The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-28
LAST FIGHTING DAYS
IN OLD VIRGINIA
\ Splendid Paper on the Cavalry
at AppomattoS by Cen
eral Rosser.
MAJOR DANIELS REVIEW
Last Fighting Of Geary's 2
gade, as Told by Captain
W.T.. Robins.

w. J.. IlNODhlS.
Major General John B. Gordon. who
commanded the Second Corps for some
time previous 10 the surrender at Apo
InattoS. and on that fatal day states IN
his "reminiscences that during the night or
the Sth April, tile Federals had construct
ed a line Of breastworks across our
'front.' looking toward 1tynchburg, and
he SAYS that "The dashing cavalry leader
Fltzhugh Lee. swept around the Union
left flank. while the infantry and artil-
lery attacked the front" My troops.
he adds, were still fighting, firmly fight
ing in nearly every direction, when tho
final note from General Lee reached me-"
In these contats in the morning of the
9th April. the infantry, cavalry and artil-
lery were all participants. though not in
any general combined assault. Shcridan's
cavalry Corps of three divisions. under
Crook, Merritt and Custer, had INTERVIEWED
between Gorion's Corps and It's retreat
to Lynchburg, and behind the cavalry
Major General r. %. c. Ord had placed
that very morning an army OF infantry,
consisting of the Fifth Corps, under Grit
fin, and The Twenty-fourth Corps under
t,if}bon General Ord states that he
marched his men from daylight On the
Sth April until 10 A. NJ. on the 9th April,
except thtec hours. and deployed my two
corps across tho head of the valley Just
as .ea's advance was pushing out of It.,
forth spite of sheridan's attempt to hold
him. our cavalry We're falling back in
confusion before Lees infantry.
Major General FitzhUgh Lee commanded
lie Confederate Cavalry Corps. 1t COM
sistnl ut that time of his own division
which was under Munford and composed
Of Paync's. Gary's and Munford's Brig
AIDES. Payne had been disabled at rive
Forks and Colonel Reuben Boston, who
succeeded him. had been killed near
Farmvillc. The division had both the
right and left OF our lines facing toward
Lynchburg; Munford being in thc.extrcme
right with Payne's Qflfth, Sixth Eighth
Virginia and Thirty-sixth BattaiionD and
Munford's Brigade CFirst Second, Third
and Fourth Virgnia) and Gary on the lett
with the Seventh Georgia, Seventh South
Carolina, the Hampton Lesions and the
Twcnty-fourth Virginia Cavalry next to
Munford and on the left Of his division,
was Major General Thomas j.. Rosser'
hivision, consisting of: Dcnny's Brigade
1.-THE Seventh. Eleventh and Twelfth Viz
ginia aud Thirty-fifth Virginia Bat
tallon), under Coloncl Elijah v, White,
of Locshurg tsd AtcEiausland's l'rGadc
(Si&tcenth ..tYesrteehth, IWeItg-i'Ist uhu
Twenty second Virginia Cavalry. General
Denny had been mortally wounded at
High Bridge on April 9Th In brilliant
engagement in which fell also Colonel
Boston and Major James w. Thomson
of the Stuart Horse Artillery; and on the
same occasion was killed Brigad!er Gen
eral Read. chief of staff of the Army
of fhe James--a classmate at West POM
OF General Denny. On the day before
Captain Hugh Mcclure. Of the Eleventh
Virginia Cavalry, and Captain James
Ruthcrword of General Denny's staff
had been killed Mt Amelia Springs.
All daybrcak on the 9th April Gordon'f
Corps OF some ECO muskcts (some were
exhausted and without arms aud Il'2
Lee, withi the cavalry corps OF some
400 sabres, formed for the endenvor tc
cut through the nnemy's lines and ESCAPE
to Iynchhurg. General Fitz Lee SAYS
in his report to General Robert y. Lee
written on April %, 1856, less than two
weeks after the surrender, that "our al
tack WAS made about sunrise and tbs
eneny's cavalry quickly driven out Of th'
way. with 81 loss of two guns and nun
her OF prisoners The arrival at tins
time Of two corps Of their infantry neceS
Stated the retiring of our lines durnt
which and Knowing what would be tn
result. I withdrew he caHdlrS w, ~ j.
Ice retiring toward our rear Hn1 Rose
and Munfora Out toward Lynchhurg, hay
Ing cleared tho road of the enemy
Upon herring that tho Army Of North
ern Virginia had surrendered the mel
we're generally dispersed and ,odn Off I
heir homes, subject 70 reassembllng fn
continuation 81 Tho struggle. ] roll
out 10 person with portion Gf w II. /
LEGS division, tic nearest 70 me ~ tina
Jlue ana previous 10 HE negotiation
between the commanders OF the tx
armles, 1t VIII be recalled that my nc
Hon was IN accordance win the Views
had expressed 81 the council the nigh
befpre-7tllat if II surrender was COW
rolled the next day. / woula try TO cN
trlcate the cavalry, providing It coul
lie done without compromising the aet!o
OF The commanding general, hut that
would not avail rnysclf Of ressatio
Of hostlities pending The cStstenrr nc
flag OF truce, ! had an understandable
with General Gordon that he shoul
communicate 10 you the information
the presence of the enenys infantl
upon the road in our front Apnlt fro
the fond though f0rlorD, hone that Il
ture operations were Fili IN stare Il
the cavalry, was desirouf that tht
should not lie included in ihe capitul
lions. because the ownership Of The
horses was vested In themselves, ard
deemed 81 doubtful that terms wound
offered allowing such ownership 70 90
lnlIe A few days convinced me OF !
irnpracticab!l!ty of longer entertaini
such hopes, and ] rode into the Frdei
lines and accepted for myself The teri