The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-06-26
From the Southern Revieao, Baltimore.
General Lee at Appomattox.
A PERSONAL REM1N1scENcE BY CoNFErE-
RATE ARTILLERY OFFICER.

The morning of the 9th of April, 1865,
found the Confederate army in position in
which its inevitable fate was apparent to every
man in it. The skirmishing which had begun
in its front IS its advance guard reached Apo
mattox Court House the night before, had de-
yeloped into a sharp Gght in which the col-
tinuous firing of the artillery and the steaey
increase of the musketry told to all that q
heavy force had been thrown across our line of
march, and that reinforcements to it were
steadily arriving The long trains of wagons
and artillery were at first halted in the road,
and then parked in the adjoining fields, allow
ing the rear of the column to close up and ao-
ditional troops to pass to the front to reinforce
the advanced guard and to form reserve line
of battle in their rear under cover of which
they might retire when necessary. While these
dispositions we're taking place, General Lee,
who had dismounted and was standing near
IRE on hill about two miles from the Court
House, called the writer to him, and inviting
him to seat on log near by, referred to thu
situation and asked, "What shall we do thi,
morning?n Although this opportunity of ex.
pressing my views was unexpected, the sltua-
ton itself was not; for two days before, while
near Farmville, in consultation with Genera;
Lee over his map, the fact of the enemy's
having the shortest road to Appomattox Court
House had been noted and the probability o.
serious difficulty there anticipated, and in the
meantime there had been ample opportunity
for reflection on all of the emergencies that
might arise. Without replying directly to the
question, however, answered first that it was
due to my command (of artillery that should
tell him that they we're in as good spirits,
though short of ammunition and with poor
teams, as they had ever been, and had begged
If it came to surrender to be allowed to expend
first every round of ammunition on the enemy,
and surrender only the empty ammunition
chests. To this General Lee replied that there
were only remaining two divisions of infantry
sufficiently we'll organized and strong to be
fully relied upon, Fields and Mahone's,) and
that they did not number 5000 muskets to-
gether; and that that force was not sufficient
to warrant him in undertaking pitched bat
tie. s'Then," I answered, General, there are
but two altern atives; to surrender, or to order
the army to abandon its trains and disperse
in the woods and bushes, every man for HIM
self, and each to make his best way with his
arms either to the army of General Johnston
In North Carolina, or home to the Governor of
his State We have all foreseen the probabili-
ty of such an alternative for two days, and
am sure speak the sentiments of many others
besides my owr, in urging that rather than sur
render the army you should allow us to dis
perse in the woods and 60, every man for him
self"
aWhat would you hope," he asked, "to ac-
complish by this 2"
answered, eff there is any hope at all for
the Confederacy, or for the separate States to
make terms with the United States, or for any
foreign assistance, this course stands the
chances, whatever they may be; while if this
army surrenders this morning the Confederacy
is dead from that moment. Grant will turn
100000 fresh men against Johnston, and with
the moral effect of our surrender he will go,
and Dick Taylor and Kirby Smith will have to
follow like row of bricks; while if we all
take to dispensing in the woods we inaugurate
new phase of the war, which may be lndeh-
nitely prolonged, and it will at least have great
moral effect in showing that in our pledges to
fight it out to the last we meant what we sald;
And even, General, if there is no hope at all
in this course OF in any other, and if the fate
of the Confederacy is sealed whatever we do,
there is one other consideration which your
soldiers have right to urge on you, and that
is your own military reputation, in which every
man in this army, officer or private, feels the
utmost personal pride, and has personal
property that his children will prize after him.
The Yankees brought Grant here from the
West, after the failure of all their other gener-
ais, as one who had whipped everybody he had
ever fought against, and they call him 'Uncon-
ditional Surrender Grant, and have been brag-
ging in advance that you would have to sur
render too. Now, General, think you ought
to spare us all the modification of having you
to ask Grant for terms, and have him answer
that he had no terms to offer you"
still remember most wildly the emotion
with which made this appeal, increasing as
went on until my whole heart was in it, and it
seemed to me at the moment one which no
soldier could resist, and against which no con-
sideration whatever could be urged, and when
I closed, after urging my suggestions at greater
length than it is necessary to repeat, looking
him in the face and speaking with more bold
ness than usually found in his presence, l
had not doubt that he must adopt some such
course as had urged.
He heard me entirely through, however, very
calmly, and then asked, GLOW many men do
YOU estimate would escape if I were to order
the army to dispersew
replied, 'tI suppose two-thirds of us could
get away, for the enemy could not disperse TO
follow US through the woods"
He said: ave have here only about $4,000
men with arms, and not all Of those who could
get away would join General Johnston, but
most of them would try and make their way to
their homes and families, and their numbers
would be too small to be of any material ser
vice either to General Johnston or to the Gov
ernors of the States. recognize fully that
the surrender of this army is the end of the
Confederacy, but no course we can take can
prevent or even delay that result. have
never believed that we would receive foreign
assistance, or get our liberty otherwise than by
our own arms. The end is now upon us, and
it only remains to decide how we shall close
the struggle. But in deciding this question we
are to approach it not only as soldiers, but as
Christian men deciding on matters which In
ings. If 1 should order this army to disperse,
the men with their arms, but without organi-
zation or control, and without provisions or
money would soon be wandering through every
State in the Confederacy, some seeking to get