The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1875-01-22
LEES SURRENDER.
His Account of the Movements Around
AppOmnttox COurt-house

"Reminiscences of the late war:
NEAR ATTENUATION CoURr-IIoUsE,
VA. April II, 1S65-HiS E:rcelleuc,y
Jefferson Edris-Mr. President: 1t is
with pain that l announce to your
ENcellency the surrender of the Army
of Northern Virginia. The Opera
tions whice preceded this result will
be reported in full. I will therefore
only now state that upon arriving at
Amelia Courthouse on the morning Of
the 4th with the advance of the
army, on the retreat from the lines
in front of Richmond and Petersburg,
and not finding the supplies ordered to
be placed there, nearly twentyfour
hours were lost in endeavoring to col
lect in the country subsistence for men
and horses. This delay was fatal and
could not be retrieved. The troops
wearied by continued fighting and
marching for several days and nights,
obtaining neither rest nor refreshment,
and on moving on the 4th, on the Rich
mond and Danville railroad, found ut
Jetersville the eneiny's cavalry, and
and learned the approach of his infantry
and the general advance of his army
towards Burkeville. This deprived us
of the use of the railroad, aud rendered
1T impracticable to procure from Dan
vile the supplies ordered to meet US at
points of our march. Nothing could
be obtained from the adjacent country.
Our route to the Roanoke was there
fore changed, and the march directed
upon Farmville, where supplies were
ordered from Lynchburg. The change
of route threw the troops over the road
pursued by the artillery and wagon
trains west Of the railroad, which i'm
peled our advance and embarrassed
our movement.
On the morning of the 9Th General
Longstreet's corps reached Rice's sta
ton, on the Lynchburg railroad. 1t
was followed by the commands of Cen
erals II. II. Anderson, Ewell and Cor
don, with orders to close upon it as
fast as the progress of the trains would
permit, or as they would be directed,
on roads further west. Gen. Ander-
son, commanding Pickett's and B. II.
Johnson's divisions, became discon-
nected with Mahone's division. form
ing the rear of LOngstreet. The
enemy's cavalry penetrated the line of
march through the intervals thus left,
and attacked the wagon train moving
toward Farlnville. This caused seri-
Gus delay in the march Of the center
and rear of the column, and enabled
the enemy to mass upon their flank.
After successive attacks, Anders1n's or
Ewell's corps were captured or driven
from their position. The latter general,
with both of his divisions commanders,
kershaw and Gusts Lee, and his brig
adiers, We're taken prisoners.
Gordon, who all the morning, aided
by Gen. w. II. Lees cavalry, had
checked the advance of the enemy on
the road from Amelia Springs, ,and pro-
tected the trains, became exposed to his
combined assaults, which he bravely
resisted and twice rcpulsed; but the
cavalry having been WithdrWn to an
other part of the limo Of march, and the
enemy massing heavily on his front
and both tlanlSs, renewed the attack
about p. NJ, and drove him from the
field in much confusion. The army
continued its march during the night,
and every effort was made to reorgan-
ize the divisions, which had been shat
tered by the days operations; but, the
men being depressed by fatigue and
hunger, many threw away their arms,
while others followed the Wagon trains
and embarrassed their progress. On
the morning of the 7th ratious were
issued to the troops as they passed
FarmVillc, but the safety of the trains
requiring their removal upon the APP
proach of the enemy, all could not be
supplied.
The army, reduced to two corps, un-
der Longstrect and Gordon, moved
steadily on the road to AppomattoX
Court-Iiouse; thence the march was
ordered by Campbell Court-House,
through Pittsylvania toward Danville
The roads were wretchcd and the pro-
ercss slow. BY great effort the head of
the column reached AppomattoX Court
house on the evening of the Sth, and
! the troops were halted for rest. The
march was ordered to be resumed at /
A. M. on the 9th. Eitz Lee with the
| cavalry, supported by Gordon, was or
derca to drive the enemy from his
! front, wheel to the left and cover the
passage of the trains, while Iongstrect,
who from Itice's station, had formed
the rearguari, should come up and
hold the position. Two battalions of
artillery and the ammunition wagons
were directed to follow the army the
rest of the artillery and wagons to move
| toward Lynchburg. In the carly part
OF the night the enemy attacked Walk
er's artillery train near AppomattoX
station, on the Lynchburg Railroad,
and were repulscd.