Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 33.djvu/74

 70 Southern Historical Society Papers.

in the last charge made by their regiment, the Fourteenth Virginia Cavalry, at Appomattox on the gth of April, 1865, Captain Bouldin being in command of the regiment and Mr. Gaines commanding the company at the time. Two pieces of artillery were captured from the Federals and a number of prisoners taken in the course of that last charge and two of the Fourteenth regiment's men were killed. These are important facts in connection with the history of that eventful day, but there is more. Mr. Gaines is just from Appomat- tox, where he went over the field with Senator John W. Daniel and Hon. H. D. Flood. He took particular pains to trace the movements of his regiment on that memorable day. He located the identical spot at which the two pieces of Federal artillery were tak- en, and it is three-quarters of a mile northwest and in advance of the North Carolina monument. However, this was not the limit of the Fourteenth Cavalry's advance movement. Mr. Gaines found still standing an old log kitchen which was pierced by a sold shot from a cannon during the fight. An old negro woman inside had one of her arms torn from her body by the missile and died from her injuries. The old kitchen btill shows the shot holes. Mr. Gaines still remembered that not far from that spot he and a com- panion sheltered behind an old stone chimney while they reloaded their pistols. The chimney has been removed, but Mr. Gaines found the foundation and talked with the man who hauled the old landmark away since the war. It is estimated that this is a mile in advance of the North Carolina monument; but the Fourteenth Cavalry attained a position probably a half mile in advance of that, having pressed the enemy through a dense bit of woods and un- dergrowth. At this point General Custer was captured, but in the confusion made his escape. Soon after this incident, orders were received to fall back.