Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-05-01
1S65-April 9th-19lS.

Fifty-three years ago to-day, Apri
9, General Lee surrendered his little
hungry, ragged army of 25,o0C
hardy veterans to General Grants
army of $4,000 we'll equipped sol
diers. The South went into the
war and returned pure and exalted.
She was not ashamed of ber deeds
or her sacrifices, and was humbled
only before her God. No nation
ever rose so fair and fell 80 pure OF
crime.
This was a fatal day for the
Army of Northern Virginia. That
9th day of April, 1865, the sun
came ont of the gates of the east in
all its beauty and grandeur, throw
ing its fire upon the clouds, its gold
upon the trees and It's silver upon
the waters. 1t was an ideal spring
morning. The evening before, the
battle had been raging on the front.
At night fall both armies withdrew,
bleeding and painting heavily; and
like two tigers resting and gather
ing strength for the next day.
As | have stated, the morning
was an ideal one. 1t was the resur-
rection Of spring. The little birds
were piping their sweetest carols,
the buds were lifting their heads
above the dead leaves where they
had been lying dormant in their
icy beds, the wild flowers were
blooming, throwing their sweet
fragrance across field and forest Of
the bloody battle plain.
The next thing we see is a horse
man going like the wind from Cen
erals headquarters up the battle
line. flying a white flag. Cease
firing" was the order from the staff
officer. General Lee has this day
surrendered the Army of Northern
Virginia to General Grant, com
manding the Army of the Potomac.
Thus ended the Confederate war.
And at AppomattoX the Confed-
eracy was buried, and $4,000 veter-
ans in gray were the pail bearers.
And now after ffty-three years
hGye past in my Imagination | see
General Lee, the great chieftain,
sitting on his war horse Trav-
eler." addressing his. men thIs;
Men, we have fought the war
through together. l have done the
best I could. My heart is too full
to sav more. FAREWELL"
And in his last written order to
his army, which was read TO every
command after the guns were stack
ed, which was very brief, and
couched in these words:
Army of Northern Virginia,
you Will now take an oath TO the
United States to faithfully stand by
the Constitution and defend the
flag. Go to your homes and re-
build the fortunes Of your devas-
ta,ed lands, and take care of the
women and children, and make as
good citizens as you bave soldiers. -
We had all enjoyed sweet dreams
for four wears as TO what the future
would be to us, but on that April
morning all those dreams vanished
and our army melted away, and the
tiag went down in its grave at APP
.p0mattox, wrapped in blood-stained
folds forever. At that grave stood
strong men weeping with unconsola-
BILE grief, whom no one had ever seen
to shed a tear before. The hallowed
associations that cluster about that
flag and the Confederate cause
stands very close TO my heart TO
this day, and will wh;te life and
being lingers-just as we think Of
and cherish our loved ones when
death invades our home and takes
them from us.
From the 9th day of April, 1865,
TO this moment, l have stood with
heart TO feel ard hand to strike to
the death in defense of odd Glory" :"
| am ready and willing to go to
France with the boys and help them
to carry their victory to the impe-
ria. Castle at Potsdam, and there
tell the Kaiser that no South Caro-.
l,nian ever took orders from King,
Prince or Emperor.
President Wilson has come to the
kingdom for just such time as
this. But there are a lot of people
in this country, native born, who
have not enough of patriotic grease
in their bones and gizzard to fry a
iay bird. They will tell you this is
not our fight. This is our fight for
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