The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-05-18

S"Se aiter, higher up the river nm M,
n.a1cn to Appomattox. After a sbor,
ano earnest conference with Gen Iea
uen. diil mounted anG rode OFF with H.
non. commissioned staff. In lesa ,han m,s
zen minutes he was killed by a nsrtv ,@u q,
ia1Eee scouts in wood t5rder;no III.
foad az along which he had to pass. 'Ae
mere we're only few Yankee scouts
zen. Lii saw them aud with his staG
charged them. The scouts were beb;nd
trees, end in firing into the party nnfor.
,unately for US and the whole ARM
killed GAn. Hill. ""oio aihiy
Couriers had been sent back 10 h,rru
up Fields's division which was fol,ow;ny
US from the north side (Richmondl dn.
ring the night. Things looked extyeme.
~ gloomy. Not Confederate eoId;er
wss between Gen. Lees quarters and
the enemy. The nearest Organized force
was In redoubt on hill o little to the
left and nearly in front of us. Soou n he g
ene1y tn aay learned ours sisuation and prepared
70 ADVANCE in heavy columns.
we nad only to watch them and ap.
pear az II we were not at all afraid
ve;y soon we got up some light artillery
ana moved right up to the enemy and
opened hIe. This checked them until
they could level our defences and bring
forward their artillery. The enemv
made TWO direct attacks or movements
One vi, 3 TO throw heavy force across
the road aud reaching with sheir left to
tne river TO prevent the junction OF the
two parts OF the army here discovered
ana to cut off the retreat by this road on
the south side of the Appomattox. This
was the force with which We had TO con.
tend. W s0"'
The other movement, which was the
first necessity for the enemy to accom-.
piish, was the capture Of the fort onithe
hill. The fort made very gallant reais.
tance, but was forced by Overwhelming
numbers to surrender. The winter cab.
lns In the neighborhood of the fort were
burnt and the smoke doubtless added
very much to the annoyance of our men
ana as protection to the enemy. This
fort captured, q. very large force was
brought against our party in the road in
front of the headquarters of Gen. Lee.
Our force for long time consisted of
Gen. Longstreet's staff and a company
of artillery. About 8 O'Clock, think.
the frs! brigade, Gen. Beuning's. Of
Fields's division, came up. This brigade
had not over four:hundred men, think.
in ranks. But with this little brigade
and a few pieces of artillery We kept a
very large force, should think 5000
men,
AT BAY FOR TWO HOURS.
Fighting in plain open old field, too.
without any obstruction even to vision.
The enemy fred very inaccurately-we
were often withintwo hundred yards of
their line. The only casualty among US
was the wounding of Blanning's horse
by q shell. At one time Gen. Long
streets horse became so frightened BY
the shower Of mimic bullets that he star
ted TO run, restrained Immediately
against his will, he reared and came so
nearly falling back that he tcttered and
had to catch o step backward TO gain his
balance.
AS additional brigades of Fields's d.
vision came up they were put in line on
good position in rear of Town Creek,
to which we slowly fell back. / think
that this was one of the most singularly
unequal engagements as TO numbers or
each side that ever witnessed. Just as
Bratton's brigade were getting into po-
sition on the right of the line The enemy
made sudden and desperate dash to
cross the canal and capture pontoon
bridge across the river. A few moments
before we had no troops there to protect
it, and doubtless this fact gave both con-
| fidence and celebrity to their movements,
but before they got there our people had
just reached their position and very
sharp and bloody fight occurred, in which
the enemy lost heavily. think we lost
none. About o'clock our lines were
firmly established and the fighting, ex-
cepting artillery and sharp shooting,
ceased in our front. That night we
evacuated Petersburg and took up the
memorable march which ended a week
later at Appomattox Courthouse with
THE SURRENDER OF THE ARMY.
I don't remember to have eaten any
thing during the whole day, nor in fact
until Monday morning, about sunrise,
| arranged for breakfast for the Gener.
al and etaf at q country farm house and
for q bundle of fodder for my horse. l
had been in the saddle for two days and
two nights almost continuously. shall
never forget the kind treatment received
tho following day ct the hands of that
most estimable lady, Miss Kate Cox,
now Mrs. T. NJ. Logan. Learning that
We would pass near by Mr.. Cox's resi-
dence l rode forward to learn the condi-
ton of the ladies of the family, If they
were at home, and what they intended to
do in view of the retreat of our army.
They were sofeIy distressed to know Of
the misfortunes of our army and seemed
more interested in it than In their own
safety. met with the wafmest greeting
and the most genuine hospitality. was
asked TO ride back to the main road and
bring Gems. Lee and Longstreet and the
staff down. This was the last good meal
that We had an opportunity. of eating
until we arrived at Major Jack Alexan-
der's, at Campbell Courthouse, the day
after leaving Appomattox.
A few days before the army broke up
my good wife had sent ME o box OF hang,
q small barrel of molasses and five BUSH
els of cow.peas. Had it not been for
this supply don't know how we would
have lived on the march.
This march was a sad and an extreme
" wearisome one. At Amelia Court
house we expected rations, but were dis
appointed. With the exception Of a
little Tiff ct Rice's Station and at Farm
Vile our part of the army had but little
fighting, end the day before we reached
Appomattox we were singularly free
from annoyance from the enemy. We
expected to get through at Appomattox.
/ think Gen. Lee had but little hope,
but the army did not expects q surrender
60 soon at least.
Col. Haskell's account of the last day
;at Appomattox and Gen. Custer coming
into our lines without an escort recalls
nv knowledge of some of the facts con-