Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-11

rs We i''hth ti'iti 'Il A'N4Al'li ~
saw Of a sudden Il couple OF men ride
out from tho extreme left Of the Con
fedcratc line. and even as we looked
the glorious white OF flag of truce
met our vision. At that time. having
routed the Confederate forces on The
hill. my brigade was left alone by
Shcridan's cavalry which had gone TO
the right to take the enemy in the
flank.
Il was on the right of line as we
stood ut the crest of the hill. Near by
was the rcd maltese cross of the hos
rital corps. and straight toward this
the two riders, ono with the white flag
came.
When the men arrived the one who
carried the flag drew up before me
and. saluting with a rather stiff air
il was strained occasion-informcd
me that he had been sent to bog 4
q ssation Of hostilitics until Gen. Ice
could be heard from. Lee was even
then said t.. be making wide detour
I in the hope Of attacking our forces
from the rear. The officer who bore the
flag was a member of the Confederate
Gen. Gordon's staff. but the message
cameto me in the name OF Gen. Long
street.
AT that time the command had de-
VOWED upon Gen. ord. and | informed
the officer with the flag-which WAS,
by the way, a towel of such clcanii-
ness that | was then, as now, amazed
that such a one could he found in the
entire rebel army-that he must needs
proceed along to our left. where Gen
Ord was stationed. With another alb
iectcdly stiff salute the officer with
his milk-whtc banner galloped away
down our line.
IT was subsequently learned that
Gen. Ord was situated some distance
away al. my left with his troops Of the
Army Of the James. comprising Glib
bon's Second Army Corps and divi-
sion of the Twenty-fifth Army Corps.
His line quite stretched across the
Lynchburg Road. or Pike as we
called il then.
We'll. as | have said. the flag OF
truce was sent to Ord. and not long
afterward came the command to cease
firing. The truce lasted until O'Clock
that afternoon. At that time our
troops had just barely resumed the
positions they had originally occupied
when the flag came in. They were ex-
pectinS mOmentarily to be attacked
again. and were we'll prepared yes.
eager. for continuance of the battle.
And just then the glad news came
that Gen. Lee had surrendered. Short
ly after that we saw pass before us
that sturdy rebel leader accompanied
by an orderly. He was dressed in the
brilliant trappinGs of Confederate
army officer and looked every inch the
soldier that he was. \ few NONE nts
after that our own beloved leader Gen.
Grant. also accompanied by an orderly.
came riding by. How different he was
in appearance from the conquered hero.
The one gay with the trappinSs of his
army: the other wearing an open
blouse, SLOUGH hat. trousers tucked
into heavy. mud-stained boots, and
with only the four furnished golden
stars to indicate his office, They
passed up and by and went to the
house where Were arranged the final
terms of surrender. That work done
neither leader stayed long with his
command, the one hurryng one way.
the other another
THAT night we slept as we had not
slept in four years. There was. Of
course. great deal of unrcstrained
jubi'atlon, but 1t did not call for much
Of that to be sufIiciency, and before
long the camp over which peace after
strife had settled was sleeping with no
fear of night alarm. We awoke next
morning to find the Confederates peer
ing down into our faces, and involun
tarily reached for our arms, but once
the recollections of the previous days
stirring events came crowding back to
mind. all fear fled. and the boys in blue
were soon commingling freely with the