The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-02-08
THE WHITE FLAG.
a corrcc, version of the Surrender signal
at tApI0nattox.
C1nlnunicasion o nc y. I. 7.m...

My attention has been called TO an ar.
ticlc recently printed in the iDs', Of this
city, and credited to your entcrrGi-iug
paper, in which it is stated that the APP
ponat,ox flag of truce disappeared after
the surrender, and that al article written
by the Confederate Col. Sins, If South
Carolina, for tho Charleston h,rS dWd
Cnurter had interested many persons in
the search for it, and that j, hai been
recently found in the possession nt Mrs.
Custer, the widow Of The late Gen. Gus
ter, to whom it was presented bv Gen.
Sheridan.
Now, that those interested may layc
the bottom facts in regard to that flag
Of truce, let me say that il has not been
missing" one hour since that day when
General Gordon begged me to take it
and stop the Federal infantry line OF bat
tie, after which it was given 10 Gen.
Custer, then and there, by myself.
may be excused, perhaps, for detailing
the circumstances under whIc! the old
cents served the double duty Of an.
simultaneously TO ii charging column Of
funtry corps in line of battle and were
points Of the compass. General Custer
on the night before had made impossible
the further retreat of Lees army toward
Lynchburg by charging Oh to Appomat.
tOX station, in advance o. orders, captu
ring the depot ard railway supply trains,
and after Il desperate night battle, cap
turing twenty five pieces of artillery AMI
planting his command across the Lynch.
burg pike, facing east toward Lee Dur.
ing the night General Ori's infantry
reached the field and took the position
won by Custer. On the morning OF the
9Th Sheridan moved his whole cavalry
command out over the fields South Of
the Court House, Gen. Clusters division
in advance and received the ire Of the
ancn,yl artillery.
We had reached Il favorable poi;,. for
u charge At what appeared 10 be the cen
| ter of the rebel line, when mn officer
galloped ont TO US, with the truce in his
| hand, and said to Gen. Custer: Gen.
Lee requests Il suspension of hostilities."
Custer instantly halted and, turning 70
me, by his side. said "lio with this
officer and say for me to Gen. Leo th4,
cannot stop this charge unless. he iii.
nounces an unconditional surrender, rs
| am not in sole command on this field"
The officer gave his name as Major Sims
of Longstreet's stall, aud hurricliy pi-
loted me through the rebel lines, but u
few rods in our front, where artillrrymcn
stood in position by their slotted guns
and piles Of ammunition. On the way
TO Lee We we're met by General Gordon,
with II grouP of many other prominent
officers, who stated that the request for
suspension of hustilities was, in fact
unconditional surrender, that Lee had
just rode away to the rear to find Grant,
and that the infantry line Of battle clos.
| ing in on them from the west must be
halted and further bloodshed stopped |
consented to take the same truce and
stop the infantry if Major Sims would
| accompany me. lie did so, and we both, +,
doubtless little warmed up aud out of
breath, explained to Gems. Ord and Cham
halted and cheer after cheer rolled from
right to left.
AZ this point Sims aud myself parted,
he to return to Gen. Gordon, short dis
lance, and in full view over an open field,
and to return to Gen. Custer, where the
ground WAS not open, and the rattle Of
the carbine was still heard, and, of
| course, the truce in hand was still need
cd. On reaching Gen. Custer learned
that Confederate cavalry commander
| had been trying to charge through oar
| lines on the right, and had not succeeded.
had nc further use for the truce, and
handed it to Gen. Custer, who more tb,n
| any ether person Has entitled 20 prsrs.
sion of the relic, as he had done mort
| toward bringing about the surrender.
| Gen. Sheridan never saw the truce when
in use, Never possessed it, and Of course,
never gave il to Gen. or Mrs. Custer.
Mrs. Custer has recently written me for
its history, and gives the address of Col.
Sims, to whom | have written.
| have not seen the article referred to
AS written by him and printed in the
Charleston paper, and do not know how
anxious he is 20 recover the relic, but
trust that he and all our ex.Confcderate
friends will cheerfnlly accord to Mrs.
Custer the rightful custody of it, and
would remind them that it Was her gal
liant husband, at the head of the Third
Cavalry Division, who led the advance
in every battle in Virginia during the
six months closing the war, capturing
III pieces of field artillery, 65 battle aass
ten thousand prisoners OF war, incudiiiE
seven general of!icers, and never lost Il
| gun or color.
Late Lieutenant Colonel First Connecti-
cut Cavalry, Acting Assistant Inspec-
tor.General Third Cavalry Division,
and B-evet Brigadier General United
States Volunteers.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Monday, January
8, 1883.