Hs o. a. -
which il was never s fashion To wear, o.aci-. !-e'
tlnei sadly 10 the rear 10 seek the hnai interview
with General Grant.
There is 10 passage 0! history IN ,.s ie4li-lTeas-
ing war X hch will .1r years II cplle De- more !'!!'
orably mentioned and gratefully remembered iaal
the drneanor on tie tn o! April. 800 'i Stie-tl
Grant towards Genera. Ice. do Lol % much a'-
Iude to the facility with which honorable tl!H were
accorded 10 the tOaieacrete+. a- - t"' ie.,aE o.!
General Grant and Oi tie oiiee.- about i '' Jl'7
General Lee. Tie interview N'- brei. -ice com
missioner uUOn either SIDE v"l' nn"t ate 'pp ~
ers acceled is known.
In the meantime. Immediately That HsAeI'i Lee
wa. seen riding 10 the real or . ino.e si.. .ia'
usual and becirt with his sword iHc rum"i ~ nn'
nnent surrender few Ike v.a-hr2 tIonsn t.t
Corf.derates. ltmgft be .ala .-i tAhI "n army
which had drawn H. last !e.... !'o.i- on ''t D.
of Anil and. hGrasscd !acc .-, s. ~ ErL. ati
dav had been marching a"., a+aiih2 ch-I u.
morning OF the 9Th. wouii bo,o "'., neG "l! iA'Ae
Ike termination Of L. sui s--. .'t % t".i: d.
what form it might. Let tho EL" .'..y jill
that the finer feelings ale the Fiet"- gre .: "l
are called the upper class i ''f from u. 81.
similar scenes to appreciate common men -
the prea; Confederate captain Io'e 'a.N !t"!4
his interview with General Grant. Tie news o.
the surrender acquired shape ana coh5-7'encF
nd could no longer b. Gen.ei. ihe elec'
on the Rorn and battered tIo" ii-s,me oi NioM
had fought since April lsbl, sid ,=Psle Survivors
or hatafomlts of fallen ccI.rade-j led passed IN
s,athcd through -Urh hurricane cl shot ai N.jliI
four ye.rs no other men had ever experienced
pa.se; mortal description. Niole lines OF BATH
ru he'd up % their beloved old cirf and, chohin'
with emotion. broke ranks and sttEf -!5d with car.
other 70 wring him once mo.e by the hand. a.2
who had fought througLOu; TIE way and kEer VIA
tie agony and Illumination Of that moment must b.
- hin. stroye with refinement Of unselh-A
ness and tenderness which h. alone could fall
.,,praciafa To liCbtfn LIS btpi-U ana miIg3t