Lee's Retreat

The f'nllowing intercsting paper is trom Uur ] - 1 1 oí' C;ipt. W. N. .Mc Diinalil. reuil beïece ii meeting of the Southern historica] . noently liolil at Louisville. K ., and totbiflg irom ii sortflliern -mim, bol un usual interest: It is my purpose tliis evening to give, from memory, some account of Lees rctn-at to Appomattx. ;,, ,l,.,s, i-ï jt ion of Che military tnöVfttnenta öï the different coiiiniands will be attempted, bu( the rambllng narrative will deal cuiefly in ik idents wnlch [Ilústrate the vezatfona and trials, the hopea and Icais, of the mttsas on that memorable retreat. Thecoinnian.l to whicli I tlien belonged, Mahone's división, was, at Uu; time of' llie deíeat al lYtersburg, stationed nlong the line of ifcfense from that city to Drory'i lilnll', on the James. It may be saM, iit outeet, that lor weeks, at least, before Grant broke our line, tlie ImpreaaloD preñlled that nothing short o!' a mlrade cottlCTkaep Gmni back. Hia nrniy daily inercased, while Lee'sdaily grew smaller. Constant loases liv ecrtion, besides exhaostlng onr itrength si.tíon.-ly, allected the morftla of the' troops. Faminc mul discasc did 01 nioic hann tlian the bullets of the enemy, tor the gavago warfare by Shiiidan in thii Shenandpah Valley, luid brought Lee's array to, the brink of starvation. Evejy morning there vrer official icports of desertion. J remcDiber once nu offleer reportlng ihai nearly one whole company luid deserted during the night while on pieket. "Arres) the captain," sala Mahone. "Hehaajrone too," was the Tffiy. "Arrest tlie offloer ui the day, then." " lie lias deserted uNo." responded the Ueutenaat. On tlie seeoiul day of April. Grant pierced Lce's centre at Petersburg. The distant roar of cannon had already informcd us that a terrible battle was going on at Petersburg, hut. it was not till .iIUt nightfall that the disaster was known. There was now monnting in hot haste, and all the confusión of a Suofden departure. I am bound to say thnt 1 did not realise the stunning nature of the calaniily (ill I wenl to order my horse. tip aniount of bangr ing at the door of my servant's cabin received any attention from witliin. A hasiy search revealed the fact that he had vani.shed. As hi' was a stcadv negTO, ot a pious turn, am) withal timiil to a deyiue, I knew iiiai nothing but an overwüelmiug disaster to our anus oonld have led hl ra to try the perils of desertion. So thal it was not till I began to saddle ïny horse that I truly feit that the confederacy was on lts lust legs. For awhlle black darkness euveloped cveiythiiiii as we groped our way through the woods. All at onee the heavens wirc Iit up with ablazeof llght. Then followed a erash that shook the earth. Ii was the Idowing upof fort ai Drury's Hluil', the Gibraltar of the James. Thia was followed at intervals by other ezploskms, so nnmerOtU and terrilic that it seemed as il' tlicv were blowing up the u hole coiifedi-racy'. About midnight there appestred toward Rlchmond a brlghl llgh) In thesky. Qrad ually it Inoreased in brightneoa and extent, uiitil, though eight or ten miles au av, nn could dlétlnctly sec the landacape around us. ThLs, as we afterward learned, wan caused by the barnins of the supply depots at Kichniond, though at time we ihought the city was belng burned. whcii (lay dawned we wenitQl in full retreat, and the federáis were not far beliiinl. About noen we were Jolned by the troopa from Rlchmond, who were accotnpanied by ;is plcturesque a mob of fugitivos ms it was ever my foVtuneto look upoil. Tin were departmenl clerka with thelf niet clothea bespattdred with mml, afta taca palé wit li fatigue; post ooiumlsmries pufflng ander the weighi .f tiicir wn tut. and lardlng the lean earth as tney walked along; marinea trom the gun-boau, groanIng and ourslng at every step, umi a promucuoua crowd of nonde&cripts. Ifany of tiuin had taken ajdfantageol the abandonment of the goterrtment stores to carry o il' ¦Ome precioua objeofrof plunder, (tee man, "tu raggetl panto, wore a general's coat and a cocked Mat and pluim-; snother rough-lookiug fellaw had a Bplendid-lqoki ing Bword ttrapped around his waist. One man 1 remember distinetly. Be was tn Irishman and b:irefootcil, with a greasy bat 011 liis hcad and 11 pi pc il his moutll ; but lie stepped with a prond