Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-05-18

umns to meet Gen. Grant. Another.
and directly another. messenger came
to Gen. Longstreet from Gen Gordon,
asking for help and saying that he was
very hard pressed
Gen. LOngstreet then directed me
TO ride over to Gen. Gordon and say to
him that II he thought proper he
might send a flag of truce oe6r TO Gen.
Sheridan. who was supposed to be in
command in his front. and ask for a
suspension of hostilities until he could
hear from Gen. Lee, who had ridden
down the road to meet Gen. Grant
Il found Gen Gordon in the village
of Appomattox, hard pressed in front
and being banked on his left
After delivering the message he
said it was proper for him to send the
flag, and as he had no staff officer with
him begged me to take it. We agreed
that the best direction to take the flag
was to a heavy column of artillery
then pressing on his left flank
"As ! started off l was joined by
Mai. Brown, of his star | rode
through Gen. Gary's dismounted cav
airy, VINO were hotly engaged with the
enemy.
Upon reaching the enemy | was
met by Lieut. Col NOW Gem Whitaker
and major. Col Whitaker advised
me to go to Gen Custus. whose coli
umn of mounted cavalry was just then
passing to the rear of Gordons left
flank
I'VE put spurs and in few moments
reached the head of the moving col
umn, where found Gen. Custus. He
asked me who was and what want
ed l replied that was an officer on
Gen. Longstreet's staff. and was the
bearer of message from Gen. Gordon.
who desired suspension of hostilities
until Gen. Lee could be heard from,
who had gone down the road to meet
Gen. Grant
''Gen. Custus said: We will listen to
no terms but those of an unconditional
surrender Our people are now behind
Jones'
II replied; I don't think we will sub
NIT TO that, but win take your message
| back to Gen. Gordon, and if you wish
to send an officer along with me you
can do So
"He directed Col Whitaker and the
major, whose name l have forgotten,
70 accompany me- Upon our way back
to our lines Col. Whitaker begged me
To give him the towel which | had
used on this occasion as a flag of truce.
This peremptorily and emphaticalIy
declined, telling him that l would not
allow him for any consideration to pre-
serve it as memento of our humilia-
ton.
upon reaching Gen. Gordon, he was
being hard pressed in front and on
his right and lie begged me to take the
flag to another part of the field. / told
him that | could not do so, as I must go
to Gen, Longstreet, who would prob
ably need me very soon, as Gen. Custus
said he would proceed to attack; be-
sides, | said, you have a member of
your staff. Mai. Brown, with YOU
Maj Brown asked me to loan him
the towel | told him | would do so on
condition that he would not allow the
federal officer to get possession of it.
when l returned, in the afternoon,
Maj. Brown told me that Col Whitaker
asked for the towel to display as flag
of truce as they rode into the federal
lines together fearing, he said, that
they would be fred upon by the fed
erals AS soon as he reached the fed
eral lines he rode off, mixed up with
olher officers and men, and he could
not be identified
THE towel afterward was given to
Sen. Custus, and is now in possession
Of Mr.. Custus Of Monroe, Mich, 1t fire.
quently hobs up at the different ma
tional fairs and demonstrations Of the
grand army As trophy and relic.
II rode from Gen. Gordon to Gen.
Longstreet directly and hurriedly /
found Gen. Longstreet and Gen. Custus
talking together at a little distance
from the staff. / heard some allusion
made by Gen. Custus to the message
delivered.
Il walked over to them and begged
to correct Gen. Custus that ] did not
tell him that ] was the bearer of a
message from Gen. Longstreet, but
emphatically that | came from Gen.
Gordon. Each said that he understood
that
"As walked off heard Custus say:
4 will proceed to attack at once, and
Lougstreet replied: As soon as you
please.
THE attack was not made and there
was no more firing or fighting IN. o.
Times-D Democrat
ODD NOTES FOR THE VETS.
SECRETARY GRESHAM has a short leg
as reminder Of the battle Of Atlanta,
and Secretary Herbert has a short arm
to make him think Of the bloody do
ings in the Wilderness.
THERE were in the confederate serv-
ice one commander in chief, seven
generals. nineteen lieutenant gem
erals, eighty-four major genera
Al n.