Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-06-21
KILLED DURING A TRUCE
The Wars Last Victims i'm the Army
of the Potomac.
Two Ohio Cavalry Men Who Challeng-
ed Death ON the Morning of the
Surrender at Appomatox.

Surrender at AppOmatox.
Lee was at Appomatox! The grand
Armies OF the Potomac and Northern
Virginia that for four and half years
mad borne the brunt of the battles of the
great rebellion were for the last time
face TO face. The one with banners tly-
ing, bands playing and soldiers cheering.
The other with hags furled, silent drums
and quiet ami moody heroes, but all with
thelr cannon loaded, bayon6ts hxed and
cartridge boxes oiled, lying on thoir arms
awaiting orders. Was It to be peace or
wary Life, love, hope and home or an
other season OF glory and the graveg
These, and kindred questions, were the
thoughts that agitated each soldiers
heart.
Only those who served in Que of these
two grand ARMIES can understand the
intense anxiety 90 the hour. Each army
was composed OF men who had learned
how TO face death, but not how to be
conquered. From Getty sburg to Five
FORKS, inclosing Washington ana Rich
mond IN one vast graveyard, they had
met face 60 face and given blow for blow,
each In its turn worsted and driven reel
ing and staggering back but neither
ever defeated. Now, like two painting
gladiators, they stood in the midst OF
the arena, with world for an audience,
awaiting an order which each knew must
be final,
The Army OF Northern Virginia, on the
morning OF that ever memorable Ssh OF
April, had Lee given the command, would
have again given blow for blow, and
closed its history with aunihiloiion ratker
than surrender. II the one was 20 lay
down its arms in submission each man
would feel soldiers pride in duty we'll
performed, and tho couquerors could
only view the scene with sigh Of regret
that
RIoHr AND JusTIoE
made such an ending necessary.
On this historical morning the extreme
left of the Army of the Potomac was
covered by the FIRST Brigade, Third
(Custer's) Cavalry Division. From the
morning it marched from Camp RUSSELL
near Winchester, Va, then nearly two
months, until that hour, il had been con
tinuously in the saddle. This brigade
was composed OF the oldest veteran
cavalry regiment. in the department, viz,
the Second New Yorb, Second Conpecti-
cut, Third New Jersey, Second Ohio and
First Vermout--all organizations OF the
early days OF 1861. The troopers had
served in the campaigns Of Mcclellan,
Hooker, Burnside. Pope, Meade and
Grant on the Potomac, and curing the
last campaign had ridden with Sheridan
on the fields of Winchester, Fishers Hill,
Cedar Creek, Five Forks and Sailors
Greek, and only the preceding night had
charged and captured the cepots and
military stores at Appomattox. Now
they were once more mounted aud in line
awaiting orders for tho closing action of
their military record. What would the
command bey How would the negotia-
tions they knew to be in progress in the
little hamlet of Appomatto1 terminateY
To the southward, and at Il distance of
but few hundred yards, the Confederate
troops were in line, while in front of the
evergreens, which hid their number from
view, iloatcd
THE WHITE FLAG on PEACE,
telling IN its mute gatherings to the breeze
the story of a possible submission 10 tho
inevitable.
At this hour, when the hearts Of most
OF tNe men IN each command were filled
with Sc many conflicting emotions, two
men in the Second ONO Cavalry were
preparing to pour out their blood rs the
last libation OF the Army Of the Potomac
in the great war of the rebellion. These
men were Orderly Sergeant Benjamin
Weary, of Company A, and a private in
his command Sergeant Weary WAS one
OF the original members of his company,
had served IN eleven OF the seeded States
and seventy odd engagements. He was
the model of a perfect soldier, rs brave
as a lion and rs warm hearted and atfee
tionate as child. Every man in his
regiment knew him, and all admired him.
de was the last man In the command VINO
would be suspected OF an unworthy ac-
tion or deemed capable of insulting a
fallen foe. His conduct up to the hour of
his death had stood unbroken the test Of
the severest discipline, bnt now be was
about 10 mar and blast 10 all. During the
night private in his company had OBJ
tanned canteen OF whisky, and prevailed
on the Sergeant TO share II with him.
From this foundation, while the two ar
mics were facing each other, they were TO
witness the most useless sacrifice of their
military history.
II was about nine in the morning when
Sergeant Weary and his companion sad
denly rode 10 the front, and before those
ia the line could realize what they con
tenn plated they galloped over the green
sod until they we're within few PAGES of
the flag OF truce and the line OF ever
greens covering the Confederate front
where they reined in their horses, drew
their sabers and called out:
You I'D rebels, throw down your
arms and surrender
This command, so like that Of Major
Pitcairn on the green at Lexington nine
ty years before. met With like response.
A hundred rifles blazed forth their cor.
tents, the horses plunged forward, the
men
pIEgcrD ~ scons or BULLETS
reeled in their saddles and fell to the
ground while the steeds wheeled and gal