Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-11
Chamberlain's Story Of Appomattox.

As conspicuous New Englandcr
whose life has been an integral part of
the educational history Of his beloved
Pine Tree state. which he has repre-
scntcd as governor. as one Of its iegis-
latorG, as president of lovely Bowdoln
College, and particularly as Il soldier.
his long and eventful life has come to
be well known to the people of the en-
tire country-his life excepting that
part he played in the last act Of the
''no-SlaNc war"
The SHOWS of possibly thrceScorc
and ten rough Northland winters have
whitcncd the generals hair and we'll
trimmed beard as the seven primal
ColorS mixed in one, but he walks
erect as a youth Of 20 His eye is
clear and fearless as of yorc: his step
is springy and his hearing not the
least impaired. Wen modulatcd.
| though commanding, was the Good
evening" with which he greeted the
Journal representative who found him
ut the Falmouth House in Portland
Just at twilight one day this week.
But n short while before he had re-
turned from his work in the local Gus
| tom House Surveyors office, and was
about preparing for an evening of
| la Dor upon the very subject concerning
which the writer called to talk with
him.
| He explained that he was writing a
| paper an hour and q half long upon
the surrender. having been invited to
read it on the night of the first of
May next before the Portland Loyal
Legion. In his paper. which will be
subsequently published under the Lee
gion's auspiccs-that organization has
| already printed several of his civil
War writngs-it would be necessary.
he explained. to cover infinitely the
events of two weeks preceding the
last mOmentous day. since the his
tory of that fortnight was the key to
all that followed. He had he said.
been over that same Introductory
ground before, though less completely.
in an article read before the local
Loyal Legion, and entitled Military
Operations on White Oak Road" But
lie intended in the essay now being
produced to embrace not only the Oc-
| currenccs leading up to the surrender,
but the surrender itself as well.
And that Journal readers may have
n careful record of those memorable
! II days. and of the climax. too. it will
be needfuI to review somewhat in de-
tail the entire story as summarized by
Gen. Chamberlain.
The battle of Five Forks. which oc-
CURED on the LIST of April in 1862
served to prove to Gen. Grant the fact
which GEN Phil Sheridan had ad-
vanced that the cutting of railroad
lines between Petersburg and the
South had made exceeding difficult, II
not practically impossible. the pro
Visioning Of the Confederate army.
and that the departure Of that COM
mand and it's march toward Lynch
burg might soon be expected.
THE victory of Five Forks was 50
complete in every way as to wholly
paralyZe Gen. Lees plan for further
delay and it is not too much to say
that the decision was at once made
for the Western movement OF the
amy of Northen Virginia toward a
new supply base.
'.The battle of Sailor Creev with
Ewelrs surrender. and that Of Farm
vile. followed quickly after the Con-
federate being hard pressed on their
left fla and for them there was lit
tie rest owing to the continual hound
ing by Sheridans forces which seemed
quite eager for constant combat.