Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-09-18

we were sent to the front for rest and
Longstreet was ordered to cover tho rotreat.
ing army. On the evening of the 9th,
when had reached the front, my scout,
George, brought mo two men in Confederate
uniform, who, he said, he believed belonged
to the enemy, as he had seen them count
ing our men as they filed past had the
men brought to my campfire and examined
them. They made most plausible defence,
but George was positive they were spies,
and ordered them searched. He failed to
find anything, when I ordered him to ex-
anime their boots. In the bottom of one Of
the boots found an order from Gen. Grant
to Gen. Ord, telling him to move by forced
marches toward I4ynohburg and cut off
Gen. Lees retreat. The men then confessed
that they were "Jesses" and belonged to
Gen. Sheridan. They stated that they
knew that the penalty Of their course was
death, but nsked that should not kill
them, as the war could only last few days
longer, anyhow. l kept them prisoners
and turned them over to Gen. Sheridan
after tho surrender. I at once sent the
information to Gen. l4ae and short time
afterward received orders to 20 to his head.
quarters. That night was held Lees Last
council Of war. There vas present General
Leo, Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, as head of the
cavalry, and Pendleton, as chief of artillery
and myself, Gen. Longstreet was, l think,
too busily engaged to attend. Gen. Leo
then exhibited to us tho correspondence he
had had with Gen. Grant that day and
asked our opinion of the situation. It
seemed that surrender vas inevitable. The
only chance Of escape was that could cut
a way for tho army through the lines in
| front of mo. Gen. Lee asked me if (
could do this. replied that did not
know what forces were in front of me; that
| if Gen. Ord had not arrived--as wo thought
then he had not-with his heavy masses of
infantry, could cut through. gharan-
teed that my men would cut way through
all the cavalry that could bc masscd in
front of them. The council finally dis
solved with the understanding that the
army should be surrendered if discovered
the next morning, after feeling the enemy's
line, that tho Infantry had arrived in such
force that could not cut my way through
My men were drawn up in tho little
town of Appomattox that night. still
had about 1000 men under me, as the
army had been divided into two commands
aud given to Gen. Longstreet and myself.
Early on the morning Of the 9th prepared
for tho assault upon the enemy's line and
began the last fighting done in Virginia.
My men rushed forward gamely and broke
the line of the enemy and captured two
pieces of artillery. l was still unable to
tell what was fighting did not know
whether 1 was striking infantry or dis
mounted cavalry. only knew that my
| mor, vporo ri u;no tGnpn bo ri, ,nA 1poro rvot
ting further and further through Just
then I had message from Gen. Lee, tel
ling me that a flag of truce was in existence,
leaving me to my disor elton as to what
course to pursue. My men were still push.
ing their way on. sent at onoo to hear
from Gen. Longstrcet, feeling that if lie
was marching towards me, we might still
cut through and carry the army forward
I learned that he was about two miles of,
with his men faced just opposite to mine,
fighting for his life. | thus saw the case
wss hopeless. The further each Of us
drove the enemy the further we drfted
apart and the more exposed We lefs our
wagon trains and artillery, which was parked
between us. Every time either of ue broke
only opened the gap the wider. snw
plainly that the Federals would soon rush
between US, and thcn there would have
been no ermy. therefore determined to
send flag Of truce. called Major Hun
ter, of my staff, to mo and told him that
wanted him to carry a aag of truce forward.
He replied;
General, have no flag of truce"
told him to get one. He replied:
"General, we have no fag Of truco in
our command"
Then said I: "Thon get your handker-
chief, put it on stick and 90 forward"
III have no handkerchief, General"
t'Then borrow one aud 40 forward with
it,"
IIo tried, and reported to me that there
was no handkerchief in my staff.
"Then Major, use your shirt"
"You sec, General, that wo all have on
flannel shirts"
At last, believe, VIC found a man who
had white shirt. He gave it to us and I
tore off the buck and tail, and rigging this
to stick, Major Hunter went out toward
tho enemy's lines. instructed him to
simply say to Gen. Sheridan that Gen. Leo
had written me that flag of truce had
boen sont from his and Grants headquarters,
and that he could act as he thought best on
this Information. In few moments he
oamo back with Major, of Sheridan's 9
staff. This officer said
"Gon. Sheridan requested me to present
his compliments to you aud to demand the
unconditional surrender of your army"
"Major, you will please return my COM
pliments to Gen, Sheridan, aud say that /
will not surrender"
"Bnt, General, he will annihilote you.''
ri am perfectly we'll awere Of my situa-
tion T simnlv uaya Gep Sharidan aome