The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-05-25
AT CLOSE OF WAR.
Officer Tells of His Interesting
Experience.
Rode Into Confederate Lines With Of
ficer Who Brought Flag of Truce
From General Lee on Apo
mattox Field.

A MONG the most interesting stories
. told of the surrender of the Con-
federate armies at Appomattox
court house, fifty years ago-April 9,
1865-are the eyewitness accounts of
Gen. Edward w. Whitaker, who was
the chief Of staff to General Custer at
that time, and WHO has been a resi-
dent of Washington since 1872. Bri-
gadier general by brevet, he was at
that time lieutenant colonel, and the
first Union officer to enter the Con-
federate lines before hostilities were
suspended.
That was April 9, 1865, and General
Whitaker is the man who accompanied
Captain Sims, the Confederate officer
who brought out the flag of truce to
the point at which were located Cen
eral Longstreet and General Gordon,
who were in active command after the
departure Of General Lee. General
Whitaker was sent with Captain Sims
to ascertain If the flag Of truce meant
unconditional surrender" General
Custer sent word by his chief of staff
that unless the flag did mean uncondi-
tional surrender he would be unable
to stop a charge that was about to be
made, as he was not in sole command.
Having received favorable assur-
ances from the Confederate generals,
General Whitaker took the flag of
truce and at their request rode out to
stop the charge of the infantry line of
battle, thereby Drawing the fire of his
own side, waiting for the word to en-
gage the enemy.
Resented Yankees Presence.
Il recall hearing a soldier shout,
What is the Yankee doing here with
his arms on?' General Whitaker said,
discussing those historic days with a
reporter for the Washington Star
1.-THE flag of truce" he said, was a
fringed honeycomb towel 1t is now
on exhibition at the New National mu-
scum"
Lee had gone to the rear to seek
Grant" the general continued "The
flag was sent out from the Confeder-
ate lines, in charge of Captain Sims,
flag being to enable General Long
street and General Gordon to secure
a cessation of hostilities pending nego-
tiations between the commanders re-
garding the terms upon which Lee
would surrender.
"The sloping open fields Of Apo
mattox, glittering for miles with the
arms of forces composed of the flower
of two of the finest armies that we're
ever marshaled on earth, seemed de-
signed by nature for the stage upon
which should be enacted the last scene
in the great drama of the Civil war.
1T was there that the most stirring
incident In the bitter struggle &C.
Cured, eliminating in the announce
ment to a torn and bleeding nation
that peace again was restored.
1T was there that Grant and Lee
agreed upon terms for the surrender
of the Army of Northern Virginia that
showed the former to be as magnan-
imous as a conqueror as he had been
relentless as foe
and it was there that the death
knell of slavery in the United States
of America was sounded and the foun-
dation of new nation laid wherein
should arise the substantial structure
of the government of today, contrib
uted to equally by the North and the
South.
Last Charge on Enemy.
Our division was composed of three
divisions of cavalry, with a battery of
light artillery to each brigade. We
pressed down upon the enemy and re-
ceived the fire from battery after bat
terry of artillery without stopping to
return it. General Custer, riding at
the head of the column, was looking
for a favorable opening for a charge.
Our movement along the flank of the
enemy was slow at first, but the fire
of their batteries had nettled our
horses into a half trot, when suddenly
an officer rode out from the Confeder-
ate line waving a large towel in his
hand. He said he was Captain Sims
of Longstreet's staff, and came by di-
rection of General Lee, who asked
suspension of hostilities.
In an instant General Custer said
to me: Whitaker, take this towel, go
with this officer to General Lee, with
my compliments, and say l cannot stop
this charge, as l am not in sole com
mand on this field, unless he an
nounces an unconditional surrender
o~~~~~~~-~o~-~-~-~~~ ~~-~-.~-o~~-@-~s~~~~-