Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-01-20

were disposed to criticise. He
insisted, however, that while pri-
waite property should be respected
wherever ii might be, all that be-
longed TO the secession-the rebel
army, officers and men, must march
out in due ceremony and lay down
their arms and colors in the pres
ence of some portion of our troops.
As we stand there in the morning
mist we see the rebel army break
ing camp, and then slowly and
reluctantly forming ranks for the
last time. And now they move
the great mass breaking into col
umn of march, Gen. Gordon, with
the Stonewall Jackson corps, then
LOngStreet's corps, then Hills
corps, commanded by Heath. On
they came, the rebellion battle-fiags
with the diagonal cross and the
thirteen stars. The head OF the
rebel column comes opposite our
right, and at the bugle signal we
come to the carry arms The reb-
head of the column, observes this
little courtesy, and drops the point
of his sword and gives the COM
mand to carry Not sound from
the trumpet, nor roll of drum, but
in stiffness as if indeed the dead
were passing there-thus they
moved. Then they stacked arms
and took off their cartridge-boxes
and laid them on the pile. Lastly,
painfully, they furled their battle
flags and laid them in the dust /:
some kneeling down over them and
kissing them with burning tears.
And then the star-spangled banner
waved alone upon the field. Thus,
all day long, division after division
comes, goes through the ceremony
and passes on. Having been strip
ped of citizenship, and giving their
honor never to raise arms again,
they can go where they will.
Meantime, all day, no taunt, no
cheer, nor whisper of vainglory
escapes single man of ours. There
was something like half. fraternal
feeling toward these men. We
were fellow-soldiers at last. The
tremendous battles were wrought
by US together. Whoever had
made the war, we had ended it.
"On the morrow, along the hill
sides, what a contrast indeed
Singly or in groups, on foot, on
horse, are those men making their
way, every one for his far away
home, and we are left alone and
lonesome. When we took up our
weary march homeward it was dull
to plOd on without skirmishers
ahead. 1t was tame, too, that
where the road ended no pickets
were placed, and our peace not to
be disturbed by the leaden songsters.
1t seemed waste Of opportunity
that upon the march when we en-
tered valley no battery belched
upon us from the heights beyond.
'But it is all over now and fast
vanishing with the years. / see
new generation standing before me
and around. But though some
times the heart will yearn for those
stirring duties and those high COM
Partnerships of the field, still, when
think of all the noble spirits that
have passed in battle and the storm,
and how those little Virginia rivers
are flowing on tonight, just as they
did while yet these earnest young
eyes were wont to gaze across their
silent waters; of how many hearts
are still tonight that then beat
stronger than their tide. thank
God in heaven that no bugle on
to-morrow's dawn shall awake us
to reveille. Let us not forget, dear
friends, the last martyr; the last ?
l should not say so; for they are
now dying day by day, and hour by
hour, the heroes who fought the war
to the glorious end? But the great
martyr, who, in the supreme mo-
ment of his victory, with malice
toward none, with charity for all,
following the right as God gave
him to see the right, went TO join
his 800, O00-that army of the unsur-
rendered, undischarged, who still
forever keep watch and guard about
us. / see them, marshalled in that
pale yet glorious array on the bat
Element heights that forever shall
keep this nation as one, and that
commanding form, that homely,
true face, l see among them, and
hear at times a sentiment which
moves about from place to place,
and whispers through the world of
space in the deep night, that 'all is
WE'LL"