The National tribune., 1897-05-20
CLOSING WAR DAYS.
Fifth Corps Comrades Reminis-
cences After the Fall of
Petersburg

Corps had not been idle during the Winter
of 1S64-5. Being on the extreme left of
Gen. Meade's Army of the Potomac, invest
ing Petersburg, we had already begun to
feel that something would be attempted
towards "closing up business" with the
Army>of Northern Virginia, from the posi-
tion we occupied at Hatcher's Run, in q
very few DAYS after the middle of March.
The writer, with other members of War
ren's Corps was foolish enough to accept
furlough for 10 days. Taking the military
railroad to City Point, about March 81, we
on the ODD boarded the mail boat for Wash
ington, and proceeded to northeastern Penn
sylvania by rail Whether Lee "got wind
of this exodus of furloughed soldiers from
Meades command / know not he certainly
took advantage of our absence, pushing
Gordon into Fort Stedman and other works
at Petersburg, almost before these coffee
coolers" reached their homes
Our absence from the front under such cir
cumstances prevented any enjoyment of the
brief respite from the hardships and discom-
forts of the Winter campaigns. The news
from Petersburg was humiliating; we did
not suspect the actual facts.
l reached New York City, March 81, on
my way to Petersburg, Va The morning
papers of April l changed my plans
could scarcely wait through train for
Washington to reach my command at the
earliest moment, after the news in the papers
had been hastily scanned.
Ny regiment, the 198th Pa, with the
195th ~ Y, constituted Gen. Chamberlaln's
First Brigade, First Division, Fifth Corps,
and had led our infantry advance from our
lines and at Boydton and White Oak roads
and Lewis's farm, had lost heavily in killed
and wounded, including many of our best
officers and enlisted men.
thought that Washington train would
never leave the station at jersey City; but
we arrived at the Capital City the morning
of April g. 1865, and hurried to the mail boat
Red Jacket. We crawled down the Potomac
at what seemed a snail's pace, reaching
James River on the morning of April 3.
The men of furlough notoriety had be-
come acquainted on the boat, and comparing
notes mourned our absence from our COM
mands. We took the first train from City
Point and landed as near Petersburg as we
could. On alghting we met our dear Gen.
Warren, who told us of his treatment at the
front by Gen. Sheridan.
The furloughed boys marched into the
"Cockade City" through the abandoned
works. Wereported TO the Provost Marshal.
but he had no supplies for us. Finally, we
found a poor family, who kindly allowed us
to occupy an unfurnished upper room, where
we consolidated our food supplies and gave
the remainder TO this half starved family.
We finally went to rest on the bare floor.
On the morning Of April A we made an
early call on Dr.=Couch, Health Officer of
Petersburg, and a cousin of Zen. d. n Couch,
having learned that the Confederate au-
thori,ies had hauled supplies in plenty to
his residence during Sunday, April 2. We
sent request to his sleeping apartments
for the key of his meat-house and the Doctor
came down and told us if we would not in
terlere with his property his servants should
prepare us the best break fast his house could
afford under the circumstances. We got
good Virginia breakfast and then started
out. The Sixth and Ninth Corps were then
marching westward toward Lees army.
The 15 or 20 coffee-coolers of the Fifth
Corp, went in the same direction. A strap
ping big Sergeant of the 19Uih or 19lst Pa.
Veteran Reserves, whose name, but not kind
ness, l have forgotten, set the pace, which
was hot one, so severe that we passed all
of the Ninth and part of the Sixth Corps
before middle afternoon, and when night
was coming on had left them all we'll in our
rear. The Sergeant and the writer were the
only ones left together of the furloughed
Fifth Corps boys as well.
Although we had done a heavy march on
no food but breakfast, we plodded along
until completely exhausted, when we sank
down in a fence corner for the remainder Of
the night, having covered about 30 miles
through dangerous country when alone.
Early we resumed our march. Jeters-
vile, we learned from occasional small cav
airy detachments, was our objective point,
where our corps was waiting for Lees army
to attack them. We reached the Third Di'
vision, Fifth Corps at midnight.
/ reported TO my company on the morn
ing of April 6, 10 minutes before our corps
moved forward from Jetersville in line-ol-
battle. Although / was unarmed at the
start, in 10 minutes / captured a rebel En-
field rifle from one of our erring brethren
then ensc0nced under a culvert on the
Richmond & Danvlle Railroad. During
the forenoon we passed Gen. Lees Head
quarters train, captured by our cavalry, and
secured equipments and ammunition. We
reached AppomattOx, aud had the privilege
of being the first brigade of infantry to
reach there from Gen. Meade's command,
arriving at Sheridan's Headquarters " in the
saddle" near 6 a. M, April 9.
Gen. Chamberlain was requested by Sheri-
dan not to wait for closing up of his other
bIigades, but to 90 in at once with ours and
relieve his cavalry" who were then hotly
engaged on the open-timbered hillside be-
tween us aud the Courthouse. Moving
along the rear of these troopers, we cleared
the timber line and came into battle-line
facing toward the Courthouse. Calls for
volunteer skirmishers brought quick re-
sponse, but the gallant Lieutenant of the
1S5th N. Y. four leading regiment), who
offered his services, was killed and some of
his men wounded before they could deploy.
The Army of the Potomac was not miles
away at that period, at least the Fifth Corps
was not after that awful 40-mile march of
Saturday night aud Sunday morning to
reach where we arrieedl just in season.
The first appearance to us of Ord's colored
infantry was whileEmarching northward from
our last haltingbplace, near Appomattox
Station, in our hurriedGmarch toward Sheri-
dams fighting troopers. Suddenly Ord's
coIored column approached the front of ours
from our left rear, marching on the same
road with us, towards. Sheridan's position,
in the southwest corner of the large open
field where he gave Gen. Chamberlain his
orders. The colored troops did not enter
this field, but continued on north on this