New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-04
TIE LAST CHARGE BEFORE APPOMATTO1.
From posthumous aril II of General sheridan ID
the september North American Review

From a posthumous aril, t. of General sheridan IN
the september North American Review
Beyond Us In low valley inear Appomattox
Court House. after my flank movement lay Lee ana
the remnant OF his army There did not appear to be
much Or-auZat on. except In the advanced uool'
under General Gordon. whom we had oeeA heHuns,
and a rear guard under General Long IT. s'i ~
begun. to make a bold and sweeping charge down
the grassy slope, when an alGe-dr-camp Om custer,
With The messsgs nom his chief Leo has sur
rendered DO not charge the white nag. IS up
not 10 charge
Look ne to the lcft TO Appomarox Court iioqsc,
Ips that had fallen back {" that point General
custer had not come bac. and supposins that be- was
with the group the Count llou'e, moved on
gallon down tie narrow rdgc, followed by my stan.
The CoEff House was, perhaps, thfee-tourths OF a
ulle d tant We had not gone iar before a heavy
fire was opened on rs from a skirt % timber to our
f. eht snd distant not much over three hundred Yails
stop the firing which now caus d Us all 10 tahe
shelter ID iaVne running peIiiIci 10 onV 0''"7 W.,
were on, and down VII ca we then tisNeh q. As We
approached the Court House, gentle ascent had 10
carrying my battle flag. Within one bundled To- one
hundred and fifty yards from the Court house sIu
Conf d.rae Ines some o. me men N uem i ans "a;
effort was made by their officers to keep them rom
turned in the saddle, and saw Confederate solder
attempting to take my battle nag from me coio n
TO, and had drawn mis- saDre 70 cul the man uo"l WI;
word from me caused him TO return his sabre ana
the back
little distance behind ! remained stat onary moment
alter these events then calling stan Ofhcet directed
him to 20 over 10 the group of Confederate officers and
we're made and VIC advanced The superior officers
met were General J. 3. Gordon and General Cadmus
NJ Wilcox the latter an old army officer. AS soon a.
the FIRST greeting over, furious hring began
in front OF our own cavalry from whom We had oniy
few n nutes before sci arated. General Gordon
seemed 20 be somewhat disconceTed by H. ! re-
marked 10 him. General Gordon, your men nred on
me ] coming over here, and undoubtedly they
have done the same 10 M"rritts and Clusters com.
mands. We might Just as well LEI them fight Il out
To this propOsiiiOn General 60 don did MT acccde.
I then asked why not send a stan officer and have
your people cease firing They are violating the
nag.7 Efe sa 4. " ! have no siar officer TO send
rcllied, o" viii let you have one or mine ana
calling for Lieutenant Vanderbilt Allen, he d.
rectcd to report 10 General Gordon and carry his
orders. The orders TO 90 % General Geary, who
wa In command OF small br gade Of South Carolina
cavalry and ask him to discontinue the firing.
Lieutenant Allen dashed oil with the message, but on
With the remark from that officer that did not
for white flags, that South Carolinians never sur
rendered
II was about this time that Merritt, getting m
patient AZ the supposed trcacherOus drlng ordered
a charge Of a portion of his command While Gen
era GJrdon and " coN were engaged In conversation
with me q cloud ~ dust, Wild hueTah, flashing of
sAbre- Indicated "A charge. and the calculations Ol
my stan officers were heard. 90 Look Merritt has
ordered a charge - The hight of Gcary's brigade
followed Lieutenant Allen was thUa rrleas d. The
last gun had been fired, and the last charge made
the Virginia campaign