The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-03-10

morning of the 9Th. Gen. Gordon hat
a fight just before the surrender anG
captured a battery. AppomattoX is
in basin with high hills on all sides
The Yankees seemed to have sur
rounded US. and the blue lines with
| white flags here and there came mop-
! ing slowly in, and silently. This gave
credence to the reports of the early
morning that we were to surrender
In a comparatively short time after,
hearing yelling, I turned. and saw
Gen. Lee mounted on Traveller, and
attended by his staff. As he reined
his horse to dismount the men crowd
ed around, shaking his hand. Get
ting a nearer look, every man was
shedding tears. but none so deeply
moved as the great commander him
self. Sad as was the sight, ali of US
! experienced a sense of relief.
The Yankees camDed on the hills,
and they and our men went back and
forth among each other on apparent
ly friendly terms. their baggage
wagons, mules-in fact. their entire
equipment was of the very best, and
in perfect condition. A sorry specta-
Gle ours made in comparison.
I was fortunate enough to get hold
of q little mule that day; and in the
afternoon Col. Hunt, Col. Lester,
Capt. Copeland and I set our faces
homeward. The first night all of US
had one little fly tent for shelter, and
the only way four men could get un-
der it was by "spooning." In the
night 1 walked up very thirsty and the
harder I tried to go back to sleep the
thirstier I grew, until I couldn't
stand it. Such wriggling as it did take
to get out, and even more to get back
again!
After Hunt and Lester eft us Bill
Byars, who was mounted on a very
tall gaunt horse joined US. Copeland
was now a foot as his horse had Civ
en- cut. When We reached the Cataw-
ba river at Island Ford. We found the
river swift and very deep. My little
mule and Byars's tall horse brought
US over: then Byars led the mule back
for Copeland. It was laughable
sight to stand on the bank and see
this big man mounted on the tiny
mule. only the face and ears of which
were above the wafer Fortunately
a farm house was near in which We
stood before blazing fire to dry, had
a good supper, and slept in the barn.
People were very kind to give us the
best hey had to eat. but We were too
dirty to be allowed to sleep in their
houses. A few mornings after this
we stopped at a house and asked for
something to eat. 1t was getting late
in the day, and tho they offered to
bake us some cornbread we were i'm
patient and did not wait for it to get
done. The ''pones" we're not even
brown on the outside and inside were
simply hot dough. But We we're hun
CRY enough to eat anything, and down
it went with plenty of sorghum molas
ses. The combination gave me the
worst case of indigestion imaginable,
and for the rest of the day my stom-
ach was verify like an old beer bar
rel. At this house was woman in
pitiful condition with cancer. and
nothing to take to alleviate the pain.
I remembered a bottle of morphine in
my haversack, and showing her hus
band how much to give her for a dose,
left them the enough to last
as long as she can live.
We passed through the town of Un-
ion, and crossed the Enoree (Where
Whitmire now is-What was it then0
coming on direct to Cousin Mary Ann
GlasgoWs. Then truly I began to
feel as though my long and tiresome
journey was drawing to an end. Such
a dinner as she gave us! A young
captain from Tennessee reached her
house afoot. just before dinner. When
she refused to accept any pay fer his
dinner, he was most appreciative, and
as he shook her, hand goodbye, he
said: MAY no Yankee or anybody else
ever harm YOU"
Nobody at home was expecting me,
and white and black are glad to see
me. Father looks much older than
when I was at home on furlough. This !
terrible war with all its attendant
sorrows and losses will tell on us
all. but most so on these older peo-
pie, and they will go to their graves !!