Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/74

 68 Southern Historical Society Papers.

ters short by calling on General Crittenden for his opinion. "My opinion is that the war is over," said he. It was determined to dis- band the artillery, allowing officers and men (the horses and mules were distributed among the latter) to join such commands as they chose. The following order, now in my possession, was received :

" HEADQUARTERS DEP'T S. W. VA. & E. T., Christiansburg, Va., April i2th, 1865.

" The artillery of this department having been this day disbanded, Major R. C. M. Page, Chief of Artillery, and Lieutenant). H. Coch- ran, his adjutant, are hereby permitted to join any command they may select.

" By order Brigadier-General John Echols. J

"J. STODDARD JOHNSTON, A. A. G."

Lieutenant Cochran and myself went to the house of Mr. Tebbs, in Christiansburg, and got something to eat. We gave him as pay our mess-chest and cooking utensils, consisting of one skillet and a few iron knives and forks, tin plates, etc. When we got back to camp, General Echols and most of his command had already departed, with the purpose of joining General Joseph E. Johnston. We then determined to return to Northern Virginia and join Mosby, but learning on the way that Johnston had also surrendered, we went to our respective homes, he to Loudoun county, Virginia, and I to Albemarle. Neither of us had a cent of money, but at Christians- burg, just before the break-up, Lieutenant Branham lent me five dol- lars in gold, which we found was a perfect Godsend. I returned the amount afterwards, as soon as Lieutenant Branham sent me his ad- dress. I had drawn no pay for some time, so that the Confederate States owed me, for back pay, about $1,600. The excuse was that Confederate money was too scarce to pay off the troops ! Early in May, after consulting with Hon. W. C. Rives, formerly United States Senator from Virginia, I went to Richmond with Captain George C. Dickinson, formerly of New York, and in the Capitol building we took the oath of allegiance to the United States of America before General Patrick, of Ord's command. It is safe to say that it is one oath, at least, I have never broken. Saw Sherman's forty thousand men pass through en route to Washington.