The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-13

p - - : 49, AG2a
By dark my men We're all quiet aud
asleep. About nine O'Clock | heard the
roar 1t artillery IN our front and IN CON
sequence If Information received | had
my command aroused IN time and passed
through the town of Appomaitox Ii
before daylight, where. . the uppo-
site side Of the town, | found the enem.
In nv front Throwing out my >kIr
mi>hers aud forming hoe Of battle, |
re~c,unoitrrcf aud satisfied myself a. 10
their position. all awaited the arrival ot
G,n. Gordon Tor Instruction.. who,
awhile before lty accompanied by ten
Fitz Lee. came e. nv position when W
held a council IT w4r, Gen Gordon
was of the opinion that the troops IN
front were cavalry and ecu tItz Lee
should attack Fuz Lee thought they
we're infantry and that Gordon should Al
tack. They discussed the matter - long
that | became impatient, aud said it W
some ones duty 10 attack. and that; lm
mediateiy. aud ieii satisfied that they
could be driven from cross roads uccl
pied by them, which was the route it W
desirable our wagon train should pursue
aud that | would unlertake il where
upon Gordon said, well, drive thea
OIL. | replied, Il cannot do 1t with ny
Division alone. but require assistance.
He then SAID, You eau take the other
two Divisions OF the Gorus. About
this time i was becoming sufficiently tIsht
10 make the surrounding localitlc, vI>ibl,
| her rode down aud invited General
Walker, who commanded a Division ou
my left composed principally Of WI
g%iuiau,, to ride with me, showing him
{ Tho t..ITl.n lnf tho . - L. at.i J.. I.Ha14r.tsr
to him ny views and plan Of alta lie
agreed with me as To II, advisaJIutg- i
did this because | felt | had assumed Il
very great responsibility when | took
upon myself the charge Of making tbs
attack. then made dispositions Il dis
lodge the Federals from their position,
placing Bushrod Johnsun's Division up
my right. with Instructions 10 attack aus
take the enemy IN flank, while NY DIN
SION skllmi-hers charged IN trout WHORE
the temporary carthworks had be-
thrown up by the enemy, their cavalry
holding the crossings OF the roSd v IN a
battery. | soon erceived a dispasiuou
On their part TO attack this Division IL
flank | rode back and threw rrlght
80 as To take advantage OF some bitches
10 obstruct the cavalry it they should at
IL ~ " IAN a ~ I'll IN
time the cavalry Of lItz Lee were pro
ceedIug by a clrcuItots route to get Ii
rear of them at these cross road. Tn,
enemy observing me placing these tlorI>
IL position fred upon me " til toul
rlec,s OF artillery. remember vel the
appearance OF the Shell, aad how directN
tIev came towards me, exploding aua
completely enVeloping me IN smoke. |
/ = hon 80 ". tla cIr,al - ojy.v.. .f tho
same time Fltz Lee charged those posted
At the cross roads when my shrmlsEers
attacked the br-ast-workS which were
taken without much loss on my past, also
capturing several pio,es OF arulely and
! large number OF prisoners. ! at the
same time moving the Division up to the
support Of the skirnishers IN eche on by
B~rigades, driving the enemy III ceutu
sion for three quarters of a mile beyond
a range of hills covered with oak under
growth. | then learned from prisoners
that my right flank was threatened
Hating my troops | placed the Skin
mishers, commanded by Col. j. X. Win
ton, 45th n. e.. Troops, in front about
enc hundred yards distant, to give notice
If indication Of attack. Placed Cox's
Brigade, which occupied the right of the
Division at right angles to the other
troops to watch that flank. The other
Divisions of the Corps (Walker and
Evans) were on the left. | then sent an
officer to Gen. Gordon announcing our
success and that the L~ynchbarg road was
open Tor the escape Of the wagons, and
that | awaited orders. Thereupon | re-
oeived an order to withdraw. which
de lined to do, supposlng that General
Gordon did not understand the command.
ing position which my troops occupied.
lie continued to send me order after or.
der to the same effect which | still dis
regarded, being under the impression
that he did not comprehend our %tavora-
bic location, until finally | received "a
message from him with an aGditiona
one as coming from Gen. Lee TO fall back
| felt the difficulty of a Withdrawal with
out disaster. and ordered Col. j. Il.
WINSTON, commanding the skirmish line
which had been posted in my front OF
reaching first these hills. to conform his
movements to those of the Division, and
to move by the left flank so as to give u,
notice OF an attack from that quarter. !
then ordered Cox to maintain his posi-
ton in line Of battle, and not to show
himself until our rear was 100 yards dis
tant, and then to fall back in line of bat
tie, SO as to protect our rear and righr
flank from assault. | then instructed
Major Peyton, of my staff, to start the
left in motion, aud | continued with til,
rear.
The enemy, upon seeing us move off
rushed out from under cover with ;
cheer. when Cox's Brigade, lying con
cealed at the brow of a hill, rose anC
: fired a volley into them, which drov,
them back into the woods, the Brigad,
then following their retreating comrade.
in line of battle unmolested. After pro
ceeding about half the distance to tn,
position occupied by us in the morning
a dense mass OF the enemy in column
t Infantry appeared on our right, anC
advanced without firing towards the
earthworks captured by US in the earl,
morning, when a Battery Of our a~rtiller1
opened with grape ard canister. anC
drove them under the shelter of the
woods.
As my troops approached their posi-
ton OF the morning, | rode UP to Gen
Gordon and asked him where should
form line of bat lie. He replied, Any
where you choose Struck by tht
strangeness of the reply, | asked an ex.
pldhdliOui WHcltupOu he informed Il
hat we would be surrendered ex
pressed very forcibly my dissent to being
surrendered, and Indignantly unbranded
= him for not giving me notice Of snch in
%fention, as | could have escaped with my
Division and joined Gen. Joe Johnston,
then in North Carolina. Furthermore,
that should then inform my men of the
purpose to surrender, and that whom.
soever desired to escape that calamity
could go with me, and galloped off tc
carrN this idea into effect. Before