The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-14

served that he was o Confederate Matol
riding an iron grey horse, and wayin
q common white towel with red strip
across either end. He refined In his hofs
and / being nearest him he addressed M
very hurriedly, and said: "Where Is You
commanding 0tficef?o and directed hin
to Gen. Custer. Hedashed away and sooi
reached the General, TO whom he said, a
] soon afterward learned, "Gen. Lee re
quests a suspension Of hoshlities." On
column halted, aud / saw Col. D. w
Whitaker, OF Gen. Clusters stall, with the
truce oficar, who gave his name as Majol
Sims, OF Longstreets stall, pass down the
hill and enter tho rebel lines and on int
town. Col. Whitaker states that he and
Major Sims with that same with towel
truce flag rode ont west Of town and
stopped 0rl's Infantry line then adyan.
cling. Ifeel safe In saying this was notthe
first and only flag OF truce that came Il
our army that day.
Our command was fullya mile nearer
tire enemy than the infantry, and Gen
Lee seeing our movements along the hill
top and knowing our close proximity Il
his lines, and as he said desiring To stop
the further ehusion OF blood" and know
ing his army was entirely surrounded,
wisely dispatched the truce TO stop our
tcharging column.
few minutes after the truce officer left
Custer, a brigade OF Confederate Cavalry
concealed in the woods Immediately in
our front charged upon our division. We
what surprised at this movement, but
we're not long in forming line and clearing
that woods Of the enemy. Col. Whitaker
says this brigade tried to charge through
our lines and escape. II was the general
belief among our people that day that this
brigade had not heard Of the negotiations
for surrender then going on. Our division
was now drawn up in line, with the Vir-
ginia brigade in front. Gen. Custer, who
had gone down into town, soon re-
turned and rode down the line
with his hat OF, and his long light hair
streaming in the breeze, halted rs he
reached the center OF the line, and said:
General Lee proposes 10 surrender the
whole army. OF Northern Virginia" This
was the first OF the welcome news to reach
our army, and we were the first to take up
the joyful shout OF victory, and away &
rolled like great wave from right to left
as the glad news flew along the line; and
then, strange as IL may seem, Lees array
took up the cheer, why, ] don't know,
but down at the foot Of the hill and across
the fields the brave fellows in gray halted
as they came in and stacked arms" and
yelled too. But 1t was not the wild yell
OF hateful war. The blue cheered for vic.
tory, but the blue and the gray shouted
together for peace, home, father, mother,
sister, and the girl we left behind.
Pardon this depression, but Grants army
and Lees army shook hands that day
across "the bloody chasm." and closed
the gap, and II the men wl,oNwere at the
front and fought the battles OF that war
could have been the sole arhitrators OF Its
issues, there never would have been a
"bloody chasm" between the North and
South alter the surrender OF the Confed-
crate armies. This is my own candid,
honst conviction.
General Custer on his return from the
Confederate lines brought with him some
ten or more OF his old West Point COM
rades who had cast their fortunes with the
South. a more genial, pleasant set Of
gentlemen ! never met, and their greet
ings and general conversation with Custer,
Pennington and other West Pointers was
very interesting, as well as amusing, IS
they recalled the different battles in
which they had faced each other, and
other incidents OF their lives.
The attention of all was soon turned to
q General and stat riding up the ill
from the town. Some one said that's
General Grant. He had Just left Nc
Leau's house where he had dealt as gem
erously with our late foes, and where he
bad written another great page Of history.
He rode by 10 the rear without display or
exultation; but with that modesty that
only truly great men know, he seemed to
say, Boys this is merely a matter Of
course. We intended to capture Lees
army.
To-day they tell US our Great Leader is
dying. II that I've true, may the Sweet
Spirit" that sheltered him through the
storm Of war be with himto soothe and
sustain him and give him victory over the
last enemy, and may the mercy lie showed
the fallen foe be type Of the mercy that
shall be accorded him when he stands be-
fore tile Great Commander, and may our
country's twenty years OF peace, which he
did so much 10 purchase, be but an en-
blem OF the eternity OF peace awaiting the
Old Hero. F.C. ROBINSON,
Late Adjutant LIST W. Va. Cavalry.
Bridgeport, o., Apra 0, 1885,
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