The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-10


6s1oy Pskrfot TribIishsng Company.
Petersburgs Closed and Silent Houses.
foreaeen that Lee in his retreat would
endeaWor to reach Amelia Court House,
where his separate columns coming
from Petersburg and Richmond could
unite and where he might expect to
receive supplies.
Two days later, the retreat continu-
ing, Sheridan descended with a large
force upon the Confederate rear guard
at Sailors creek, a small tributary
flowing north into the AppomattoX.
and overwhelmed the commands of
Generals Ewefl and Anderson, captur-
ing these and several other high Off
GERS, including General Lees eldest
son, General G. w. GUSTS Lee.
On April Z the Confederates stopped
at FarmviIle to- feast, having come up
with the first provisions that had
reached them since leaving Petersburg
and to fight again. This time they
succeeded in beating off Sheridan's
cavalry and pushed on another stage
toward Lynchburg.
But the once great army of Northern
Virginia was now reduced to two small
corps of Infantry, and the cavalry
corps under Generals Fitz Lee, Gordon
nander Of the Laurel brigade of the
Shenandoah valley had rallied a new
mounted force-and was now doing yeo-
mans service in an all but hopeless
campaign where Iaurels were scarce
but where Ioyafty and courage did not
go unhonored.
Colonel Robert Eliingham was with
Gordon, whose cavalry corps, after
fighting all the way from Petersburg
as rear guard for the wagon trains,
was now rans6erred to the front
my corps is-'worn to a. FRAGILE" said
the gallant Gordon at the campfire
council on the night of the Sth, 'fbut If
the force beyond Appomattox Court
House is Sher1dan's cavalry alone we
can hold it until Lon gstreet comes up
and then cut through"
The attack was made at daybreak.
There was a moment when it took on
the fact1tiouss look of victory as the
Confederate lines charged, cheering
wildly, and redoubIed their fire as the
Union cavalry slowly fell back. They
did not know that Sheridan already
had the game in his hands and was
now only skirmishing for a wind-up
without mourning any more loss than
should be absolutely needful. No soon
er had the cavalry dlSa appeared from
their front than Lees troops saw the
solid infantry lines of the Army of the
James massed before them, ready for
an attack. LOngstreet, covering the
Confederate rear was at the same
time threatened by Meade with a su-
perior force and could not come to
Gordon's aid. The firing suddenly
ceased The Confederate line halted,
hesitated, then sullenly faced about
and fell back upon the confused, for
Iorn mass of ragged grays that were
huddled around Appomattox Court
House.
1.-The war in Virginia is over" said
Sheridan to General Haverill, passing
as the Iatters troops still advanced,
until a white flag of truce appeared in
the distance, approaching like a re
Iuctant dove of peace
Now there is nothing left me but
to go and see General Grant" General
Lee had said.
ooh. general" came the protest Of
his lieutenants, what will the world
the feIdY'
Yes, they will say hard things of
US. I know. They will not understand
how We were overwhelmed by num-
bers. But that is not the question. The
question is, Is it right to surrender?
XII is right then L will take all the re-