West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-11-04
AT APPROXIMATION.
ONLY ONE EYEWITNESS OF THE
GREAT SURRENDER NOW LEFT.

~''-' 49, - o. - . y ifA--9 Vt TIC
GREAT SURRENDER NOW LEFT.
Col. Peers story on tho Historic Field.
Only a T6W Reminders of tho Soted
Event IemaininE-Tho Famous Apple
Troo--Dcath Of Col. Root
A great man mere is Col. G.. II. Peers.
chief Of the county court an office he has
held unintcrruptcdly for eighteen years,
and altogether for nearly quarter of n
century Col. Peers Is the only white
man now living ot AppomattoT Court
House who was here at The time OF the
surrender Of Gen. Lee. lie is the friend,
counselor and leader OF the little COM
munity,. and his kindly blue eyes and
flowing White beard give him patriarchal
appearance. His Office i'm the basement
OF the cOutt house is crowded with musty
old papers, ,mnny bearing date carly i'm
the last century and concerning the cs-
tates and fortunes OF many proud T. r.
VS.. Col Peers is probably better nc
quainted with the local events trauspir-
ing at the time of Lees surrender than
any man in the south. with great kind
ness, lac pointed cut the scenes of tho
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of the 9Th and OH
of April, 1865.
81 remember well, - ne said. as. stand
ing on the court house, 'CrccnF' he gazcd
thoughtfully at the woods skirtiug the
western sky, rs though eatchiug'again in
mcmory's eye the glimmcr OF hostile
banners through the trees, 81 rcmpmber
as though Yesterday t.fc, day whom. the
army of northern Virginia passed into
history. There were few men i'm Apo
mattoN that spring. Some were with Leo
around Richmond, others with Joe John
son in the south, and others again wcro
sleeping ON the fields Of Gettysburg, An
tietam ana characteristics
THE DARK CLOUDS GATHERING.
"Thcrc were anxious wives. broken
hearted widows and childless mothers
among ms, and the few who remained
could eSsiG sec the dark clouds gather
ing closer over the COnfCdcraCy. Lee.
driven out Of Richmond and uprootcd
from Petersburg, was hurrying his weary
troops toward the western mountains,
with the slcuth hounds OF Grant and
SheridaR pressing hard behind. On
Saturday morning, April 9, few strag-
glcrs reached AppomattoS with the infor-
nation that Lee was close at hand WLilc
terrified country people from the west
came in with the intelligence That Sheri-
dan had come up the railroad track and
Nf'' t-'lp99 Nlit lotiA III l4tt - front. IN
the afternoon Lee arrived and cncampcd
on the brow of a hiIl about mile from
town. About half way between. through
a fertile meadow, runs AppomattoX creek,
crossing the road near an old apple
orchard
81 went into the Confederate camp
That night and learned from am officer
that council of war had just been held
by Gen. Lee and his generals. at which IT,
was decided chat if Shcridm's cavalry
was the oIffy obstruction i'm front an AL
tempt would hc made carly the ucNt
morning 10 cut through. but IL Old's JIM
fantry should arrive during tho uiCht
there would be nothing left but suveu-
der Lees pickets he'd been thrown
through and about a mile west OF tho
town, and q sharp encounter occurred
about dusk between them and the Bif-
tccnth New YORK. cavalry Tie picket line
fell back through the town, followed hard
by the enemy, and it was i'm lcotlinc this
pursuit that the commander OF the cav
airy, Lieut.. Col. Root, was killed In the
center Of the village. This WAS the last
life lost at AppomattoN. On Sunday
morning battery was planted in my
yard, 100 yards from the court house, and
an artillery duel with the Fedcrals be-
gan From this battery the last shots
were fired by the army Of northern Viz
ginia.