The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-07
THE DAYS OF GRANT.
General Joshua |. Chamberlain Be-
fore the Loyal Legion.
WAR SCENES RECALLED BY A
DISTINGUISHED ACTOR.

Regular Meeting of the Maine Com
mandery of the Loyal Legion-Occa-
sion Made Memorable by the Presence
of the Officer Who Received the Sur
render of Lee
The regular meeting of the Maine
Commandery of the Loyal Legion was
held at the Falmouth last evening.
Mayor Baxter, Judge Nathan Webb and
General Joshua L. Cham berlain, were
the guests of the commandery The meet
ing was well attended, the following
gentlemen sitting down to Landlord
Martins we'll laden board: Judge
Nathan Webb, Col. Frederick ROBBIE,
Lieut.. R. P. Leary, U.S.N., Gen. George
Varney. Gen. John Marshall Brown,
Surgeon Alfred Mitchell, Capt. Hebron
Mayhem, CAPITA. L. Turner, Capt. W.
E. Dennison, Major Charles Walker,
Capt. H. B. Sawyer, Major G. H. Boyd,
Capt. Charles W. Ford, Major Henry S.
Burrage, Gen. Selden Conner, Lieut..
Edward M. Rand, Surgeon S. G. Gordon,
Gen. George L.. Beale, Gen. Joshua l..
CHAMBERLAIN, Mayor James P. Baxter,
Major H. S. Melcher, Paymaster W. H.
Anderson, Capt Thos. J. Little, Major
Sidney W. Thaxter, Capt. Charles W.
Roberts, Capt J. c. Rundlett, Lieut..
Samuel L. Miller, Lieut.. George f.
French, Major William H:Greene, Capt.
George W. Verrill, Capt. Henry N.
Fairbanks, Harry R.Virgin, Esq, James
E. Hewey, ESQ.,, Capt. Thomas P. Beals,
Capt. George E. Brown, Lieut.. Benjamin
J.Hill.
General Chamberlain has not lived in
Maine for about ten years; but his fame
as soldier is fresh in the minds of all.
1t was he, at the head of his division of
the Fifth Corps, who received the sur
render of Lees army at Appomattox. He
did not in his paper last evening, describe
that memorable pageant, when the
famished and tattered soldiers of the
Army of Virginia marched past his
division and laid down their arms; but
his theme was one of the stirring battles
of the last days of the struggle.
Marching Through Georgia" was
sung in chorus before General Chamber
lain was introduced. General Chamber
lain was received with loud applause.
He said that it had long been his desire
to make study of the movements which
led to the surrender of Lee, especially
the affairs of the .Boydton and White
Oak roads. This he had hitherto been
unable to do, and at the present time
he found that he could not treat the
subject as fully as he could wish. He
had had the advantage of seeing all the
dispatches sent from headquarters
during that time, which had been pre-
served by General A. Webb, now New
York acquaintance.
The reputation of the Fifth Corps had
suffered in two respects. The policy of
reti cence in its reports had repressed
within itself the facts as to its deeds.
And again, by curious succession of
events, its commanders had been on I'M
fortunate terms with their military or
political superiors.
Under slightly different conditions it
was probable that the
Contamination of Appomattox
ing LIZ Atv0 DCCu .duolClpd1Su d6 WQlGe
Oak road. asa
The investment of Lees army had
forced him to extend his intrenchments
sixteen miles westward from Petersburg.
He had two lines of connection with the
South to maintain: The Southside and
Richmond and Danville railroads. In
| the course of the winter the extending of
| the Union left flank had interfered with
| these connections, which he had been
| forced to supplement- with wagon Grains
along,the Boydton road.
| Lee was watching the Richmond and
| Danville railroad narrowly, because he
| intended to retreat by it to the South
and there join Joe Johnston. Grant
meant to prevent this by movement on
Lees right flank.
| This movement was planned with great
care. Sheridan, commanding an indie
Lees right flank with $4,000 cavalry and
| cut the Richmond and Danville, and also
| the.Southside, if possible.
| The Second, Fifth and Sixth corps were
| to move towards the right flank of Lee
| to supplement Sheridan's movement
The country there is in general fat,
with clayey. sandy soil, swampy and
difficult. The streams.~fow southeast
ward towards the sea, and the roads run
ming to North Carolina, cross these
| streams.
Before daylight on the 29th of March,
| 1865, the Fifth corps, General Chamber
lain's brigade leading, moved along the
Quaker road toward Lees extreme right
| flank, while Sherman with his cavalry
moved in the same direction, but on an
extreme line.
Severe fighting at once began, during
which General Cham berlain's brigade
! suffered severely, but drove the enemy
| to the White Oak road
| Lee meanwhile had sent Fitz Hugh
| Lee with 1900 cavalry to Five Forks to
head off Sheridan. He had also sent W.
| H Lee, Rosser and Pickett, with large
forces of cavalry and infantry towards
the right, where they arrived on the Both.
| Learning of these reinforcements Grant
| decided not to try to break up the rail-
roads; but to bring Lee to battle, by
sending Sheridan to the right and rear of
Lee.
The night of March 20 was dark and
| dismal, rainy and cold, and before morn
| ing the roads were impossible for the
ar illery.
| In conformity with Grants changed
plans, Sheridan made feeble attempt
to seize Five Forks He seemed unac-
| counta h1v Inactive that daV as he mi o. h f.,