The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-16

halt was made they fell down. No
body laughs, and nobody comments
officers ask no questions about their
companiesl-each man seems absorbed
in his individual suffering.
April 9th, Sunday. Left camp
at twelve last night and march
ed five miles. we are resting
by the road side while the wagon
trains are moving forward. / am told
the enemy is in our front, across our
road to Lynchburg. And that Gordon
is driving them back. We are about
mile from the c. House. Near me
Is an upgrade in the road. A battery
Of artillery stalled although the gum
ners helped at the wheels. In reply
to my question a driver said: The
horses have had no rest. no water and
nothing to eat since we left Amelia
C. House"
A soldier of the regiment has just
come In and reports that General Lee
has surrendered the army. The men
are indignant, and threaten the SOL
der with a beating. He Is told with
much profanity that a skulker. wag-
on-dog and hospital rat were news
carriers Dr., Robert Royston, an old
friend. and Brigade Surgeon, rode
to where / was lying down. His face,
always so bright and pleasant, was
a studyA-the tears were In his eyes,
and choking with emotion, he said:
General Lee has surrendered the ar
my" can not express my feelings
the tears came to my eyes--the only
tears during the entire war. The men
crowded around DR.. Royston, eagerly
asking questions, and then they would
go away with the tears falling down
their dirty. bronzed faces. A pathet-
ic sight-these starved men, who stag
gered when they walked from exhaus-
ton, truly they loved their land with
love far brought
The Color Sergeant holding the flag
in his hand, he cried out, You have
never run in "A battle, and you don't
surrender He tore the flag from
the staff and dividing 1t among the
men. piece about ten inches square
came to me- have it still, and would
like to know who have the other
pieces
+ sent Sergeants George Smith and
Renas Richardson to learn the truth
of the matter, for / still doubted, 1t.
When. they returned they confirmed
the report. Smith had a billet of wood.
split from an apple tree He stated
that he saw a crowd of soldiers and
correspondents, digging up
an apple tree, under which the surren-
ed his billet with the Company. I still
have my piece.
In the afternoon. the Federafs were
driving bunch of beef cattle along
the road near the Regiment. The men
killed CD two beeves. / explained to
the officers in charge that the men
were very hungry, for was afraid he
would resent our conduct. He answer
ed. that 1t was all right-that ne al
ready knew how hungry we were. AZ
ter the entails were taken out, the
beef as quartered, and divided. and
before the hide could be removed, the
men were cutting slices of warm raw
beef which was greedily eaten. We
had no salt-no fire-no bread--ali
were too hungry to wait for these
things.
April 10. 1t is raining this morning.
the surrender is formally announced to
the army. he regiment marched to the
field, and stacked their arms. 1 did
not CO. as that raw beef got in its
perfect work, and I was too unwelI to
walk.
General Malone ordered his division
to be formed in a square and made
then a short speech. He said in part.
That he wanted us to accept the sur
render in good faith-to go home and
make as good citizens as we had SOL
diers.
When my company was formed for
the. last time, was deeply moved.
The original muster roll called for
l59 men and they were as good and
true as ever wore the grey. Not one
had ever been charged with failure to
10 his duty-not man had ever been
arrested. Along the battle fields OF
Virginia, were sleeping forty-one.
Twenty-seven had died of diseases.
I01 wounds. Every officer had received
wounds. and every private except
)ne"
With the surrender at Appomattox.
ended the career of the 8th Alabama
1oiunteers. But its trials were not
'ver. even when 1t had listened to the
words OF Lees farewell ad-
lIess to his army. 1t was still without
God: $4,000 men and officers had sur
endered with General Lee. General
Grant generously issued $4,000 rations
o General Lee (of which General IIor.
zee Porter gives an account in the
November Century, 1850. General Lee
bought this would be sufficient, but
le did not know that two trains of ra-
ions sent to his army from Lynchburg,
"a. had been captured by Sheridan the
lay before the surrender. So 1t was
hat 5000 of these men failed to share
n the food given by the victors The
It'll Alabama was among these, and its
'fficers and soldiers spent their last day
It Appomattox eating parched corn.