The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-02

have been fed SO that despite the KIND
intention Of Gen Grant most OF ms cap
DIVES went supper!ess TO bed. IL was dae
entirely to q happy accident that the
writer formed an exception TO TINS RUE,
and the circumstances Of that accldeht
may prove interesting TO those VINO nave
never experienced actual want OF 1000.
Most OF the comrades were WfdPPeu
in slumber after the giels ana excite
mcnts Of one eventful day, but TWO
young officers Of the stat still kept loneIy
vigil uy smoldering ire, beuoahihg the
fate 0f war and seeking 10 eAtIaCt lioi,
the situation SuCn grains OF CDHiiOI 90 a.
retrospect u brighter fields might aHoru.
They talked OF times when yet the staI
OF victory had lowered over the sOuth,
ern banners and sOOthcd theH NVulte -
pride with thoughts OF tender eyes "hI.h
would refuse TO - aught OF disgrace IN
sach defeat as mad OVerteken them. IN
such converse the hours passed swiftly
on 20 midnight and they were ABOUT 10
seek fOrgettulneSs OF UouDle III thdI
slumber which comes so easily 10 YOUTH
when from the meadow below their camp
ing ground arose the sound OF subuued
voices in earnest dispute. W nat could
IL meauT 4 welcome discovery Followed
upon Investigation. Into the lines of the
Six.y-hrSt Virginia regiment had strayed.
as lnCautiouslY as prOV!dcntia4ly, an
gcd and attcuuated steer, bearing upon
his sCFaWny neck the scars Of many
NOkfS, ana wearing upon MS it-<NII4 Iihf
the marks OF many goads. But wnat mat
tered leanncss ana toughncss 90 veterans
who had starved upon toasted corn Tor
Nclluigh "a week Of tOilsOme days? The
beast fell ready victim TO their raven
ing dppctltcS, and they were caught req
handed from the slaughter Against al
law and all orders? or course II was.
l~nd so they were told by the two o!AceIs
who discovered the offense. But even
righteous wrath may be mitigdted by
Indie ipfIe rag,ly and when these OHtlitl .
pleaded their long suffering ana pfeSeht
emptiucss the kindliness Of fclo" ieei'H5
awOkc i'm the breasts OF their a'Cu5t' ,;
and when 10 this plea was snpCiddd't
tho offer Of a liberal slice Of the liver Of
the stolen COW human nature couid not
withstand the double Justification.
Behold then. a few moments tdttF, tft
pair of officers stcalthliy reJolA'hN t I'raI
camp fire. bearing between them a warm
and reckIug portion Of the COWS internal
economy For the cooking OF II no better
utensl could be found thah pl ~ ~
spade stale corn bread ana a Wh,u
of salt were begged with great diihcuity
from a provident little drummer boy
whose single drum had sounded our S"l-
auu taps that night FoF EItaSe ""ci
with 10 fry the SaNory moISIi ~ 49,
generously became creditor ne altO"Su
the officer officiating as COOK 70 TWO tlt
bottgtn Of the spade with SHdH SHCe 81
monk which had survived all the petiIS
and pr1vOCatiors to deIouI " gu ~
march from Petersburg. And so was Pre-
pared. 50 furnished forth, a supper Whlch
fingers vet I'm two grateful memories as
a feast iii for the gods.
After General Lee had bidder us me
simple farewell which preceded his formal
bulletin taking leave Of the arinY-thdt
farewell which. surrounded 10y the worn
faces Of his most faithful followers NJ
spoke rs ii father 20 the sons Whom , ~
leaves forcver-"I have done my best ior
v0u Nv heart is too fun to say more -
the days wore YEARLY away while Inc
routine Of enrolling the men for parate
I.ro,,yessed toward completion. or the
great army which had for years upborhe
the fortunes Of the COnfederaCy upon
us b3vouets. less than $3.50 survived with
muskets i'm their hands TO answer me
final roll call At Fort Stedman ",Wo men
were lost at Five Forks nearly double
that number were shot and captured. IN
the engagements about Petersburg. April
ID. and in the evacuation or the TWO clues
the losses approximate o'Wp. AZ sailor
and the total loss exceeded 5000 men.
During this period A. F. Hill had been
Killed and on the same day ndd tallen
Colonel Pegram Of the artillery on the
retreat the gallant bearing lost his life.
At Sailors creek Ewel and six generals
of lesser rank We're taken prisoners II
was but a shadow OF the once powerful
organization that stood at bay before
Ord the 9th Of April. But two divisions Of
the whole remained intact-Mahonc S ana
Fields ANY elaborate ceremony OF sur
render would in such case have been
mockery. And IL was, therefore. with no
ostentation of triumph that Thursday
April 18th. the FederalS received the flags
and muskets OF an army which had been
exhausted rather than beaten. That
morning. as the tattered uniforms and
bright guns OF the divisions drOre named
marched in front Of the Federal corps
DESIGNATED to receive them, they were
greeted with the salute OF honor from
every sword in the victorious line. Moth
ing could have been more generous or
more cOnsiderate than the behavior Of
the Union troops. Grant set them the
example Of magnanmity. and no de-
parturc from it came under my observa-
tiO0.
Immediately after this unpretentious
function had been concluded the dispersal
OF the COufederates began. Solemn and
affectionate were the leavetakings be-
tween men who had showed much glory
and much danger. and We're now to
sever forever the closest link that binds
the hearts OF men together. Soon stream
ing out by every road were the thin col
umus of the disbandinR army. Before
the setting Of the sun the last gray Jacket
had disappeared. ana already the drums
Of the Union hosts were sounding the
signal for tneir homeward march. Did
ever wars pageantry so swiftly fade
away? WILLIAM +. CAMERON.