The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-01-24

is FULFILLED and Il has come can't believe
II. As think OF II feel the stir Of para
disc in my senses. and my spirit goes up
In thankfulness to God for this, his high
est and best, the one perfect flower in the
garden OF life-iove.
Binding tears rolled down my cheeks,
my sweetheart as 1 read the glad It'd
ings, and feeling 80 new, so strange,
came over me that asked OF the angels
what II could be and whence came the
strains of celestial music which filled my
soul, and what were the great, grand,
stirring hosannas and the soft, tender,
sweet adagios that circle around and
around. warmed my every vein, beat my
every pulse. And, o little mother Of my
boy, the echoing answer came, "a little
baby has been born to you, and he and
the new made mother live"
Following the failure Of the peace
conference which preceded General
Lees surrender General Pickett wrote:
On every side gloom. dissatisfaction and
disappointment seem to have settled over
all, men and officers alike. because of the
unsuccessful termination OF the peace con-
ference on board the River Queen on the
fatal Sd. The anxious, de7,airing faces I
see everywhere bespeak heavy hearts
Our commissioners knew that we were
gasping our last gasp and that the peace
conference was a forlorn hope. Because
of the informality Of the conference and
my knowledge of Mr.. Lincoln. his human
ity his broad nature, his warm heart,
did believe he would take advantage OF
this very informalty and spring some
wise, superhuman surprise which would
somehow restore peace and in time insure
unity. Now, heaven help us, it will be
war to the knife with a knife no longer
keen, the thrust Of an arm no longer
strong, the certainty that when peace
comes it will follow the tread of the con-
queror.
Again in the same strain he writes:
All, Chulita mia, the triumphs of might
are transient but the sufferings and cru
cifxions for the right can never be for
gotten. The sorrow and song of my glo-
ry crowned divisions nears its doxology
May God pity those who walt at home for
the soldier who has reported to the Great
Commander. God pity them as the days
go by and the sad nights follow The SOL
der is done with tears and time, and to
him thousand years are as one.
The End In Sight.
The final letter of the series was
written few hours before the surren-
der of General Lee at AppomattoX. 1t
follows in part:
Tomorrow, my darling. may see our flag
furled forever. JaCkerie, our faithful old
mail carrier, sobs behind me as 1 write.
He bears tonight this-his last-message
from me as "Our Cupid" First he is
commissioned with three orders, which
know you will obey as fearlessly as the
bravest of your brother soldiers. Keep up
a stout heart. Believe that 1 shall come
back to you and know that God reigns.
After tonight you will be my whole COM
mand-staff, field officers, men-all The
second commission is only given as a pre-
caution lest should not return or lest for
some time l should not be with you. Lees
surrender is imminent 1t is finished.
Through the suggestion of their command
ing officers as many Of the men as desire
are permitted to cut through and join
Johnstons army.
1t is finished! All. my beloved division!
Thousands of men have gone to their
eternal home, having given UP their lives
for the cause which they knew to be just.
The others, alas, heartbroken, crushed in
spirit, are left to mourn it's loss! Well, 1t
is practically all over now We have pour
ed our our blood and suffered untold hard
ships and privations, all in vain And
now-well, l must not forget either that
God reigns. Life is given us for the per-
formance Of duty. and duty performed is
happiness.
1t is finished-the suffering, the horrors,
the anguish Of these last hours OF strug
gle, of these men, baptized in battle at
Bull Run, in the lines at Yorktown, at
Williamsburg, where they. with the Ala
bama brigade of Wilcox withstood the
advance of the whole OF McClellan's army
driving them back at Seven Pines, at
Gaines Mill Frazier's Farm, Second Ma
nassas, Boonsboro, Sharpsburg, Gettys-
burg, and the engagements in front of
Bermuda Hundred, Fort Garrison, Five
Forks and Sailors Creek.
The glorious gift Of your love will help
me to bear the memory of these days In
this midnight hour l feel the caressing
blessing of your pure spirit as 1t mingles
with mine. Peace is born.
The Battle of Seven Pines.
There follows part Of a vivid and
stirring description of the battle of
Seven Pines:
A violent storm was raging, flooding the
level ground, as wrote you last, followed
the next day by one of fire and blood-the
battle of Seven Pines.
l pray that you accepted the invitation
of your mountain lassie chum and that
your beautiful eyes and loving, tender
heart have been spared the horrors OF war
which this battle must have poured into
sad Richmond. Three hundred and fifty
of your soldiers brigade 100 strong, were
killed or wounded, and all fought as Vir-
ginians should, fighting as they did for the
right, for love. honor, home and state,
principles which they had been taught
from the mothers knees, the schoolroom
and the pulpit.
Under orders from Old Peter General
LongstreeD we marched at daylight and
reported to d. B. Hill, near Seven Pines
Hin dirapta1 M n rida nd