Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1888-04-26


April 10th was the anniversary OF
Lees surrender at Appomattox. The
twenty-three years that have elapsed
since that famous day find few of the
notable actors in that heroic retreat
and wonderful pursuit living. sheri-
dan, Gibbon, Wright, Crook, Barlow,
Miles and Ayres survive, but Grant,
Meade, Humphreys, who commanded
the Second cosps; Griffin, who led the
Fifth corps; Ord, commander OF the
Army of the James, and Custer, who
clipped with fire the bolt" of cavalry
that under Sheridan's orders rived
Lees lines asunder, are dead. Lee,
Ewell, Pickett and Anderson are dead.
Longstreet, Kershaw, Gordons Heth,
Wilcox and Malone are the oI1y not
able Confederate survivors OF that last
campaign. What season OF inces-
SAINT battle was that last clap Of thun-
der. April LIST Sheridan, with 700
cavalry and l2 900 infantry, assaults
and crushes Lees right at FiveIForks.
April End Wright, Humphreys, GibbOn
and Parke carry Lees entrehched lines
before Petersburg. Lee begins his re-
treat that night, and Petersburg and
Richmond are occupied the next morn
ing. Sheridan OutfOOts Lee, having
gained the shorter line, and plants the
cavalry and the Fifth corps across the
Danville railroad at Jetersville, seven
miles i'm advance OF Lee ut Amelia
A., fnhnt 1 xA.fs x.I.
to strike sheridan and sweep him
aside before the rest oil the Union army
came up. He did not, or could not
take it. The Second corps came upat
3 y. m. OF the 5th, and the Sixth corps
at D. m., and the road to. DanviIie
was blocked. The night Of the 5th
Lee resumed his retreat, marching
west ward. On the 9th his retreating
columns were assaulted by the Sixth
corps at Sailors creek and by the Sec
ond corps at Deatonsville, and his
rear guard under Ewell and Anderson,
10000 strong, destroyed, captured or
dispersed. On the 9TH there was Sc
we're fighting bet ween the Second corps
and Lees forces at Farmville and High
Bridge. On the Sth Lee resumed his
retreat, but Sheridan again Mt night
fall headed him off at Appomattox
court house with his cavalry, cutting
Lee Off from I.ynchburg ms before he
had cut him off from Danville. The
Fifth corps under Griffin and the
Twenty-fOurth corps under. GibbOn
marched all night and by daylight
were with Sheridan. Behind Lee the
Second corps and Sixth corps were
swiftly coming in. There was no es-
cape. Thirty thousand tro ops blocked
the way to Lynchburg, while as many
more were swapping ut the heels OF the
Confederates, and Lee surrendered the
remnant OF as gallant an army asever
trOd this continent, an army that
would have died in it's tracks had Lee
asked OF them SO useless a sacrifice
AS u matter OF humanity Lee ought to
have surrendered after Sailors. creek
on the 9th, for his situation was the,
hopeless. He could not have reached
Lynchburg with anything like the sem
blance OF an army His men were he
role, but they had no food and were
utterly worn out, pursued by an over
pOwering force of well-fed soldiers
Longstreet' s judgment was to surren
der after Sailors creek, but Lees prid.
held out another two days.
In the twenty-three years that have
elapsed since AppOmattox. the sol
diers, at least, OF the two sides to Oul
great civil war have long ceased to
cherish any feeling for each other sav,
that OF common respect for equa
valOr, if not equal sacrifices-cOmmOI
desire that the peace OF the natioi
may never again be broken by such ;
contest. In New York recently ther'
has been organized the Independent
Army and Navy Veterans association
The object OF this association is Il
maintain perfect union among it
members, to establish harmony ant
discipline, to insure tranquility, t.
promote the object of reconciliation
between the blue and the gray veter
ans OF lS6l-65, to maintain true al
kgiance to the United States govern
ment and unswerving respect for an,
fidelity to the constitution and law
OF the land, and to encourage tn
spread of universal liberty, eq,Ia
rights and justice to all men," Tn
representative of the association il
New York is Phil Sheridan Post No. !
Before adopting this name a letter wa
sent to the general, stating the object
OF the association and asking permis
sion to use his name. The general, i
his reply granting the request, state
that he fully approved the objects {
the new organization.