Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-04-23

Lees Surrender AT Appomattox.

Lees Surrender Appomattox.
Company II, First Rhode Island
Light Artillery, was attached to the
Sixth Corps under command Of Gen.
Wright We were encamped on Farm
vile Heights, on the night of April s.
1865, and early on the 9th the order
came to advance. We proceeded along
the narrow road leading towards Apo
mattoX, and after marching few
miles we heard the sound Of cannon
upon the right and left, and we knew
that the running fight of the previous
seven days was not yet ended, and
probably not one of us anticipated that
this was to be our last fight, or that
the brilliant and daring Gen. Lee,
whom we had been pursuing for so
long a time, would surrender before
sunset.
On every side were evidences Of the
disabled condition of the Confederate
forces, and it seemed to US that some
sort Of a truce must soon be declared
Hundreds Of soldiers had dropped from
the retreating army, and were lying by
the roadside completely exhausted
half-starved horses and abandoned
cannon and ammunition wagons were
scattered around in great confusion.
The horses were too weak to haul the
cannon and had been cut loose, and the
guns had been spiked and some buried
so as to render them useless to our
army.
At about II o'clock Gen. Grant and
staff, despatched with mud, came gal
Looping along and passed US with the
customary salute, and disappeared in
the direction Of AppomattoX Court
House.
What this meant we did not know,
but we were ready for whatever order
might be given.
At about II o'clock Company H and
about 5000 infantry and cavalry of
the Sixth Corps were ordered to file
into an open field on our right, halt,
and await further orders.
The firing on both sides suddenly
stopped, and the commanding officers
were ordered to headquarters, about
half mile away. 1t was now evident
that something unusual was about to
transpire. The thought, however, that
Lee would surrender and that the war
was over did not enter our minds.
We remained in this position until
about o'clock in abe afternoon, when
Gen. Frank Wheaton, who was In COM
mand of our brigade, came galloping
down the road accompanied by his
staff, and halted before our company
and said to Capt. Allen, "Gen. Lee has
surrendered: get your battery out on
yonder hill and fire salute of one
hundred guns
Capt. Allen turned to his company
| and gave this order: Attention, COM
pany Battery H Boys, Gen. Lee has
surrendered; no more fighting; we are
going to let you go home; we have or
! ders to fire salute of one hundred
guns. Drivers and cannoneers-mount,
| forward. march. trot!' And the order
| had to be repeated twice, so wild were
| the men with JOY at the good news.
| Driving short distance to a hill we
| given, "Fire!" At the first peal from
| that gun as it spoke out the first note
| of victory. such a shout as went up
| from the boys in blue as we'll as the
| gray can never be discounted.
No words can express the effect this
news had upon us. The men shouted
| and Rugged each other, threw up their
| hats, threw down their guns and
swords and rolled upon the ground,
and, having some 1900 or 1000 rebel
prisoners in our possession at the time,
! they. too, were as much rejoiced as
| ourselves that the war was over
Our battery was the first of the bri-
gade to receive the news, and fired the
first salute to celebrate the grand
| finale. The news spread quickly and
the infantry on our right, and also the
"boys in gray soon heard the welcome
| story and acted as near like crazy
| men as it is possible for sane men to
act. 1t was the supreme moment of
our lives. The cruel war was over no
more fighting, long marches, or hard
| ships We felt that we had done our
best to fulfill the obligations taken in
| Providence or the Doth of October,
1862. to defend the grandest flag that
| was ever flung to the breeze and to sus-
| tain those principles upon which rests
| the best government in existence
| Chelsea (Mass.) Gazette.