Norwich bulletin., 1912-05-04
GENERAL WHITAKER
 BORE FLAG OF TRUCE
Native of Ashford, Now in Washing
 ton, Tells of His Experiences.

ton, Tells of His Experiences.
 It is not a frequent occurrence that the younger American genration, whose members may yet see the era of uni versaI peace and settlement of inter national questions by arbitration, has the opportunity of hearing the story of a climateric point in a bloody struggle from the lips of the man on whom the climax rested at the mo- ment Yet such was the luck of Star reporter who listened to the war talk of General Edward w. Whitaker of this city, says the Washington Star. It was General Whitaker who bore a flag of truce in his hand at Appomat- tox and who announced that the sur render of Lee would have to be an unconditional one.
 General Whitaker is shown on the rolls of the Third Cavalry Division. Clusters famous cavalry. as chief of staff and assistant inspector general He was a lieutenant colonel of the First Connecticut Cavalry Volunteers. anl had been brevetted to the rank of brigadier general
 Memory is Remarkable.
 His memory of the events. of the civil war is remarkable and though his writings on the subject are oonfn- ed to few newspaper articles of great interest, it is undoubtedly true that his memory contains civil war data of suf- ficient quantity and interest to ap- pear in book form. But his experience in connection with the surrender of General Lee is one which could fall only to one man in the world, and fate chose General Whitaker His own words undoubtedly are the best fitted to tell the story:
 Major General George A. Custer, commanding the Third division. had the advance of Sheridans command on the Sth of April, 1865, on the forced march to surround and head off Lees retreating army. Late in the after noon We charged capturing four loaded supply trains with locomotives and, continuing the fight until late at night, captured 25 pieces of artillery, many prisoners and wagons and estab- fishing our line across the pike, cut ting off Lees retreat
 Clusters Command Leads.
 During the night the First Cavalry division and part of Ord's infantry corps were brought up and relieved the Third division. On the morning of the 9th Clusters command was the first in saddle and led the advance of an attack on Lees flank first drawing the fire of the enemy at the right of Ord's corps of infantry. We passed along under a heavy fire of Lees ar tillery with our sabers drawn and in column by squadrOns, and were about i to charge into the center of Lees army, in full view on the open fields before us, when Captain Sims of Long streets staff met the head of our col- umn with a white towel in his hand, and stated that he came from General Lee, who requested suspension of hostilities.
 Instantly General Custer said to me; Whitaker, take this truce so with this officer to General Lee and say to him that ] cannot stop this charge unless he announces an uncOn- diUiOnai surrender, as l am not in sole command on this field
 Goes to Meat Foe.
 q took the towel aud asked the of- ! tiCer to pilot me to where he had left Lee On reaching that point after a narrow escape in getting through the line of battle, we found only General Gordon and General Longstreet who explained that General Lee had gal loped off to the rear to find General Grant immediately after Sims had started out with the request for a sus- pension of hostilities, and had left l them in command of the army. 1 AS Lee had gone to the rear and l left these generals in command, and aa there was no time to lose to stor further blo0dshed, l made the demand of them for authority to announce tho unconditional surrender, giving tc them the message exactly as 1t haC been W6rded by General Custer foi Lee, They were each only too gia1 tA authorize ms ta sag if, and begged He to de so quickly, first 10 the iH- faHtfV line Of battle from which We ] were then iH danger of being sA6t.
 aRath generals then and there aa- sHFed me. that the surrender was il geed faith, notwithstanding the pass l ing of artillery with smoking guns aHt s8lBs firing in the direction of GaTy's 1 cavalry. about which protested. anc 1 theF assured me that tneS knew thai J aii aYeRRes ef FetEeat weEe gut eff, aAg