Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-09-08
NEARING THE END.
BEGINNING OF THE RACE TOWARD
APPoMATTOx COURT HOUSE.
Prayer Meeting in the Confederate
Camps-Increasei Activity Of the Rail-
roads-'Alrs Weir'-Blowins Up
the Magaxines-Dc solation.

A Prayer Meeting in the Confederate
Camps-Incrcasei Activity of the Rail-
roads-'Alrs welI'-BIowing Up
the Observation-Disclosures.
John H. Keat!ey in Chicago Times
The night before Lees army abandoned
their irtrenchments TO engage in tie MEN,
orable race toward Appomatox Court
House was an impressive one. Sunday
morning came in with sharp, brisk shirm-
ish in our front at Bermuda Hundred u
4 te,t ihe intentions of the Confederates and
feel their exact strength. Tns fight took
place in the gray dawn, and only lasted q
few moments, but long enough for q num-
tor of lrave fellows who were longing for
home, and for the eni Of the contest, To
fall where they fought When the sharp
| crack II the musketry and rifles did away,
| the sun burst over tho tree-cop, in unu sual
| splendor AMI brightness, AMI the Sabbath
was day as unsventful as many before it
hal been on that front Where troops had
not trodden it, the young clover was green
and bright, and the woods fragrant with
fresh green flowers, AMI the resin Of the
pine thicketS None deemed tho collapse OF
the rebellion so near at hand.
On Sunday afternoon regular ol1-fash-
Toned Methodist prayer meeting was organ
lied inside the Confederate camps, and the
mon were called together with the drum
beat Not a breath of air stirrs /; and the
old-time melodies in deep and rich tones
swept across ths narrow space between the
two armies, and men usually irreverent
halted in their amusement and Sunday oc-
equations to listen reverently. The eyes OF
many a stalwart soldier on the picket line
were moist when "Old Hundred was in
toned, at the close Of the exercises, by scores
OF Confederate voice.
At that moment a dozen pieces OF shotted
artillery stood in the embrasures Of the
works in the rear OF our picket line, and
when the drum beat announced the termina-
ton OF tie religious services flying and
bursting shells constitutsd the sequel. The
response of their batteries was prompt,
sharp, and decisive for a few moments, and
then the angry sounds died away again,
while the sun was sinking behind the tall
pine tree tops which curtained the space be-
tween them and us, looking out Of the mist
and smoke like fearful and ominous ball
Of fire
Tho strength OF the picket limo was
doubled as night came on. The writer of
this was assigned tour Of duty that night
again In the outer trenches, with positive
orders Of increased vigilance. The hours
up to midnight passed slowly, and gloomily
sometimes, much as they had for months
before. Through the night, however. there
was increased activity in the running OF
trains on the railroad between Richmond
and Petersburg, q line not many miles dis
tant from US. hut well covered by Mahone's
division. During no night of the siege had
Al 81 I'D,
The scream Of tho steam whistle was inces-
SAINT, and the rumbling Of the trains almost
constant. The commonest soldier became
aware that something unusual was afoot,
and there was no need Of prompting by off
GERS to vigilance A little after 2 o'clock in
the morning tho picket fires 'up hill and
down dale CLEANED in a melancholy and
monotonous way. and surprising noise of
chopping with axes in our immediate front
began The writer and several trusty SOL
diers crept cautiously over the abatis and
then crawled on hands and knees as far
toward the sounds a was safe and prudent.
The underground and the darkness almost
completely screened the operations Of the
enemy, and it could only be surmised that
they were cutting ways for artillery in the
pines toward our intrenchments This con-
lecture was sent to the division heaiQuar-
tiers, Nth detailed report of all the cir
cumstances, and the caution Of increased
watchfulness was received a response.
The sounds soon diet out, ard Painful and
embarrassing silence again prevailed, while
every man on picket was alert to receive
the blow when il should coma. An hour or
so passed, and not another sign was given
Of the impending conflict The Union line
always took up tho serena Of tho hour, or
@Alrs We'll, from the bells OF q gunboat
stationed in the James river. The Confed-
crate serena was about fifteen minutes later
than ours. As it approached o'clock on
that Monday morning, everything was still
as death in those dark woods The railway
trains had ceased running. and the screech-
Ing Of the locomotives had.died cut The
cracking Of brush could be beard a long
way of.
Finally, the bells OF the Union gunboat
struck the hour Of l. and the melancholy re-
frain of -Four o'clock-ell's we'll passed up
our picket line, repeated from station to sta
ton, until it died away in the distance, fol-
lowing the iutrenchments for miles toward
Hatcher's run, beyond tic Weldon railroad.
A dead silence set IN Cor full fifteen minutes.
and a. the end OF that period the Conteier-
ate cry OF -Four o'clock-ali's well, was
shouted from post To post, until it came 10 a
poin, opposite u where the writer and sew
eral others were closely hugginy the ground
for purposes Of observation The man op
posite Us cried out -Four . Cocktails WELL
and then murmured ~knspsacks on, which
was repeated with the serena, by the next
one AMI that was the last call ever made by
any part If the Confederate army in tha:
part OF the investment of Petersburg
The unusual character OF the call Of the
hour was duly reported % headquarters in
the rear, and the orlsr was gwen 70 feel the
lines Of the enemy a. soon a. !. WAS light
enough e. move with safety. son the hori-
ron in TIE direction OF Ret rnOcd and Peters
burg was lit up with great upheavals OF
blood-rei fire, sacceeiei instantly by terri
&c explosions which shook the earth under
our feet There could be no mistake now
what all this meant The Confederatss
were blowing up their powder magazines
and the bridges. AMI other work., and were
doubtless on the move, whether north or
south was the enigma.
A s;roag party leapei our paraps.s At
dawn pushed rapidly towards theirs. but
their sentinels were gone and their camps
vacant, except here and there a straSgler
who had oversight and who was found in his
cabin obiivious of the rapid changes going
on around hin, About Fifty such were cap
tarej. and glad. after all 10 be prisoners,
together With the battle flag Of tins
rift;-afth Virginia, watch in the hasse Was
In few days tour OF duty Was assig.sd
in s,.e trenches nearly south Of the city u
Pesersl,srg. on the Soping ground bAweea
the city and the sceoe Of the oesehsstst
-rrine explosion Of July 1854 The VA
was virtually over The gallant Coufeie-
rate army Of northern Virginia vas ALREADY
scattered AMI iemorali1ed by Grants in
cessant pounding. 50 that Il could never
again respond 70 the bugls call Oar camp
looked down into the desola;e city. Many
were the distressed ones there. The white
inhabitants were sore from recent defeat
and many % them cared little FOR inter
course With their conquerorz This was .
natural Consequence. Great suffering was
irnninen: on sccoans q the lack q stors Of
food The military a1tortses made a. com
piese provision At once as they could. CO.
sidsrins the vast army 20 Be ss:u supplied
while On It's way up the Apponatfux 70 en-
viron and capture 0sn Lee and ths r0r
aAnt u his army