The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-07-20


grasped me by the hand and, choking
with sobs, said. ;'GooL.bye, General;
God bless you. We will 20 home and
make three more crops and try them
again. We surrendered more to grim
famine than to the power Of our enc.
mics. The next day we stacked arms
in an old corn6eld and each man
sought his home as best he might.
Gen. Gordon, the corps commander,
bears me out in my statement, and
moreover says | volunteered my SER
vices and made the last charge by the
infantry at Appomattox."
This flag was in the last charge. 1t
was flying the next day in Gen.
Grimes's headquarters and was cut
down by Sherwood Badger, one of
Gen. Grimes's couriers, the day after
the surrender and after the troops had
in large part marched off. Badger
wrapped it around his own body and
tramped with it all the way osck to
Raleigh. The Grimes family, xhich
treasures it with the greatest regard,
has placed it in the Hall of History
as one Of the relics Of that gallant off :
Ger, who escaped death amid all the
horrors of the war only to be shot by
a concealed assassin many years after.
The assassin was acquitted after hav-
ing several times confessed that he
was hired to d. the deed. Some
years later the assassin, meeting his
we'll deserved fate, was lynched by
being hanged from bridge at Wash
ton, n. G.
Many years after the war Gen. John
Is. Gordon wrote to Gen. Grimes about
his ordering the latter to Withdraw
after his advance on the enemy at Ap-
pomattox. Gen. Gordon said: II
knew more of the situation than you
did and knew flag Of truce was in ex-
istencc between Gems. Lee and Grant.
l was notified by Gen. Lee, ordered
you to the rear and notified Gen.
Sheridan of the existence 90 the flag
of truce. He insisted upon the sepa-
rate surrender of my command to him,
which l refused. It was at this time
you asked me what was the meaning OF
instructions to you to put your men
anywhere you chose, aul you sugge st.
ed that l permit you to return to the
front. l was touched by your indis-
position to meet this dreaded ordeal,
but it was all over, and the escape of
troops wou!d have been charged as
treachery.
The flag is Of fine silk and admirably
made. In fact, the writer has never
seen one so handsome. It is oonsid.
ererably faded, but is otherwise wonder
fully we'll preserved. About this
last flag at Arpomattox" Capt. W.
I. jenkins, of Aureliau Springs,
writes an interesting letter and says
that Brig. Gen. William R. Cox will
bear him out in regard to what he
says ae to the claims of Mouth Caro-.
lima. He eoys that the flag referred
to, that of the 4th North Carolina
troops. were the last in line of battle
at Appomattox, and that they were
waving over their regiments after all
the other troops had retired from the
field. He says Gen. Cox's brigade
of Grimes's division vas on the left
OF the Lynchburg road and on the ex-
treme left of the advancing column,
and had to contend with tho enemy
on the left, as we'll as in front; but
Notwithstanding all this, Cox pressed
forward with such rapidity and force
as to advance beyond the troops on
the road, and would have driven the
enemy from the field had he not re.
ceived orders to fall back. When the
North Carolinians attempted to obey
this order and fall back they found the
enemy on their right. trying to cut off
their retreat, and Immediately faced
the enemy, charged desperately, and
drove them back into the woods.
When they had done this they found
another column of the enemy coming
up in their rear, faced about and fred
one volley at the enemy, then con.
tinued to retreat in the direction of
the road near the point where they
had formed line of battle that morn
ing. On reaching the Lynchburg
road they found all the Confe derate
troops had passed along it in the di-
rection of Appomattox Court House
and also found battery of artillery,
without horses, the latter having been
sent to the rear for protection. Cox
halted his brigade in order to see what
IN waa heaf IN do hut tho