The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-10-01
LAST DAYS OF LEES ARMY.

The MEN Who Led the One Hundred Can't
English and the Flag of Truce.
From the Atlanta Constitution
The narrative of Gen. Gordon of the
last days of Lees fighting in Virginia,
which appeared in the Constitution Of
last Sunday, has been the subject of gen
eral comment. There are many men in
this city who went through those fearful
scenes, and in whose breasts the fervid
words of the narrative wakened memories
that have for years been Asmothered bv
he hum and hustle Of the world.
Capt. James English of this city is the
man who received the first note of the
correspondence between Gen. Grant and
Gen. Lee that resulted III the surrender.
1t came about on the night of the 9TH Of
April. Capt. English was commanding
a company in the second Georgia battal-
ion, in Wright's Georgia bril- ade. This
brigade had been engaged all
the afternoon in heavy fight
with Miles division, and had captured
about 1900 prisoners. The men we're
feeling pretty good over 1t. Their lines
were resting near High bridge in Vir-
gina. At night a courier dashed up to
the lines and asked for truce, stating
that he desired to send note from Gen.
Grant to Gen. Lee. Capt. English, in
whose front he had halted, went forward
and told him that he would communicate
his wishes to the brigade headquarter.
At length the permission was granted
and the sealed message was sent forward.
While it was gone, the courier who had
brought the message began talking. "Do
you know what that message is?' he said
to Capt. English, who had lust been
joined by State Senator Perry, who was
acknowledgement Of the brigade. "No, 1
don't!" was the reply. ut is demand
for the surrender Of Lees armyw We
are not permitted to chronicle the exact
nature OF the reply made by Capt. Eng
lish and Adjt. Perry to this information.
ss- A PATHETIC INCIDENT.
A gentleman in this city writes us the
following account of most pathetic in
cident that occurred on the night attack
on Fort Steadman. It gives the name of
the leader OF the 100 men who took the
fort. A more touching or heroic incident
is not be found in the annals of the war
ATLANTA. Ga, Sept. III. W. Ora
DY: Dear sir-Your interesting account
of recent interview with Gen. Gordon
regarding the closing scenes of the late
war in yesterdays Constitution brings to
the mind Of the writer an incident that I
think worthy of note as illustrating the
ion-hearted determination OF the humble
actors in that bloody DRAMA The officer
who commanded the hundred riflemen,
whose task was to capture Fort Steadman.
was Capt Joseph P. Carson, Company l.,
Fourth Georgia regiment, Phil Cooks
brigade, who now resides on his planta.
ton near Reynolds, Taylor county, Geor-
gia, younger brother of Capt. Carson,
only about nineteen years old at the time,
and acting as a courier for Gen. Cook.
followed his brother unawares into the
fight, and was probably the first man
killed, as immediately after DAYLIGHT
Capt. G. found his body. lying on the
edge Of the fort with head to the enemy.
Capt. Carson kept the body near, him,
moving from point to point during the
fight, and when the order was given to
retire, took the dead brother on his Shout
ders, still commanding his men, and
brought it and the survivors of his men
into the confederate lines and, since the
surrender the body to its home in Georgia
where it now rests. As no official accounts
ot these names have been kept, as an act
OF justice to the living and the dead, I
beg to bear testimony to these facts, hav-
Ing been an eye witness. Yours very
respectfully, e, w. T. WILSON
Lieut.. Fourth Georgia Regiment.
A PIECE OF UNwR1TTEN HISTORY.
We present also from Prof j. II. Logan
an interesting account of the events OF
that night, and Of piece of history not
heretofore written: NM, ere g9 tst.s.'a.fz
EDITORS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES read
ing a.. w. G.'s thrilling account of the
last acts Of the confederate armv at
Petersburg, Va, 4 felt somewhat con-
strained, being an eyewitness of much
which he describes, to add something.