The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-05-04
CHAPTER /.


ton few miles west of Apo
4 mattox Court House. YEARLY,
but with spirit still, the batteries park
ed their guns in field facing strip
of woodland. The guns were few in
number now, but they were all that
were left OF those that had done battle
on score of historic fields.
Lee had been forced out of his works
at Richmond and Petersburg a week
before. Ever since, with that calm
courage which had sustained him
throughout the later and losing years
of the war. he had struggled and bat
Ileu In an enort 10 retreat TO the
Roanoke river. He had hoped there to
unite the remnant of his army with
what was left of JohnstOn's force and
to make there a final and desperate
stand.
In this purpose he had been baffied.
Grants forces were on his southern
flank, and they had steadily pressed
him back toward the James river on
the north. In that direction there was
no thoroughfare for him. Neither was
there now in any other. Continual bat
ting had depleted his army until 1T
numbered now scarcely more than TO-
900 men all told. and starvation had
weakened these so greatly that only
the heroism of despair enabled them to
fight or to march at all
The artillery that was parked out
there in front of Appomatt0x Court
House was only a feeble remnant of
that which had fought so long and so
determinedly. Gun after gun had been
captured. Gun after gun had been
dismounted in battle struggle. Gals
son after caisson had been blown up
by the explosion Of shells striking
them.
Captain Guilford Duncan, at the head
OF eleven mounted men, armed only
with swords and pistols. paused before
entering the woodlands in front. He
looked about in every direction, and,
with an eye educated by long expert
ence in war. he observed the absence
of infantry support
He turned to Sergeant Garrett, who
rode by his side, and said sadly:
Garrett, this means surrender. Gen
eral Lee has put his artillery here to be
captured The end has come
Then. dismounting, he YEARLY threw
himself upon the ground, chewed and
swallowed a few grains of corn-the
only rations he had-and sought a brief
respite of sleep. But before closing his
eyes he turned to Garrett and gave the
commando
Post a sentinel and order him to
wake us when Sheridan comes"
In a minute the captain was asleep.
So were all his men except the sentinel
posted to do the necessary waking.
That came all too quickly, for at this
juncture in the final proceedings Of
the war Sheridan was vigorously car
rying out Grants laconic instruction
to press things" When the sentinel
walked the captain, Sheridans lines
were less than fifty yards in front and
were pouring heavy vOlleys into the
unsupported Confederate artillery park.
Guilford Duncan and his men were
moved to no excitement by this situa-
ton. Their nerves had been schOoled
to steadiness and their minds to calm
under any conceivable circumstances
by four years of vastly varied fighting.
Without the slightest hurry they
mounted their horses in obedience to
Duncans brief command. He led them
at once into the presence of Colonel
Cabell whose battalion OF artillery lay
nearest to him. AS they sat upon their
horses in the leaden hailstOrm with
countenanceS as calm as If they had
been entering a drawing room Duncan
touched his cap to Colonel Cabell and
said:
Colonel, / am under nobody's orders
here. / have eleven men with me, all
of them, as you know, as good artil-
lerymen as there are in the army. Can
you let us handle some guns for your
NO" answered Colonel Cabell. 81
have lost 80 many guns already that
l have twenty men to each piece
Then, after a moments pause, he
added:
you, captain. cannot fail to under
stand what all this means"
81 quite understand that, colonel,
answered Duncan, "but as I was in 1
at the beginning Of this war, l hav,
a strong desire to be in it at the enc
of it,"
The colonel's cannon were firing Wig
orously by this time at the rate o
six or eight shots 20 the minute from
each gun, but he calmly looked owe
the little party on horseback and re
sponded
you have some good horses, an
this is April. You will need you
horses in your farming operations. 70
had better take them and your me
out of here. You can do no good b
staying This fight is a formality pur
and simple, preliminary TO the fins
surrender"
"Then you order me to withdraw
asked Duncan.
Eyes, certainly, and peremptorily
you wish, though you are not under m
command" answered Colonel Cabel
"It is the best thing you can do fC
yourself, for your men, for your horse
and for the country"