The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-05
APPOMATTOX.
Another Version of the Surrender
of Gen. Lee.
Gen. John B. Gordon on the Unwrit-
ten History Of the Event-How
the Confederate Army Re
ceived the News.

ceived the News.
son the night Of the seventh OF April was
held Lees Last council Of war There was
present Gen. Lee, Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, as head
OF the cavalry, and Pendleton, as chief Of the
artillery, and myself. Gen. Lvngstreet was,
think, too busily engaged to attend. Gen.
Lee then exhibited to US the correspondence
he had had with Gen. Grant that day, and
asked our opinion Of the situation. 1t seemed
that surrender was inevitable. The only
chance OF escape was that could cut way
for the army through the lines in front Of me.
Gen. Lee asked me II could do this re-
piled that did not know what forces were Id
front OF me; thatif Gen. Ord had not arrived
rs we thought then he had not-with his
heavy masses Of infantry, Icould cut through
guaranteed that my men would cut way
through all the cavalry that could be massed
in front OF them. The council finally dis
solved with the understanding that the army
should be surrendered Ii 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 the little town
Of AppOmattOx that night l still had about
1000 men under me, as the army had been di-
vided into two commands and given to Gen.
LOngstreet and myself Early on the morn
ing OF the ninth prepared for the assault
upon the enemys line and began the last
lighting done In Virginia. My men rushed
tor ara gamely and broke the line of the
enemy and captured two pieces OF artillery.
/ was still unable to tell what was fighting,
I did not know whether was striking infan-
my men were driving them back, and were
getting further and further through. Just
then | mad q message from Gen. Lee, telling
me q flag OF truce Was Ia existence, leaving 1t
TO my discretion as to what course to pursue.
My men were still pushing their way on. |
sent ut once to hear from Gen. Longstreet,
feeling that IL he was marching toward me,
We might still cut through and carry the
army forward. ! learned that he was about
two miles off, with his men faced just opposite
from mine, lighting for his life. | thus saw
that the case was hopeless. The further each
OF us drove the enemy the further we drifted
apart and the more exposed we LETT our wagon
trains aud artillery, which was parked be-
tween US. Every time either Of us broke only
opened the gap the wider. saw plainly that
the Federals would soon rush Ia between us,
and then there would have been no army.
therefore determined to send flag OF truce.
! called Major Hunter, Of my staff to me ana
told him that wanted him to carry flag OF
truce forward: He replied:
" General, have no flag Of truce
II told hun to get one. He replied:
General we have no Tag OF truce In our
command.
'.Th.n said I: Then get your handkerchief,
put it on a stick, and go forward
i have no handkerchief general
Then borrow one, and 60 forward with
"He tried, and reported to me that there
was no handkerchief IN my staff.
Then, major, use your Bhirtp
NGsll no tsrn oil hux Hnp
mel shirts
AT last, believe, we found man who had
2 white shirt. He gave it to us, and tore OIL
the back and tail; and, rigging this TOT stick,
Major Hunter Went out toward the enemy d
lines. l instructed him to simply say to Gen.
Sheridan that Gen. Lee had written me that
flag Of truce had been sent from his and
Grants headquarters, and that he could act
few moments he came back with Major =,
or Sheridan's staff. This officer said:
den. Sheridan requested me to present his |
compliments to you, and to demand the I'M
conditional surrender OF your army
Major, you will please return my compli-
ments to Gen. Sheridan, and say that will
not surrender
But, General, he will annihilate you.
. am perfectly well aware OF my situa-
ton. simply gave Gen. Sheridan some in
formation On which he may or may not desire
TO act | showed Gen. Sheridan Gen. Lees
note and he determined to await events. He
dlsm0unted, and ! did the same Then, for
the first time, the men seemed to understand
what 1t all meant And then the poor fellows
broke down. The men cried like children.
Worn, starved and bleeding as they were,
they had rather have died than have surren-
dered. At one word from me they would
have hurled themselves on the enemy and
have cut their way through, or have fallen to
man with their guns In their hands. But
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
ana storm; at being sent back to their fami-
lies; 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 {
q Iortitude ana patriotism that might set an I
example for all time ]
"Ah! Sir, every ragged soldier that surren-
dered that day, from the highest to the low
est, from the old veteran to the beardless boy,
every one OF them. Sir, carried heart Of gold
them, and sent the tears streaming down my
face, az saw them surrender the poor, rid | Z
died, battle-stained flags that they had fol /
lowed so often. and that had been made t
poor fellows would step forward, give up the t
scanty rag that they had held SO precious Z
through 80 many long and weary years, and 9
then turn and wiring their empty hands TO-
getner ana bend their heads In an agony OF
grief. Their sobs and the sobs OF their COM
RACES could be heard for yards around
pthers would tear the flags from the staff and
n q me precious rag in their bosOms and :,
hold 1t there. AS Gen. Lee rode down the +
lines with me and saw the men crying and q
a aId them cheering uncle Robert" with
u, l simple bnt pathetic remarks he turned
e.a w ana u SAID 10 broken voice, oh, gen.
one me OF our battles, to have given my life to P
TINS cause that we could not save / told q
him tnat he should not feel that way that he
nad done all that mortal man could do and
That every man and woman In the south q
would feel this and would make him feel II g
~! no! he said, there will be many who y
viii blame me. But. general, have the con- con, g
proves what / have done, and that the army 81
3ustains me- a.
In few hours the army was scattered Y
and the went hack To hoi, e;