The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1902-05-15
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies Whiled
Away Life i'm COMPROMISING Ex-
pericnccs, Tiresome Marches-Tbril-
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.

| ling Scenes on the battlefield.
81 was in Crooks division at Apo
mattox." said Capt. Henry. land when
sver the 9th OF April comes around the
scenes OF the week before the surren-
der come up vividly before me. We
were twenty-five miles away when a
scout brought an intercepted dispatch
from Lees commissary general order
ing four train loads of provisions to
| AppomattoX depot. This gave Sheri-
'an the Information he wanted, and
.oon the divisions of Custer, Crook AMI
Merritt We're galloping toward Apo
mattOx.
The trains were captured. but what
| most clearly remember is the scene
hat followed the capture. Locomo-
i've engineers jumped from the saddles
IN our division and took charge OF the
locomotives deserted by the rebels. and
| 'an the trains back and forth through
.he great masses of cavalry lining both
| sides of the track. They footed the
whistles, rang the engine bells, while
The cavalrymen yelled and the horses
prancel and neighed. 1t was a wild
| scene and ] have never witnessed an
other like 1t.
I'VE knew that at last we were
| across Lees line of retreat. and looking
At the heavy columns of cavalry NOV
| ,ng into line. thought We could check
The enemy. no matter how strong.
.elt different during the night, but was
-eassured when the infantry came up
At dOuble-Quick and formed behind
Is in the woods. When the heavy line
II Confederate infantry advanced on
.he morning of the 9th TO brush Sheri-
ian's cavalry aside. Il great double
iine Of infantry in blue arose to meet
them.
Some one saw an old towel on Il
stick and the word went down our
line. a flag of truce: don't fire. But
Sheridan said 10 those about him: is
this makcshift To gain time? l have
'ost too many men this morning to be
put off by any game Gen. Gordon
md other Confederate officers explain
ed that Gen. Lee was In correspOn-
hence with Gen. Grant as to surrer-
der. and they asked suspension OF
iostilties. In Il minute it seemed to
ne the cavalry diSmOunted and the in
tantry lay down in line of battle The
men had marched all night, but their
eyes Were bright and their faces eager
and eXpectant. 1t was Sabbath day
md the end had come. And while the
commanders talked thousands of the
men dozed and slept in contentment."
After the surrender" said the Ser
geant. II cOmrade and myself went
over into the camp of Walkers divis-
on to See how the men of the old
StOnewall brigade took the surrender.
The regiments marched out, stacked
arms, and Were moving off quietly in
splendid order when their brigade band
struck up, Amt l Glad I'm Out of the
Wilderness and all stopped TO listen.
Then the band played Dixie but there
was no cheering. Later came Home.
Sweet Home and cheer swelled
around the Confederate lines and was
carried into and around the Union
lines. II was not 4 cheer of exultat tiOn.
but Of common sympathy and rejOic-
ing.
Il have carried from that day to this
square inch of the apple tree of APP
pOmattOX, which came TO me in this
way: There was general impression
that Grant AMI Lee met under an apple
Tree for their first informal talk over
The terms of surrender. and the partic-
ular tree was guarded by both Union
lists and Confedcrates. But. as soldiers
passed, twig after twig was broken Off.
and finally cavalrymen broke off large
limbs rs they rode by. At this juno
iure squad of cavalry rode down on
and two men proceeded to cut it down,
the chips flying out among the men
who stood near. One of these chips l
put in my pocket. and have 1t yet.
"When the tree had been cut down
the cavalrymen cut it in sections. and.
mounting their horses. carried ali of
toward headquarters. In five minutes
every chip and scrap had disappeared.
and the next day there was great
hole where the tree had stood, the
relic hunters digging down TO get even
The smallest root branch. And, after
all, Lee dill not surrender under the
Tree, but rested under it while waiting
to hear from Grant. and was met there
10y Marshall and Babcock, who carried
Grants message to him.
II was standing near the famous ap-
pie tree when Jenkins rebel artillery,
moving To the point where the guns
were to be parked, stuck in the mud.
While the men were striving to extri-
cate the guns l asked Capt Jenkins
how he felt. He said: L am like my
battery. stalled. stuck. I am like the
lower side of one of those wheels, as
low as l can get. and am waiting. Ii
gun up hill or down. the part of the
wheel now ON the ground is bound 10
roll up. So am bound to roll toward
the top. no matter what happens. Any
change of position will be for the bet
ter And most of the JOhnnies seem
ed to feel as did Cant. Jenkins
'The flag of truce At Appomattox."
said Surgeon Kitchen. was brought To
Maj. George +. Morgan of the one
Hundred and Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania.
The One Hundred and Fifty-fifth was
on the skirmish line. when a rebel ma
jOr came up with the flag. and said to
Morgan. For Gods sake. have your
men cease firing. Maj. Morgan re-
piled: why don't you have your men
cease firing. You come here with Il
flag of truce. and yet your men keep
up their fire. The bearer of the flag
passed to the rear TO report to Gen.
Griffin. and in the meantime the Colo
mel commanding the Alabama brigade