Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-08-09

horse TO where stOou. linen he WRENCH
ed him suddenly TO his launches, and
said. in a somewhat violent tone: In
the name of General Phil Sheridan, l de-
mand the Instant surrender Of this army"
| was not in i humor for tritiing just
then, but replied az calmly as | could:
Il am not the commander OF this army and
If were | should not surrender to you,'
meaning, of course, that L would treat
with proper authority. i make the de-
mand,' he rejoined, simply for the pur-
pose of preventing further bloodshed.
IF you wish TO prevent any further she'd
ding of blood don't shed any more; we
have already stopped, l said, still keep
Ing cool. lie reiterated ms demand for
an immediate anG unconditional surren-
dar then notified him that lie was
outside of his lines, and that if he was
NOT more courteous / would remind him
of this fact in q way that might be I'M
pleasant to him. then explained that
General Grant and General Lee were
then engaged in conference that Woult
nrohably settle everything. lie grew
pleasant then. and after awhile galloped
off lie was brave and spirited young
fellow but my old veterans were not in
the mood 10 humor him when he dashed
mn TO us that day. The surrender fell
With more crushing effect Oh my troops
than on any in the army. They were in
fine condition and were flushed with vic
tory. We had thrown back the Federals
day after day as they pressed on us
furnishing them when they came too near
| and stunning them when they charged
us seriously. Envelopcd for six or eight
| DAYS in the continual smoke of battle, we
had little idea of what was going on else
where. and when we surrendered 1000
| bayonets to General Grant we. surrender
| ed 600 Federal prisoners that had been
| plucked out of his army during our re-
| treat. Still, we all had the most perfect
! confidence in General Lees ability and
| heroism and we knew that lie had done
| all mortal man could do"
"Did vou say to General Lee when
parting with him that you regretted you
had gone into the war;"
no. sir said that before / drew my
sword again | would besure that it was
necessary. / did not believe and do not
! now believe, that TIE war was justified OH
| either side. it is a terrible thing and
should be resortcd to only in absolute self
| defcuse-iust as killing in private life.
! Besides. had fought all the time, know
! inc that our plans were wrong and be-
lieying that we could not succeed. | saw
| orr forces scattered over vast country
and along an endless line of sea coast,
! while General Grant, with the true genius
I of war, massed his energies upon point
after point and crushed Us incXOrably.
! Still did not, and do not regret my SER
vices. fought for my people. fought
steadily. uncomplainingly, las best knew
how, and thel e never was an hour that |
would not have gladly laid my life down
TO have secured the success of our cause.
No, sir; | regret nothing. Ionly did my
| duty. The war waSa grieyOuS error-an
error of both sections and for which both
sections have deeply atoncd. As for me,
! | only did my duty in an humble way, as
a man and a soldier, and the same rcver-
cnt, devoted sentiment that impelled me
to draw my sword filled my heart when |
shcathed it forever"
THE PRAYING SOUTHERN GENERALS.
Col. i. ". Alexander, who as ''P. W.
! A."w the best known of Southern war
correspondents, lately gave me rcmin-
iscencc Of General Longstrcct. He says
that right before the battle of the Wilder
ness he slept in the same room with the
General. After he had gone to bed Gen.
| Longstrcet came in. He undreSSed and
then kneeled by his bedside and engaged
in the most earnest prayer. While his
words were not audible it could be seen
! that he was very much affected, was lit
! orally wrestling with prayer" lie re-
! manned upon his knees for a full half
! hour, Colonel Alexander watching him
| by the starlight that crept through an
open window. BY the way, it is a notable
| fact that the SOuth-layish, reckless, inn
perious in all her ways-sent her armies
to the field under the leadership Of God
fearing, God seeking men, while the dec
orous and StraighI-laccl, North did no
such thing 1t 'sHS>HYat tia" land of
! sentiment belieyedH)Traycr, while the
! land of cold reason put its trust i'll artil-
| lery, and preferred that its leaders should
! look TO the condition of their troops rather
| than indulge in petitions to the Divine
! Arbter, that, after all, is said to give vic
! tory to the side having the most men and
the heaviest guns.
| Lee, Jackson and Longstreet were men
| of prayer, in the fullest sense OF the word.
| Bragg was baptized in the presence of his
army. Eweii became dcvOut Christian.
Albert Sidney Johnston never went into
| battle without going down upon his knees
| to the Lord OF Hosts. Gordon WAS de
vout and prayer-loving man. Neither
| General Grant, or Sherman, or Sheridan,
or Buter-but, then, it is importan. after
all, TO look after the artillery.
General LOngStreet was a leader great
| in details. He never went into camp
without seeing personally that his men
were properly disposed. His orders to
| his troops were unique and in vivid con-
trast to the fine rhetoric and stirring APP
pcals usual in such papers. He filled his
orders with practical hints and advice. As
for instance: Remember though the
fiery noise of battle is most terrifying and
seems to threaten universal ruin it Is not
so destructive As il seems and few soldiers
are slain, after alf+. The Commanding
General desires to particularly impress
the fact. Let officers and men even under
the most formidabieif preserve a quiet
demeanor; keep co1; obey order fire low.
Remember while you are doing this and
driving the enemy before you, your COM
rades are supporting you on either side
and are III turn edging on you" lie had
the most wonderful influence over his
men. They would follow him anywhere.
General TOOmbs once said that Longstrcet
was the only Southern general capable of
leading an army of ~, 900 men into Penn
sylvania.
since the war, General Long>tfeet mas
been living in comparative quiet. Sore
years ago lie wrote letter advising the
South to accept the situation and make
the best OF it, that subjected him to con-
siderable abuse. Latterly, however, this
has died away, and he is restored TO his
old place in the hearts of his people, since
the wisdom of his advice having been
passed, he is allowed credit for purity of
motive in givingit. He lived in Ne"
Orleans for some years, and was unlucSy
in Il commercial business. He removed
to GAINESVILLE, Ga, some years ago, where
he bought a sheep farm and large sum
mer hotel. He was made postmaster, with
out having applied, upon the death OF the
old postmaster. His hotel Is managed by
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