400 Norta Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

sixth. The naval battalion from the destroyed gunboats, were
under Commodore Tucker, and assigned to Custis Lee’s Divis-
ion under Ewell. This point is thirty-eight miles southwest
from Richmond, and within twenty miles of Burkeville.
But after this fatal delay of twenty-four hours, Lee can no
longer hope to connect with Johnston, and resumes his march
on the night of 5 April for Farmville, over on the Lynch-
burg Railroad, distant thirty-five miles west.

6 April. At Sailor’s Creek, surrounded and without artil-
lery, the commands lose in killed, wounded and prisoners
6,000 men. Generals Ewell, Custis Lee, Kershaw and
Dubose of Ewell’s Corps, and Generals Corse and Hunton
of Pickett’s Division, Anderson’s Corps, are captured. Ran-
som’s remnant got through with little damage.

7 April. At Farmville rations have been brought down
from Lynchburg. These are issued and the command now
reduced to two corps, under Longstreet and Gordon, marches
out four miles on the road towards Lynchburg, and halts on
chosen ground to allow the wagon train to get ahead. Here
the assault of Humphrey’s Corps is repulsed after he has lost
571 men. The honor of this affair, a part of which passed
under the eye of the writer, belongs to Hoke’s Brigade under
General William Gaston Lewis. After a loss of two-thirds
of the men carried into action, he rejoined the retiring army
that had safely passed in his rear, and deeply affected by the
slaughter of so many brave comrades, with streaming eyes
he asked General Gordon why he had sent his brigade in
alone against such odds as twenty to one, and was assured it

was the last resort to save the corps. No higher compliment.

could have been paid.

Within seven miles of Appomattox a determined effort was
made to break through the line of retreat held by the remnant
of Cox’s and Lewis’ Brigades, the latter connecting with
Cummings’ North Carolina Battery. This was defeated with
great loss to the enemy. General Lewis assisting to serve the
guns, firing grape and canister, was dangerously wounded
and left at a house near by.

That night, the 7th, Lee pushes on towards Appomattox
Court House, with Gordon in front, followed closely by

Firrry-SixtH REGIMENT. 401

Longstreet, and Fitzhugh Lee covering the rear. Progress is
slow and cautious. The vicinity of the Court House is
reached on the evening of the 8th. But Sheridan with two
strong divisions of cavalry, Ord’s infantry and the Fifth
Corps of the Army of the Potomac is across our path.

9 April. The Confederate cavalry has moved from the
rear to the front during the night, with orders to resume the
march at 1 a.m. As late as the night of the 8th, General
Lee had not abandoned all hope of escape; and as to an un-
conditional surrender, he said: ‘‘Sooner than that I am re-
solved to die.”

Accordingly he directed Gordon and Fitz Lee to attack
Sheridan’s cavalry at daylight on the 9th. The charge was
made, Cox’s North Carolina Brigade leading, and the cav-
alry pushed back with the loss of two guns and a number of
prisoners. But the gray line is then ordered to come back.
The Army of Northern Virginia has made its last charge, and
fired its last shot.

The surrender is on terms with the honors of war. In the
conclusion of the formalities there is nothing to humiliate the
vanquished. The skeleton regiments unattended stack their
arms at the points designated, and there silently and forever
furl their banners. The wounded receive attention from
the medical corps of both sides. The writer, not yet recov-
ered, is furnished an ambulance back to Burkeville Station
in company with Captain H. A. Chambers, wounded in
command of the Forty-ninth at Five Forks and also still dis-
abled.

An interesting volume could be made up of deeds of daring
along the retreat. In his report of the surrender, three
days thereafter, General Lee states his effective force at
7,892 infantry with arms, and 75 rounds of ammunition, and
63 pieces of artillery with 94 rounds of ammunition, and he
believed the cavalry who had reached Appomattox, Court
House about 2,100 effective men. The number since pub-
lished in the U. S. Official Records includes without distinc-
tion the quartermaster’s, ordnance and medical corps and
the disabled. The total here surrendered by this brigade

26