The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-14

az the foot OF the hills. fuckers naval brig
age took position on an eminence overlooking
SRilor's creek, sheltering themselves III a
ravine from the firing of the assaiing troops.
But their whereabouts seemed soon 10 De
diaeovpreh. Nearly all the rest OF their COM
f ride eeg Ewells command had surrendered
to the Federals. They were surrounueu On
all sides except to the northward. But they
stood their ground to the last, Commodore
Tucker displaying the same courage ana
GOODNESS as on shipbOard In Charleston mar
Dor during the famous siege OF Fort sumter.
critical moment came. Inc Sklr'nlSh
lines were driven in. A shower OF MIME phiis
from the advancing troops whistled over the
heads Of our command the booming u n ~
tillery awOke the sumhertng echoes OF tne
hills: cannon-balls plowed up the soil, or shOt
off the tops and branches and limbs OF the
pines. which came tumbling down upon the
heads of the rebels; Parrott shells came, IKE
flashes Of lightning hiss4g Wth t5 Sn r q
tops. bursting in the very faces Of the sol
diers. filling the forest with smoke, the scent
and the wild, demOniaG cries almost OF an
other hell. Above the noise OF battle arose
from the foot Of the hills the exultant shouts
Of the victors, who now advanced III solid
A few minutes before the surrender Gen.
FwelI and his staff rode up the brow OF the
hill at brisk trot, their fine steeds looking
wild with excitement. The general halted
within few yards Of the battalion. Around
him were his officers In a group. No word
was spoken, but defeat was plainly visible on
their warn-worn faces, lit up by the dim rays
Of the smoky afternoon sun. Beneath the
shadows of the pines, through whose tops the
breeze seemed to rustic with m0urnful sigh
ing the party remained on the spot but few
minutes their horses champing the bits or
paving up the pine straw under their heels.
The writer of the memoir, standing in the
ranks of the battalion, happened at that mo
ment to be watching the countenanCps Of the
official group. Suddenly there came from the
eastern side Of the battlefield, In the Vicinity
of Sailors creek, and apparently near at
| hand the sudden and dull booming of a can
non The rebel general with his swOrd-sCab-
| bard dangling by his side, quickly turned his
| tall form In the saddle, and looking in the
direction whence the sound came, listened in
| tently for few seconds. Then, seemingly
h wing come TO conclusion, and giving, In
| low tones, an order to the officers around him,
Gen Ewell and his staff. putting spurs to
their horses, suddenly dashed down the de.
Clivity to the nUrthward, and were soon lost
| to view In the smoke and the shadows OF the
hills. The writer Of the memoir saw them nc
| more
Gen. fuckers naval brigade were the last
| to lay down their arms. The mOmOirtst him
| q If wit a companion surrendered to Fed
ernl corporal who gave him good "cussing'
for retaining his arms after making the sig
nal Of surrender. Gen. Kershaw broke his
| sword In sort of swamp which ran up to O
large plantation to the southwark OF the bat
tefield. AS the memorist threw down his
arms and was taken charge OF by the FEEDER
oil soldiers, two rebel officers came up, one Of
them on horseback. The latter was Gen
Kershaw, of South Carolina. His companion
advanced through the mud and rendered his
sword to his captOrs. But, as the mtmOrisi
we'll remembers Gen. Kershaw, on being tOiC
to do likewise, dismounted, and with an oath
said "himself he wond surrender but bis
sword ueverp With that he put under hi:
boot. heel the gltteriDg blade Of the weapon
and with one hand snapped it in twain, Ieav
ing the point in the mud in the ravine. ant
throwing away the htlt.
On Friday, the seventh Of April, 1865 thu
beautiful and unclOuded spring sun rose upot
the hills of Virginia, and looked upon vas
multitude that had slept on the battlefield, {
portion of the army of Gen. Grant, and tn
rebel prisoners taken the day before, number
ing many thousands. About o'clock thu
whole Federal force Of cavalry was mustered
and the scene presented was one Of the mos
grand and imposing Of the great war tina
was about closing. At the heal of the column
Of splendid horses and dark blue uniforms
rode small man in an unpretendtng blouse
but wearing on his shoulders the marks OF {
general of high rank. The memoirist was tOlt
that it was Cen Sheridan. Gayly and flushed
with victory, this imposing cavalry host, annie
the waving of banners and the Haunting o
rebel flags captured the day before, amid TIL
playing of the bands, slowly passed to thu
westward, like one of those dreams that linge
in the memory and haunt the imagination fol
long years. As the victorious column march
ed past, one Of the cavalrymen said to rpbe
gray coat: d" We are now going to bring in tn
balance OF your friends" The rebel laughet
CODtemptuOusly, but three DAYS later, as h.
marched prisoner of war through the street.
of Petersburg, he read in the dOwncast look
of It's citizens and the tears Of the ladies VIII
wept at the windows the verifCatiOn Of tin
Federals remarks. SO ended the fight q
ldTf rtEs
giles of Lee preceding the surrender Of his en-
tire army. Its scenes none Of the participant
will ever forget, and 1t belongs to the CRANE
halo Of glory of the country, in which tn
"blue and the gray can equally share, an
q grandeur that we, VINO lived amid the grea
events Of the war of 1861, can scarcely appre
ciate.