The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-11-12
GENERAL LEES suRREnnrR
The Closing Scenes of the WARTIME
White Flag at AppOMatt0x.
From the PhjIafeIDhia Times

NhAsc 4 lag At AppOl02tt0x-
From the Philadelphia Times !
On the morning of April 2, 1865, it i
was obvious that something quite out of
the ordinary routine had happened, and
| rode in the direction of Gen. Lees
headquarters, which were at a house
about mile west of Petersburg The /
scene here was bustling and full of ex- :
cTtement Couriers were passing To and
fro across the field carrying orders, and
the black smoke mentioned was seen to
rise from burning house, toward the
outer works, near which was caught the
CLEAN of federal bayonets They had
broken the lines there, captured the forts
and were rapidly advancing. apparently
to attack Gen. Lees slight inner works
directly in the suburbs of Petersburg
l was very much struck with his calm
ness on this trying occasion, and have
often remembered it since as a remarka-
bic proof of the extraordinary GOODNESS
and equipose of his character. He was
standing in the midst of group of Off
GERS on the lawn of the house where he
had his headquarters, looking through
his field glass at a federal brigade or di-
vision advancing at double quick TO
charge battery posted on knoll about
800 yards to the right of the house. |
His face was entirely COM /
posed and nothing in his appear
ance indicated any emotion whatever. |
Having asked a friend in the group of /
officers if he could inform me where l |
could find Gen. Pendleton, chief of the |
artillery, Gen. Lee hearing the question, |
turned around quietly, raised his hat in |
return from my own saddle, and told me |
in a mild voice what wished to know. |
In few minutes the federal infantry, at |
which he had been looking, charged the |
guns on the knoll, which came off un- |
der hot musketry fire, and Gen. Lee, |
finding that he was in danger of capture |
mounted his gray and rode back slowly
toward the town. As he was surround
ed by considerable number of officers,
| the group attracted the attention of the
enemy, and they opened fire on it. One
Of the shells killed the horse of an officer
within few feet of me, and cut the
| bride reins of another, and second
shell exploded directly behind Gen. Lee,
| within few feet it seemed of his back,
but without hurting him. His escape
was remarkable, as the fragments OF the
| shell raised the dust around him like
shower of musket balls, and the incident
seemed to excite him for the first time.
His face had been quite composed up to
this moment, but suddenly flushed with
anger. He turned his head over his
right shoulder and looked at the federal
| guns with the expression of man who
likes to charge them. He grew calm in
| few moments, however, and saying to
an officer in a matter-offact voice, "This
] is bad business, colonel" rode on, still
under the fire eff the shell, at a slow
pace, to the low inner works, manned by
thin line of infantry,
On the morning of what rhetorical
writer would be apt to call the fatal
day" 1 rode up to Appomattax court
| house, which is village on hill, with
the natural curiosity to find what was go
ing to take place. 1t was certain that
the events of this forenoon would de
eide everything, as Appomatox was, In
/! military phrase, the "deftle" through
which the confederates must pass TO
their safety or destruction. A heavy
federal force, whether infantry or caval-
ry was not known, was in front, and the
decisive moment had come. If it was
only cavalry it was tolerably sure that
man like Gordon, at the head of his five
thousand veterans, would make short
work of them; but if the federal infan-
try was up in heavy force it was quite as
certain that it would make short work
of Gordon. He had advanced consider
ably beyond the court house, and there
were no troops in the village at the
moment entered it and rode on. There
were traces of an engagement, however,
on the night before, and L have often
thought since of a trit1ing circumstance,
if it may be called such, which attract
!. ed my attention. The dead body of a
young artillery officer was lying in the
road up the hill. A few weeks before he
had sent in his application for months
furlough to go and see his wife, who
was dangerously i'll, and though gener-
al order directed that no leaves what
ever should be granted, had forward
ed his application to Col. Taylor,
: chief ofstaff, calling his attention to the
case. He gave the young officer ten
days, and heduly went and returned and
was now dead.
SCENES AT APPOMATToX.
Gordon carried out his orders, and
made sudden attack OH the force in his
front-one of his old reckless assaults
which on so many occasions during the
latter months of the war had carried ev-
, erything before them. There was gen.
eral conviction in the army that Gordon
could be counted on to effect anything
that was not absolutely impossible. The
force of infantry and cavalry in his front
was quite overpOwering. He first at
: | tackled Gen. Sheridan's cavalry and drove
: it considerable distance, but then he
> came on the infantry and could do moth
| | ing further, and fell back. The result
was that Gen. Lee sent a flag to Gen
Gran: with view to surrender his army,
:. and soon afterward went to Appomattox
? court house to meet him there.
These events occurred quite rapidly,
and the vicinity of the village had be-
come scene of deep interest, though il
could hardly be called one of excite
ment. There was no "noise and confu-
. sion," and Longstreet's small corps of
two thousand men, who had been sent
d for from the rear, advanced steadily in
: profound silence to form the line of bat
D tie behind the hill. From casual obser.
e Walton of ground at the spot it struck
e me as q sort of amphitheater, with the
: confederates in the arena and the federal
. audience, 80 to speak, on the raised seats
? The surrounding hills were excellent
: positions for artillery, and the small
e force could be easily destroyed, it seemed.
{ There was no doubt about the federal
( force sup and ready for attack. The
3 late Gen. Custer, then a young cavalry
D officer, with long, curling hair, and
? wearing velvet undress jacket, rode
e down the slope with flag, and heard
7 him exclaim, in an eXited voice; eve
2 have eighty thousand men just over that
HILL" pointing behind him as he spoke
] in the direction of the court house.
At the moment only the federal caval-
! ~ were visible, and the situation was
l not encouraging. They were drawn up
! in very heavy column, or rather line
! of battle, in the depression opposite the
) confederate left. A broad ravine gave
: Us a good view of them-a solid and
black mass, with light flashing from the
: sabres. They produced the impression
of being ready and only being held in
2 leash, which, l suppose, affords good
3 idea of the facts.
THE WHITE FLAG.
: There was no further fighting, how
ever. Gen. Lee had ridden to the court
house, and agreed to the terms of sur
2 render proposed by Gen. Grant, who very
: courteouslY appologized for not wearing
: his dress sword, which he said was with
} his baggage. Gen. Lee is known to have
shown no emotion In face or demeanor,
though he had looked forward to the sur
! render with feeling like despair, and
exclaimed TO one of his staff: How
easily could get rid of this and be at
rest! / have only to ride along the
: line and all will be over" He said, how
ever, about the same time. in reference
} to the terms of the surrender: 'The
: question is whether it is right. Ifit is
not right, take the responsibility" The
: terms were that the army should surren-
, der and return TO their homes-the Off
; GERS retaining their side-arms and the
men their private horses-there to IRE
main undisturbed," as / find from look
) ing at my own "paroled prisoners's
: pass"
While this was going on, and while
the small force of confederates in rear of
the court house had not the least idea
, that the whole affair was over, a pic
, turesque-it might be called dramatic
incident indicated everything. A
!, column of federal infantry, which had
? passed though the court house, adj
7 vanced TO the brow of the hill above,
} waving in front of them the largest
: white flag have ever seen. Where it