Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1865-11-30

himself in dangerous predicament He
vas on strip of land, not more than seven
or eight miles broad; between the James
and Appomsttox Rivers. On the afternoon
of the 7th, Lees situation seemed so IN.
promising that Grant, for the first time, sent
to propose surrender Lee at once replied
that his circumstances did not seem to him
such as to justify his entertaining such a
proposal On the morning Of the 9Th,
! Grant renewed his solicitations. Lee did
not decline, but debated the matter, calling
council of war in the evening. No de.
termination was arrived at on the 9th, and
at midnight the usual dreary retreat was
resumed. The springsof energy and will,
upstrung by long want of food, had run
down iu the men like the machinery of a
broken. clock. Hitherto the retreat bad
been covered by Longstreet and Gordon al.
teruately, but now the Federal force which
had got ahead of Lee, and was obstructiog
his retreat, had become SO considerable that
Gordon was thrown out with 1000 men in
front, while the sold bull dog" Longstreet,
whose pluck neither hunger, nor fatigue,
nor depression could abate or subdue, still
covered the rear
At daybrsak on the 9th courier from
Gordon announced to Lee that large body
of Federal cavalry (in other words, Sberi-
dams army) was across the road at Appo.
mattox Court House. At the same moment
heavy force of infantry under Grant was
pushing Longstreet vigorously in the rear.
Between Longstreet and Gordon we're the
remaining wagons, and clinging to them
thousands Of unarmed and famishing strag.
glers, too weak to carry their muskets.- :.
Lee sent orders to Gordon to cut his way
through, coute gu II caute. Presently came
another order from Gordon announcing that
the enemy was driving him back. Lee had
at this moment less than thirty thousand
men with muskets in their hands. The
fatal moment had indisputably come. Has.
tily donning his best uniform, and buckling
on his sword, which it was never his fashion
to wear, General Lee turned sadly to the
rear to seek the final interview with Gen.
eral Grant.
There is no passage Of history in this
heart breaking war which will, for years to
come, be more honorably mentioned and
gratefully remembered than the demeanor
on the 9th of April 1865, of Gen. Grant
toward Gen Lee. l do not so much al
lude to the facility with which honorable
terms were accorded to, the Confederates, as
to the bearing of General Grant and of the
officers about him toward General Lee
The interview was brief. Three commits
sioners upon either side were Immediately
appointed. The agreement to which these
six commissioners acceded is known.
In the meantime, Immediately that Gen.
Lee was seen riding to the rear, dressed
more gaily than usual and begirt with his
sword, the rumor of immediate surrender
few like wildire through the Confederates.
1t might be imagined that an army, which
had drawn its last regular rations on the LIST
of April, and, harrassed necessarily by night
and day, had been marching and fighting
until the morning of the 9th, would have
welcomed anything like a termination of its
.suferiugs, let it come in what form it might,
Let those who idly imagine that the finer
feelings are the prerogative of what are
called the copper classes" learn from this
and similar scenes to appreciate 'common
men," AS the great Confederate captain
rode back from his interview with General
Grant, the news of the surrender acquired
shape and consistency, and could no longer
be denied. The effect on the worn and
battered troops-some of whom had fought
since April, 1851, and (sparse survivors Of
hecatombs of fallen comredes) had passed
unscathed through such hurricanes of shot
as within four years no other men had ever
experienced-passes mortal description.
Whole lines of battle rushed up to their
beloved old chief, and, choking with emo.
ton, broke ranks and struggled with each
other to. wiring him ouoe more by the hand
Men who had fought throughout the war,
and knew what the agony and humiliation
of that moment must be to him, strove
with refinement of unsel6shness and ten
derness which he alone could fully appre.
ciate, to tighten his burden and mitigate
his pain. With tears pouring down both
cheeks, Gen.. Lee at length commanded
voice enough to say, tMen, we have fought
through the war together. have done the
best that I could for you" Not an. eye7
that looked on that scene was dry. Nor
was this the emotion of sickly sentimental.
lists, but of rough and rugged men, famil'
lar with hardship, danger and death in a
thousand shapes, mastered by sympathy and
feeling for another, which they never expe-
rienced on their own account. know of
no other passage of military history 80
touching, unless, in spite of the melo.dra-
matte ooloring which French historians have
loved to shed over the scene, it can be found
in The Adieux de Fontainbleau.
1t remains for me briefly to notice the
last parade of an army whereof the ex-
ploits. will be read with pride so long as the
English tongue is spoken. In pursuance
of an arrangement Of the six commission.
ers, the Confederate army marched by di.
visions, on the morning of April the 18th,
to spot on the Appomattox Court House;
where they stacked arms and deposited ac-
coutrements. Upon this solemn occasion
Major General GibboI represented the q.
States authorities. With the same exalted
and conspicuous deiicacy which be had ex-
hibited throughout these closing scenes,