Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-05-12

fires and discussed the situation. Al
length We heard the train returning
that had in the morning taken Sher-
man out from Raleigh to meet Johns
ton. 1t was swept by our camp making
the old woods echo and re-eeho with
its putting and rushing and roaring.
We felt sure it would stop at Logan's
headquarters two miles toward Ra.
leigh from our camp. If so, we
knew TIE result Of the conference
would be made known there, an if IA
voTable, We could easily hear the
noise OF rejoicing across that two
miles of space.
We listened The train began slow.
ing up. 1t stopped. All was still, ex.
eept for the whippoorwills. And
then!-a low. distant roll and rumble
as of thunder far await spread and
seemed coming nearer. till it was
plain to us that the great volume OF
sound was that of human voices. Then
it came from regiment to regiment, all
the time nearer and louder. We could
hardly contain ourselves, vet we Kept
still till We should know the glad
truth. AT length the regiment across
the ravine from us broke loose. and
we knew it would be our turn next.
We got a good ready. when an officer
shouted, Boys. it is all settled. and
we are to march back to Raleigh in
the morning."
And then-well, ii seemed as If
bedlam had broken loose. II there
be now any expression of JOY. any
noise, any racket, any caper. which we
did not employ then it is something
invented since the war.--some new
tangled affair of which we knew no
thing. We built a big bonfire. and
piled on all the wood we could get:
We chased one another around the
fire and through the bushes; some of
the boys who had got into their
hunks were hauled out. and there was
an undress parade: they climbed trees
at the risk of barking their bare
Sims; they shook the branches and
made noises like squirrels, coons and
'possums; and there was such crow.
ing as would startle old chanticleer
himself; and much more beside. when
We had fairly tired ourselves ont We
rolled ourselves into our blankets
and dreamed of home
The next morning, April q. we
marched back to Raleigh. There we're
two small bodies OF confederate
troops still in the field. those OF
Kir)y Smiths west of the Mississippi
and Dick Taylor's in the state OF
Mississippi. Taylor surrendered
week later and Smith May &c.
And now our talk was all about the
how and the when of going home.
The general sentiment concerning the
when was-the sooner the better; as
TO the how-any old way, but we did
not like to march another mile. with
reference to the when our wishes
We're granted for on the 29th, three
days after the surrender. we started
for Washington, 800 miles north. we
took the old familiar Foot and Walk.
er's line, which did not please US very
much.
We had never been on such a
march before. There wGs no enemy
to watch or care for. and no foraging
was done. The fires that had burned
everything on our former marches fad
gone out and were not re-bulded Ne
put out no pickets at night. We just
pushed straight ahead for the rorth
for all We were worth.
Yes, that was indeed a history.
making month of April, orty four
years ago. On the 2nd Lee evacuated
Richmond. On the 9th he surrendered
his army to Grant On the 14th Lin.
coin vas assassinated. On the 26th
Johnston surrendered his army to
Sherman. On the 29th Sherman's army
started for Washington.