Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 37.djvu/185

Rh artillery about one-half the artillery of Lee's army, without any infantry or cavalry with it would have fallen an easy prey to his ambitious cavalry. After spending nearly the whole night of the 8th in marching around Sheridan, in the attempt to reunite the army, when it was light, finding that was impossible, Jones' artillery moved on to Lynchburg and reported to General L. L. Lomax, in command there, and Walker buried his guns near an old church and disbanded his command.

On the 9th General Lee ordered Gordon and Fitz Lee to drive Sheridan away, that the army might resume its march, which they did very promptly, but found that Ord was there also and further efforts must be vain.

The surrender of the army was then arranged for and the officers and men paroled.

This ended the career of the Army of Northern Virginia, and the downfall of the Confederate States quickly followed.

There were paroled 28,231 officers and men. But of that number only about 11,000 bearing arms, the rest, in the main, belonged to the class of "Impedimenta."

From their organization, "The Army of the Potomac," and "The Army of Northern Virginia," had confronted each other, had manœuvered and fought with skill and valor, if ever, but seldom equaled, and had elevated warfare to an ethical plane never contemplated before. How rapidly the names that were conspicuous in the history of "The Army of the Potomac," has disappeared from its rolls in succession. In November, 1864, Hancock, the hero of its one acknowledged victory, "The battle of Gettysburg," took his leave, and Warren, in the moment of triumph, was retired from command. Meade's was almost the only conspicuous name left on the rolls when the crowning victory came. None of those who had been its most conspicuous figures were to be participants in the final triumph. None of them possessed the special qualifications that the administration required, or else they possessed qualities not conformable to its purposes. Of them, Meade, almost alone, appeared in the