Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-08-18
Eea.s Surrender.

The following eloquent extract is
taken from the address of Major
Daniel over the reeumbent statue
OF Lee.
Over that march of desperate
valOr, disputing fate, as over the
face of hero in the throes of dis
solution, throw the blOOd-reeking
battle-fiag, not with wounds, as a
veil And | hail the heroic army
and its heroic chief, as on the 9Th of
April morn, they stand unbattled
in caim and stern repose, ready to
die with their harness on-warriors
every inch, without stain. Around
the little hamlet of Appomattox
Court house is gathered the Army
of Northern Virginia-leSs than
eight thousand men with arms in
| their hands-less than twenty seven
thousand all told, counting camp
followers and stragglers and around
them in massive concentric lines
the army of Grant, flushed with
success and eXpectistiOn-mOre than
eighty-thousand strong upon the
field, and with each hour bringing
up reinforcements. The environed
army, with a Valor of Spartans,
stand ready to die, not indeed in
response to civic laws denying sur
render, but obedient to the lofty
impulse of honor. Can they cut
| through? Does the dream Of u
phantom Confederate yet beckon
them on beyond the wall Of steel
and fire that girdles them? Can
they find fighting ground in the
| CarolinaS with Joseph b. Johnston,
who, among the first to meet the
foe, proves amongst the last to leave
him? Can the dauntIess foemen
not cleaye path to the inner cOun-
try, and renew the unequal strife :?
Not till that hope is. tested VIII they
yield!
AS the day dawns a remnant Of
the cavalry under FitZ Lee is form
ing and GordOn's infantry, scarce
two thOusandestrOng, are touching
elbows for the last charge. Once
more the thrilling rebel cheer rings
through the Virginia woods, and
with all their wOnted ffrmnesS they
fall upon Sheridans's men. Oh !!
yes, victory still clings to the latter
ed battled flags. Yes, troopers OF
our gallant Fitz are as dauntleSs as
when they followed the plume of
Stuart. Yes, the matchlesS infant
nv of "tattered uniforms and bright
muskets" under Gordan, the brave,
move with a.. swift, intrepid tread
as when of old "StOnewall" led the
way. Soldiers of Manassas Of
Richmond, Fredericksburg, Chan
of
Harbor, of Petersburg, Scared and
surviving veterans of fifty fields,
your glories are still about you,
your manhood is triumphant still.
Yes. the blue lines break before
them two cannon and many pris-
Oners are taken, and for two miles
they sweep the fields toward Lynch
burg, Victors still!
But no, too late! too late! be-
hind the flying sabres and rifles of
Sheridan rise the bayonets and
frOWn the batteries of the Army of
the James, under ORD, a solid phal-
anx stands right athwart the path
of Fitz Lees and GOrdon's men.
Too late the die is cast! the doom
is sealed There is no escape. The
eagle is quarried in his eyrie! the
wounded lion is hunted to his lair.
And so the guns of the last charge
died away in the morning air and
the echo like the sob OF a mighty
sea, rolled up the valley of the
James, and all was still. The last
fight of the Army of Northern Nir-
ginia had been fought. The end
had come. The smoke vanished.
The startled birds renewed their
songs over the stricken field; the
battle smell was drowned by the
fragrance of the Towering spring.
And the ragged soldier of the South,
God bless him, stood there facing
the dread reality more terrible than
death, stood there to grapple with
and face down despair for he had
done his all, and all was lost, SGce
honor.
THE SURRENDER.
General Lee, dressed in his best
uniform, rides to the front to meet
General Grant. For several days
demands for surrender had been re-
jected-now surrender was inevita-
bic. And the two commanding Off
GERS met at the Mclean house to
concert its terms. The first and
abiding thought of Lee was the
honor of his men, for he had de-
termined to "cut his way out at all
hazards, if such terms were not
granted as he thought his army was
entitled to demand" General"
said Lee, addressing Gr,nt and
opening the conversation, II deem
it due to proper candOr and frank
ness to say at the beginning OF this
that | am not willing
even to discuss any terms of surren-
der inconsistent with the honor OF
my army, which am determined
to maintain to the last" Grant |
gave fitting and magnanimOIs re- |
Spouse, and the honorable terms de-
manded were agreed to: The Otfi-
GERS to retain sidearms, private |
horses and baggage" and leach |
officer and man to be allowed to |
return TO his hOme," and mark it,
"nOt to be disturbed by u. S. aH-
thOrity as long as they observed
their parole and the laws in force
where they reside" Thus at last
was the liberty of the soldier pur-
chased with his blood.
And 40 the Army Of Northern
Virginia, never broken in battle,
passed from action into history SO
it persisted by the flashing OF the
guns, while victory hung charmed
to its flag and threw upon its tomb
the immOrtelleS of honor.
The old order changeth yielding place to
new,
And God fuIflls himself in many ways"
Turing tho 1nIiVnrv nf those sinh |