Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-30
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A Splendid Deseripiie6 By Gen.
ChambeTlaiB, of Maine.

D1 QCuSial OAahA ~ ANNNANN AhO SUI
render Of Lees army, recently de-
scribed the Fcene in a lecture in
Memorial Hall Bowdoin College.
The Brunswick Telegraph furnishes
9 brief report OF his address as follows;
'On the evening before the great
question waste be tried we prepared
to break camp before the dawn. The
enemy was in a hopeless condition
their right smashed, their center
pierced, their strong works in front
lost, their principal line OF communi-
~munication cut, Petersburg in our
possession, the fall Of their Capital
inevitable. The skirmishing all dsy
and the marching Ill night, and then
on the last three days the racing
and pursuit greatly weslied our
men. The only hope Of the enemy
was to push westerly by a pathway
that led them along the south
Of the AppOmattox river. That
pathway was trsversed By many
streams, and as they rushed along 1t
was only TO 6ud at every crossing
some hot vanguard. Sheridan, who
was just a little way ahead, had sent
back wird that be was close upon the
enemy aud likely 10 strike him at any
moment. and asked US to make about
| eight miles more than the hard days
march that We might keep up with
his cavalry. 1t was BLACKLIST midnight
when. with flashed faces and aching
limbs, we reached the goal. Down we
lay there in our blankets, supperlcss,
ievered by the heat Of the march then
chilled by the dews OF the Virginia
spring Scarcely has the first broken
dreams begun, when a mounted officer
flashed down tue rUad, bearing III bis
hand a note IRON Sheridan: III you
eau possibly push out your infantry
tonight we will have great results in
the morning.
Almost before the lingering echoes
Of the halt have died away. the tired
brain Of the dreamer hears the bugle
note. The horses are hurried up
The men form 10 short ranks. ln
three hours we have reached AppO-
mattox Sta ion. Already we can hear
the sharp ring OF the horse artillery,
drowned by the surly roar Of the
rebel guns, There is no mist Ike
sheridan is slusre across the rebel
retreat, and with that glorIou,
cavalry alone. in which our First
Maine was IN the very front, he was
holding at bay all that was lett of~the
proudest army Of the Ueulederacy
Suddenly an officer from Sheridan
appears and delivers this message:
Sir, General Sheridan wishes you TO
draw off two columns aud come TO his
support. The rebel infantry is press
log him hard, and likely to drive him
from the field Such CHANGED to be
| my own order.
Breaking from the woods we soon
catch sight of Sheridan's banner Be
meath it sat that calm yet headlong
man mounted on the fiery steed that
had turned the battle of the Shenan-
doah. In full view OF US, GU cavalry
was CALAMITY stemming the FIRE Of the
StOnewall Jackson corps. We wheel
into line of battle. Every arm Of
the service was iu iull play Ga one
side the line rolled back; on the other
pressed irresistib'y on As the battle
took shape we became the extreme
right OF a semi circie enyelOpiag. Lee.
Meantime the other corps OF ~inlautry
we're coming up and forming a sort o.
semi circle. Coming up on the rebel
rear are the Second, Sixth and Ninth
Corps OF our army, aud unless they
can break through US within a hall
hour all is lost by them. The rebel
batteries are drawn off from the
Greet, and they take their ground
near the courthouse OF the lit
Tie hamlet called Apponattox.
We press forward on the south side
The die is cast. We hear the rattle
Of our light artillery coming up be-
hind, and we catch gIimpses Of Sheri
dan closing on tue toe. We DISH on
over swamp aud stream. All is cx
element Soon two horsemen come
galloplng out from the rebel line, one
of them waving a flag of truce.
The aide makes bis graceful salu.
tatiOn and delivers his message: Gen
eral Longstreet desires a cessation o.,
hosulItles until he can hear from
General Lee as to a proposal of sur
render. Meanwhile, OF course, we
still advance. We have no orders to
halt, but the firing slackeus on both
sides. In a moment comes the order
to cease firing and to halt. A truce Is
agreed upon until four O'Clock in the
afternoon. -Four o'clock comes. No
word Iron Lee and Grant is heard; 80
what have we TO do after this but
resume hostilities? The order came.
Prepare to make OF receive an attack
in ten minutes We push forward
our skirmish lines, but Lee and Grant
had come. The final answer is not
long coming now. The surrender il
made by Lee. What a word for u.s.
That sky must have been bronze tina,
1t was not rent asunder by the uproar
Of shouting and cheering that con
tlnued late into the night.
We we're 10 camp all the next day.
while Generals Grant and Lee wer,
arranging the details Of tue surrender
But onthe next night, about midnight.
was ordered to have my command
out at 3 o'clock tie next morning 10
receive the colors Of the Rebel army
OF Northern Virginia. 1t was chilly
that morhing, but you may safely
guess we we're on time. We formed
IN line OF battle, stretching along the
south street OF the town, from the
bank Of the stream to the Courthouse
three quarters Of q miles In extent
facing the north. We were moi
ashamed to face that now. Old Mas
sachusetts TO the right Of the line
all that was left OF her Eighteenth
Twenty second, Thirty. second and the
Forty first Maine willing to follow
where che was worthy to lead, and the
proud fragments OF the Twentieth,
and First sharpshooters; Michigan
never behind when a bold blow was
TO be struck, with the shadow frag
ments OF her nee glorious FirsS.
Fourth, Sixteenth; then Pennsylye
MIA on the left with all that remain,o
to be seen OF her Sixty. sixth, Eighty
third, N~inety-6rst, One Hundred and
Eighteenth, and Que Hupdred Spo
Fifty fifth. In the rear OF us, Greg
ory's New York brigade Of new troops;