The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-11

so thick I then fried the bacon,
which turned out to be all grease and
which | ate out of the shovel. This
was my last cooking experience in
Lees army.
We Gdid,4netsS leep long. About
twelve o'clock, | received orders from
regimental headquarters to get my
men ready to move at once. Weary,
hungry and footsore, the gallant boys
were harder to arouse than usual, but
we were soon on the march again
whittier we did not know. At day
break we reached Appomattox and
when it was light enough for us to see,
we saw dead men and horses, a sure
indication. that we had reached the
scene of the conflict. Line of battle
was formed and about sunrise our line
advanced. On reaching the crest of
the first rising ground, the Federal
artillery opened upon our advancing
line. We drove the enemy steadily
back, capturing at least part of the
artillery in our front. One of the
guns was turned half over in a ditch.
as / remember seeing it, when l pass
ed
We advanced so far that the enemy
attempted to close in on our right; but
a battery of our artillery, which NOV
ed forward with us, checked the move
ment and we began to fall back. The
t.
again advanced; their advance was
checked by Cox's Brigade. Cox s
brigade again took up the movement
to the rear, toward the Court House,
the withdrawal being covered by a line
of sharpshooters. / had the honor
to be one, of this last line of skirmiSh-
erS in charge of the SharpShooterS of
the 20th Regiment.
After retiring some distance, word
was passed up the line from the left
to cease firing that General Lee had
surrendered. / told my men not to
cease firing until we received orders
from competent authority. In a few
minutes thereafter a staff officer came
galloping up the line from our left
and informed us of Lees surrender.
We then ceased firing and assembled
northeast of Appomattox Court House.
I'm short while after the surrender
took place; we had more Yankees
than rebels in our midst There was
the utmost consideration and good
will. We had nothing to eat: General
Grant sent us coffee and crackers in
abundance. There was no demon
stration of rejoicing; no firing of sa-
: lutes; no cheering. 1t was a beauti-
full Sabbath day. and, after the sur
render, as quiet and peaceful as d
Sabbath in Scotland.
On Monday, April 10th, we were all
paroled. On Tuesday our troops were
marched to Appomattox Court House.
where we found the boys in bfue'
drawn up in line. For the last time
the men in gray formed line in front
of them. They saluted us with their
arms and flags; we then stacked arms
broke ranks and turned our faces
southwark toward home. l left APP
pomattox with my little company of
twelve men--all that were left of one
hundred and sixty-sixi
We walked all the way to our
homes the people all along the way
were kind enough to give us plenty OF
food.
We. reached North Carolina. at Rox-
boro. in Person county. where the good
people of that town stopped us and
gave us a splendid dinner 1 have q
warm spot in my heart for those peo-
pie yet and hope some time to be able
to thank them again in person.
Forty years have passed since thai
9Th of April. Time has blotted ou
many things from the memory of u!
all: scenes have changed and the APP.
pomattox of today is unlike the bat.
tlefield of forty years ago, where tina
heroic eight thousand received permits
sion to go to their homes and there
remain undisturbed.
The great leaders on both sides, the
principal actors in the sad close o
that drama have passed away; the re
naming participants in the CLOSING