Taken from an article in the Maine Bugle

Since Appomattox Court House is under discussion, I will write a paper giving my personal experience on that memorable occasion. I shall use the government map to designate the different points occupied by our command during that day, but in so doing I do not claim to be absolutely correct. I give the reports of General McKenzie (correct spelling is MacKenzie), Colonel Evans, and Lieutenant Colonel Stratton, all of which show where our brigade was engaged on the 9th of April.

The cavalry of the Army of the James started on the Appomattox campaign with a division organization composed of two brigades, commanded by Brigadier-General R.E. McKenzie. The effective strength of the command when it took the field the 28th of March was 54 officers and 1,629 men. On the 8th of April, the division was consolidated into a brigade, which was more in keeping with its paucity, both as to organizations and men. The brigade was composed of the following cavalry organizations: The First Maryland, the Fifth and Eleventh Pennsylvania regiments, the District of Columbia battalion, and Company G of the Twentieth New York, and was temporarily attached to General Crook’s division.

The march of the brigade on the 8th of April was comparatively uneventful until about sunset, when we began to hear lively cannonading ahead of us some distance. As we continued on our march we could hear the noise of railroad trains, the locomotives were whistling continually—now rapidly approaching, and then as rapidly receding from us. All of us were now on the qui vive to learn the meaning of these unusual proceedings. We did not have long to wait, for we soon arrived at Ever Green Station, which is about five miles from Appomattox Court House, where we were informed that General Custer was having a successful engagement in the vicinity of Appomattox Station. He had captured three railroad trains loaded with stores and rations for the hungry men and animals of General Lee’s army. Custer had ordered these trains to the rear. Engineers were detailed from the ranks of his command for that purpose. They were running the trains back and forth, whistling like demons, to give vent to their joy. They did not stop until compelled to, either by order of General Sheridan, who was passing just then, or from lack of steam, I do not remember which.

Just as my squadron was crossing the track a short distance beyond (north) the station, I was ordered to take charge of the trains which were standing just north of the crossing. I immediately obeyed the order, and posted guards. The first thing I did was to go into the cab of the forward locomotive, where I found a lieutenant of the Fifth New York Cavalry and the conductor of the train engaged in an interesting conversation regarding the events that were then taking place. The conductor seemed to be well posted as to the state of affairs within the enemy’s lines; among other things he said, was, from all he could learn, Lee would surrender the next day if he was pushed. This statement seemed very forcible to me, for I knew General Grant was pushing Lee to the uttermost, and there was no doubt in my mind but that the next day would be a repetition of the preceding ones of the week just ending, so when hostilities ceased the next day I felt sure that the end had come. I distinctly remember that which gave weight to what the conductor had told us regarding extremities to which the enemy was reduced had been corroborated every day during the campaign by prisoners and deserters from the rebel army. The conductor and lieutenant were both members of the Masonic fraternity, and their conversation naturally drifted to that subject, so from the fact that "two is a company and three is a crowd," I withdrew and returned to my command.

After supper, we resolved to look through the cars, but our lights being very limited, and being very tired, we concluded to postpone the examination till the next day. But alas for human hopes! never was the maxim ,"Don’t put off till tomorrow, what can he done to-day," better illustrated than in our case, for about midnight I was relieved by an infantry officer of the Twenty fifth Corps. All that I remember concerning the captured trains is, that there was a confused mass of all sorts of army supplies. Custer’s men had the reputation of being good foragers, and their reputation did not suffer any on this occasion. My men got all the sugar and bacon they wanted and maybe some other things in the shape of rations for their share of the spoils.

Owing to the lateness of the hour I remained where I was till morning, when I received an order to rejoin my regiment immediately, I had anticipated this order, however, and was soon on my way. As I came out of the timber near Cheatham’s, Colonel Doubleday was massing his colored brigade of the Twenty-fifth Corps (temporarily attached to Foster’s Division of the Twenty-fourth Corps), to the left of the road. It was a beautiful sight. The uniforms of the men were comparatively clean, and the first rays of the rising sun falling on their guns made them shine like burnished silver. As near as I can remember, I found the brigade (McKenzie’s) in the vicinity of W. Ingh’s place. It remained there some little time before it moved forward. When we advanced, we moved in a northerly direction, with the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry in the lead, and my squadron was in the advance of the regiment. We had not gone far when we came in sight of the advancing enemy. I was sent with my squadron to guard our left flank; this took me out of the fight, and made me a spectator some time. I took position, as near as I can determine, to the north of the Lynchburg road, on the bluffs in the timber east of Marshall’s. While there, I saw the enemy's cavalry as it passed around our left flank. Our troops being forced back by the enemy’s infantry, I fell back with them.

