The National tribune., 1890-05-15

The stiffness of death regned there Emerging
from the woods at double-quck. the first intima-
lion that tie enemy had OF his presence was rat
tliug vuliov from his command. He silenced the
battery quicker than can write the account. And
thus wa senCed the last battery ever Gen. Lee
nut in position. r NJ. HARRIS.
Formerly Colonel 10th w Va Brgadier-G Gener-
al and Maior-Genc by Brevet.
Gen Henry Capehart, commanding the
Third Brigade Clusters Cavalry Division l1st
n. Y, and 1st, 2d and Sd w. Va. Cav.l, writes
from Fargo, \. d., some interestiUgs details
of the cavalry operations on the Sth of
April which resulted in the capture Of the
supplies sent from Lynchburg for Lees army,
and the final interruption of his c0mmunicS-
tions with what was left of the ConfedeTacy.
Speaking of the situation on the morning of
the 9th. and referring 10 the diagram OF the ap-
proximate positions Of the troops OF both armies
at the cessation Of hostilities, Gen. Capehart
says:
Humphreys ms he tells us parted from the Sixth
Corps before reaching Sailors Creek, following
Gordon 10 the north, and had a skiTmsh with his
rear down The creek, about three miles from where
Wright fought.
Custer fought throughout the night before APP
pomaitox and till near o'clock that morning, the
Third BrigaGc capturing - pieces Of artillery.
csjssons and horses intact 200 wagons with horses
and about l.Ge0 prisoners ices advance guard
and reached the LynchbUrg road. cutting of Lees
retreat aitcr being relieved 10y OF Crooks
Brigades under Smith who is often spoken Of as
being roughly handled next morning. and as IL he
and Mackenzie comprised " all the cavalry"
The coiored troops, as distinctly remember,
were the FIRST infantry the field next morning,
and knocking over several of Gordon's men as
they fell hack. As 10 your map, my impression IS
al the moment that our infantry was about rs you
have H. but considerably across the LynchburE
road, and that Custer and Deyiu should be pushed
sorTespondingiy. Custer was about quarter OF "A
mile from the Courthouse. Gordon. as you say,
covers too much ground. There was no Union
'orce 10 our right and rear
WHEN THE WHITE FLAG CAME TO NE,
which accompanied to Custer at the head of the
column The Second Corps was probably about
three miles sway. taking Humphreys word for
IL; and ] think Gen. Wright Is correct in saying
that the buik Of the rebel force was across the
north branch of the AppomattoE. We were about
an eighth oi a mile from the enemy, and just on
the point Of charging down the slope when the
white hag was seen approaching tle second time,
and y any resistance had been offered feel CON
hdent there would have bern some desperate work,
the boys very wolfish that morning. Gus
ter with Sheridan al once rode over and met Long
street personally. having very amusing interview
with hlm. or course there were more troops up
by the time Grant got up
You tell we'll OF the vim with which the infantry
moved. j think the men would have responded
with ike AiHcTity and enthusiasm after Gettys-
burg think too, that the war should have ended
IN that campaign. With the most kindly feelings
toward Gen Meade, and believing that be had
more than average ability. know, and Meade
told -, that Lee was badly demoralized and
pretty much out Of ammunition. ] was with Kill
patrick IN that campaign. There IS a pathetic
letter from Lincoln touching this in the records
~
us believe that jackson would have done better
than Eweil who did ali the sighting that jackson
got The credit o! doing and yon cannot point to- an
instant ol Jackson ever stormiHR anything lie
was essentially a raider. and always preferred
running 10 fighting He got bis reputation more
by pleiy than real achievement, which you will
find fyou care 20 study his record carefully.
Gen. Capehart speaks of g. the colored troops
as being the first infantry on the ground the
morning Of the 9th, ETC. This is an interest
ing historical statement / have heard similar
statements from other sources though none as
authoritative as this Having served some
time in Texas associated with the Twenty
fifth Corps got good opinion Of the colored
troops, and have always thought that they
never got fair credit for their services But /
did not see any Of them in position west OF APP
pOmattOx Courthouse The only infantry /
saw there belonged 10 the Fifth and Twenty
fourth Corps, which were all white. ! was
swsre that some Of the Twcnty-ifth Corps
were with the main army east OF the Court
house, but did not know that any OF them got
far enough over TO be observed by the troops
composing what 1 call Tor convenience "Sheri-
dams wing Of the army" which headed Lee of
1t is-or was-my impression that two bri-
gsdes of cOl0red troops accompanied the army
20 App0mattox, which think were from the
Second Division. Iwentv-flth Corps com
mauded by Gen. William Birney. But did not
know that any Of them were on the west side OF
the Courthouse az any period Of the final opera
tiOns. It would be interesting. as well as valua-
bic historically il Gen. Capehart csnid reeolIect
the organizations Of eolOred troops which were
the first iufantry on the ground in the morning
q the 9Th" AZ that moment / think Custer's
Division formed the extreme right OF Sheri-
dams wing Of the army, having been moved
ErOund there from the extreme left after being
relieved By Crook command during the night
This would bring them nearest 20 The troops OF
the main army coming IN from the east. As
Gen. CaPeharts Brigade was part Of Clusters
Division, these troops must have come in
still further 10 bis right, from the main army.
Es il j. almost certain that there were no eolored
troops anywhere in sight from the positions
occupied " the infantry Of the Fifth Corps
According 10 the best Of my recollection Gen.
BirnegE c0i0red troops marched with the
Twenty fourth Corps after the capture Of Fort
Gregg, but were left al Burke'g Junction. OF
course Gen. Capeharts recollection would be
better than mine. But IL the two colored bri-
gades got 20 AppomattoI on the morning Of the
Slh they must have come IN on the River road
-or the road leading from Walkers Church.
and 80 took p3siti0a On the right dank OF SheFi-
dane command. ] am sure that if they had
come IN on the Prospect road with Gibbons
troops / should have seen them.