The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-11-07
AFTER LEES SURRENDER.
A CONFEDERATE'S STORY.
Breaking Up Of the Last Organized Com.
mand East of the Missis sippi


us at Christlansturg Va, early in April, 1865.
Gen. Echols was In command OF about 2,i00
men, four brigades. Gen. Dukes brigade was
dismounted cavalry. Our horses had suffer.
ed so with foot evil, etc., that they had been
sent, under charge Of Col. Napier, to North
Carolina We were often ordered about as In.
iantry. Gen. Nichols had moved forward,
intending to unite with Les at Danyllls. Az
Christinnsburg came tho news Of Lees sur.
render. IL was n cold, drizzling afternoon.
We were all greatly depressed. uen. Echols
called council ol war aud stated that he
proposed TO march TO Gen. 10. Johnston M
Raleigh, N. q. lie offered us all the option
to remain or go with him. The infantry dc.
cided TO remain. Cosby's and uiltners bri.
gades concluded to go to Tennessee. Dukes
and Vaughnn's brlgades started to go to 10
Johnston. rush was made for the wagon
trains from which the mules and horses wer,
taken, and the men rode on mules and sore.
backed horses with ropes for bridles. About
22b paroled prisoners came along aud Joined
our party that morning. A notable incident
occurred to me that night; n soldier accosted
me aud asked to yo along. II was Chant
Ferguson, the noted guerrilla, who played the
part on our side that Tinker Dave Beatty did
on the Federal. 1 asked Champ Ferguson
how many men he had killed, with his own
hand and he replied nlncty-two In all.
The next morning we found ton or twely,
oiIlcers, with their men, and they went with
us. That night n calamity occurred. Two
years before negro had appeared IN oui
camp; Capt. Murrell said he bought him
Know his owner never gave him to Capt. Muir
rellj he may have bought him. The negro,
name was Alfred, and he was Invaluable II,
was our cook, and when chickens were S9t
each and eggs si2 dozen, and pigs were ou
OF sight, our table had all tn. dolloacles Alfred
did his marketing exclusively at night. n,
was Invaluable, and when he disappeared y,
were ms dismayed as when Lee surrendered.
I'VE marched TO Statewide without squar,
meal since Alfred left.
eve marched toward JIncolnton ano
found Col. Napier with 45 men and 2l5horsei
had been driven away by Stoneman. Gen
Echols had passed on to Raleigh. We marched
on to Charlotte, arriving there April 10 or II
Johnston and Bragg were negotiating. w,
found Jefferson Davis and his cabinet viii
Dibbroll and Williams brigades, the latter II
command Of Col. Breckinridgc, Of Kentucky
We were there ten or twelve days, and re
celved the news OF Lincolns assassination
before we left. Gen. Johnston telegraphe,
that his agreement with sherman had beei
signed, but that Andrew Johnston, who suo
ceeded Lincoln, had repudiated II, aud Jeffer
son DAVIS had better leave. Davis proposed
TO take tho cavalry cross tho Mississippi aDt
form nucleus around which the soutl
could rally and secure their rights.
There were n crowd OF unattached officer
and men who decided TO remain and sur
render. Davis wanted to put General Bragg
In command, but the Kentucky officers went
to Davis and said that Yreckinrldge had no
resigned his Major Generalship to DO Secre
tary OF War, and that they wanted him ~
their commander Davis asscnted. Breckin
ridge took charge and did mo tho honor Il
select me as bis Adjutant General. We wen
with four or fye clerks and destroyed all tn,
records Of the war Office save five or sii
b3xes--that Is one reason there Is lack o
oiIlcial documents In the publication OF tn,
Rebellion Records. greatly rogrot thai
destruction. The last destruction was on tn,
banks Of tho Savannah river.
we marched about twelve miles day
Az Union Court House we found Col. Maple
with tho 2l5 horses. and the command wer,
soon all mounted. Forage was very scare,
ON account OF Sherman's raid, but n new croI
OF hay was found occasionally In barns. On,
OLD woman as she objected to our taking tn,
hay said; You are Kentuckians; why dom
you go homo like our boys DO and decent,
surrender. Why don't you do that2' 'Yot
spoke out OF your turn replied an old Ken
tuckian. You South Carolina people brough
II this war and we Kentuckians took the con
tract to close 1t and are going to do IT,
AZ Union Q. H.. was the first time l hat
met Mr. Davis Ho looked like his picture
on the postage stamp, and was the game
cock style Of man, full-chested square
shouldered, only Ave feet eight inches high
Il met oil the Presidential Cabinet. Judge
Reagan talked about the condition Of tn,
country Judah =. Benjamin and Preckin
ridge quoted Tennyson and criticised thu
verses. Breckenridge was royal-looking
Benjamin was about five feet one inch high
heavy and rotund; he rode horse seventeen
hands, and was ridiculous figure, but wheI
In his SOFT voice he quoted poetry you forgo
his appearance. Mr.. Mallory, Secretary o
the Navy, was about such figure as Ben
iamin, aud rode a large horse
AT Abbeville we found II was no use to gS
any further The officers told Davis that tn,
soldiers would go with him as long as he dc
sired, but 1t was useless 10 prolong the war
He said hc could escape unaided. Gen
Duke, who was at the conference, told IN,
that ho never saw Davis 80 crestfallen. AfteI
the conference WAS sent to tell the meI
they could disband, that Davis did no
need them as an escort and each mar
could strike out for himself The Ken
lucky and Tennessee soldiers said thel
would march homo in a body. That nigh
four or five trains loaded with money aud
bullion came from Charlotte with som,
Treasury agents. Gen. Duke with forty-hv,
men was put by Breckinridge to guard them
The following morning Duke asked that iftJ
men from each brigade be furnished him as
guard for the cars; this was done. A Treas
ury agent was seen taking a bag OF gole
away anu NO WIS DIouRHt DICK. Ot went OF
to Vienna on the Savannah river. Davis snc
his cabinet started for Washington Gu. There
Ferguson's Mississippi Brigade and Waugh
ans Brigade decided to wait and surrender
Dukes command having gone to Wood
stock. Breckinridge did not know what to do
A Federal force appeared. Breckinridg,
said: 'Ge detain them while / get away.
Col j. b. Clay, Capt. breckenridge and | wer
sent TO parley with the Federals. We die
hold them long time. Their Major was .
gentleman, and feeling good. He was hal
drunk. He did not want to ayht, and neither
did we. He begged US to surrender. W,
pleaded and joked for three-quarters OF ar
hour, then said plainly that us neither wanted
to fight wo would go on one side OF the roac
end let him pass or he could go on one side
and let US pass. He agreed and moved u
one side, and We marched by. They cheerec
US and we cheered them.
Gen. Breckenridge; with his son Cabell
and Col Theodore O'Hara and Major
Wilson, made their way to the Florida coast
Then came our partlng-I never realized tha
the Confederacy was gone till We began say
ing to each other goodbye. A number o!
Kentucky soldiers insisted on having Ger.
uhcale OF discharge. wrote them each one
and without knowing what l was going 20
talk about tapt. Joseph Pettus showed me
one here Tonight. Our command was the