Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-02-03

Southern States The United States
cannot, sayD the Post, put corpora:'s
guard at the door of every Southern Re
publican.
| tory.
The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle d Sentinel
contains full report of the address deliv-
cred by General Pendleton. who was Chief
OF Artillery under Genera. Lee, as we'll as
his intimate friend before and during the
war, and his pastor sincs. We give few
extracts. The address is quite similar to
the one delivered in this city
WHY HE DID NOT EARLIER WITHDRAW FROM
PETERSBURG,
has been asked. To my knowledge he was
perfectly aware long before April, 1865, of
the niece ssity for such Withdrawal, and had
fully resolved upon it. Several months
before he privately espresso this to myself,
as I believe he did to others in responsible
positions. At any rate 1 received from
him secret information to send to a desig-
mated point far in the rear all surplHs am
munition, and to make arrangements with
the artillery, as the arm most difficult of
sudden movement, for marching at one
hours notice. his plan being rapidly to
move back and form, if possible, a juno
ton with the southern Confederate army,
that by quick and decisive combination
one or the other of the Federal armies
might be struck with effeclual force. With
this plan, however, there was in difference,
which General Lee deemed it a less evil to
yield to than to disregard. It's nature may
be inferred from a significant remark made
by him to myself alone. the night of the
LIST of April, 1866. Contemplating the
then thinness of his own line, its vast ex-
tent, and the feebleness of his entire force,
he said : General, If our cause fails. its
epitaph may be written, Died of Con-
gress and the Newspapers The next
morning that thin line was broken by the
numerous masses that at bngth adven-
tured attack, and we had to withdraw.
THE MAsrERLY RETREAT
then began. It has been asked why even
then so great captain could not succeed
i'll Guiding his much less skilled adversary :?
The reply is found in the utterly reduced
state of his army, and of all southern mill
itary supplies. with the superadded diff
culties Of inclement weather and deep
roads.
Amelia courthouse, on the Richmond
and Danville railroad, was duly reached !;
but supplies that had been called for. and
were expected there. were not fOrthcom-
ing, while large number of persons from
Richmond, only a few Of whom. however,
were reliable soldiers, were added to the
crowd we had to provide for and protect.
For want of animals and forage, a large
amount of wagons, ammunition, &C.. had
to be destroyed. and the best dispositions
possible were made for continuing with
the remainder of our retire at. Detachmen,s
Of the enemy were by this time getting
close. They had to be kept off with por-
ton If our force, while the main body and
trains moved on. Thus by day, fighting
had to be maintained all along, and march
ing chiefly by night.
1t will be readily understood under what
immense disadvantage this was, at every
step accomplished, when the vast resources
of the Federal commander are considered.
the multitude OF his troops, and the pro-
digious host of cavalry, comparatively
fresh at his disposal. That General Lee
succeeded as he did in 80 far foiling him,
and in u considerable degree rendering
such disaster AS that to his rear divisions
at Sailors Creek. between Amelia Springs
and Farmville, is one of the most signal
evidences of his n1atchless power as q COM
mauder.
WHETHER GENERAL LEES HEART WAS IN THE
SOUTHERN CAUSE
has been called in question by some inter
ested in maIigning that cause. Let me
mention an incident which makes the
truth clear as day:
Having reached Farmville, in Prince
Edward county on the morning of Friday,
April 7th, our little army crossed the Ap-
pomattox again, gaining the northern
bank, and destroying the bridges. Battle
order was then formed aud the enemy ap-
preaching greeted with cannon in position
One bridge below, however, had been de-
CT - H. EoJo
pressed upon US from that DIRECTION
Giving my personal attention to the de-
fence there. met your own gallant fellow
citizen, General John B. Gordon, conduct
ing the fight his wont, with dash
and vigor. A few words were exchanged.
He Informed me of conference, held
some hours before between himself, Gen.
Richard Anderson, and others, in which
it was determined that myself, as one in
timatcly a soeiated with the Commander
in-Chief, should be requested to see him,
If in accordance with my views, and ex-
press to him our sense of the desperateness
of the situation, and of the moral impro-
priety of continuing a struggle now cleerly
hopeless-every man killed under such
circumstances being, as we thought. rather
murdered than martyred. My impression
being in the main Of the same general cast.
agreed to see General Longstreet first,
as next in command to General Lee. This
accordingly was done. General Long
street met the suggestion at first with his |
accustomed imperturbable resolution, oh.
jectiD6 in toto to any thought of discon-
tinuing the contest, and adding that he |
believed his corps, or what remained of it, |
could "still Whip" as he expressed it. |
three times their number of Yankees
Admitting his spirit, readily acquiesced. |
but suggested the inquiry whether they
could Withstand thirty times their number. |
as they would have to do. He, in the |
sequel, fully agreed that General Lee
ought to be communicated with, and I !
begged him to go In person and express
his own sense of the situation, if for no
other reason. to relieve the noble heart of
the great commander of the sense of soli-
fairness in his mighty responsibility. The
veteran Lieutenant General, however, ex-
cused himself on the score OF his being
slow of speech, aud requested me to rep
resent him with the rest in submitting the