Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-14
GEN. LEE AT APPOMATTOX.
A PERSONAL "REMINISCENCES BY
A CONFEDERATE OFFICER.
Rallyins the Broken TrOOps-The
Two Alternatives - Waiting for
Grants message-LOngstree Last
WOrds-The Men in the Ranks.

| 0AO was Will tue OO1ISQeTaIe forces In tll
GettYsourg campaign, was one of the frs
TO give the world an idea of the magnanimi
ty and unselisbness which so adorned tn,
other noble qualities of heart and head b,
which the name of General Lee had within
twelve months before become world-re.
nowned. In an article In BlackWood'S Maya
gs9te for Septe nber, 1868, he describes {
scene OF which the present writer was
witness and which is here given In full, no
only Tor its own intrinsic interest, but as
| preface to another personal reminiscence Of
General Lee at the surrender at Appomat
tox Court House, illustrating iB, perhaps
even stronger light the same calm anC
high spirit unruffled by any disaster, evel
forgetful of self and ever mindful OF Others
and of outy.
Colonel Freemantle, speaking of the
charge OF Pickett's Division at Gettysburg
writes:
"Soon afterward 1 Joined General Lee
! who, in the meantime, came to the front OF
being informed of the extent of the disaster
Ii Longstreets conduct was admirable thai
OF General Lee was perfectly sublime. He
was engaged In rsllying and encouraging
the broken troops, and was riding about q
little in front of the wood quite alone, the
whole OF his staff being engaged in q
similar manner further to the rear. His
race, which is always placid and cheer
/
! slightest disappointment,ca care or ANNOYANCE.
and he was addressing to every soldier be
met few words of encouragement, such
as All will come right in the end; we will
talk 1t over afterward, but In the meantime
all good men must rally. We want all good
and true men just now,' etc. He spoke to
all the wounded men that passed him, and
the slightly wounded he exhorted 10 bind
up their hurts and take musket in this
0unn
this appeal, and / saw many badly wounded
men take off their hats and cheer him.
He said to me: This has been sad day
Tor US, Colonel-a sad day; but We can't
| expect always to gain victories He was
also kind enough to advice me get into
some more shellere position.
'Notwi hstaLdiug the misfortune which
had so suddenly befallen him, General Lee
seemed to observe everything, however
trivial. When a mounted officer began
| licking his horse for shying at the bursting
OF shell, he called GU: Don't whip him,
Captain, don't whip him; I've got just such
another foolish horse myself, and whipping
| does no good. *
81 happened to see a man lying fat on
his face In small ditch, and l remarked
that did not think he seemed dead. This
drew General Lees attention to the man,
who commenced groaning dismally. Find
IL,
General Lee had him ignominiously set on
his legs by some neighboring gunners.
Il saw General Wilcox ian officer, who
wears short round jacket and battered
straw hat), come up to him and explain,
almost crying, the state of his brigade
| General Lee Immediately shook hands with
him and said cheerfuIly: Never mind.
General, all this has been my fault. 1t is !
that have lost this fight, and YOU must help
me out of 1t the best way you can.'
"In this manner l saw General Lee en-
courage and reanimate his somewhat dis
| plrited troops and magDanimously take up
on his own shoulders the whole weight of
| the repulse. It was impossible to look at
him or to listen to him without feeling the
strongest admiration, and | never saw any
man fail him except the man in the ditch. -
The morning of the 9 h of April, 1865,
| found ,he Confederate army In position in
which its inevitable fate was apparent TO
every man in it. The diminishing which
had begun In its front as its advance guard
reached AppOmattox Court House the night
| before had developed into a sharp fight in
| which the continuous firing Of the artillery
and the steady increase of the musketry
told to all that heavy force had been
thrown across our line Of march, and that
relntorcements to 1t were steadily arriving.
Inc long trains OF wagons and artillery
were at first halted in the road and then
parked In the adjoining fields, allowing the
rear OF the column to close up and addf
tionaI troops to pass to the front to rein
force the advanced guard and to form a
reserve line of battle in their rear, under
cover OF which they might retire when
necessary. While these dispositions were
taking place, Gen. Lee, who had dismounted
and was standing near fire on a hill
about two miles from the court house, call
ed the writer to him, and, inviting him to a
seat on log near by, referred TO the situa-
tion, and asked: "What shall we do this
mornine?" Although this opportunity of
expressing my views was unexpected. the
situation itself was not, for two days before,
while near Farmville, in consultation with
General Lee over his map, the fact of the
enemy's having the shortest road to the AID
pomatt0x Court House had been noted, and
the probability Of serious difficulty there
anticipated, and in the meantime there had
| been ample opportunity for reflection
on all of The emergencies that might
arise. Without replying directly to the
question, however, | answered first
that 1t was due to my command
| (of artillery that should tell him that they
were in as good spirits, though short of
ammunition and with poor teams, as they
had ever been, and bad begged if it came to
surrender 10 be allowed to expend first
| every round of ammunition on the enemy
and surrender only the empty ammunition
chests To this General Lee replied that
there were remaining only two divisions of
infantry sufficiently well orgsnz d and
strong to be fully relied upon (Field's and
M"hoDe't), and that they did not NUMBER
eight thousand muskets together; and that
| that force was not sufficient to warrant him
In undertaking pitched battle. ''Then,"
answered, General, there are but
| two alternatives, to surrender or to order
the army to abandon its trains and disperse
In the woods and bushes, every man for
himself, and each to make his best way,
with his arms, either to the army of Gen.
Johnston in North Carolina or home to the
Governor of his State. We have all fore
seen the probability of such an alternative
for two days, and | am sure | speak the
sentiments of many others besides my own
in urging that rather than surrender the
army you should allow us to disperse in the
woods and go, every man for himself"
"What would you hope to accomplish by
this?"
l answered: eff there is any hope at all
for the COufederacy or for the separate
States to make terms with the United States
or for any foreign assistance, this course
stands the chances, whatever they NAV be,
while IL this army surrenders this morning
the COnfederacy is dead from that moment.
Grant will turn one hundred and fifty thou
sand fresh men against johnson, and with
the moral effect Of our surrender he will 20,
and Dick Taylor aud Kirby Smith will have
10 follow like row of bricks, while IL we
all take to dispensing in the woods we in-
augurate a new phase of the war, which
may be indefinitely prolonged, and it will at
least have great moral effect In showing
that in our pledges to fight it out to the last
we meant what we said. And even, General,
IL there Is no hope at all in this course
or In any other, and if the fate of the
Confederacy is sealed, whatever we DO,
there is one other consideration which your
soldiers have right to urge on you, and
that is your own military reputation, In which
every man in this army, officer or private,
feels the utmost personal pride, and has a
personal property that bis children will
prize after him. The Yankees brought
Grant here from the West, after the failure
of all their other Geuerals, as one who had
whipped everybody he had ever fought
against, and they call him 'Unconditio1al
Surrender Grant, and have been Dragging
in advance that you would have to surren-
der too. Now, General, think you ought
to spare us all the modification of having YOU
TO ask Grant for terms, and have him answer
that he had no terms to offer you"
still remember most vividly the emotion
with which made this appeal, increasing
as went on, until my whole heart was in It;
and 1t seemed to me at the moment, one
which no soldier could resist and against
which no consideration whatever could be
urged; and when closed, after urging Tny
suggestions at greater length than it is ne
cessary to repeat, looking him in the face
and speaking with more boldaess than |
usually found In his presence, l had not
doubt that he must adopt some such cOurse