The National tribune., 1902-03-27

Tor years, not Imprpbabiy 1oECNeE'
When orders were received commanding
them TO march away to augment the ranks
of Lee many cayalrymen, officers an(
men sought the homes of their friends Il
say "good-by." in some families, notwith
standing the gloom of the environment
there was merry -making-liyely music
dancing and much good cheer, albeit wheI
it came to giving the parting hand ant
speaking the words of farewell, there wal
generally more sadness than merriment
Occasionally n party of unsentimenta
Young caNalrymen would assemble IN some
humble, rustic habitatiOn and strive t.
drive away dull care with decrepit fiddle
and a deranged accordion. In the ma
joriry of homes. however, the civilian en-
tertainers and the military guests more
fully realized what the parting meant
that the Kentucky cavaliers were march
ing away never to return; that the tat
tered. war-worn battle-fags of Dixie
would soon be furled forever. If there
was music, it was plaintive and subdued
There was no dancing; and, when taking
leave. the farewells were mutely spoken
for '.the heart feels most when the lips
move not, and the eyes speak the gentle
gOod-by." To the winsOme maiden with
the guitar the lover would say:
"Sing me the old songs tonight,
Touch the strings softly and low"
Complying with his request, she would
probably sing agnes May" popular
ballad of that day.:
'I kissed her lips and left her side,
In Springs young balmy time,
When every blossom seemed a bride
And waters flowed in rhyme;
The birds were warbling in their bowers,
The dew slept on the spray,
And Nature sought in vain with flowers
70 rival Agnes May"
Even Old Scipio Africanus. usually so
merry when picking the banjo, when
called in to lend the charm of his music
10 the occasion, selecting the most plain
tive tune in his repertoire, played and
sang soft and low:
81 used to play for Massa, in de happy
long ago,
Befo' dey laid him in de grave to rest;
An he us'd TO like to listen, case he often
told me so,
When sang de songs he us'd to like de
best.
1 recoIlect de evenin' dat 1 sat beside his
An 1 sang de song dat almos' made me
weep;
An when de song was ended, den dey told
me he was dead:
Yes, dey said I'd sung ole Massa fast
asleep"
Being one OF the youngest cavalrymen,
not yet out of my boyhOod, | was, of
course, sentimental when in the presence
of pretty girl, and, there being many
''winsOme girlies' down in sunny Tennes-
see, l had sweethearts in various locali-
ties. The parting from all of them, indi-
vidually and cOnsecutively, was an ordeal
that can be better imagined than de-
scribed. The whole performance, how.
ever, was real to memo imagination
about it. Even now / sometimes find my
self fondly dreaming OF each loved girl
left behind me down in sunny Tennessee
THE END IN SIGHT.
Upon the Starry Cross of Dixie Fl.
male was about TO be written. The bat
tle-fags were disappearing. Even Lees
Grand Corps dArmee was melting away
Says Gen. Duke: 1.-TWO strange fea.
Southern people in the last days of the
Confederacy. Crushed and dispirited as
they were, they still seemed unable to rea.
lie the fact the cause was utterly lost
Even when their fate stared them in the
face they could not recognize it. Again
when our final ruin came, it was cOnsum
mated in the twinkling Of an eye. We
fOated confidently to the edge of the cat
aract, went whirling over and, lying
stunned at the bottom, never looked bach
at the path we had followed. The South
ern people strained every nerve TO resist
and when all efforts failed sank power
less and unnerved. The struggle was q
hard one. Since the days Of Roman con.
quest the world had not seen such energy
perslstency and ingenuity in arts of sub
lugatiOn. Since Titus encompassed JerI
salem and the Aurelian shook the east with
MS fierce legiUns, more stubborn, Ia,-isI
and desperate resistance has not been wit
messed against attack so resolute, sys
tcmatic and overwhelming"
DISCOURAGED But REsoLUTE.
Since Feb. 4, 1865 Gen. Breckinridg,
had been Secretary of War. and the com
Inand Of the Department had devolye,
upon Gen. Early. who, however. fell i'll
and was succeeded by Gen. Echols. an of
flccr possessing remarkable administrative,
capacity and great tact. as well as energy
Undo" the trying circumstances he djC
everything possible to preserve the moral,
Of the troops-sOme 1000 or 5000 infau
Try, besides the cavalry hrigades o
Vaughn, Cosby, Giltner and Duke Tn,
Morgan men. however, We're doing dut!
as infantry, their horses having been sen
10 North Carolina, where forage was NOR
plentiful Marching about - miles ever,
day, Dukes men became greatly disguste,
with infantry service, their feet sufferin
rs much as their temper. 1t was oh
served that the men just returned iron
prison, although least prepared for il
The troops under Echols were veterans
and they understood the signs that wer
now rife and public. However. they wer
not altogether hopeless. and, although thei
old enthusiasm was gone, they were sti
reS0lute. 1t was known that Gen lie
had evacuated Richmond. but we hone
that. followed by the bulk of his army
he would be able to retreat i'm safety I
some point where he could effect a Juno
hon with Gen. Joseph T.. Johnston, an
collect, also, the detachments of troop
that had previously operated at a dis
tance from the large armies.
While Gen. Echols was still confidep
that he would be able to join Lee at som
point southwest of Richmond, most prob
ably Danville, he learned that the ereo
Southern chieftain had surrendered at An
pomattOx. We were then at Christianbure
some 20 or so miles west Of Lynchbure
When the news first came it paralyze,