The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-21

no intimstions that they were either favorable
or unfavorable, but his frequent communication
In after years indicated that | gained his good
will before the close OF the war, IL not when |
first came TO his notice; and a more intimate as
ISOLATION convinced me that the cold and cruel
characteristics popularity ascribed TO him were
moro mythical than real
After he had gone 10 the front in the Shenan-
doah valley the following pathetic personal in
cident occurred:
"Amone the prisoners was a tall and ine.iook-
ing officer. much worn with hunger and fatigue.
The moment / saw him 1 recognized him as q
former comrsde. George ". Carr, with whom /
had served in Washington Territory. He was
In those days a lieutenant in the Ninth Infant
". and was one of the officers who superin-
tended the execution of the nine Indians at the
cascades Of the Columbia In 1856. Carr was
very much emaciated, and greatly discouraged
by the turn events had recently taken. For old
acquaintance sake | gave him plenty to eat and
kept him n comfort at my headquarters until
the next batch of prisoners was sent to the rear,
when he went with them. He had resigned from
the regular army at the commencement OF hos
~tilities. and, full OF high anticipations. cast his
lot with the Ccnfederacy. but when be fell into
our hands. his bright dreams having been dis
PEELED by the barsh realities of war. he appeared
TO think tina, for him there was no future"
Most readers will turn very speedily TO the
account Of General Shsridan's famous ride 10
Cedar Greek and the turning OF the tide of bat
tie which ensued. IL is an extended and careful
narrative set down with the utmost simplicity
and true soldierly modesty. Here is a long ex-
tract taking up the story ., the Generals return
from Washington 10 Winchester, where he
passed the night OF the 18th of October.
Toward 6 o'clock the morning of the 10Th the
officer on picket duty at Winchester came to my
room, ] being yet in bed. and reported artillery
firing from the direction or Cedar Crock. /
asked him If the firing was continuous or only
desultory, TO which he replied tina. It was not a
sustained fire, but rather irregular and ftful. l
remarked: It's all right; Grover has gone out
etsn -4~nsr q - N a~l h.
is merely feeling the enemy l tried to go TO
sleep again, but grew so restless that ! could
not, and soon got up and dressed myself. A lit
tie later the picket officer came back ald re-
ported that the firing, which could be distinctly
heard from his line on the heights Outside
Of Winchester. was still going on. / asked
him II it sounded like q battle, and as he again
SAID that it did not, / still inferred that
the cannonading was caused 10y Growers divis.
Ion banging away at the enemy simply TO ind
out what he was up to. However, | went down
stairs and requested that breakfast be hurried
M, and at the same time ordered the horses to
be saddled and in readiness. for / concluded to
60 TO the front before any further examinations
were made IL regard TO the defensive line. We
mounted orr horses between $50 and 0 o'clock,
and as We were proceeding up the street which
leads directly through Winchester from the Lo-
gan residence, where Edwards was Quartered.
to the valley pike, noticed that there were
many women in the windows and doors OF
the houses, who Kept shakiu; their skirts at us
and who wers otherwise markedly insolent in
their deuesnor, but supposing this conduct 10
be instieated by their well-kuown and perhaps
natural prejudices, | ascribed TO il no unusual
significance. On reaching the edge Of the town
l halted a moment. and then heard quite dis
tinctly the sound of artillery firing in an IN.
ceasing roar. Concluding from this that a bat
tie was in progress I now felt confident that the
women along ths street had received intelli-
eenee from tho battle field by the grapevine
telegraph and were in rsptures over some
good news, while i as yet was utterly ignorans
Of the actual situation. Moving on. l put my
head down toward the pommel of my saddle and
listened intently, trying TO locate and interpret
the sound. continuing in this position till we
bad crossed Mill creek. about half a mile from
Winchester. The results of my efforts in the
interval Was the conviction that the travel of
the sound was increasing too rapidly to be &C
counted for by my own rate OF motion, and that
therefore my army must be falling back. At
Mill creek my escort fell in behind, and we were
going ahead at q regular pace, when, Just as we
had made the crest OF the rise beyond the
stream, there burst upon our view the appalling
spectacls of a panic-stricken army, hundreds OF
slightly wounded men, throncs OF others IN
hurt. but utterly demoralIzed, and baggage
wagons by the score, all pressing to the rear IN
hopeless confusion, telling only too plainly that
q disaster had occurred at the front. On &C
costing some of the fugitives, they assured me
that the army was broken ND. in full retreat.
and that all was lost. All this with a manner
true to that peculiar indifference that takes pos
session of paoic-strieken men. / was greatly
disturbed by the sight, but at once sent word to
Colonel Edwards, commanding the brigade
In Winchester, to stretch his troops across
the valley near Mill creek and stop all
fucitives, directing also that the transporta-
ton be passed through and parked on the
north side Of town. AS / continued
at a walk q few hundred yards further, think
ing all the time of Lonestreetis telegram to
Early: BE ready when I join you and we will
crush Sheridan and | was fixing in my mind
- -I-..s1 H. NJ
the army In the suburb of Winchester "a it came
back, form n new line. and fight there: but as
the situation WIS more maturely considered, a
better conception prevailed. i was sure the
troops bad confidence in me. for heretofore We
had been successful; and as at other times they
had seen me present at the slightest sign Of
trouble or distress. / felt that l ought to try now
TO restore their broken ranks, or, failing In that.
to share their fate because OF what they had
done hitherto"
From the account Of the surrender OF Lee,
room must be made for a few paragraphs. And
first, the following curious misunderstanding on
the arrival of himself and staff:
w travelled IN safety down this depression
to its mouth. and thence by q gentle ascent ap-
preached the courthouse. l was in advance,
followed by a sergeant carrying my battle-fae.
When | got within 100 yards Of the enemy's
line, which was Immediately in front of the
courthouse, some OF tho confederates leveled
their pieces at rs, and | again halted. Their Of
fcers kept their men from firing, however, but
meanwhile, q single handed contest had begun
behind me. for on looking back heard a con-
federate soldier demanding my battle-fag from
the color-bearer, thinking no doubt that We
were coming in as prisoners. The sergeant had
drawn his saber and was about to cut the mali
down, but a, a word from me he desisted and
carried the flag back to my staff. his assailant
quickly realizing that the boot was the other
leg"
OF Lees character and abilities as q soldier,
be says:
About 5 o'clock Ia the afternoon the terms OF
surrender were written out and accepted, aud
General Lee left the house. as he departed cor
daily shaking hands with General Grant A
moment later ne mounted his chunky gray horse
and. lifting his hat as he passed out OF the
yard, rode off toward his army. his arrival there
being announced to Us by cheering, which, as 10
progressed, varying in loudness. told he was
riding through the bivouac of the Army Of
Northern Virginia The surrender of General
Lee practically ended the war Of the
rebellion. For four years mis- army had
been the msinstay OF the Confederacy; and the
marked ability with which he directed its
operations is evidenced both by his frequent
successes and the length of time he Sept up the
contest. Indeed, II may be said that till General
Grant was matched against him. he never met
an opponent he did not vanquish, for while IL 10
true that defeat was inflicted on the coufeder-
ates At Antietsm and Gettysburg, Vet the fruits
of these victories we're not gathered, for after
each of these battles LIE. was lett unnolestsd
till he had a chance 10 rscuperate.'
And of Grant:
ton sim itaneously-in the spring OF lS64-it
aHN~l1 h. A.AD ehAs vA lA,11 h. .,.s - ,fNx