Daily Kennebec journal., 1874-04-06
HISTORIC DAYS.

lin cHAN <~A~0 ~
Nine years ago, these April days, the
rebellion Of the shareholders was in its
death thrces. For nearly year Grant
and Sherman had been engaged in envel-
oping in the folds of their armies the Con-
federate forces, Grant starting from the
Rapidan and fighting his way towards
Richmond, while Sherman moved through
Georgia and the Carolinas towards the
same point. Though the country had faith
in Grant, the summer of ga and the win
ter Of '65 was period of trial and anxiety
throughout the loyal States. The loss of
life was heavy in the Union army, the de-
fence stubborn on the part of the rebels.
1t was only inch by inch that we gained
in our advance upon the stronghold OF the
rebels, only by bulldog tenacity that the
grip was slowly tightened which was to
throttle the rebellion at last.
On the first day OF April '65 was fought
the battle of Five Forks, one of the most
brilliant actions of the war, in which the
gallantry and generalship of Sheridan
were conspicuous, the result of which ne
cessitated the evacuation of Petersburg by
the rebels, and led the way in the series
of actions which brought about the sur
render of Lee On the 2nd Petersburg
was evacuated. On that day while Jetfer-
son Davis was attending church at Rich
mond, an orderly placed in his hands this
message from General Lee: my lines
are broken in three places, Richmond
must be evacuated tonight" The rebel
chieftain Immediately left his seat in the
church and prepared to leave the city, but
the deluded inhabitants of Richmond were
rejoicing at the same time in reports of a
victory over the Yankees. On the Sd
the pursuit of Lees retreating column was
begun. On the 4th Sheridan dashed
across the line of Lees retreat at letters
vile, obliging the latter to change the
course of his fight. On the 9th the chase
changed to hunt, and on the 9th Ewell
surrendered. Notes were exchanged be-
tween Grant and Lee on the 7th on the
Sth Lee refused to surrender, bat on the
9th he changed his mind, and adopted the
only reasonable course left him, the sur
render of the army which he commanded.
Those April days were days of joy to the
Union soldiers around Richmond, and to
those who watched and prayed at home for
their success. The thrill of exultation
which filed all hearts in the North at the
intelligence that Richmond had fallen will
never Be- forgotten by those who expert
enced It. Il was tho sign Of deliverance
from the curse Of war, the promise of q
united. happy, prosperous country. one
from the Lakes to The Gulf, from the At
lantic to the Pacific. Maine soldiers had
the honor of first raising the stars and
stripes over the Capitol at Richmond after
the flight of Davis, an honor to which they
were justly entitled BY their unhinching
gallantry in all the fortunes Of the Army
of the Potomac. When the anniversary
Of those stirring days about Richmond
comes around, we remember with pride
and gratitude the deeds of the gallant de-
tenders Of our country in its peril. They
will be among the most memorable in our
history as people. Stone and brass may
decay, but the heroic deeds and names of
those who fought the battles of the Union
will never be forgotten. Alas that the
month so grand in its opening should be-
fore its close have witnessed a crime that
shocked the world and caused the nation
to mourn one of its greatest and best.