air, tor be wasarrayed in a gorgeous uew naval suit that nutst have been [atended fora commodore. On the mornlng of the fourth, 1 think, many wagons ere burned, and on the mornings of the tüih and sixth Leeseetned to be burntng his whole baggage train. That is, what was left of il, tor Sheridan'8 cavalry contiuually harrassod our flanks, coming In at all the cross-roads and bumiiiji or cnrryiiifi oll' tiie wagons. At the same time a sironir forcé presscd upon our rear, arnl every liour alinost wo lieard oL heavy by cnpture. M:my gave np all hope and teil au easy prey. hut many, even when the huik of thefr commands rere taken, inarched on, followlng the fortunes of Lee. As our liuuiher of lighting men ilImlnIBJieil, Uie encmy hinnii mnre and more dariDj. I remember that on the 71 li we, OOUld sec Sheridan's cavalry on the hills to our right, while on the lefl re were Sercely attacked. To show the vigor of shci iiiau's pur-uit, the following incident is added: I had been in vitcd to brcakl a-I on the roadside on the inWilirYg of the fth. ii was the only " square .meal taken on Ilial retreat, il ia well reiiieiuhcivd. The cook was slow in preparing the meal, and, while w .i i t i kjlT, my eonnnaml passed ..ut of sighi. Tuis wás enongl] to make olie impatieiit, espeeially as 110 man telt SRt'e Ihen uidess he was guardcd liy at least a división. lïut Hiere was anothrr BOUrce of unea-ine-s. N'car I he spot the road l'oiked; au examinatiori ol' the one leading to the right reveoled the fact that DO trains or trnops had poned that way. A monient's retlection convineed me that Sheridan's men would come dowu that road in less than twenty minutes. .My Forebödings were coininunicated to the party. l made a short but solid meal and went otl', without any formal leave-taking. In le-s ihan twenty minutes Sheridan did OOme down that road. and laid hands on njost of the breukl'ast party. This infonnation was gotten from a negro, wlio niandged to escape, and who-e master could have gotten au ay too, lint he look advano the occacion to-desorl totheeaemy. The noble son of Áfrico, upou bélnjfaskcd whv he had 11 0 1 de-erted, proudlv replied! " Whep I begin a thlog', I most in general go through u ith it." lf, in thoae last days of the struggle, there wei e tome Wlioyjekied to despair and diggraced themaelves, there were men whose loftlnesi of ipirit dlsdained misfortune. One only will lx; mentioned, Lieut. James Thompson, of Chew'a horseariilleiy. He was a fair youth to look upon. gay and dashing, the knightlie.-t of ihe kuigiiily.and the bravebl of the inave. I gaw him on the mornlng of the 7th for the last time. He had bten wounded the day before. 11 is lelt arm lay in a Bling, and he was pale from pain and losa of hlood. l'pon beiug asked wheii: he was going, he said he was iibout to join the eavalry. " You cannot light." said I ; "yOB can hardly sit on your horee.1 l'"ol' some moinents he si'emed to le trying to coDceal the reaoluton he had Iheu already formed. At last he said: '"I bave made up my mind not to survive the eonl'ederaey," and rode away. as it ashamel ot seeming lo boast. Not long alterward, BB I learned from au eye-witiie-s, he joined Itosser's brigade at tiie High P.ridge, anil plungod iuto tlie IhiekeMot ihclight. With the bridlc-reins het ween his leelh, and a pistol in his riglit hand, he penetrated deep illto the njaSSeS ol the eiieiuy and feil covered with wounds. w.e rteared Appomattoï theanny was to move in a more liniited spaee. As lar as one eould udge, W8 sei-iued M be man-hing l'orward ín an irregular rectangle, with the niain body a central line. The itragglers and unarmed men apparenlly OUtuumbered the central column. At times the road seemed to be entirely occupied by them: and vet t here was not once aiiylhiiig llke a panic. The stnigglers did not seei'n frightened at all ; thev pushed steadily onward. looking toward themountain. Their only thought aeemed to he to lind something to eat and soraething to ride. While Stopping at a well in a farm-yard by the waysidc, I witncs.