Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-10-31
S}1isfellaueuns &eadiug.
From the New Orleans Crescent.
nurrIAST RATION.
BY AN Ex-CoNFEDERATE OFFICER.

ISpeaK OF Gle retTcdt 1ioAh SSeA5
|pomattax Court House, the scene OF the
army's apotheosis, and the reason for tins
silence can be we'll understood. Knowing
nothing and thinking little about the con-
dition of the army outside OF their OWL
commands, the great body OF the men III
their reliance on their great COMMANDER
simply performed the duties imposed upon
them. suffered the agencies that necessarii.
" fell to their lot, and met calmly the death
which ended those duties and agencies tor
many days before the memorable 9TH Of
April.
The suferings of the rank and file of the
army, on that occasion, were mercifully
deadened by stupor, if not recklessness,
superinduced by the peculiar hardships to
which they were subjected. The enemy,
with his overwhelming force of splendidly
mounted and equipped cavalry, held, in ad-
dition, the direct point aimed at by Gen.
Lee, retarding his advance, compelling him
to fight while daylight lasted and to do his
marching by night. The want Of sleep,
and during the last four days of the retreat,
the entire lack of provisions, produced in
the men the mental and physical condition
I have mentioned. And although after the
surrender the men and officers of the federal
army We'd with each other in their kindness,
and exhibited desire to do everything in
their powerto relieve the necessities OF their
late foes, the destruction of a portion OF
their supply train by Gen. Rosser and Fitz-
hugh Lee, and the detention of the balance
by the awful condition of the roads, left
themselves in critical condition and inca
pable of affording Lees army the much
needed supplies. ....
Great efforts were made, and successfully,
to complete as soon as possible the paroling
of the men, in order that they might be
dispersed from place where there was no
sustenance of any description for man or
beast. Among the first commands ready to
leave we're the first and second Louisiana
brigades, then commanded by Col. Wagga-
man, and with them portions of the Wash
ington Artillery, Louisiana Guard Battery
and Donaldsonville Artillery, all hailing
from the same State, and naturally cluster
inc together when about to return once
more to their dear Southern homes. The
condition of these men was really deplora-
BILE. Starved, worn out and many of them
stricken with fever, they looked with dis:
NAV on the dismal march through the mud
to Burkesville Station, the nearest point at
which they could expect to find transpor-
t.t;on Col. Waggaman and many of the
officers did not believe half of them would
be able to perform the journey, and as
dernier resort, and also in some measure to
inspire the men with hopes which he him.
self believed delusive, Col. W. started the
brigade commissary~ ahead to try and pick
up something for man and beast on the route
they were travelling. The commissary, with
no more hope of success than his command
! ing officer, started off, and after travelling
a few miles over tract which gave nc
promise of supplies, being rather dubious
about the road the brigade would travel
accosted an old, gray-headed, and very
ragged negro he found sitting at cross
road, and questioned him in regard to the
route to Burkesville. The negro replied IN
telligently, giving him the necessary direc
tions, and the commissary was about to ride
on, when he thought that the darkey might
possibly assist him in his search for some
thing eatable. He began by asking if he
knew where he could get feed for his horse
After moments hesitation and rapid In
spection of the questioner, the darkey re
piled in the affirmative, and Immediately
lied the way through gate to small clear
ing in the piney woods. Stopping in thu
ward of small shanty, he went in and go
the key of pretty good-sized corn Grill
which he opened, and displayed to the com
missary's envious gaze forty or fifty bushels
of the finest corn in the ear he had ever seer
even in Virginia. He took out liberal fee'
for the horse and remarked that, "Tht
Yanks had spar'd him that much" Th'
commissary saw in his minds eye his bri
gade once more eating a ''square meal, AM
assuming his most persuasive tone, com
menced:
"Uncle, I have about six hundred mel
, behind here little ways who have eater
nothing to speak of for five or six days
!, They have some thirty or forty miles tt
travel on foot. and they never will be abl'
to make the trip in their present condition
Could you not let them have couple o
ears of corn apiece, and save their lives !?
Darky.-"Is they Southern soldiers =
Commissa,y.-"Yes."
Darky.-'Well, Ireckon, young master
they's the last I'll ever see. You just tel
them to come along and take what the.
!, want" And having said this, the poor oil
!, fellow sat down on a stone and cried like
J child.
J In an hour or so the troops came along
and were marched up in single file to TIL
corn crib and given two ears apiece. Tn
old darky in the meantime had knocked il
, the head of a barrel of sorghum molasses
and nearly every man got tin cuptul
There were few cases of collie that nigh
among those who were not fortunate enoug
to get any sorghum, but that did not lessee
the gratitude of the men for the last Con
federate ration issued to the Louisian
troops in Virginia.
The SMOKERS S ADVENTURE WITH A DOG
> A gentleman about to travel on Frenc
: railroad had at the time of entering the ca
: an unlighted cigar in his mouth. ObserN
;, ing that there was lady in the compar
I la l.1a ,