Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-07

Think of it! Fourteen thousand cavalry, endless lines of infantry, and fifty batter ies of artillery, all in their best, with the spring sun shining on their ranks. 1t was long ride for Sheridan that day to pass before tho extended ranks. On starting he was accompanied by his staff, bravo in furbished uniforms, but by de- grees, as horse after horse succumbed to fatigue, there was nothing left of the gay cavalcade but the General himself on his hreless black charger. And the most sin gular part of it all was, that when tho long ride was over, every soldier in line was ready to swear that Sheridan's eyes looked straight into his with especially approving glance.
 TWO days afterward, at four o'clock in the morning, this splendid host set forth to fulfill its destiny. They captured Staun- ton, passed Waynesboro, and marched along the muddy roads to Charlottesville. Little did Harry think, when he went q soldering, that high academic honors would be conferred upon him; that, in fact, he would be appointed temporary conservator of the third greatest university of this country, but so it was As the Union troops approached the city eager dcputa- tons of burghers and college authorities came forward to pray tho clcmcncy of tho invaders, and to Winthrop's guardian care
 
 halls which have made Virginia illustrious as homo of learning. But am afraid these roystering troopers enjoyed the good faro the rich city provided a great deal more than the honor accruing from their protectoratc of college dons
 Then they struck tho James river and de- stroyed every lock and mill they came to, reaching Hanover Junction, where they had Q brush with Plckett's division, which fo the best in the Confederate army, and final ly joined Grant at Petersburg.
 Meanwhile Lees position was becoming utterly desperate, for overy day Grants grip upon him was tightening with the cruelty of an averaging Nemesis, and the only hope left to him was to steal away and join Johnston.
 On the 1st day of April Sheridan, with ninc thousand sabers and heavy columns of infantry, drove his force like wedge be- hind the Confederate position ut Five Forks, twelve miles southwest of Petersburg; and. assailed ill front and rear, tho garrison was overwhelmed, and five thousand men were taken prisoners
 The next morning at four o'clock the Union army advanced along the whole front, and the Confederate line of intrench- ments was broken and thousands of prison CTS were captured.
 Oh, that sad, sad Sunday at Richmond! The churches were full of people pitifully praying for Divine interference to avert the calamity they trembled to think was beyond tho power of human aid. Even as Jefferson Davis sat in his pew, tho bitter tidings were brought him, and men read in his pall1d face tho beginning of tho end of their heroic struggle. From lips to lips were passed the fatal words-Richmond must fall. Then the streets wore filled with men, women and children, rushing in wild lamentation they knew not whither, while even in that supreme hour of misery the figures of busy plunderers might be seen doing their unholy work regardless of the suffering around them In vain tho city fathers tore from the warehouses tho whisky barrels and poured their contents into the gutters, men were found even in that dread hour rceling like demons through the streets, and when night came and Gen. eral Ewell fired tho great tobacco houscs and the flames leapcd with uncontrollable fury from street to street, the crisis of wretchedness was reached by the terror stricken inhabitants.
 That night Petersburg and Richmond were evacuated, and Lee, having dono all that man could do, passed with the wreck of that splendid array with which he had struck the Union forces so many crushing blow out into tho open country, with thero- 1eutless Sheridan hanging on his Hanks
 In all history where is there q parallel of the heroic sufferings of Lco's fugitive host? Beset on all sides by q relentless foe, ragged and spirit-brokcn, driven by tho bangs of hunger to eat the young shoots of trees, with the chatter of the pursuing cavalry in their ears if for a moment they fingered for rest, they wandered on in grim despair And when tho last supreme moment was como and the long ranks of the Union army brlstlcd in their front, they rallied to their gallant leaders, order to form for tho charge.
 But Grants letter to Lee, demanding sur render and offering terms of generous treatment, avcrted what would havc been one of the bloodicst tragedies of tho war the slaughter of mon who, right or wrong, had fought like heroes.
 So, on the 9th day of April, 1865, tho Army of Virginia laid down it's arms, and the men who had perilcd so much for a sen timent, were no longer Confederate soldiers, but simply citizens, and Northerncr and Southerner fraternized and conversed in words of sympathy and respect.
 "Why, surely this is Walter Fro bisham!' Harry cried, grasping tho hand of pale, cmaciated young fellow, who stood
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