-ed a (Cene that feebly illas) ratesthe fatigue of the tbot-sore and weary men. The tanner bad brought into the road a batch of mules the purpoae oi niiiidng them otl' from the federáis. One mille icfiised to budge )mst the yard g&te The owner, alter many vuin ellbrts tO drag him by main force, called forvoliinteer eqiiestrians. Several at once oil'eml their serviees. Tbc (bremost leaped upon the muie's back, and so quickly was he ihiowii that his lising moción was in a measure continuóos. Another yictim and then another was ealled lor and eaeh nrred in Uw same w.ty. For nwhile the crowd suiged respectfuUy past the animal, and then lïesh vieliuis arrived. The la-l man 1 saw tlirown was a stout, urim-looking tidlow. He was armed with a canteen and a long stick, upon whieh he seemed to lean tor support. 'Tl' yon can ride," said the farmer, 'here's a chance to rest yourself." "Hide," said the soldier, transponed with the thought; "wby I eould ride a loóse tiger." The BOldier niounted, and the mille, who Beomed to Improve by practice, responded in the old way. The lasi I siw of that, farmer be was sitting on the felice the picture of despair, while the pule was ga.ing defiantly at the passing column as it to say: "If there be any more of you military gentlemen who Want to ride' me I am nm-l respectfully yoiirs to command." The monung of the surreuder is well rememhered. Re port of heavy lóssés of artlllery and trams the night befon; Were rile, the want of lood was very greul foi man and beast, and BOW and then men spoke in whispirs of a surrcudcT. BV o'clock there ivas dring all around the line. Our last po-lion was upon a raicd plateau, with a uood-covered rldge On our lefl and a valley llankiug our righl. In front was another valley, reachlng to the rallroad u net Ion, Lee had still au arm; of aboiit 12,000 rauk-ainl-lile, exclusive of the eavalry, and of these at leMrt bne-half wouw haie dared anythlnjr' at his command. That he could have gotten away with a considerable portton ol hletroops there is nol a doubt. The soldiers were not deinorali.cd. Mauv were eager lor baltic, and even Ihc siragghrs calmly expected I.ec to carry them off satcly. l'.eing ordèred todellverii message tp onu ot Le( slalV, in the se:iich tor him I rode across Ihc plateas in iBVeral directions, and nearly al cm -ry poiutof our line Hiere was tightcenteraJ po'rUon of what tlie soldiers called the '¦huil ring" was eovercd wilh the varloui Impedimenta of an army. i, „„,¦ Hm ie were about8,00u prisonera. The surging masskepl moving around and around as Iflóoklng for tome utlei or of shelter. At last thore seemed io i„. a settled convlcnoii that the fatal day :,iv.d. and still mauy thought that tl,,, genius of Lee would vet triumph. I au Cu8ter gailop up, holding in his hand ., rsmrod wilh a white handkerchief upon it. At this very moment there was passing a federal battery with horaet and men tbat luul just been captured. Two old toldlera wpre Btandlng near dlscustlng the skuation. At the sight oL Clister, one said: "What (lul I teil you; look al thal Tankee ohap with the white rag. Jl's all pp witli us. "Olí, tliat's nothiíg,'1' thé otlur replied; "look at that line hattery wc have tut oaptu I M:,ssa ISob'll be'at 'fin yet." When it was known that We liail Minrn dered, there was at lirst some dissatis! ai:tion, biit lympathy for Lee schim died awny with all Individual sense of humlliation. When Harris' Mississtpjii brigade of Malione's división were Inforined ol the surrender, and ordereil to cease liring, most of the offlcers and men relused to obey, dectaring that they would never surrender. Mabone went and expostulated with theni but they would not listen to hlm. Finally Lee carne and made a persona) appeaf. Kor some time even his autliority was disregarded. Uauy of the oiHeers and men gaihered around him and Implorad him upl to pul upon them such dlsgrace. With tears they begged him to trust hlmself to their care, swearlag that they oould and would carry him through pafely, and telling him that once in the inountains he eould raise auother ariny. Hut Lee toM them with lirokou aceents and witli niany tears that he vmld not break his word; that liis hoinir was nvolved. Finally {he asked thein it they, who had followed him so long and Btood by him so faithfully.were ashamed to Rharp his f ate. This appual they conld nol reslst, though with beurt-brealtltig sobs they yleldetl. There is hnrdly a doubt that this brigade would have earried l.ce out, safcly had he let them try it. liahone culled them the "iiiviui iu ." 