The National tribune., 1883-01-11

had come.-lThe final answer IS not long
coming now. The surrender is made by Lsc.
WHAT a word for Us That SKY must have been
bronze that it was not rent asGlder 10y thc M
roar Of shouting and cheering that continued
laIc into the night.
We were in camp all the next day while
Gems. Grant and Lee were arranging the de-
tails ot the surrender. Est GA the next night,
sbout midnight. I was ordered TO have my COM
maUl ont at > o'clock the next morning to re-
caiEe the Col0r5 CI the yelC! army OF Northern
Virginia. 1t was chilly that morning, but you
ma" safely guess we wcrc 0l time. We formed
in line Of battle, stretching along the south
street OF the town from the bank of the stream
TO the -thTCe-qudT5srs Of q mile IN
eXtont-iaciug north. We were u0g ashamed
to face that way now Old Massachusetts 70
the right OF the liuc-au that was left Of her
Eighteenth, Twenty-secold; Thirty second
and the IOrty-irst Maine willing to follow
where she was worthy 20 lead. and the proud
fragments of the Twentieth and First sharp
shooters; Michigan, never behind when 2 bod
blow was to be struck, with the ShadOwy frag-
ncntS OF her once glorious First Fourth, Six
/ teenth; then Pennsylvania on the left with all
that remained to be seen Of her Sixty-sixth,
ElIhty-thit, Nincty-iiT5t, One Hundred and
Eighteenth, and One Hundred and Fifty-ffth.
in the rear Of Us, Grcc7ry's New York brigade
OF new troops, but worthy. Opposite, cur own
gallant little First brigade.
Ii that surrender, Gen Grant showed mag
uauimity that we were disposed to criticise. He
insisted, however, that while private property
should be respected wherever it might be, all
that belonged to the sGCassi0u-the rebel army,
officers and men, must march out in due cere-
mOuy and lay down their arms and Colors in
the presence Of some portion OF cur troops. As
we stand there IN the morning mist, we see the
rebel army breaking camp, and then slowly
rr lot Tac
And now they mOve--the great mass breaking
into Q column Of march; Gen. Gordon, with the
St0ncW1u Jackson corps, then LOngstreet'5
corps, then Hills corps commanded by Heath.
On they came, the rebellion battla-1ags with
the diagonal cross and the l3 stars. The head
of the rebel column comes opposite our right,
and at the bugle signal we come to the Garry
arms" The rebel commander, Gen. Gordon. at
the head Of the column, observes this little
courtesy, and drops the point of his sword and
gives the command to Gary Not q sound
from the trumpet nor roll Of drum. but in still
ness as if indeed the dead were passing there
thus they moved. Then they stacked arms and
took of their Cartridge boxes and laid them on
the pile. Lastly, painfully, they furled their
battle-fdzs and laid them in the dust; some
kneeEng down over them and kissing them
with burning tears. And then the Star-sDaCEled
Banner waved alone upon the field Thus al
day long, division after division comes, goes
through the ceremony, and passes on. Having
been stripped of citizenship, and giving their
honor never to raise arms again, they can 20
where they will. Meantime, al dayy no taUn5,
no cheer, nor whisper of vainglory escapes .
single man Of ours. There was something Iika
a half-frateTnal 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 hillsides, what q
NtVa-N wi I
on horse, are those men making their way,
every one for his far-away home, and we are
LETT alone and lonesome. When we took up cur
weary march hOmeWard, it was dull TO piOd on
without skirmishers ahead. 1t was tame too,
that where the road ended no pickGts were
placed, and our peace not to be disturbed by ths
leaden songsters. It seemed waste of Oppor-
tunity that upon the march, when we entered
valley no battery belched upon Us from the
heights beyond.
But all IS over now, and fast vanishing with
the years. see new generation standing be-
fore me and around. But though sometimes
the heart viii yearn for those stirring duties
and those nigh COmpaEiOnShips ofthe field, still,
when think of all the noble spirits that hava
passed in battle and the storm, and how those
little Virginia rivers are flowing on tonight,
just as they did while yet those earnest young
eyes were wont to gaze across their len waters,
of how many hearts are still tonight that then
beat stronger than their tide, l thank God and
heaven that nc buCle on to-moTrOWs dawn shall
wake Us to reveille. Let Us not forget, dear
friends, the last martyr; the last? 1 should not
say So; for are they not dying day by day, and
hour by hour, the heroes who fought the way
to the glorious end? But the great martyr, who,
in the supreme moment of his victory, with
malice toward none, with charity for ALL" fol-
lowing the right as God gave him to see the
right went TO join his 300,O00-that army OF
the unsurrendored, undisch&rged, who still for
ever keep watch and guard about us. I sea
them marshaled in that pale yet glorious s-ray
on the battlemeDt heights that forever shall
keep this Nation as one, and that commanding
form, that hOmely, true face, 1 see among them,
send hear at times sentiment which moves
about from place to place, and whispers through
the world Of space in the deep night, that Al
is well"