Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-01-13

| tlllcry toward the rallfoad Co rcllcNe
the famished horses. Tho artillery
making slow progress, thanks to the
exhaustion Of the horcs, twas cap
turcd by the Fedcrals on the sth,
but not until General Lindsey Walk
cr had buried many of his guns,
which were, Of course, subsequently
exhumed (sevcnty of thcm ut ono
haul) by their captors.
1t is easy to see that the locomo-
ton of an army in such n plight
must have been slower and slower.
The retreat was conducted in tho fol-
lowing fashion:
About midnight the Confedcratcs
slipped out their hasty works, which
they had thrown up and held the
previous day, and fell back until 10
or IL o'clock the next morning.
+ Then they halted, and Immediately
threw up breastworks for their pro-
lection during the day. 1t was not
long before the wolves We're again
on their heels, and from their earth
works the Confederatcs exchanged Il
heavy fire with their pursuers
throughout tho day. Delayed with
the necessity of guarding an anu
milton train from thirty-tive to forty
miles in length, enfeebled by hun
ger and sleeplcssness, the retreating
army was only able to make ten
miles each night. The delay ena-
blcd the active Sheridan to get ahead
with his cavalry, and to destroy the
dcpots of provisions along the rail
road between Burkcville and Dan
vile. Upon the 5th many of the
horses and mules ceased to struggle.
1t became necessary to burn hun
dreds Of wagons. At intervals the
enemy's cavalry dashed in, and
struck the interminablc ammunition
train here and there, capturing and
burning dozens upon dozens Of fwag-
ons. Toward evening Of the 9th,
and all day on the 9th, hundreds of
men dropped from exhaustion, and
thousands let drop their muskets
from inability to carry them any
farther.
The scenes Of the 9th, 9Th, 18th,
and 9Th, wcr> Of a nature which can
be apprehendcd in its vivid reality
only by men who are familiar with
the narrowing details of war. Be-
hind, and on either flank, an ubiq-
uitous, and increasingly adventu-
rous enemy-every mud hole and
every rise in the road choked with
blazing wagons-the air filed with
the dcafcning reports of ammunition
exploding, and shells bursting when
touched by the fames-dense col
umns Of smoke ascending to heaven
from the burning and exploding vc-
hicles-exhausted men, and worn
out mules and horses, lying down
side by side-gaunt famine glaring
hopelessly from sunken, lack-lustre
eyes-dead men, dead mules, dead
horses cverywhere-death, many
times welcomed as Gods blessing in
disguise-who can wonder if many
hearts, tried in the fiery furnace of
four years unparalleled suffering
and never hitherto found wanting,
should have quailed in presence of
idly imagine that the finer feelings
are the prerogative of what are
called the "upper classes" learn from
this and similar scenes to appreci-
ate "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. Tho effect on the
worn and battered troops-some Of
whom had fought since, April 1861,
and sparce. survivors of the heta-
combs of fallen comrades) had pass
cd unscathcd through suoh hurri-
canes of shots 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 emotion, broke ranks
and struggled with each other to
wiring him once 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, strovc with refinement
of unselfshness and tenderness
which he alone could fully apprcci-
ate, to tighten his burden and miti-
gate his pain. With tears pouring
down both checks, Gen. Lee at
length commanded voice enough to
say, "Men, we have fought through
the war together. 1 have done the
best that l can for you" Not an
eye that looked on that scene was
dry. Nor was this the emotion of
sickly sentimentalists, but of rough
and rugged men, familiar with hard
ships, danger and death in thous-
and shapes, mastered by sympathy
and feeling for another, which they
never experienced on their own ac-
count. know of no other passage
of military history so touching, un-
less, in spite of the melo-dramatic
coloring which French historians