'ri.i.y wit.. ..lien telected lor ciiick and desperate work. I will state a single inatanoeol tlielrralèr. At Farmville, when the federáis' made a deterniincd effort to break Ollf lines, in the mi.isi of battle a courier rode op and toM Mahone thal a pari of the Stonewall división had glveil way and Ihat 11 iicmy at this noiut had penetrated hall' a inile bevond hum ri.nht Dank. Mahone at. once sped auay Ifke au arrow down the line. in lest thau twenty minutes he return ed with Harris' brigade, and charging the cnciny In Bank with the bayonet killeil or captured nearly evi ry one. As soon as the flring ceased inany of the federáis carne lito our linc-s and begaü to 1 'raternie with the men. ín order to carry home some relie of the surrender they swupped knives or anything they had for the iid plunder of the oonfederates. Some of the fatter, alive to the sitnation, having exhausted their stock in trade. wentabout seeking to feplenigh it, and Keiïce there arase quite a brisk deniand for old papers, cotnbs, otc. The federáis seenied overjoyed at the sMic, and their hearts were rünnjog over with kindly feenngs. Mie man, a colonel, made a s]eech to a largo crowd of confedcralcs. ilc was a Mg-Tieaited soldier, and, with niany to Lee and his men, seemed to be trying to take away tiiu stinj; of defeat f'rom' tli crcsi-t'allcu toes. Among otlier thlmjs be said that the north lovcd the south, and that the next president of the United States would be tien. Lee. Finally, he said: "We are all a band of brothers now," and seenied to pause for a reply. A gtlm, battle-9carred voferan responded in audible tones and withan oatii, "Jf I had you out in the wooda by yourself l'd brother you." I have only to add, Ín conclusión, that this retreat wJiich, In the eyes of some, reliects soinewhat upon the fanie of Lee, may yet go down into history as the triumphant masterpiece of bis genius. Tbc wonder is, not that his arniy was captured at AppomattdK, but that it was not captured long before it reaeiied that point. To sucoessfuUy oondoct a beaten army, alter the stnnnlng defeafa at T'etersbtirti and Five Forks, ajmost as he was MiiTounded by Overwhelmlng nunibers, lor eight days, without food and with little aminuuition, is a feat almost without a parallel in military atináis. And when he at last resolved to cease the struggle, it was not with a corporal's ruard around bi n, but a gallant army oí 1-J.000 men. If lie sau' tit to Corget liis own glory aial to consult only the interests of our eomnion country, let us eudeavor to appredate his magnanimity and give him that praise whieh jiosterity will ccrluiidy accoi'd hini. It is inipos-iblc ti estímate the licroism of Iiis on tbis retreiit, unlesa we cort" sider tlu Bufferlngt thev wen mbjected to. and above all the siillcrings trom hunger. I knowof n rations that were isued after tbc :.ih. excepl thal of parched oorn. Tiiis was to Hahone'8 nicn wliile halting In the rood under iirms. They were uotallowed to stop to cat it, hut appeatefl their hongef as they marclicd; not irregular, but by tour-, every man in his place feaay for action. During that, wholc terrible retreal Ma honc maiiitaincil the strietest discipline. tboogh fighting a battle nearly every day. llow the other divisions of Lee's arnjy be'havcd In those closilia days of the struggle 1 ain nol. able to speak, but the conduet of Hahonea men could not be snrpaased. It was not only that they foiight so wejl ugainst superior numbers and with foei contldenl of vi-tory, but that they kept tbis up day :iflcr d'ay. otlcn lar uto the night. sullcring terribly Ironi hunger and fatigue, and seelng Lee's army appurcntly goinu to pieces. To light. bravely mi the pltched fleld, in tbc presence of a cloud of wjtnesses. when thc issue is oL national pridc, and hen, If om; fa)ls, a grnteful oountry will tLke care OÍ ba lamily and honor bis name, Í8 thought not oidy praisewortby luit glolious. Whal, tiliall wc say. then, of those who nol onlv r.'oveivd with their bodies tlie retreal of a beaten army, bul with their own lifeblood kept alive a dring cause; uhn, anappalled by rspeated duaaters, still turn ds like lions at bay, Uion tlieir purBUer, and who, tbough rcady to drop trom (fatchlng and marching, never gave up even tolhc bitterend? This, indeed, was the acliicvcmcnt of héroes only.