Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/253

 From Petersburg to Appomattox. x 245

A SIGHT OF GENERAL LEE.

I told the men to supply themselves with rations out of the cut down and broken up wagons which the Yankees had left near Flat Creek, and we had a plenty of raw provisions for the time being.

We marched on together, crossing Appomattox River on a ferryboat near High Bridge, and got to Farmville on Thursday evening. Our rations had now given out, but a Confederate commissary at Farmville gave us a new supply, which lasted us to the end. We spent that Thursday night in Farmville.

On the next morning (Friday) I took my ten men and marched towards the county bridge that crosses the Appomattox, nut far from Farmville. I met General Pendleton on the eastern side of the bridge and inquired for Haskell's battalion. He told me that it was coming on, and in a short time I met Colonell Haskell on the Richmond side of the bridge with two batteries of his battalion, which had been marching with him. About this time General Robert E. Lee rode up at the head of a column of infantry. He halted the men on the eastern side of the river to stop their progress along the line of our subsequent march towards Appomattox. General Lee looked as he always did, and showed no sign of any discomfiture whatever.

THE FIGHT NEAR FARMVILLE.

We were now about a quarter of a mile from Farmville, and we marched about a mile farther on the road to Appomattox. I now saw a section of artillery that is, two guns of the Second Rock- bridge Battery on a hill in action, and which appeared to be it small brigade of infantry supporting them. A spirited skirmish was going on. I never saw men work guns better or more efficiently than did that section of that artillery. The infantry receded at one time behind the battery, where they were formed, and, advancing in fine trim, they charged and drove the enemy. It seemed to consist of infantry and artillery. I did not see any cavalry.

The result of this action was the capture of some seven hundred Federal prisoners, and the enemy were thrown back and defeated. I do not knou what command the Confederate infantry belonged to.

We remained in this position the afternoon of Friday. The Yankee prisoners were collected under a hill, and the skirmishing, mostly with artillery, continued until about dark. The missiles