The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-04-29
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and line officers of the corps, all oi
whom realized the importance ofths
work in hand, and felt the end now
must come. Il was after midnight
when we made our final report tc
General Merritt, with whom and
Dana, A. A. g., Halberstabelt, In
spector General, Rogers, muster off,
Ger, and others of the headquarters
family, We turned IN" between
blankets taken from our jaded nors-
es for nap with peremptory order.
to the guard for all TO be awakened
at four o'clock A. NJ, sharp. What
prayers went up from that porten.
tious field God alone knows; but
certain it is the desire now to live
that We might see the end was little
less than a passion, strong enough t6
make converts OF the brayest men
Sleep came ike white winged angel
of peace TO quiet the raging emotion:
filling the excited brain that quick
| ly forgot the novelties and perils o.
the day Just passed in the anticipat-
I ed events of the morrow. Feul
/ o'clock came. A cup Of coffee, few
mouthfuls OF food, but few word:
spoken, few scattering shots along
the line of gallant troops, who had
slept upon :heir arms. Orders FOL
the command to remain dismounted
and drive the enemy, if possible, ol
meet his advance step by step; ar
tillery placed in position led hors-
es of the dismounted carbineers &c
rear. formed at convenient distance
and with due regard for their safety
All this was the first work CT the
morning and by sunrise the begin
ming of the end had truly come
SURRENDER OF LEE
The smoke OF a thousand coffee
fires, made by horse-holders, train
men and Others to the rear, united
with the dust of moving troops and
wheels, increased the density Of a
slightly foggy atmosphere, through
which the morning sun shone ike a
ball Of fire, red as the crimson blood
beginning to flow on this new field
of conflict and rare historical inter
est. The Confederates were COM
manded By Major General Gordon, a
young and brilliant officer, in whom
Lee reposed great confidence and
whose well directed lines pressed
with deadly effect on our carbineers
from right TO left. Many gallant
men and officers fell, killed or grew
ously wounded, in this last and ex-
citing struggle.
The situation was pregnant with
interest 10 the cavalry, who. from
daylight 10 near nine O'Clock A. NJ,
were contending with double their
actual numbers. The fast forna-
ton of the enemy for an apparent
assault upon our lines was plainly
visible to the naked eye. The move
ment of Gordon,s troops to the point
of attack appeared as measured and
regular as on review. The giittering
steel of his bayonets shimmered in
the morning sun and his battle-tiags
fioated in air as defantly as on a
score of battle-felds before. 1t was
at this critical moment that General
.Sheriden reached the front.
EXCITING MOMENTS.
Sheriden rode briskly, giving or
ders for the line of carbineers to fall
back to their horses and mount. He
spoke rapidly as he rode along the
line in a slow trot and directed line
as well as field and staff officers 10
hasten the execution Of the move
ment. As the excited men were
double qnicked towards their horses
they discovered within a mile dis
tant the massive lines of blue emerg-
ing from the woodland, under cover
of which they had formed, and were
now rapidly advancing to the posi-
ton we had doggedly held We
think it could not have been more
than fifteen minutes from the time
the command to mount was given
until the First and Third Divisions
were in the saddles, and to the keen
blast of scores of bugles were NOV
ing at a trot to the enemy left and
rear, The moment was certainly
the most exciting ever experienced
by the cavalry arm of the service.
The retirement of the carbineers
from the enemy's front the discov-
cry of the approaching infantry by
the Confederate field officers, result
ed in a lull, with only an occasional
gun from the artillery. From the
higher ground taken by the mount
ed troops the whole field and situa-
ton was observable.
THE LAST STAND.
The enemy's forces under Gener-
al Gordon stood ready for the as
sault. In his rear now in full view
Law the little hamlet of Appomattox
and long lines of scattered trains
and fragmentary troops fastening to
the point of battle, while on both
aanks could be seen small bodies of
mounted men. The Union cavalry
moving to the charge on the left and
rear of this last Confederate band of
hope numbered between five and
six thousand men, whose strong
grip on trusted blades and experien-
ced horsemanship were the only
promising assurances of getting into,
through and out of melee, now be
lieved by all to be inevitable. The
execution of this fast movement of
the caval-y was committed to Gener-
al Merritt by General Sheriden, who
was simultaneously giving due at
teution to and fastening the steps of
the infantry, now well in hand, re-
sulting from unprecedented march
ing and who were determined to be
in and fully share the glory of COM
pelling the surrender Of its old and
bitter antagonist.
GAY BATTLEFIELD.
Headquarter standards and cap
tured battle-hags were unfurled on
the right of every command; stream
ing guidons flashed their star-6re in
the sur lioht of the dav. vell-dress-