The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-18
THE SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX.
General John 3. Gordon on tho Unwritten
History of the Event.

Interview in the Philadelphia Times.
"On the night of the 7th of April was
held Lees last council of war. There
was present General Lee, General Fitz-
hugh Lee, as head of the cavalry, and
Pendleton, as chief of artillery, and my
self. General Longstreet was, / think,
too busily engaged to attend. General
Lee then exhibited to US the correspon-
dence he had had with General Grant
that day and asked our opinion of the
situation. Itseemed that surrender was
inevitable. The only chance of escape
was that could cut way for the army
though the lines in front of me. Gener-
sal Lee ask me if could do this. l re-
piled that l did not know what forces
were in front of me; that if General Ord
had not arrived-as we thought then he
had not-with his heavy masses of in
fantry, I could cut through. l guaran-
teed that my men would cut way
through all the cavalry that could be
massed in front of them. The council
finally dissolved with the understanding
that the army should be surrendered if |
discovered the next morning, after feeling
the enemy's line, that the infantry had
| arrived in such force that could not cut
my way through. w
"My men were drawn up in the little
town of Appomattox that night. l still
had about 1000 men under me, as the
army had been divided into two COM
mands and given to General Longstreet
and myself. Early on the morning of
9th prepared for the assault upon the
enemy's line, and began the last fighting
done in Virginia. My men rushed for
ward gamely and broke the line of the
enemy and captured two pieces of artil-
lery. I was still unable to tell what /
was fighting. I did not know whether
I was striking infantry or dismounted
cavalry. I only knew that my men
were driving them back, and were
getting further and further through;
Just then I had 2 message from General
Lee; telling me flag of truce was in
| existence, leaving it to my discretion as
to what course to pursue. My men were
still pushing their way on. I 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 forward. learned that he was
about two miles of, with his men faced
Just opposite from mine, fighting for his
| life. / thus saw that the case was hope
less. The further each of US drove the
enemy, the further we drifted apart and
the more exposed we left our wagon
trains and artillery, which was packed
between us. Every time either of US
broke only opened the gap the wider.
saw plainly that the Federals would soon
rush in between us and then there would
have been no army. I therefore deter.
mined to send flag of truce. 1 called
Major Hunter of my staff to me, and told
him that wanted him to carry flag of
truce forward. He replied:
"tGeneral, have no flag of truce
'tI told him to get one. He replied:
General, we have no flag Of truce in
our command
"Then said L: Then get your handker-
chief, put it in on stick, and 60 toward
"I have no handkerchief, General
"'Then borrow one and so toward with
it,
"He tried, and reported to me that
there was no handkerchief in my staff.
"'Then, Major, use your shirtp
"'You see, General, that we have on
flannel Shirts
"At last, I believe, we found man
who had white shirt. He gave it to
us, and tore off the back and tail and,
rigging this to stick, Major Hunter
went out toward the enemy's lines. I in.
structed him to simply say to General
Sheridan that General Lee had written
me that flag of truce had been sent
from his and Grants headquarters, and
that he could act as he thought best on
this information. In few moments he
came back with Major of Sheridan's
staff. This officer said:
"sGeneral Sheridan requested me to
present his compliments to you, and to
demand the unconditional surrender Of
your army
"'Major, you will please return my
compliments to General Sheridan, and
say that I will not surrender"
"'But, General, he will annihilate you
"I am perfectly aware of my situation.
I simply gave General Sheridan some
information on which he may or may not
act I showed General Sheridan General
Lees note, and he determined 10 await
events. He dismounted, and did the
same. Then for the first time, the men
seemed to understand what it all meant.
| And then the poor fellows broke down.
The men cried like children. Worn,
starved aud bleeding as they were, they
had rather have died than surrendered
At one word from me they would have
hurled themselves on the enemy and cut
their way through or have fallen to man
with their guns in their hands. But l
could not permit it. The great drama
had been played to its end. But men
are seldom permitted TO look upon such
scene as the one presented there.
That these men should have wept at
surrendering so unequal fight; at being
taken out of this constant carnage and
storm; at being sent back to their families;
that they should have wept at having
their starved and wasted forms lifted out
of the Jaws of death, and placed once
more before their hearthstones, was an
exhibition of fortitude and patriotism
that might set an example for all time.
"Ah sir, every ragged soldier thatsur.
render that day from the highest to the
lowest, from the old veteran to the beard
less boy, every one of them, sir, carried q
heart of gold in his breast. 1t made my
heart bleed for them, and sent the tears
| streaming down my face, as saw them
surrender the poor, riddled, battle-stained
flags that they had followed so often, and
| that had been made sacred with the blood
of their comrades. The poor fellows
would step forward, give up the scanty
rag that they had held so precious
through so many long and weary years,
and then turn and wiring their empty
bands together and bend their heads in
an agony of grief. Their sobs and the
sobs of their comrades could be heard
for yards around. Others would tear the
flags from the stats and hide the precious