The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-07-02

Inc saddeSt scenes witnessed Dy the
Confederate soldier during the civil
war were those enacted by him at the
surrender at Appomattox Court
House, on the 9th Of April, 1868.
That hour of humiliation-a little
handful of men surrendered, what was
left Of as peerless an army as ever
unfurlcd its banners. Tho who had
shown the warmest love and affection
for their Southland on many battle
dclds for four long years with him
him who was heart broken at the sad
result, that Christian gentleman and
soldier, Robert T.. lee. But wasting
no time in rcpining over lost cause
and ruined fortunes, they sadly wcnd-
ed their way honncwari, whore they
have ever been foremost in repairing
the dcsolation ana ruin wrought by
the war and hy their determination
and pcrsc vcrancc in the affairs Of our
county cvincing to the world hat
they are not ashamed Of what they
did, and like true men, declaring hat
they fought not for what they thought
was right, but for what they now
know was right. Now for the closing
scenes in Virginia, when the long de-
fcnsivc lines Of Lees army before
Richmond and Petersburg were
stretched until the tension va, too
great, allowing portions Of Graft
army to break through here and there.
1t was on the I'd day Of April tha,
part of Grants army broke through
tr.c lines some four or five miles
s"r'h vest of Petersburg, and in the
:.semcnt which followed Lee los,
uuv u his ablest Lieutenant generals,
A. Z. Hill. The battle ragged for
hours along the line, and the Confcd-
crates fought in small masses with
desperate courage.
But Grant numbers we're too great,
and finally his lines got into our rear
on the right. Riding back towards
Petersburg from this fight, General
Lee remarked to one Of his aids:
''This is sad business, Colonel, -
and soon after he added: 1T has
happened as I told them ut Richmond
it would happen. The shells were
bursting all about him from the Yam.
kee batteries. An eye witness writes
of the scene:
"He turned his head over his right
shoulder, his cheeks became flushed,
and sudden fash of the eye showed
with what reluctance he retired be-
fore the fire directed upon him
No other course was left him, how
ever, and he continued to ride slowly
towards his inner lines, low earth
works in the suburbs Of the city,
where small force was drawn up,
still ardent, hopeful, defiant and salut-
ing the shells now bursting above
them with cheers aud laughter. II
was plain that the fighting spirit of
lis ragged troops remained unbroken,
and the shout of welcome with which
they received him, indicated their un-
wavering confidence in him despite
the untoward condition of affairs.
Sheridan's Cavalry on the 29th
March had reacAed Dunwiddle Cour.
House. To defend this we'll equipped
federal cavalry of Is 900 Under Sheri-
dan, Fitz Lee had only 5000 men
mounted on poorly fed horses. On
Sunday night, April =, 1868, Lee
evacuated Petersburg, under the cover
of darkness, and fell back along both
banks of the Appomattox to Amelia
Court House, on the line of the Rich
mond and Danvillc Railroad. Wells
command in front Of Richmond was
called in, and fell back across the
James River towards Amelia C.. H.
Tbe cheerfulness of Lees veterans
was we'll illustrated in the beginning
of this their last march. 'In excel
lent spirits probably from the highly
agreeable contrast of the budding
April woods with the squalid trenches,
and the long unfelt JOY of an unfet-
tered march through the fields Of
spring. General Lee shared this
hopeful feeling; his expression was
aaimated and bouyant, his seat in his
saddle erect and commanding, and he
seemed to look forward to assured sue.
cess in the critical movement which
he had now undertaken"
General Reubin Lindsay Walker, in
charge of the Third artillery corps,
was attacked by Clusters cavalry d.
vision on the Sth, and according TO
Clusters own report. succeeded in re-
pulsing nearly all of his attacks, but
finally lost several Of his pieces. This