Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-03-13

made them see. with Lees old army
penned in and tied down at Petersburg
and Richmond, the Army of Tennessee al
most eliminated from the field by its
slaughter around Atlanta and the disaster
at Nashville, If, with the scattered bands
of cavalry, assisted by such militia as
would muster to their aid. they were un-
able &c a..,S down the raiding parties of
the ens-J sven. where was the force to
come from which could hold Sherman in
check or drive back Grant when from
sheer weakness Lee should be forced from
his lines? These were grave questions,
discussed under breath, but to the think
ing mind there could be but one answer.
Disguised with the situation, hopeless of
any satisfactory outcome, in the early
days of April, '65, l made my arrange
ments to return to my command, but fully
persuaded in my own mind that the LIST
of May would find the southern Confed-
eracy in existence only as a dream. 1
was by no means At for field service, yet
I preferred any fate. shared with my old
comrades in the field, rather than any po-
sition away from the post of danger. BY
foot and rail l reached Charlotte, N. C.,
on April IL, was detained there two days
for lack of transportation, when on the
18th General Wright with his staff and
few men arrived, bringing authentic news
that Lee had surrendered. his men paroled
and allowed to go home. Reporting for
orders TO Colonel Hoke, commandant OF /
the post. he ordered me to return to Geor-
gia. While the news of Lees surrender
did not surprise me, it stunned me- for 1t
seemed hard to realize that the army
which had for four years successfully
held the enemy off, had in its career or
war killed, wounded and captured of the
enemy nearly twice it's own number,
should be forced to lay down its arms IN
surrender to the foe they had so uniform
ly beaten in the previous years. But when
the condition of the Army Of North Ern
Virginia is taken into consideration the
wonder is they held out so long. Never
supplied by the affair at Richmond called
the government with shoes or clothing,
half supplied after the first year of the
war with rations, each individual was
forced to rely upon his own resources for
those necessary adJuncts to campaigning.
Previous to the opening of the campaign
Of 1854 the army was in precarious posi-
ton for lack of food There never was at
any time over two days rations on hand,
sometimes not one days, and upon one
occasion the train upon which supplies
were expected was ditched and upon that
day no rations were cooked. After the
opening of the campaign at the Wilder
ness in which we locked horns with the
Federal army and kept them locked till
the final ending at Appomattix, no cook
ing could be done on the lines, but by
men detailed in rear for this duty. The
the ration day in and day out consisted
of a square of corn meal bread an inch
thick by three inches quare, about as
hard as a pine knot. with a quarter to
half pound of blue beef or occasionally In
lieu of the latter quarter of pound OF
rancid Nassau bacon. AS we neared Rich
mond this grew smaller and meaner
There was no lack of supplies in Rich
4F.F.. a q
was we'll attested after the fall, but IT
took a man with pull to get it. When
our division defled through Petersburg
scores of men were not only barefooted
but had not enough clothes on them to
cover their nakedness. Throughout the
fall and winter this continued and the sur
prise is not that they succumbed when
finally overpowered, but that they fought
at all. Yet some of the most brilliant pages
in Confederate history were written In
this siege of Petersburg and Richmond.
Where were more brilliant achievements
than the routing of the Second and Fifth
Federal corps from their works on the
right of Petersburg by the three brigades
of Wright, Finnegan and Saunders on the
22d of June? The battle at Reams station
by Mahone's (Anderson's divison)? The
destruction of Wilson's cavalry division
near the Weldon road by Wright and
Saunders infantry ,brigades, assisted by
I1dIIplOn dlQrE llIldBA Lee Win NAAC Ne@N-
airy? The retaking of the crater by the
Drigades of Weisegerr (Mahone's) Wright
and Saunders? The defense of Fort Har-
rison by Benning's brigade? The defense
of Deep Bottom BY Girardie (Wright's)
brigade against two divisions of the enc
my, where we lost the gallant Girardie?
The assault and capture of Hares Hill by
that prodigy Of valor, John B. Gordon, and
his division? The long series of combats
on Hatcher's Run and about Dinwiddie?
The defense of Fort Gregg by a little
remnant of braves, $50 in all. composed
of the horseholders Of Cults Georgia
battalion artillery and the Twelfth Missis-
sippi Horn brigade, In which they held an
entire Federal division at bay, killing
more than three times their numbers, the
most remarkable exploit circumstances
considered, of ancient or modern history.
When the end came at Appomattox Grant
who was both man of head and heart,
accorded them terms which to my knowl
edge are unexcelled by any ever offered
defeated foe, Homeward toiled these
war-worn heroes to begin life anew, for
with the most of them they could say with
Francis the First of Padua: "All is lost
save honor" AS to the political devilment
which succeeded that of military char
acter whose ending have just noted it
is needless to speak here. Suffice It, the
Confederate soldier who did his duty to
the south in her extremity when living
| is still in the line of duty; few have wan
dered or been tempted from the paths Of
rectitude, but with his face set to the
rising sun, his soul serene with the knowl-
| edge of duty, done, he calmly waits the
| last tattoo" which bids him cease from
| earthly toll and with the multitudes which
| have gone before to find rest and reward
in the great bivouac beyond. Theirs will
be glorious memory.
E. A. SILVER.
The good health given by Hoods sarsa-