The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-02-26

IA If General Lee army could have
been sufficiently. and regularly sup.
piled with wholesome food throughout
q the campaign beginning at the battle
u of the Wilderness, 20 that the men
y could have had something to eat
q aud cup Of invigorating coffee or tea,
i before and after each Iarduous day and
& nights duty, which, hard duty was
continuous every day for several
q months, exposed in heat and cold,
Z there is no doubt that the results Of
a the campaign would have heen differ
8ent; ct least the extreme haggasd
q Features Of the end would have been
8 different. l do not think there are
q many Of the veterans Of General Lees
. army who participated in the retreat
3 from Richmond and Petersburg that
i can give clear description Of the in
z cidents that were within their view
Z during the retreat, for, besides being
I sorely pinched with hunger, they wore
stupefed by the want Of sleep, SO
j much 80 that many not feeling willing
! or able to bear up any longer. would
! stagger off to one side and fall down
/ in sleep, to be quickly awakened by
parties of the enemy who were hover
ing around and near us.
If the men had had opportunity to
sleep aud rest, doubtif they would
have borne up as well as they did
with the lack Of food during the re-
treat, for their stupefied condition in
some degree kept their thoughts and
feelings from their extreme hunger.
The disappointment and detection Of
the men was most pitiable on arriving
at certain station on the line of re-
treat, where we were expecting to find
q supply OF food, but found that BY
some mistake it had not arrived, and
would not.
Nor did we get anything to eat until
we arrived at Lynchburg after the
surrender at Appomattox. There we
found our commissaries in possession
Of our late enemies, who gave them to
us literally without weight or meas
ure, giving to every one as much as he
was wiling to carry, but as we had no
transportation we could not take more
than we could carry on foot, which
would last US only small part of the
way home.
There is little truth in the story
that General Grants army divided
their food with US. They found
small remnant that had not been.
issued to their men on the march and
gave it to us. I remember my share
was less than small spoonful Of
ground coffee and nothing else. The
individuals Of General Grants army
doubtless had a plenteous supply Of
provisions in their haversacks that
had previously been issued to them,
but as the men Of the two armies did
not mingle together they had no way
of dividing with US, even if they. lad
not needed what they had for them.
selves. KS
When the army surrendered at Ap-
pomattox our (Benning 81 brigade was
formed in position ;;aoToss the road
leading towards Richmond and a
strong force Of the enemy had some
up with us and formed in line Of bat
tie very near in front Of us, or rather
in rear of us, according to the direc-.
tion our army was trying to go and
there in very few minutes would
have been some bloody work when the
armistice stopped their advance on us.
After the armissice was proclaimed
the young and dashing Federal Cavalry
General Custer, rode through our line,
coming from the rear Of the brigade as
we were then formed, and going out
towards the force in our front that
had formed TO attack us, each Of his
numerous escort holding up asmall
twig in their left hands with white
handkerchiefs attached as a sign Of
truce.
Later on, when General Lee had
finished the arrangements with GEN
eral Grant and wss leaving the sur
rendered army, he started for Rich
mond on horseback riding at the head
OF his Federal escort through our line,
on the same road that General Custer.
had ridden few hours before. So
that it happened at the end of the
long war Benning's Georgia brigade
were tho lest organized troops Of his
army that General Robert E. Lee ever
saw. 81