The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-04-07
SAVERS Greek, Deathbed. of The Confederacy

ago.
And were it night when you stood there
with the woods all around. you might still
in fancy catch the strains Of the ghost
bands of the enemy bivouacked on the
farther rises to the east and southeast.
as they break the stiffness with The Girl
l Left Behind Me. "Tenting Tonight" and
other of the soldier songs.
April has III store further menace
and calamity as the pressure of Grants
pursuit increases. His men are well-pro-
visioned for the most part ard he has
the advantage of cavalry with which 10
charge in against the flanks of Lee IS
greatly attenuated. staggering columns
further encumbered with artillery ard
wagons that are going to pieces on the
road with played-cut horses no longer
strong enough to pull them.
SAVERS Greek
At Sayler's Greek, Sheridan and Fed
eral infantry again block the way ahead.
Now the troops of Ewell and Anderson
are beset by attacks in both front and
rear Here it is>that Lee loses a third Of
the army that is left to hin-all of Ewell S
Corps and more than half Of Anderson S.
The rest manage to strike off through the
forest in the direction of Farmvllle. Far
Their north Gordon has been attacked at
the Twin Bridges and a good part Of the
wagon train going by that route is there
destroyed.
Who dares to say that someone blum
dered at Sayler's Greek? Blundering was
all that could happen in the disorder and
confusion of the situation then presented.
Surrender at that point might have been
of humanity.
1t was on hill overlooking the valley
of Saylers Greek to which Lee had re-
traced his steps from Rice's Station on
learning of the action there. that he was
said to have uttered the words. My God.
has my army been dissolved 1t may
have been here that grim truth was fore
ing its way into his resolution to keep
moving and that the Stalwart will to fight
his way out was waking to the possibility
that there might be no way out.
BY the night of the 9Th and early morn
ing of the 9TH. Lees men were in and
around Farmville.
The blow at Saylers Greek was deadly
to the morale of many in Lees army
who previously had been resolute in their
determination to fight on. To this blow
was added the miserable knowledge that
the Second Corps of Grants forces, which
was hot on the heels of Gordon as he
crossed the Appomattox at High Bridge.
had succeeded in effecting a passage at
the road crossing downstream from
the railroad. a contingency which Lee
had foreseen and specifically cautioned
against.
And so. on the morning of April 7. as
Lee rode northWard from Farmville across
the Appomattox in the direction of Cum
berland Church three miles distant. his
mood was not altogether placid 1t ought
here to be remarked that some historians
have done their hero Lee disservice in
assuming that he at all times displayed
an UNMARRIED pose Of equanamity and
aplomb. In SO doing they have endowed
him with a near stolidity that is far from
characteristic in the nobleSt of humans
Lee possessed remarkable elf-control.
but he also possessed temper and under
stress reacted in ways in which even the
greatest of great men may be expected
to react. Let us remember him as quite
human and not give to him the qualities
of a marble statue A man Of intense self