The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-18
TnEsURRENDER AT APpoMATTOx,
| General Job1 ID. Gordon on tho Unyrittey.
History of the Event.
Interview in Me PHILADELPHIA Times.

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 LoBgstreet was, think,
too busily engaged 10 attend. General
Lee then exhibited TO us the correspon-
dence he had had with General Grant
that day and asked our opinion of the
eituation. Itseemed that surrender waa
inevitable. The only chance of escape
was that | could cut way for the army
though the lines in front Of me. Gener-
gal Lee ask me i'll could do this. I re-
piled that ! 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. I guaran.
teed that my inen would cut o way
through all the cavalry that could be
nlasaed 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.
My men were draw up in the little
towi: OF Appomattox that night. / still
had about 4, 900 men under mo, 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
enemys line, and began the last fighting
done in Virginia. My men rushed for
ward .,amely and broke the liue of the
enemy and captured two pieces of arlil-
lery. was still unable to tell what
was fighting. did not know whether
was striking infantry or dismounted
cavalry. ! only knew that my men
were driving them back, aud were
getting further and further through.
Just then had message from General
Lee; telling me flag of truce was in
existence, leaving it to my discretion rs
towhat course to pursue. My men were
still pushing their way on. sent at
feeling that.if ho 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
tho 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.
l saw plainly that the Federals would soon
rush in between us and then there would
have been no army. therefore deter
mined to send flag of truce. / called
Major Hunter of my staffto me, and told
him that wanted him to carry a flag of
truce forward He replied:
"General, have no flag of truce
II told him to get one. He replied:
General, we have no flag Of truco in
our command
"Ihon said /: Then get your handker-
chief, put it in on stick, and go toward
"'I have no handkerchief, General
"'Then borrow one and 60 toward with
"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, / believe. we found g man
who hnd white shirt. He gave it to
us, and I tore off the back and tail ; and,
rigging this to q stick, Major Hunter
went out townrd the enemy's lines. in
structed him to simply say to General
Sheridan that General Lee had written
me that o 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 q
staff. This officer said
"'General 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 tc General Sheridan, and
say that will not surrender"
"'But, General, he will annihilate you.'
am perfectly aware OF my situation.
amply gave General Sheridan some
information on which he may or may not
act showed General Sheridan General
Eue's note, end 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 heye fallen to n man
with their guns in their hands. But
had been played to its end. But men
are seldom permitted to look npon such
scene "a the one presented there.
That these men should have wept at
surrenduring so unequal . fight; at being
taken out ofthis constant carnage and
storm Mt beingsent back to their families !;
that they should have wept at having
their starved and wasted forms lifted out
of the laws of death and plara1 nnca
more before their heaithstones, was an
exhibition of fortitude and patriotism
that might act an example for all time.
render that day from the highest to the
lowest, from the old veteran to the beard
less bSy, every one ofthem, sir, carried q.
heart OF gold lie bis bseast. Ii made my
heart bleed for them, and cent the tears
Btreaming down my face, as / aaw them
surrender tho poor, riddled, battIo-stainsi
flags that they had followed so often, and
that had been made sacred with tho blood
of their comrades. The poor fellows
,iSould step forward, give up the scanty
through go many long and weary yeara.
hands together and bend their heads in
an agony of grief Their sobs and tho
eobs of their comrades could be heard
for yards around. Others would tear the
flags from the staffs and hide the precious
rag la their bosoms aud hold It there.
AS General Lee rode down the line with
me aud saw the men crying and heard
them cheering " Uncle Robert with their
simple but pathetic remarks, he turned
to NE and said ia broken voice, 'Oh,
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