The National tribune., 1899-08-24

Some personal correspondence called
out by recent articles in THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE concerning the death of Lieut.
Hiram Clark, 1S5th N. Y, killed at Apo
mattox,-and, l believe, the last man
in the Army of the Potomac to be killed in
action,-has suggested an anecdote, the
chief historical value of which is that ii
illustrates the peculiar, cold, calm,s calcrl-
lating, and yet reckless and daring courage
of the American soldier. 1t was an Incl
dent of the Appomattox campaign.
On page 1856 of ''The Cannoneer" speak
of going, early in the morning of March %,
1865, with Maj Cope, of Gen. Warren's S
staff, as courier or mounted Orderly. Cope
was Chief Abide Camp to Warren, and also
Typographical Engineer of the Fifth
Corps. To the ordinary observer he looked
more like a professor Of mathematics in
some college than anything else, and he
really was most accomplished scholar;
but beneath that somewhat pedantic ex-
terror beat the heart of as thorough soldier
and hero as ever was.
FIFTH CORPS IN ADVANCE.
As is well known, the Fifth Corps led the
movement of the army in the short but
terrible campaign of II days that ended
with the surrender of Lees army and col
lapse of the rebellion.
{ When the head of column had reached
the junction of the Vaughn road and the
Quaker road, about daylight on the morn
ing of March %, 1865, Grifin's Division
leading and Joe Bartlett's Brigade in
front, Maj Cope was with Griffin, and, as
the troops halted for their rude breakfast,
Cope proposed to reconnoiter towards Dim
widdie Courthouse.
: / was then one of Griffin's Orderlies, but
Cope had used me before when reconnoiter-
ing, and on this occasion he asked Griffin
to lend me to him. So Maj. Cope and
rode out on the Vaughn road towards
Dinwiddie, Griffin saying as we left him:
"AS soon as they swallow their coffee I'll
send Bartlett's Brigade out to cover you"
The Major and / rode rapidly over the
rise of ground in our front, and soon came
to the little valley of Cat-tail Creek, small
stream holding course south of east and
emptying into the Rowanty Just below
Monks Neck Bridge. On the further or
southerly side of Cat-tail Creek the Vaughn
road crossed the road leading from Ma
lone's Bridge to Dinwiddie Courthouse, and
at this crossroads stood couple of houses
and some outbuildings, the property of a
planter named Crawford.
ENEMY SIGHTED.
When we reached the top of the rise of
ground, and in sight of Crawford's Cross
roads, We saw four or five men. The dis
tance was just about one mile. We halted,
and Maj Cope looked at them through his
field-glaSses.
'Try your glass on those fellows, Or
derly," he said, "and see what you can
make out of them"
Training my glass on them for a mo-
ment, said: 'They are the enemy, sir, and
Infantry. If you look closely at that fellow
standing nearest the barn, with his left |
side towards us, you will see his bayonet |
scabbard, sir"
The Major looked with his glass again,
and said: "Yes, I see, Orderly 1 thank
you for calling my attention to that i'm
portant detail. I believe your eyes are
sharper than mine. was inclined to
think they were dismounted cavalry, but
the bayonet scabbard disposes of that
theory"
Then Maj Cope said: Il must ride little
further down the road, in order to develop
them. want to find out why they are
there. Now. Orderly, pay strict attention
to my words. II anything happens to me,
] want you to report the whole occurrence to
Gen. Warren or Gen. Griffin as quickly as
your little mare can carry you to them; and
report all you hear me say. am going
down the road far enough to draw their
fire. II, as suspect. they are simply
videts or flankers of a column moving over
on the other side Of the opposite ridge, they
will fire at me and retire at once on their
main body. But if, as may be, they are a
picket Of a considerable force concealed