Evening star., 1915-04-06
Knew Meaning of Gesture.

Knew Meaning of Gesture.
As his command after forced marcu
was coming up with the cavalry near
Sailors creek. in relentless pursuit OF
Lees army. inspired and led by Gen.
Sheridan. Col. Hopkins recalls that he
saw Sheridan in a field on the left of
the road near an old barn. on his black
horse, talking to Gen. Wright. Il saw
him make gesture with his palm
turned to the 'front.', says Col. Hopkins.
that said unmistakably that whatever
opposed us on the hill opposite was to
be pushed out of the way
The order was brought us by Col
Tom Colt. riding as jauntily and coolly
as on parade TO charge up the hill We
iorded the creek which was up to our
armpits. Il Sergt. CoWies as he
fell. shot through the body, wave his
hand and cheer on the men with his
last breath
was half cut off by a movement of
marines under Custis Lee, he gave a
vivid picture of arm-length battle. 1t
was hand-to-hand. A BRIEF fierce
arms length Officers were lighting
with dubbed muskets and pistols, and
the bayonet and the cutlasses of the
sailors came into free use.
Clouds of sulphurous smoke soon
ohscured everything not close at ha nd.
and il was these opened and shifted
| that | had glimpses of battle groups.
which will always remain in my
memory. One. just momentary
glimpse seen and lost too soon to
Know the result Of a powerful oficer
in gray with dubbed musket raised
to strike down Capt. Chandley. who
had Spencer rife and was cooking it
to fire. Another Of flaming rebel
few feet away. the center Of a des
peratn struggle. A blue coated SER
geant seized il with determined grasp,
| only to fall fatally wounded beneath
| whom I recognized through the smoke
! as Private Taggert of Company b.
/ wrested II from it's hold and carried 1t
safely to the rear
I'VE opened fire again with deadly
effect and they then gave up in earn
est Gen. Custis Lee surrendered at
the muzzle of Corp. David Whites RI
fe and we sent to the rear with him
and his staff nearly 400 prisoners and
silk flag belonging to crack Savan-
nah battalion. besides the battle flag
already spoken OF. The ambulance
men said they had never seen the dead
piled up in such heaps anywhere.
some men were always having mar
named Seeley of Great Darlington. yet
alive / believe. who was famous for
close calls I met him just after this
fight and said: Well. sergeant. have
pushed up his cap in reply. and saw
the blood trickling down his temple.
which had been grazed by a bullet"
Last Moments Of War.
In describing the very last moment
of the war. when three days later Gen.
Lee actually surrendered, Col. Hop
kins says:
Just before we halted on the morn
ing o. the 9th we saw a group Of Of
hcers in gray whom we later learned
we're Lee and his stan. We dismounted
and lay down by the roadside. Ru-
mors had been spreading through the
ranks for two or three days that Lee
lay there awaiting orders a stan off,
Ger rode through, crying out, Lee has
surrendered, and we knew that the
war was over.
The soldiers went wild with joy.
| Cen Meade. who vas in immediate
| command. soon rode through the ranks
with his staff the men let them
selves loose in the greatest demonstra-
tion OF delight ! have ever witnessed
Cen Grant was there also, but took no
part In the demonstration"
Col. Hopkins was for forty one years
chief clerk of the Court Of Claims and
when he resigned last October was hon
ored by the bench and bar officers and
Besides the commission of brevet
major Of volunteers issued to him by
the President April S. 1868 for gallant
and meritorious service before Peters
burg and at the battle Of Little Sailors
creek" he was gain twice brevetted as
| lieutenant colonel and as colonel of
| volunteers. Before the muster out Of
his regiment the governor of his state
| also issued to him commission as
| lieutenant colonel Of his regiment
In addition to extensive literary work
| Col. Hopkins has given his active sup
| port to wide range of philanthropies
| He has served a member Of the
| board Of visitors Of the United States
! Military Academy and as delegate
TO one of the International peace con-
| gresses. He served many years as
| chairman of the finance committee Of
| the Associated Charities. He is an ac-
| tive member of the board of directors
Of Garfield Hospital. He has for a long
| time been a trustee OF George Washing
| ton University and on the executive
Of the Washington Society of Fine Arts,
1 a trustee OF the Legal Aid Society, has
4 been chancellor for the District Com
| mandery of the Loyal Legion, preside mt
OF the District Society Sons of the
Revolution. president Of the Williams
| College Alumni Association, vice presi-
| dent Of the Metropolitan Club and q
member Of the Historical Society.
| He is member of the Authors Club
| of London, of the National Geographic
1 Society, the Alibi Club. the American
Social Science Association and Of the
| American Academy Of Political and So
cial Science. He Is one of the managers
| of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty
| to Animals. of the District branch OF
the National Civic Federation and Of the
| Washington Academy Of Sciences. He
| is on the committee Of one hundred for
the improvement of Washington and OF