Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-05-19
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
IN THE LAST DAYS.
stirring Scenes in the South During the
Closing of the War.

Closing of the War.
There are not many of us left who ac-
companied Mr.. Davis from Greensboro,
n. c., to Washington. Ga. We reached
the former place at or about midnight
April II, with orders to escort and guard
the president and his cabinet and the
archives of the confederate govern
ment. Solemn is no word TO apply to
that cortege. Still don't believe there
was that agony that one beholds in
Meissonier's wonderful painting of 1912.
But there was no hilaritv. ! can assure
You. although Mr.. Davis was always
affable, kind. cheerful and resolute. We
rode at the head of the column all the
way. Gen. Cooper and Judah p. Benja-
min rode in an ambulance, and so did
Mr.. Trelholm. and family. If | remem-
Der correctly Reagan and Lubbock, of
Texas, and Preston Johnston, nephew
of Albert Sidney Johnston. rode TO the
right of the president, while upon his
left were George Davis and Gen. st.
Johns. There We're, also. Quartermas-
ter-General Lawton and Chief Engineer
Gilmer and their stats. | had fought all
through the war as a high private of
DibrelIs command and had never been
in so much exalted company before.
never had put my eyes on Mr.. Davis
until then--nor any one | have named.
But you should have seen us when we
arrived at Salisbury. Here were rem
nants of lost armies from Georgia, Vir-
ginia and various parts of the Caro-
Inns, all being pushed to common
center by Grant. Sherman. Stoneman,
Wilson and other victorious federals.
No pen can describe or pencil delineate
that heartrending scene. Here were
the president of the lost cause, many
civil functionaries, gilt-edged-otficers
and half-starved soldiers, negroes and
refugees Here was a debris such as
will never be aggregated again. Surely
the bottom of the confederacy had fall
out felt it in my soul. But on we
pressed. and at every little town or
we encountered refugees and
furloughed confederates, who would
thrill Us with the unwelcome intelli- |
gence of Stoneran's approach. | re-
member particularly, after we had |
crossed YadlSin river, that Gen. Dibrell |
received word from Gen. Ferguson that |
Stoneman was nearing Charlotte. and |
so we were marched all night arriving /
at Charlotte about sunrise | must adj |
NIT that we did nat want to see Stone |
man: still we felt somewhat disap-
appointed when we discovered that he
had deceived us and burned all the
bridges over the Catawba. The end
was near.
We were soon again on our way Gen.
Ferguson moved out of Charlotte few
hours after we arrived, and proceeded to
Nation Ford. at point where the Co
umbia railroad crossed the Catawba.
shortly afterward. Gen. Basil Duke, with
about 4S0 veterans of John Morgan's
cavalry, put in an appearance
IN artillery horses and wagon mules.
bareback and all other ways These an
mails had been picked up here and
here, as the Kentuckians had been dis
mounted at Christianburg. Soon Echolo
md Vaughan came with about 400 men.
md the same day Mr. Davis made that
peech which was so falsely reported.
How many in all? About $500. 1900
# whom were under Col breckenridge
But there was not much fight left in us
can assure you. And a great many
we're disheartened and not a small num-
yer utterly demoralized. Two DAYS af-
erward Gen. Breckenridge arrived from
greensboro and informed us of his
greement with sherman, and the ex-
stence Of truce was officially promul-
ated On the morning OF the 26th we
tarted for Abbeyville. Our original in
ention was to cross the Catawba at Ma
ion Ford; but high water, burnt
ridges. and other obstacles necessi-
lted change of route and we went by
ray Of YorlSville and Unionville to
and arrived at Abbeyville |
lay l. In the meantime news had s
cached us of 10 Johnstons sur
snder and that Gen. Bragg had dis
anded the Second and Third South !
arolina cavalry. The fall of Spanish
ort and BlalSely and the occupation of
Iobile and the successes of Wilson came a
ght along with the other shocks
hen came rumors of FORESTS defeat at ?
elma and Stoneman's capture of Athens y
ld the occupation of Atlanta. Macon. '
ugusta. and the utter decentralization ;
that part of Johnston's army that had Z
IT surrendered Think | thought L
lthing. | knew it all. And saw the u
ter hopelessness Of reaching the Mis- n
Ex-confederate in Chicago g
ribune. q