Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-03-23
LAST OF THE coHfEDERAcY.
AN ACCOUNT By PAar1uipATok IN THE
CL6siNa SCENES. -

AN ACCOUNT By A PARrIUiPATok IN THE
cLosiNa SCENES. =
We copy froth a late number Of the Gin.
einnati EAquirer the following very inter-
estihg account of the Last Days Of the
Confederacy." We can vouch for It's entire
accuracy, especially Of that portion which
refers to what transpired at and near Able
vile, s. G., where we were located at the
time:-Louisuille Courier.
In your issue Of November %, I see an
account of the last days Of the Confedera-
cy. I contribute this as my mite to full
history of that eventful month. was a
member of Dibrell's division of Wheeler's
cavalry, and had some opportunities for
knowing much of what was transpiripg.
Our division had been selected to escort
Mr.. Davis from Greensborought to Charlotte
and leaving Battle Bridge over the Neuse
River, we reached Greensboro about mid
night of April II, after two days and a
hall Of rapid marching. For the first time
VIC we're fully Informed of the extent of cur
disasters-of the retreat, defeat, surrender,
humiliation of General Lees great army
and were told that we were relied upon to
guard Mr.. Davis, his cabinet and archives
to Charlotte, and keep of Stoneman, who
was lowering upon our right flank. Next
evening as Mr.. Davis and General Breckin
ridge rode through the division, at the head
of the Government cortege, they were vel.
coined with the most enthusiastic cheers.
We continued our march towards Char
lotte. General Breckior;lee-the will and
brains of the Government in its last days
left US upon the third morning, stunning
80 the army to hold those cousultat bns with
Gems. Johnston and Sherman, of which SO
much had been said. Perhaps the country
<nay. yet believe that Sherman, Johnston and
Breckinnidge were better statesman and tru.
er patriots than Seward and Stanton.-
Mr. Davis rode near up to the head of the
column all the time :; was always polite, af-
fable and accessible seemed cheerful and
Tesolu'e.; talked pleasantly, kindly and So
eiably to all who approached. Mr.. Benja-
min and General Cooper rode in an ambu-
lance, Mr.. Trenholm aud familyin another,
Judge Reagan. Coils. Lubbock, of Texas,
Taylor Wood and Preston Johnston always
rode near the President. General Lawton,
Quartermaster General, General Gilmer,
Chief Engineer, and General St. Johns,
with their attaches. MI: Mallory, Mr.. Geo.
Davis, and others Of less note, accompanied
the Presidential party.
Besides General Dibrell's division, Gen
eral Gary, of South Carolina, had a small
body of mounted men, some aeventy>five or
one hundred, collected at Greensboro, from
the debris of the, Virginia cavalry. At
Salisbury we met Geheral Echols and staff,
af South Western Virginia, and various
staff, post and furloughed officers, who had
runfrom Richmond, Lyncbburg, Abingdon,
Western North Carolina, and various parts
Of South Carolina, men driven to CON-
mon centre by Grant, Sherman, Stoneman,
Wilson and Foster members of Congress,
civil functionaries and refugees You may
be sure we dirty soldiers who had borne
the beat and burden and danger Of the war
made great,sport of the beloved fpestn Of
ficer, the"biled" ,shirt and black coated gem
try; who without horses and unused to
camp life, were begging for mules, (horses
wereunattainable} SO that they might ao-
company us. Gladly, would a kingdom
have been for a horse. Alas our king;
dom wasin a. desperate a condition as
poor Riohards was, aud was. not worth a
horse. For the first tins during the war
we soldiers had revenge upon, the gentle
men. who had been seeking aud filling soft
places. -. - i,:E,.,,,..,
After moving across, the Yadkin river,
Gen. Dibrell received word from Gen.
Ferguson, who with small eavalty brig.
ade. was at Charlotte, that stonemarli WAS
approaching eharlottes and :sbegeing him ,to:|
move on immsdiafsay, which hs did, nialchh,: !:
ing IN night aud reach ing Chad lSttss sabens
sunria aesta and thst ssonsfasas q Sss not near
j The plspe, Bu. 6ad deceived our 3oHicsia
these ndzBnresa OF tss bridges. osst Il IS thes &
pstsN gsrl nm 81 moved sd isht of! 81
Chattolts ass3op :assWa rnscEed there e 6: s:
SNasioS Ford otet. tie CA asBa; dis SIpSoinsi
where the railtosdE from EBalotte aS Coz
lumbta crossed that riyer,... fonk mi dssfaav