National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-09-12
GEN. LEES LAST RETREAT.
THE TRUE STORY OF THE CONFEDE.
RACY'S FINAL ECLIPSE.
How Jen Davis and His Cabinet Evac-
uated Richmond-A Depot Quarter
master In II Meal Sack-The Last Ditch
Surrendered aud the Game Up.


master In u Meal Saok-The Last Ditch
Surrendered and the Game Up.
The army of northern Virginia made
some notable retreats, frequently turning at
bay and inllcting severe losses on their pul-
suers; but the most celebrated, both for stall
wart pluck and stubborn endurance, was
the last retreat, which ended with the sur
| render at AppomattoX. On "April Fools
| day." 1865, when the news was spread that
Sheridtn had almost annihilatcd Pickctt's
division ut Five Forks, and had scattered
Fitzhugh Lees cavalry, gloom settled down
upon the army, and don't think that even
those who had been hoping against hope
expected anything else but the speedy re-
treat of the army, and ultimately its utter
ruin. The report Of the first encounter on
Tie right flank was encouraging, and,
although the trenches were but
slcndcrly manned, we all believed
that no front attack could he
made upon our lines that would not he re-
pulsed as long as the right wing, the most
vulnerable point, was not turned. But
when the startling news came that the vic
torious column of Sheridan was on the
right flank aud rear of the army, moving
swiftly to cut the only line Of COmmunica-
ton with the other states of the cOnfederacy,
we all deemed that the time had come for
us to give up Richmond and retreat to the
mountains where Gen. Lee had once said,
In a conversation with his generals, he
could maintain the fight for years. IL was
u sad day indeed for the brave men who for
four weary years had upborne the flag of
the cOnfederacy through sea of fire and
blood. The next day the final stroke
fell and the doom of the confederacy was
lal Nm hat lIntN I,..l
in force the right wing of Lees army,
forced the Notifications, and placed
his troops In such position which com
PEELED either surrender or retreat on the
part of his antagonist The works imme-
diately in front Of Petersburg, between the
Appomattox and the james, and north of
the James river In front of Richmond, were
still held by the confederates ut the close
Of the days fighting, but the right wing
having been badly beaten the doom of the
confederate capital was already pronounced
THE BURNING OF PETERSBURG.
Shortly after darkness had set in there
vas sudden blaze Of light in Petersburg
and II could be seen that the depOts, the
tobacco factories and the government store
houses had been set on fire simultaneously
and that cOmbustibles had been added to
make the destruction swift and sure. The
federal batteries, which had been
lor llnc ullnOsI luhctiNe, now Dursl
forth In dreadful uprOar, and the
confederates replied as flcrcely. 1t
was II scene of grandeur, such as
| few Of u generation are privileged to gaze
upon. The billowing flames that rose high
into the air, waving and spreading seem
ingly, from our position on the heights,
near the telegraph road, as If the entire city
/ was on fire, the network of dazzling light
| that crossed and recrossed the heavens MS
] hnuVy on bnlshn1
their deadly missiles, each one leaving
trail of fire in its path, and the explosion Of
| powder aud shells in the magazines formed
| u Kaleidoscope panorama that was as awe
| inspiring as 1t was magniilcently beautiful,
| and In cOnsOnance with the grandeur of the
view was the deep and laundering diapason
Of the artillery. When gazing upon such u
scene ones mind could hardly find room for
the thought that this splendid exhibition Of
mans power was bringing woe and ruin &c
thousands of happy homes.
THE ORDER OF RETREAT
That night the battalion list Virginia In
fantry) was ordered to pack up ready to
move at moments warning and to take
charge Of the federal prisoners, who num-
bercd some 1900 or 1000. 1t was with
heavy hearts that we proceeded with the
work, for we anticipated what was before
us. When the first streak of daylight ap-
road that leads through Chesterfield Court
| House, and the officers of companies re-
ceived stringent orders to cut the knapsack
! of any soldier who had disObeyed the com
mand to take nothing but what was abso-
lutcly necessary for light marching order.
| The poor fellows wanted to hang on to
many articles they had accumulated in win
ter quarters, but they had to leave them be-
| hind as spoil for the enemy. Now, when
Lees army started on the retreat from
Petersburg the troops had only Onc-somc
of them twO-day's scanty ratiOns in their
hayersacks, and there were no provisions at
all in the wagons accompanying them.
| All had been sacrificed In the way of
impediments to carry as much ammunition
| (there was no lack of that for the Infantry
and artillery as possible. There was no aC-
emulation of provisions, although good
stock was laid I'm at Richmond for the espc-
cial benefit of the civil otllccholdcrs, as
have stated in n previous article, to the de-
trimcnt of the supply to the troops in the
field, when only single, badly equipped
railroad connected Virginia with the rich
granaries and Hooks aud herds of the states
south Of her.
DISAPPOINTMENT AGAIN.
1t was expected that full supply would
be waiting for the retreating army at Amelia
Court House, fOrGcn. Lee had peremptOrily
ordered that provision trains should take
the extra provisions from Richmond to
meet the army at that point. We reached
Amelia two days after the retreat began,
and even then, owing to the brisk quick
step of the marching, the men were tired
and hungry-it was forced march from
the beginning to the end, and two days
rations IN those days was but scant sus-
tenance for robust man undergoing severe
bodily toll for one day. While we were
| In hn nll 10 ,f tIn III
news came that there was no provisions to
he had; that all trains that came from Rich
mond had passed through without stop ing,
and that they Were crowded with officials
from Richmond and their wives and chill
dren and belongings. This was appalling
news to us poor devils who had looked for
ward to our arrival at Amelia as a sort of
oasis in our weary pilgrimage. 1t is need
less to 20 into details.
THE FLIGHT OF JEFF DAVIS.
Suffice it to say that, against the positive
orders of Gen. Lee, there were no prOvi-
sions there, because the entire rolling stock
of the railroad had been seized upon by the
frightened confederate officials at Rich
mond to fly southwark with all their goods
| and chattcls, and II Is extremely Notifying
| TO a confederate to state that jefferson Da-
Wis and his cabinet were among the crowd.
They simply left the army 10 starye in the
effort to save their own precious skins. The
| first intinatiOn that we had Of the fix we
were In was the blowing up of Il hundred
or so OF artillery caissons of fixed
ammunition which had been left ON the de-
pot platform to be sent by rail to the south.
Along with us We're numerous ambulances,
carriages, &C., containing the wives and
| children of officers of the army and Others
| anxious to escape from the rule of the
hated Yankee" Finding himself In such
Il strait, Gen Lee ut once ordered all these
conveyanCes to get out of the way of his
ammunition wagons, and there was, COnse-
Quently, much weeping and wailing and
| pleading over the prospect of being left be-
| hind.
sIERlDAS's PURSUIT,
Up to this point there had been no attack
on the line Of retreat, but shortly after re-
| suminp nur march from Amelia Sheridan