Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-04-09


His Erccllcncy, Jefferson Daris:
Mr.. President, 1t is with pain that l
announce TO your Excellency the sur
render OF the Army Of Northern Nir
glnia. The operations which preceded
this result will be reported in full. |
will, therefore, only now state that
upon arriving at Amelia Courthouse on
the morning of the 4th with the ad-
vance of the army, on the retreat from
the lines in front of Richmond and
Petersburg, and, not finding the sup
plies ordered to be placed there, nearly
twenty-four hours were lost in endeav-
oring to collect in t5e country subsist.
ence for men and horses. This delay
was fatal, and could not be retrieved.
The troops, wearied by continual fight
ing and marching for several days and
n,gats, obtained neither rest nor re-
freshment, and on moving on the 9Th
on the Richmond aud Danville railroad
found at Jetersville the enemy's cav
airy, and learned the approach of his
infantry and the general advance of his
army toward Burkeville. This de.
prived US of the use ofthe railroad, and
rendered it impracticble to procure
from Dauville the supplies ordered to
| meet us at points of our march. Moth
ing could be obtained from the ada
cent country. Our route to the Roam
oke was, therefore, changed, and the
march directed upon Farmville, where
supplies were ordered from LynchhuFg
| The change of route threw the troops
over the roads pursued by the artillery
and wagon trains west of the railroad,
which impeded our advance and en-
barrassed our movements. On the morn
| ING of the 9th Gen. Longstreet's corps
reached Rice's station, on the Lynch
burg railroad. 1t was followed by the
commands of Generals Il. II. Anderson,
Ewell and Gordon, with orders to
close upon it as fast as the progress OF
the trains would permit, or as they
could be directed on roads farther west.
General Anderson, commanding Pick
ett's and B. r. Johnson's divisions,
became disconnected with Mahone'5
divisions, forming the rear Of Long
street. The enemy's cavalry pene-
trated the line of march through the
interval thus left. and attacked the
wagon-train moving toward Farmyllle.
This caused serious delay in the march
of the centre and rear of the column,
and enabled the enemy to mass upon
their flank. After successive attacks
Anderson's and Ewell's corps were cap
tured or driven from their position.
The latter general, with both of his di-
vision commanders, Kershaw and Gus
tis Lee. and his brigadiers, were taken
prisoners. Gordon, who all the morn
ing, aided by General W. H. F. Lees
cavalry, had checked the advance OF
the enemy on the road from Amelia
| Springs aud protect ID the trains, be
came exposed to his combined assaults,
which he bravely resisted and twice
repulsed; but the cavalry having been
| withdrawn to another part of the line
of march, and the enemy, massing
heavily on his front and both hanks,
renewed the attack about six p m,
and drove him from the field in much
confusion. The army continued its
march during the night, and every
effort was made to reorganize the
divisions which had been shatter-
ed by the days operations; but,
the men being depressed by fatigue
and hunger, many threw away
their arms, while others followed the
wagon-treins and embarrassed their
progress. On the morning of the 7th
rations were issued to the troops as they
passed Farmville, but the safety of the
trains requiring their removal upon the
approach of the enemy, all could not be
supplied. The army, reduced to two
corps under Longstreet and Gordon,
moved steadily on the road to Apo
mattox Courthouse; thence its march
was ordered by Campbell Courthouse,
through PittsylYania, toward DanVille.