The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-04-17
CIVIL WAR

EFT me give one more anecdOte of
our great Chieftain. My author
ity Is Colonel Carter M. BraxtOn, in
command of q regiment of artillery
at ApDOmattOx. He had heard of
the surrender, and riding aCrOss the
field, Just as he passed over a hill he
saw a crowd Of soldiers, and thought
it probable they had gathered around
some wounded officer. Riding up, to
his great surprise he saw that Gen
eral Lee was the center of the group.
The general at once recognized him
and mOtiOned him to advance Civ
ing his horse in charge of a soldier
he pressed through the thrOng. Gen
eraI Lee said: Colonel, Will you be
so kind" and BraXtOn says the
words almost broke his heart nc
command, only a request, will you
Ike so kind as to see General AlCXan-
der or PendletOn, and have the artil-
lery parked in accordance with the
terms of my surrender" Then, in
the crowd who pressed around like
children in the dark Clinging to the
hand or skirts of the father, u nan
he took for a negro pressed so close
that he held him back with out
stretched arm. When General Lee
used the word surrender, the man
cried with impassiOned utterance,
General, take back that word it Is
unworthy of you and of US. [ have
a wife and five children in Georgia;
l have made up my mind to die, but
not to surrender" BraxtJn looked,
and something's on the soldiers cheek
had washed off the stain of powder"
General Lee placed his ann around
the neck of that dirty but brave and
magnanimous soldier, and with tears
streaming down his face he said
We have done all brave men can do.
If L permitted another man to he
slain, [ would be a murderer. Go
home to your wife and children
whatever may be my fate, you will
be safe by the terms of your parole.
ClOd bless you all. Farewell" Lcav-
ing the crowd slowly and sadly with
bowed head and breaking heart, he
sought the shelter Of his tent.
Let me now relieve this tragedy,
which deeply moves me, if it does
not my readers, by an anecdOte which
gives a comic touch to the strange,
-ventful scene. The gallant soldier,
the genial gentleman, and the now
honored Governor of Virginia Will
~njoy a good joke as much as any
living man, even if the laugh is
against him. My authority is Gen
eral JubaI A. Early. General Lee
gave TO "Eitz," as we love to name
him, the command of three brigades
Of infantry in addition to his division
Of cavalry, and assigned to him the
post of honor and danger as the rear
guard of the army on the retreat
from Richmond. Sheridan pressed
r-emorselessly on the rear. There
WAS continuous fighting. There were
no Cummissary trains, and the army
which preceded them had stripped
the country of all supplies for man
Or beast. Yet the cavalry of Fitz
knew pretty well how to take care
OF themselves under the most adverse
circumstances, and spreading out.
they made out to live, and to do a
great deal Of hard fighting. An uh-
normal thing, unknown to natural
lists through the ages, occurred dur
ing the closing scenes of our Civil
War. The animal creation seemed
infected by the madness Of the hour.
The sheep, usually the most innocent
and ~inOffcnsive of animals, would
rush upon a Confederate soldier, and
il is established by the testimony OF