The Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry in the Closing Scenes of the War for the Maintenance of the Union Part 2

We encamped for the night in the yard of the Female Inst.i.tute building, and we were a tired but happy band. The next day, April 4th, was quiet.

The infernal condition of fire, smoke and explosion and continuous bursting of sh.e.l.ls was changed to a scene of waste and ruin wrought in the fire district, which covered about one third of the city. The day was made eventful by the appearance of President Lincoln in the city. He came up from City Point and walked up the street alone with his boy. General Devens immediately received him. Mr. Lincoln met with a splendid ovation from the troops and the colored people as he rode about the city. He rode in a carriage accompanied by General Devens and other officers, escorted by a detail of cavalry from E and H squadrons of the 4th Ma.s.sachusetts cavalry, commanded by Captain A. F. Ray.

On the morning of April 5th, the detachment that composed the detail that first entered Richmond on the morning of April 3, 1865, started to join its regiment, commanded by Colonel Washburn. They were with General Ord commanding the army of the James in pursuit of General Lee's retreating forces. We proceeded by way of Petersburg through Dinwiddie County and Amelia Courthouse to Burkeville Junction, arriving there April 7th. There we found that Colonel Washburn's command was engaged at High Bridge the day before, meeting with heavy loss, but emerging from the conflict with much honor and a splendid record of achievement.

The engagement is well described by our comrade, Captain Bouve of the 4th Ma.s.sachusetts cavalry and will interest surviving comrades of the regiment, and all who love the defenders of their country. Colonel Washburn and many others of our regiment were in the field hospital at Burkeville Junction and Captain Ray and Lieutenant Miller visited them, and returning to our camp, gave us a graphic description of the charges of our comrades the day before. Colonel Washburn survived his injuries only a few days. He told Captain Ray that "if I had the whole of the 4th regiment with me I would have annihilated Fitz Hugh Lee and Rosser." This was the marvelous courage and spirit of the man, "a gentleman and a soldier."

We immediately started on to report to the headquarters of the army of the Potomac. All the way from Petersburg there was evidence of conflict. At Amelia Courthouse we found the remnants of Ewell's corps of the Confederate army. Artillery, wagons and ammunition piled up in disorder; from people along the way reports of fighting. The Confederate troops hurriedly pa.s.sed down the highway, to be immediately followed by the blue lines of federal troops. On the morning of the ninth of April we began to catch up with the army of the Potomac.

Through the lines of the sixth and ninth corps we rode, until early in the afternoon came the report that Lee had surrendered. You ought to have seen the faces of the soldiers of the army of the Potomac then. They looked like heroes to me. When we reached the Confederate lines we kept on through their camps and landed at General Meade's headquarters at Appomattox C. H., where we were immediately put on duty to a.s.sist in the work of paroling and disbanding the Confederate army.

A detail from my squadron went to Lynchburg one afternoon with General Gibbons returning in the night. When the arrangements of paroling the Confederate army were complete and General Lee was at liberty to depart from his army, an order came from army headquarters for a detail of cavalry to escort General Lee from his lines. The escort was made up from the 4th Ma.s.sachusetts cavalry and I was privileged to be one of them.

Sixteen men composed the platoon and Lieutenant Lovell of our regiment was in command. I was right guide of the detail, and I thought at the time that we were pretty good representatives of the Union cavalry.

We had H guidon with us which was one of the flags that was the first in Richmond. We went to General Lee's headquarters and Lieutenant Lovell reported to General Lee.

He was courteously received and asked to wait until General Lee and his staff had breakfast and completed arrangements for their departure. We dismounted a short distance away. General Lee seated himself at a table made from a hard tack box and ate his last breakfast (consisting of hard tack, fried pork and coffee without milk), with the army of Northern Virginia. He was dressed in a neat, gray uniform and was a splendid looking soldier. Commanding officers of corps and divisions of the Confederate army and other officers then came to take leave of him. He was a short distance from me and his conversation was evidently words of encouragement and advice. Almost every one of the officers went away in tears. Then we mounted, and General Lee's party started through the lines of the remnant of the Army of Northern Virginia for his home in Richmond.

Then commenced an ovation that seemed to me a wonderful manifestation of confidence and affection for this great military chieftain. From the time we left his camp till we pa.s.sed the last of his regiments the men seemed to come from everywhere and the "Rebel Yell" was continuous. The little guidon of our squadron fluttered in the breeze and seemed silently to voice the sentiment of Webster, "Liberty and Union now and forever, one and inseparable."

The war was truly over and General Lee was departing for his home to devote the remainder of his life in peaceful pursuits. We continued with him a short distance in Buckingham County where the party halted. General Lee rode up to Lieutenant Lovell and thanked him for the escort, and saluted as he went his way, while we returned to Appomattox. At night the army of Northern Virginia was gone. The Union army was preparing to take up the line of march for their homes. The years of achievement and sacrifice have been commented on by eloquent orators. I have endeavored to pen a simple narrative to mention events as they appeared to me.

When the army started from Appomattox they were rejoiced to contemplate changed conditions. At night camp fires were burning. The dangerous duty of picket and scouting and fighting was a thing of the past. Everybody felt elated and happy.

The news of President Lincoln's a.s.sa.s.sination came, and quiet and sadness reigned. It seemed a great pity that this should come to put a nation in mourning, at a time when rejoicing for the Nation redeemed, was universal.

Our detachment returned to Richmond and we remained with our regiment, doing duty in restoring order in and around Petersburg and Richmond until late in the fall of 1865 when we were mustered out, the last Ma.s.sachusetts Volunteer Regiment to return home.

Death of the War Horse

The Death of the Old War Horse which Col Tilden of the Sixteenth Maine rode during the war, prompted the Rev. Nathaniel Butler to write the following lines.

The sentiment expressed naturally appeals to anyone and especially to a soldier who rode a horse during the war to maintain the Union.

Farewell, my horse! thy work is done, Thy splendid form lies low, Thy limbs of steel have lost their strength, Thy flas.h.i.+ng eye its glow.

No more thy quivering nostrils sniff The battle from afar, No more beneath thy flying feet The plains with thunder jar.

For thou wert born a hero soul, In days when heroes fought, When men, borne by thy glorious strength, Immortal laurels sought.

Seated upon thy nerve-strung form, Another life was mine, And well I knew the same high thrill Ran through my soul and thine.

A throne thou wert to sit upon, And true as steel within, Whene'er I felt thy brave heart beat, My own has braver been.

And when the bugle's call to Charge Over the column ran, Thy arching crest, "with thunder clothed,"

Loved best to lead the van.

Upon the march, with tireless feet, Through mountain, gorge and plain, When others strayed thy place was kept, Through all the long campaign.

But now, thy last, long halt is made: Thy last campaign is o'er; The bugle call, the battle shout Shall thrill thee never more.

Where art thou gone--old friend and true?

What place hast thou to fill?

For it may be thy spirit form Somewhere is marching still.

Here there are those whom we call men, Whose souls full well I know Another life may not deserve One-half so well as thou.

And natures such as thine has been Another life may claim, And G.o.d may have a place for them Within his wide domain.

His armies tread their glorious march Over the eternal plain, Their leader rides a snow white steed, Who follow in his train?

We may not ever meet again; But, wheresoe'er I go, A cherished place within my heart Thou'lt have, old friend, I know.

G.o.d made us both, and we have marched Firm friends whilst thou wert here; I only know I shall not blush To meet thee anywhere.