Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-10-30
A Last Scene in the War.

General Gordon, in the Philadelphia
Weekly Times, gives the following account
of the scenes attending Lees surrender:
Nv men were drawn mp in the little
town of AppOmattOX that night. | still
had about four thousand men under me,
as the army had been divided into two
commands and given to General Long
street and myself. Early on the morning
of the 9th prepared for the assault upon
the enemv'S line. and began the last fight
ing done in Virginia. My men rushed
forward gamPly and broke the line of the
enemy and captured two pieces of aTtil-
lery. I was still unable to tell what I
was fighting. | did not know whether /
was striking infantry or dismounted cav
airy. [ only knew that my men were
driving them back. and were getting
further and further through. just then
[ had a message from General Lee, telling
me flag of truce was in existence, leaV-
ing it to nv discretion as to what course
to pursue. My men were still pushing
their way OH. | sent at once to hear
from General Longstreet, feeling that if
he was marching toward me we might
still cut through and carry the army for
ward. l learned that he was about two
miles off, with his men faced just oppo-
site from mine, fighting for his life. I
thus saw the case was hopeless. The
further we drifted apart and the more
exposed we left our wagon trains and
artillery, which was packed between us.
Every line either of US broke only opened
the gap the wider. | saw plainly that
the Federals would soon rush between us
and then there would be no army. l
therefore determined to send a flag of
truce. called Major Hunter. of my
staff, to me and told him that | wanted
him to carry Il flag of truce forward. He
replied:
SEGeneral, have no flag of truce"
| told him to get one. He replied:
General, we have no flag of truce in
our command"
Then" said I, ''get your handker-
chief, put on a stick and go forward" ;"
&c have no handkerchief, General"
e Then borrow one and go forward with
/ it,
He tried, and reported to me that there
was no handkerchief in my staff.
| "Then, Major, use your shirt!'
g You see, General, that we all have on
| flannel Shirts
! At last, I believe, we found man who
! had a white shirt. He gave it to us and
| I tore off the back and tail, and, rigging
this to a stick, Major Hunter went out
| toward the enemy'S lines. | instructed
| him to simply say to General Sheridan
! that General Lee had written me that a
| fac of truce had been sent from his and
Grants headquarters, and that he could
act as he thought best on this informa-
ton. In a few moments he came back
with Major -, of Sheridan's staff. The
officer said:
General Sheridan requested me to
present his compliments to you, and to
demand the unconditional surrender of
your army"
e Major, you will please return my
compliments to General Sheridan, and
say that I will not surrender
F'But, General, he will annihilate yOu.'
g am perfectly we'll aware of my stu.
alton. I simply gave General Sheridan
some information on which he may OIL
may not desire to act.''
He went back to his lines and in shor
time General Sheridan came gallopine
forward on an immense horse and at
/, tended by a very large staff. just here
an incid mt occurred that came near hav
T ing q serious ending. As General Sheri
dan was approaching [ noticed one of my
sharpshOOters drawing his rifle dOwr
upon him. I at once called to him: ''Pu
down. your gun, sir; this is flag o
, trucen2 But he never raised it. HI
sfmEiy settled it to his shoulder and wa
drawing a bead on Sheridan, when
leaned forward and jeFked his gun. Fl
! struggled with me, but finally raised it
I then lOosened it and he started to ain
again. [ caught it again, when he turnet
MS SbcfIl, Wnlfe lace, all broken VIII
grief and streaming with tears, up to IN
and said: Well, General, then let hiT
: keep on his own side!'' The fighting ha
- continued up to this point. Indeed, afte
2 the flag of truce, a regiment of my men
c who had been fighting their way throug
= toward where we were, and who did nc
t know of flag of truce, fired into som
of Sheridan's cavalry. This was speedil
I stopped, however. I showed Geners
' Sheridan General Lees note, and he de
D | termined to await events. He dismOunte
2 and did the same.
5 Then, for the first time, the men SCENE
0 t. understand what it all meant. An
9 then the poor fellows broke down. Th
0 m an cried like children. Worn, starve
b. and bleeding as they were, they ha
d rather have died than have surrendered
: At one word from me they would haV
= hurled themselves on the enemy and hay
e cut their way through or have fallen to
: man with their guns in their hands. BU
e [ could not permit it. The grand dram
a II 4d been played to its end. But men al
e seldom permitted to look upon such
If scene as the one presented there. Th
e these men should have wept at sUrrende
r ing so unequal q fight; at being take
If out of this constant carnage and storm
, at being sent back to their families; tn
s. they should have Wept at having the
% starved and wasted forms lifted out
?, the jaws of death and placed once mo
d before their hearthstOnes, was an eXf
v btion of fDrtitude and patriotism tn
st might set example for all time.