Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-30


Gus springtme.
AS nearly as I remember, IL was abou
| o'clock when we reached the norther
banks Of the James opposite the city o
Lynchburg. At that time there wer
very few buildings on that side of tn
river. There were, however, some troop
encamped there, among them several bat
teries. And here ! saw and heard wha
/ shall never forget while memory shall
| last. i heard-Ohi TO me the saddest o
words, the saddest word that heard du
ring all those four long years OF sufferlni
and priyation-I heard the terrible new
that Lee had surrendered his army on tn
| morning OF that day! And what did see
! saw nation die! Did mortal man eve
see nation expire? Is 1t possible for nm
to see such sight with the limited Vi
| sion OF a human being? Well this is hoV
! IL was. The troops that were there Wer'
| just in the act OF disbanding when We ar
rived. And what sight Strong men, who
had, undsunted marched up to the can
mons mouth, fell upon each others necks
and wept like children They were, per
| haps. the first tears they had shed FOL
| years. but now it seemed as though thu
sealed fountain had broken UP, and tear:
| flowed unbidden and unrestralned. a.
| when some dear friend IS suddenly called
| from US, we first realize now near anc
dear that friend was, SO, when the Gcal
COnfederacy was no more, did her Chill
dren realize how much they loved ker
and how hard IL was TO be made conscious
OF the terrible fact that all was over; that
our cause, which was so dear 10 every
true southern child, was The Lost
Cause"
To show how dear the cause was 20
true soldiers heart, l heard it said
no ssraf b.r IN
l would gladly spend four more years
OF suffering, of bloodshed, ana OF priya-
ton" Yes, these were those who, du-
ring all those long years, had, ut mora.
at noon, and night, in their prayers to
their Heavenly Father asked Him 10
bless their cOuntry's cause, 10 bless our
armies and nayies, 90 bring the councils
Of our enemies 10 naught, and to grant
US Independence and freedom from the
power of an insOlent foe. And now, 70
see that foe triumphant and their cause
which they were 50 sure was just-lOst,
how could they reconcile 1t with the jus
tice of that God whom they had 50 long
trusted, believing implicitly that He would
hear their prayers and grant them the
great desire OF their hearts-the indie
pendence of the Confederacy?
But in this, the hour OF the trial of
their faith. as they have often since they
hear voice saying: BE still. and
know that l am God. What ! do thou
knowest not now, but shalt know here
after" In this confidence and faith they
submitted TO the inevitable, believing that
they should one day see clearly why all
this was permitted. which seemed so
strangely different 10 them from what
they thought It ought 10 have been.
Yes. no one but he who had the eX-
perience will ever realize what a strain il
was upon the earnest Christian heart
of the devoted southern child, to thus
see all his tolls, priyatiOns, sufferings
and agonies, but, especially, all his earnes,
prayers to a kind aud loving Father,
all in vain; his fondest hopes and desires
crushed and unheeded, and all seemed
so dark, so unnatural, all 80 utterly con-
traIy to what he thought it ought to be.
But after the first shock was over, he
meekly bowed 10 the inevitable, he sub
mitted all into the hands OF that one
who is too wise to err, and too merci-
ful TO be unlIind, and thus walked by
faith. and not by sight"
Having thus witnessed the last agonies
Of the dear old Confederacy, we sadly
turned toward the west and travelled
4 mile or two, and there encamped al q
farmhouse. How many nights we had |
thus encamped, and now the last one had |
ZONE, as the last of everything that per-
-ains to this world Will come sooner or |
alter. 1t IS only matter Of time.
The next morning we started for the /
Valley, crossing the Blue Ridge some |
where opposite Lexington, in ROckbridge |
county. We no longer kept together as e.
company. but those having the best horses
we're in the van. 4 comrade by the
lame Of Bear and l kept together, ana /
cached the Valley during the afternoon
II the 10th and came down in the neigh
lorhood OF Fairfield and stayed all night
With a MIR. Wilson, whose hospitality I |
lad enjoyed in other DAYS. The following
lay we came on towards Staunton, which
lace we reached about p. NJ. Here my
asst companion left me. l have never
cen him since, though ne is yet living.
d California, l think then. alone.
anne down the old Valley pike, which
had so often travelled during those four
ears of service, 90 Mount Sydney. where
stopped to have an old shoe or two
lcked on my horse for which l paid S.
o Confederate currency, and this was
he last time that this kind of money
10 service for me at all.
may just add, that so slowly did news
'avel in those times that although this
as the evening Of the nth, people here
ad not heard OF the surrender until ! |
I'D them. I then plodded on. and reached |
~ home in dear old Rockingham, about |
j. NJ.
And now, If any OF my old comrades see
lis and are interested | shall feel COM
snsated for the writing Of this. But
any will not see this with mortal eyes,
n they are closed forever. q
:. T. SHANK,
Sergeant Artillery.
North River, Va, April :, 1859.