Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-02-03
THE SURRENDER OF LEE.
A Graphic Description fthe Break
ing Up ofthe Rebel Mob.

| lecture III memorial hall, BOWdOln col
lege The Brunswick Telegraph fnr
nishes brief report of his address a
| follows;
On the evening before the great ques
| ton was to be tried We prepared t
break camp before the dawn. The en-
envy was in u hopeless condition-thel
right smashed, their center pierced
their strong works IN front lost, thei
| principal linz of communication cut
| Petersburg in our possession, the fall o
| their ca aital inevitable. The campaign
| lasted II days only. The skirmish
| ing II day and the marching al
| right, ard then on the last three days
| the racing and pursuit greatly wearieC
| our men. The only hope of the enemy
| was to push westerly by a pathway tina
| led them along the south of the Apo
mattoX river. That pathway was crossed
| by many streams, and as they rushed
along it was only to find at every cross
ing some hol vanguard. 1t was the last
night of the pursuit. Sheridan. who
was just little way ahead, had SEM
back word that h was close upon the
e lemy and likely to strike him at 2ny
| moment, and asked us to make about
eght miles more than the hard days
march that we might keep up with his
cavalry. 1t W; blacklist midnight when
with fl shed faces and aching limbs, we
reache the goal. Down We lay there
in our blankets, supperless; fevered by
the heat If the march, then chilled by
tue deWs ofthe Virginia spring. Scarcely
has the first r,ken dream begun when
a mounted 9th, e. spashed down the
road. bearing in his hand note from
sheridan: If you can possibly push
out your infantry toni hit we will have
great results in the morning"
AIN ost te'ore the lingering echo OF
the "tla t. have died away, the tired
brain Of the dreamer hears the bngaI
note. The horses are hurried up. The
men form i'll short ranks. In three
hours we have reached AppomattoX Sta
tiCn. Already we can hear the sharp
ring of the hoarse artillery, drowned bv
the surly roar of the rebel guns. There
is no mistake. Sheridan is square across
the rebel retreat, and with that glorious
calvary alone, in which our LIST Maine
was in the very front. he was holding at
bay all that was left Of the proudest
army Of the confederacy. Suddenly an
officer from Sheridan appears and de!iv-
erS this message: Sir, Gen. Sheridan
wishes you to draw off Two columns and
come to his support. The rebel infantry
is pressing nim hard, and likely to drive
my own order.
Breaking from the woods we soon
catch sight of Sheridan's banner. Be-
meath it sat the calm yet headlong man
mounted on the terY steed that had
turned the battle of the Shenandoah. In
full view of us our cavalry was CALAMITY
stemming the fire of the Stonewall Jack
son corps. We wheel into lihe 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
bltllt took shape we became the extreme
right of a seml-circle enveloping Lee.
Meantime the other corps of infantry
were coming up and forming sort oil
semi-e'rcle. Coming up On the rebel rear
are the second, sixth and ninth corps of
our army, and unless they can break
through us within a half hour, all is lost
by them. The rebel batteries are drawn
off from the crest, and they take their
ground near the court house Of the little
hamlet called Appomattox. We press
forward on the south side. The die is
cast. We hear the attic of our light ar
tl!tery coming up behind, and we catch
gllmpses of Sheridan osing on the foe
We dash on over swamp and stream. An
Is excitement. Soon two horsemen COLI G
.,aIopIng, cut from the rebel lin ?, one OF
them waving flag of truce.
The aide makes his graceful sllutation
and delivers his message "Gen. Long
street desires a cessation OF hostiIities
until he can hear from Gen. Lee as to d
proposal of surrender" Meantime, of
ourse, we still advance We have no
orders TO halt, bu the firing slackens on
both sides. In mon ent comes the or
der to cease firingand to halt. A truce is
agreed upon till 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 hostilities?
The order came: prepare to make or re
ceive an attack in 10 minutes" We push
forward on" skirnish lines; but Lee and
Grant had come. The final answer is
not long coming now. The surrender is
made by Lee. Whata word for us! The
sky mus have been made of bronze that
it was MT rent al nder by the uproar OF
houtlng and cheering that continued
late into the night.
We were in camp all the next day
while Gems. Grant and Lee were arrang
Ing the details of the surrender. But on
the next night, about midnight, | was
ordered to have my command out at five
o'clock the next morning to receive the
olors of the rebel army of Northern
Virginia. 1t was chilly that morning
but you may safely guess we were III
time. We formed in line of battle stretch
ing along the street of the town from the
bank of the stream to the court house
three quarters of a mile in extent-fac
ing north. We were not ashamed to face
that way now. Old Massachusetts to the
right of the line-all that was left of her
18th. 22d: oath, and the 4lst Maine
willing to follow where she was worthy
to lead, and the proud fragments of the
10Th and 2lst, sharpshooters, Michigan
never behind when bold blow was to
BE struck, when the shadowy fragments
Of her once glorious LIST, 4th, 10th; then
Pennsylvania on the left with AL that re-
manned to be seen of her Goth, SO. 91st
llSth. and l55th. In the rear of us Greg.
ory's New York brigade Of new troops,
but worthy. Opposite, our own gallant
little 1st brigade.
In that surrender Gen. Grant showed
magnanimity that we were disposed to
critlcise. He insisted, however, that
while private property should be re-
sp. cted wherever it might be, all that
belonged to secession--the rebel army,
officers and men, must march out in due
ceremony and lay down their arms and
colors in the presence of some portion
OF our troops. AS we stand there in the
morning mist, we see the rebel army
breaking camp. and then slowly and re-
llICtaUtIy FORMING ranks for tho Lost tirno
And now they move--the great mass
breaking into column of march; Gen
Gordon, with the Stonewall jackson
CORDS, then Longstreet's corps, then
Hills corps, commanded by Heath. On
they came, the rebellion battlefaes with
the diagonal cross and the 13 stars.
Thaa head of tho rnhal aoluxsa., $1,000