The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-11
THE LAST DAYS
Of THE WAR
Recollections of One Who Fol-
lowed the Flag From Manassas
to Appomattox.
RODE ONE HORSE FOUR YEARS.
Claim That Rappahannock Men
Fired the First and the Last
Shots.

-- H
Much has been written, and Is being
written, about the last nine days of the
Confederacy. and as I was all along
there from Five Forks to Appomnttox,
and kept a diary during most of the
war, what / may say or write is not
altogether from memory, but are stub
born facts. l paid twenty-five dollars
for a double-barrel shotgun. which was
the only weapon of warfare l had at
the first battle of Bull Run, 18th July.
1861. and 2lst July at Manassas, and
what l am going to say now / doubt
ST the like can be said by another cav
alryman in the whole army of Northern
Virginia. l was in the cavalry charge
on the routed Federals that memorable
G1st of July, 1861, and left Appomattox
on the same mount that sth of April,
1866. That horse had no rest during the
3our years of the war except a few
days after. the battle of Sharpsburg. or
Antietam. having received a slighs
wound by a piece OF the shell that
killed General Starke; and two months
rest when / was wounded at Nancy's
Shop, n bullet passing through my left
arm and rolling dow my sleeve. I
caught 1t in my right hand. and have
1t in my possession now. / fully in
tended to try and get to AppomattoS
the day of the unwilling OF the monu-
ment 10 the North Carolina veterans.
but / was so hurt to hear that on that
monument were these words. "First in
the war. farthest at Gettysburg. and
last at A~ppomattoox," that l did not
want to be there. l. wish they had put
the word or words, amongst the first"
j seriously doubt the truth OF any of
the expressions. Would not that be n
slam upon Virginia's brave boys OF '6l
TO have 1t said of them thai they were
derelict In duty when the invaders were
upon their soil? or course they allude
to Bethel, in June, 'Gl. Were no Vir-
Einians there? l say (and 1t cannot be
denied that the first soldier wounde
during the war was n Virginian, Peyton
anderson, Rappahannock Cavalry, COM
pany B, Sixth Virginia Regiment,
wounded oath May, 1861; and several
days thereafter this cavalry company
and 6. company of infantry CWarrenton
Hiiies) from Fauquier county, Va. had
n night conflict with the enemy at Fair
fax Courthouse, m%anoeuvred by General
MN. Smith, of the same county who hap
pened there that night as n guest and
volunteered his services, tho captain.
cohn @. Mari, having been killed, who
was the first soldier killed in. the war.
and he a Virginian. And now let me
say another matter OF history: This
same company of Ra%ppahannock cav
airy. Captain John Shactelford GREEN'S
and afterwards Capt. d. a. Grimsley's.
she former becoming colonel and the lat
Ter major In course of time, was among
y n d. ~1n,1r 80 ,Iat Q,nl thr Io,k p,,,, -
Appomattox. I know It has been said,
and rather commended for, that General
Roberts, Fourth and Sixteenth North
Carolina Cavalry, in capturing that ar
tillery, was firing the last gun; ana,
again, that when tho Fourteenth Nir-
g!nia Cavalry. Beale's Brigade, w. II.
e. Lees Division. captured two guns,
was firing the last shot, but, as tho
narkey baptist said when asked why SO
many Of the colored people practiccd
Immersion as the mode of baptism. re-
piled that they did not have sense
enough ito 'splain away Its meaning
as expressed in the Bible" I say that
Il will tax q mighty heap OF "'splainlntr
away that whatever troops were In that
charge made upon tho Eighth and TWEEN
ty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry, when r.
w. Parker. Company II, Second WI
glnia Cavalry. and Price, of the Mary
land Battalion, were killed, which charge
was made on the road leading from,
Appomattox to Lynohbprg, and fighting
between these two bodies OF troops. was
going on when / saw the flag OF truce
pass that house, in front OK which was
an orchard. bringing notice of General
Lees surrender. ! say, again, that
Whatever troops were In his charg,
fired the last shot. Now. what troop:
on our side were there? Fita Lees ole
brigade-Ftrst. Second, Third AM
Fourth Yirginin-Thos. r. Munford II
commend. whom ! rode with from tina
very spot. just about half an hou,
from what I have just mentioned n
having occurred, 10 I-ynchturg. ant
parted with q sad farewell nbou
midnight: and, by the by. I hope, II Ii
sees this writing, Gen, Thos. Munfori
will give his recollections Of what ! an
trying TO make a part OF history, Th
Exth Virginia Cavalry and Marylan,
battalion Were also there, commando,
by Mai. D.. a. Gy!msley. This was par
of General Payne's brigade-possibly III
rest of the brigade. wns In line-nn,
other troops. Some say Rosser's Dtvis
ion was there. That Is not my recol
lection. I think the Twelfth y,rgtni,
Cavalry was at the surrender some.
where, As Ashby was killed about Ran
riso by tho first shell from the enemy
he vas NOT OF the Second. rs thought
hut Company !. OF the Twelfth Vifgini
Cavalry. Let those be there who were
rhe point i am making Is they hred tn
last ahot. I well know our hrigaa
About sunrise left b e2trems left Q