The National tribune., 1883-01-11
LEES SURRENDER.
Graphic Description OF the Scene at AppOmaE.
t0x by General Chamberlain.

From the BrlinscCick (lle.) Telegraph
On the evening before the great question
was to be tried we prepared to break camp be-
fore the dawn. The enemy was in o hopeless
cOndition-their right smashed, their centre
pierced, their strsng works in front lost, their
principal line of communication cut, Peters
burg in our possession, the fall of their capital
inevitable. The campaign lasted II days only.
I The skirmishing ali 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 enemy was to push west
eTly by pathway that led them along the
south of the AppomattOx River. That pathway
was traversed by many streams, and as they
rushed along it was only to find at every cross
ing some hot vanguard. IL was the last night
of the pursuit. Sheridan, who was Just little
way 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 moro than the hard days march
that we might keep up with the cavalry. 1t
was baCkest midnight when with flushed
faces and aching limbs we reached the goal
Down we lay there in our blankets, supperiess;
fevered by the heat Of the march, then chilled
by the dews of the Virginia Spring. Scarcely
has the first broken dream begun, when
mounted officer splashed down the road, bearing
in his hand note from Sheridan: "Ifyou can
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 bugIe note The horses are
/ hurried up. The men form in short ranks. In
three hours we have reached AppOmattOx Sta
tion. Already we can hear the sharp ring of
the hoarse artillery, drowned by the surly roar
of tho rebel guns. There is no mistake. Sherj-
dan 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 ali that was left of the pTOudest army of
the C0nfGderacy. Suddenly an officer from
Sheridan appeared and delivered this message
Sir,-Gen. Sheridan wishes you TO draw OF
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 own order.
Breaking from the woods we soon catch sight
of Sheridan's banner. Beneath it sat tuat calm
yet headlOng man mounted on the fiery steed
that had turned the battle of the Shenandoah.
In full view Of us our cavalry galiantly stem
ming the fire of the StOnewal Jackson corps.
! We wheel into line Of battle. Every arm of
the service was in full play. On ono side the
line rolled back; on the other pressed irressti-
bly, on. AS the battle took shape we became
the extreme right of a scmicircle envelOping
| Lee. Meantime the other corps Of infantry
were coming up and forming a sort of semi
circle. Coming up on the rebel rear are the
| Second, Sixth and Ninth Corps OF our army,
and unless they can break through Us within
Il half hour, all is lost by them. The rebel bat
terie5 are drawn OFT from the crest, and they
take their 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 Sheridan
closing on the foe. We dash on over swamp
and stream. al is excitement. Soon two
h0rsemen come galloping out from the rebel
line one of them waving flag of truce.
The aide makes his graceful salutaJon and
delivers his message: "Gen. Longstreet desires
a cessation of hostilities until he can hear from
Gen. Lee as to q proposal of surrender" Mean
time of course, we still advance We have no
orders to halt, but the firing slackens on both
sides. In q moment comes the order to cease
firing and to halt. A truce is agreed upon till
4 o'clock in the afternoon. Four o'clock comes.
No word from Lee and Grant is heard so what
have we to do after this but to resume hostili-
ties q? The order came: Prepare to make or
receive an attack in 10 minutes" We pushed
forward our skirmish lines; but Lee and Grant