Morning journal and courier., 1882-12-30
The Surrender Offices Army.
A Graphic Description By Con. Chamber,
 IR5r,. Of Maine.

Graphic Description, Ely Gen. Gnu mber- lain. Of Maine.
 Gen. J. l.. Chamberlain, of Maine the off cer who was designated by Gen. Grant to re- ceive the surrender of Lees army, recently described the scene in lecture in Memorial Hall, Bowdoin College. The Brunswick | Ielegral)h furnishes brief report of his ad- 1 dress as follows:
 "On the evening before the great question i was to be tried we prepared to break camp before the dawn The enemy was in hope l less condition-their right smashed, their centre pierced, their strong works in front l lost, their principal line of communication 1 cut, Petersburg in our possession, the fall of l 12 days only. The skirmishing all day and the marching all night, and then on the last | three days the racing and pursuit greatly wearied our men. The only hope of the l enemy was to push westerly by a pathway that led them along the south of the Appo- mattox river. That pathway traversed | by many streams, and as they rushed along it was only to find at every crossing some hot ! vanguard It was the last night of the pur- | suit. Sheridan, who was just a little ahead had sent back word that he was close upon the enemy and likely to 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. It was blackest midnight when with flushed faces and aching limbs we reached the goal. Down we lay there in our blankets, supperless ; fevered by the heat Of the march, then chill ed by the dews of the Virginia spring. Scarcely has the first broken dream begun, when a mounted officer splashed down the road, bearing in his hand note from Sheri- dan If you can possibly push out your in- fantry 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 in short ranks, In three hours we have reached Appomattox station. Already we can hear the sharp ring of the hoarse artillery, drowned by the surly roar of the rebel guns. There Is no mistake. Sheridan is square across the rebel retreat, and with that glorious cavalry alone, in which our First Maine was in the very front, he was holding at bay all that was left of the proud est army of the Confederacy. Suddenly an officer from Sheridan appears and delivers this message Sir, Gen. Sheridan wishes you to draw off two columns and come to his support. The rebel infantry is pressing him hard and likely to drive him from the field. Such chanced to be my order.
 Breaking from the woods we soon catch sight of Sheridan's banner. Beneath it sat that calm yet headlong man mounted on the fiery steed that had turned the battle of the Shenandoah. In full view of us our cavalry
 was gallantly stemming the fire of the Stone
 wall Jackson corps. We wheel into line of
 battle Every arm of the service was in full play. On one side the line rolled back on the other pressed irresistibly on. As the bat
 tie took shape we became the extreme right
 of semicircle enveloping Lee. Meantime
 the other corps of infantry were coming up and forming sort of senlicircle. Coming up
 on the rebel rear are the Second, Sixth and
 Ninth corps of our army, and unless they can break through within half hour, all is lost by them. The rebel batteries arc
 drawn off from the crest, and they take theil ground near the court house of the little } hamlet called Appomattox. We press for ward on the south side. The die is cast We hear the rattle of our light artillery coming
 up behind, and we catch glimpses of Sheri dan closing on the foe. We dash on ovel
 swamp and stream. All is excitement. Soor two horsemen come galloping out from tn,
 rebel line, one of them waving a flag O , truce
 "The aide makes his graceful salutation ant , delivers his message Gen. Longstreet de u sires cessation of hostilities until he cal hear from Gen. Lee as to a proposal of sur
 render Meantime, of course, we still ad
 vance. We have no orders to halt, but tn firing slackens on both sides. In a momen a comes the order to cease firing and to halt A truce is agreed upon till o'clock in tn
 afternoon. Four o'clock comes. No wor, - from Lee and Grant is heard so what hay @ we to do after this but to resume hostilities , The order came Prepare to make or re