The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1867-11-07
From the New Orleans Crescent.
THE LAST RATION.
BY AN EX-C0NFEDERATE OFFICER.

Few hear the immortals of Lee
army speak of the retreat from Pc
tersburg to Appomattox Court House,
the scene of the army's apotheosis,
and the reason for this silence can be
well understood. Knowing nothing
and thinking little about ;s::lc condition
Of the army outside of tli:t own
commands, the great body of ire men
in: their reliance on their great COM
mander, simply performed the duties
imposed upon them, suffered the agen-
cies that necessarily fell to their lot,
and met calmly the death which en-
ded those duties .and agencies for
many days before the memorable 9th
of April.
The suiFerings of the rank and fiic
Of the army, on that occasion, were
mercifully deadencd by stupor if
not rccklessness, superinduced by the
peculiar hardships to which they were
subjected. The enemy, with his over
whelmlng force of splcndidly mounted
and equipped cavalry, held, in addi-
ton, the direct point aimed at by
Gen. Lee, retarding his advance, COM
pelliHg him to fight while day
light lasted and to do his marching
by night. The want of sleep, and
during the last four days of the re-
treat, 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, in their kindness, and
exhibited a desire to do everything
in their power to relieve 1.-The ncecssi-
ties of their late foes, the destruction
.ofa portion of their supply train by
Gen. Rosser and. Fitzhugh Lee, and
the, detention Of the balance by the
awful condition Of the roads, left them
selves il. a critical condition and in
capable Of affording lees army the
much needed supplies.
Great efforts were made, and Hsuc-
cessfully, to complete as soon .asspos-
sible the paroling of the men, in order
that they might be.disperscd from
placesShere there was no sustenance
of any description for man or beast.
Among the first commands ready to
leave were the first and second Loui-
siana brigadcs, then commanded by
Col. Waggaman. and with them por-
tions of the Washington Artillery,
Louisiana Guard Battery and Don
aldsonvilic Artillery, all hailing from
the same State, and naturally clus-
tcring together when about to return
once more to their dear Southern
homes. The condition of these men
were really dcplorablc. Starved,
worn out and many of them stricken
with fever, they looked with dismay |
on. the dismal march to Burksvillc !
Station, the nearest point at which !
they could expect to find transporta-
tion. Col. Wggaman and many of
the officers did not believe half of
them would be able to perform The
journey, and as dc,wier resort, and
also in some measure to inspire tie
men with hopes which he bip,:clf be- i
licvcd to be delusivc, Co... W. started
the brigade comm;;~:sary ahead to try
and pick Up something for man and
best on the route they were travel
ing. The commissary, with no more |
hope of SUCCESS than his commanding
officer, started of, and after travel
ing q few miles over a tract which
gave no promise of supplies, being
dubious about the road the brigade
would travel, accosted an old, grey
headed, and very ragged negro he
found sittingat cross-road, and ques-
toned him in regard to the route to
Burksville. The negro replied intel
ligently, giving him the necessary d.
rections, and the commissary was
about to ride on, when he thought
that the darkcy might possibly assist
him in his search for something cat
able. He began by askingif hekncw
where he could get feed for his horse.
After moments hesitation and a
rapid inspection of the questioner, the
darkey replied in the affirmative, and
Immediately led the way through a
gate to a small clearing in the piney
woods. Stopping in the yard of
small shanty, he went in and got the
key of q pretty good-sizcd corn crib
which he opened, and displayed to
the commissary's gaze forty or fifty
bushels of the finest corn in the ear
he had ever seen even in Virginia.
He took ont liberal feed for the
horse and remarked, ''Thc 1anks had