Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 33.djvu/195

 The Last Charge at Appomattox. 191

THE LAST CHARGE AT APPOMATTOX. (See ante pages 69 to 70).

[The following from the Baltimore Sun, of February 7, 1906, is published herein at the request of a correspondent. EDITOR.]

The last Fighting at Appomattox.

Messrs. Editors:

That the last blow was struck, the last shot fired in defense of the Confederacy at Appomattox by the First Maryland, as claimed by "ExConfederate" and Col. W. A. Morgan, of the First Virginia Cav- alry, who that day was in command of Lomax's brigade, is not borne out by the facts that did occur on that day. If you will allow me space in your valuable paper I will tell the story as I saw it. On the morning of the gth, at 7 o'clock, Gen. Fitzhugh Lee's division of cavalry, commanded by|Gen. T. T. Munford, made a detour to the right of our army, passing in the rear of Gen. Grant's forces until we reached the road leading from Appomattox to Lynchburg, our forces skirmishing with the enemy the entire route.

When the Lynchburg road was reached Companies C and F of the First Virginia Cavalry were ordered in the direction of Ap- pomattox Court House. We moved down the road a short dis- tance and halted. Col. Wooldridge, of the Fourth Virginia Cav- alry, was in command of Munford' s brigade. General Munford ordered Colonel Wooldridge to hold the road leading to Appomat- tox Court House at all hazards. The writer was in command of the squadron composed of C and F, First Virginia Cavalry. My orders were to charge the enemy as soon as he came in sight. As we sat upon our horses the enemy came in view. They formed in line of battle, their lines stretching far to our right and left. It seemed to be the whole of Sheridan's cavalry corps. The enemy put out a heavy skirmish line. I ordered my squadron to deploy as skirmishers to meet the enemy. We opened on them; they re- turned the fire arid advanced upon us; there were other troops on my right and left engaged with the enemy. They forced us back some distance and the firing continued briskly until the enemy commenced to fall back to their main line, when we followed them