The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1875-01-27
I III. i4lLER's sURRENpER 1

His Account of the Movements hrDuad
asm AppOmattOr Court House,
" "Reminiscences by Rev J.W. Joies.l
The following letter has been made pub
lie for the first time in Mr.. Jones' Reniiri-
iscences Of the late war:
NEAR ApPoMATTox CoURT.HoUsE, VA; !
April IL, 1865 !
Ills E5ccllcacy Jefferson Df~is:,
MIR. PREsIDEsT=-It IL with pain that ]
announce to your Excellency the surren-
der Of the army of Northern Virginia. The
operation which preceded this result will
be reported In full. 4 will therefore only
now state that upon arriving at Amelia
Court.house on the morning. of the 4th
with the advance Of the army, on the re-
treat from the lines In front Of Richmond
and Petersburg, and not finding the sup
plies ordered 10 be placed there, i'early
ltwenty-four hours we're lostin endeavor ng
10 collect in the country subsistence for
men and horses. This delay was fatal.
and could not be retrieved. The troops,
weariei BY continued fighting aud mar
ching for several days and nights, obtain
ing neither rest nor refreshment, aud OH
moving on the 5th, on the.lsichniond and
Da.,vllle railroad, Ifound At Jelersville
the enemy's calvary, and learned the APP
proach ofhis infantry and the general adj
vance OF his army toward Burkeville. This
deprived US Of the use Of tie railroad, aud
rendered Il impracticabIe TO procure from
Danville the supplies ordered to meet Us
at points Of our march. Nothing could be
obtained from The adjacent country. Our
route 70 the Roanoke was therefore
changed, and the march directed upon
Farmville, where supplies were ordered
from Lynchbnrg. The change OF route
threw the troops over the road pursued by
the artillery aud wagon trains west Of the
railroad, which inpe,led eur advance and
einharrass-d our movements. IT. s .
On the morning 81 lie 9th General Long
| streets cor,s reached Rice's station, on
the Lynchburg raiIroad, II was followed
by the Commands Of Gems. X. II. Anderson
Ewell aud Gordon, with orders TO close
upon 4 as fast as the progress Of the trsiins
would psrmit, orast they wonld pc directed,
on roads further west Gen. Anderson,
commanding Pickett's and B. II. John
sons division, became disconnected with
Mahone's division, forming the rear ol
Longslreet. The enemy's cavalry pene-
trated the line OF march through the in-
tervaIs shus left, and attacked the wagon
train moving toward Farnville. This
caused serious delay In the march ~ the
cenier aud rear Of the column, and en-.
ablc,i the enemy TO mass upon their flank.
| After successive attacs, Anderson's or
Ewei,'s corps wers captured or driven
from: their position. The latter genera,
with both of his division commanders,
Kershaw aud CHstis Lee, and his briga-
dIens, were taken prisoners.
Iior,lon, who all the morning aided by
Cien. w. II. Lees cavalry. had checked
the advance of the fpemy on the road
from Amelia Springs, and protected the
trains. became exposed TO his combined
ass aulis, which lie brasely resisied and
twice repulsed but tie cavalry having
been Withdrawn TO another part Of the
llne Of march, and the enemy massing
heavily on his front and both flsnks, re-
nrwed the attack about Q Pm; and drove
him from the field In much confusion,
/ The army continued lis march during the
night, and every effort was made TO reorg-
anize The division. which had been shat
tered by the days operations but, the
men being depressed by fatigue and hun'
ger, many threw away their arms, while
others followed the wagon trains and
embarrassed their progress. On the morn-
Ins Of the TIN ratlons wers Issued TO the
troops ~ they passed Farmyillc, but ih,
safety Of the train requiring their removal
upon the approach Of the enemy, all could
not be supplied.
The army, reduced 10 two corps, undel
fsongstreet aud Gordon, m1ved steadil.
on the road 60 iAppomaitox Court-house
thence its march was ordered w Camp
l,cli court.houss, through pittsylvanir
toward Danville. The roads wer'
wretched and the progress slow. i,
great effort the head uf the column reach
ed Appomnttux ccurt-house on the even
Ing VI the sth, and the truops were hnultes
Foe rer. The march was ordered TO BE- re
suuicd at one A. ". on the ptli. Fltz Lee
with the cavalry, supported ~ Gordon
was ordered TO drive the enemy from hi
ffont, wheel 10 the LETT aud covsf ihs pas
sage ofthe trains, while Longstreet who
from Rlcc's station, bad formed the rca
guard, should come up aud hold tire 20
sItIon. Two battalions u artillery ant
the amnruniilon wagons were directed y
follow the army, The rest of theartillcr,
aud wagons 70 move toward IGncliburs
| In the early part ofthe night the eneHf,
!, attacked Walkers artillery train near Ar
polnattox station. on tnc Ignclitarg rail
road, aud were repulsed
sh6rtiy afterwards their cavalry daslfe'