- Joined
- Dec 3, 2011
- Location
- Laurinburg NC
"As my troops approached their position of the morning, I rode up to General Gordon and asked where I should form line of battle. He replied, 'Anywhere you choose.' Struck by the strangeness of the reply, I asked an explanation, where upon he informed me that we would be surrendered. I then expressed very forcibly my dissent to being surrendered, and indignantly upbraided him for not given me notice of such intention, as I could have escaped with my division and joined General Joe Johnston, then in North Carolina. Furthermore, that I should inform my men of the purpose to surrender, and that whoever desired to escape that calamity could go with me, and galloped off to carry this idea into effect. Before reaching my troops, however, General Gordon overtook me, and placing his hand upon my shoulder, asked me if I were going to desert the army and tarnish my own honor as a soldier, and said that it would be a reflection upon General Lee and an indelible disgrace to me, if I, an officer in the rank, should escape under a flag of truce, which was then pending. I was in a dilemma and knew not what to do; but finally concluded to say nothing on the subject to my troops. Upon reaching them, one of the soldiers asked if General Lee had surrendered, and upon my answering that I feared it was a fact that we had been surrendered, he cast away his musket and holding his hands aloft, cried in an agonized voice, 'Blow, Gabriel, blow! My God let him Blow; I am ready to die!' We then went beyond the creek at Appomattox Court House, stacked arms amid the bitter tears of bronzed veterans, regretting the necessity of capitulation. Among the incidents ever fresh in my memory of this fatal day to the Confederacy is the remark of a private soldier. When riding up to my old regiment to shake by the hand each comrade who had followed me through four years of suffering, toil, and privation often worse than death, to bid them a final, affectionate, and, in many instances, an eternal farewell, a cadaverous, ragged, barefooted man grasped me by the hand, and choking with sobs said, 'Goodbye General: God bless you; we will go home, make three more crops and then try them again.' I mention this instance simply to show the spirit, the pluck and the faith of our men in the justice of our cause, and that they surrendered more too grim famine than to the prowess of our enemies."