Colonel Young of the Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanding Crook’s second brigade, in his report of the Appomattox campaign, speaks of a rebel cavalry regiment which charged through an interval between Smith’s and McKenzie’s line and the Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry, counter-charging and capturing the colors of the rebel regiment. I remember this melee very distinctly, and, as near as I can determine, it was in the timber between Durrum's and R. Christian’s. About this time the Twenty-fourth Corps came up. I moved further to our left. Soon, however, I received an order to rejoin my regiment, which must have been between Singleton’s and W. C. Martin’s; at any rate, it was not far from where General Davies was having a fight with the enemy’s cavalry. Davies was just about to take a hand when hostilities suddenly ceased.

Word was soon passed along the line that there was a flag of truce from the enemy’s lines. I felt sure that the conductor knew what he was talking about the previous evening; that the end had come, and the war was over.

Not long after this our brigade went into bivouac near the Widow Robertson’s place. About this time I had occasion to go where the colored troops were halted in line; I never saw a happier lot of mortals in my life. They took the whole credit of the day’s success to themselves. On every hand I could hear them saying, "When dee rebels seed dee coons cummin dey knowed dey got to gib up; dey couldent stand dee coons," and many similar expressions. I did not envy "the coons," however, for there was glory enough for us all.

After dinner, I rode out in direction of the Court House. I saw General Grant on his way that place to meet General Lee, to arrange the terms of surrender. General Grant was accompanied by quite a retinue of officers. The records show that General Grant arrived at the Court House about one o’clock p.m., which coincides with my recollection.

I will now notice some of your statements in the MAINE BUGLE for January, 1893, regarding Appomattox Court House. Fitzhugh Lee is partially correct in the statement that two pieces of artillery were captured from our men at Appomattox Court House. The enemy captured two pieces of battery "M," First United States artillery, which was temporarily attached to McKenzie’s brigade on that occasion. Only one of the pieces was lost, however, for the sergeant in charge of one of the pieces got back to our lines with his piece, and men, before hostilities ceased. Any one wishing to know more about this affair, can consult General McKenzie’s report of Appomattox campaign in the Rebellion records. I have authority for the above statement from Major E. Van A. Andrews of the Third United States artillery, who was one of lieutenants (but not in command of the section, however,) of the battery, and was with it on the occasion above referred to.

Major Van Andrews wrote me recently, quoting from the retained papers of battery "M" for his authority, concerning his version of affair. General McKenzie seems to have been somewhat sensitive over the affair, and declares in his report, that one of the pieces was never captured, but I consider the retained papers the best authority. Major Van Andrews says the lost piece was restored to the commander of the battery immediately after the surrender. In regard to General McKenzie’s position at Appomattox Court House, I quote from his official report (for which see Rebellion Records) and also the reports of Colonel Evans of the First Maryland, and Lieutenant Colonel Stratton of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, which shows very nearly where the command went into action.

General McKenzie, in his report, says: ‘‘On the morning of April 9th, the command…was moved to the left of General Crook’s division, at a point about one and one-half miles from Appomattox Court House, and immediately on the road to Lynchburg…By his (General Crook) direction, I sent the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry some distance to the left of the road, to guard the left flank. Soon afterward the enemy attacked. I was ordered by General Crook, through one of his staff, to withdraw slowly when it became necessary, as it would be, he stated, very soon. The enemy had for some time been moving a column of cavalry to our left and rear, while he attacked with infantry in front. There would have been no trouble in repulsing the enemy from our immediate front, but the attack came so soon after our arrival, that the connection I had commenced establishing between my right and General Crook’s left could not be made. The Fifth Pennsylvania, the First District of Columbia, and the First Maryland were dismounted and formed across the road, and after some sharp firing, were slowly withdrawn down the road."

Colonel Andrew W. Evans says in his report of the affair: "The whole regiment dismounted,…had position directly upon the south side of the high road from Appomattox Court House to Lynchburg, about one mile and one half distance from the former place."

Colonel Stratton, commanding the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, says: "On the morning of the 9th of April we moved out of the main road from Appomattox Court House to Lynchburg, about a mile westerly from the Court House, this regiment having the advance." General McKenzie says he sent the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry some distance to the left of the Lynchburg road. I do not think that the regiment went very far to the left of that road, however, for there was quite an interval between my squadron and the left flank of the regiment, and as previously stated in this paper, I was in the timber east of Marshall’s, and at the furtherest I could not have been much over one half mile north of the Lynchburg road.