The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-29
VALENTINES RECUMBENT FIGURE OF LEE.

peerless Lee. Genius planned. yalOr exc
cutcd, patriotism stripped itself OF every
treasure. and heroiSm fought and bcd and
died, and all in vain. When the drcar
winter OF 1864 came at last there came also
prcmouitiOn, OF the end. ''The very seed
corn OF the Confcderacy had been ground
up" as President Davis said. The people
sat at naked tables and slept i'm sheetless
beds, for their apparel had been used TO
bind up wounds. The weeds grew in
fcnccleSS fields. for the plough-hor>c wa,
pulling the cannon. The church-yard and
the mansion fences were stripped OF their
lcadcn ornaments that the muskct and the
rifle might not lack for bullets. The land
was drained OF itS substance. and the Army
Of Northern Virginia was nearly exhausted
for Wlrf of food and raimcnt. All through
the bleak winter days and nights it, deci-
mated and >hiyering ranks still faced the
dense battalions OF Grant, in misery and
I'm want not less than that which darkened
the hOyci, and stained the SHOWS Of Valley
Forge, and the army seemed 10 live only
on is innate, indOmitable will, is often
times we see some noble mind survive
when the physical power, OF nature have
been exhausted. Like rock OF old ocean.
il bad received and broken and hurled
back into the deep i'm bloody foam those
understanding waves Of four years OF
inccssant battle; but now the rock itself
was wearing away, and still the waves
came on.
\ new enemy was approaching the
sturdy, devoted band. In september, 1864,
Atlanta fell, and through Georgia TO the
sea, with fire and sword, swept the ylcto-
riOus columns Of Shengan. In January,
1860. the head OF column had been turned
northward. and in February Columbia and
Charleston shared the fate that had already
befallen Savannah. Yes, new enemy was
approaching the Army Of Northern Viz
einia. and this time in the rear. The
homes OF the soldiers OF the Army Of
Northern Virginia from the southern States
were now in ashes. Wives, mothers, and
sisters were wanderers under the wintry
skies, flying from the invaders who sm0tc
and spared not i'm their relentless march.
|, il wonder that hearts that had never
quailed before bayOnet or blade beat
now with tremul0us and irrepresslble
emotion! l. il wonder that in the watches
OF the night the sentinel in the trenches,
tortured 10 cXcruciation with the thought
that those dearest OF earth 10 him were
without an arm 10 save, felt bis SOU SINK
in anguish, and his hope perish! 30 1t
was, that with hunger and nakedness aS It's
companions, and foes in front and foes 10
rear. the Army OF Northern Virginia seemed
bound to the rock Of fate.
ON April lst the left wing OF Grant !
massive lines swept around the right and
rear of Lee. Calamity did Pickett and
his men meet and resist them At Five
Forks; but that commanding, strategic
point was taken. and the fall OF Peters
burg and OF Richmond alike became in
eyitable. ON the next day, April I'd, they
were evacuated. Grant was now on ;
shorter line projected toward Danyill'
than Lee; aud the latter commenced a
once that memorable retreat toward
/ Lynchburg, which ended ut Appomattox
THE BATTLE OF APPoMATr0x-THE LAS
CHARGE.
over that march OF desperate yalor-dis
putting fate, as over the face OF hero II
the throes Of dissolution, l throw Oh
blood-reeking battie-1ag, rent withwounds