received: that General Lee had surrendered two days before at Appomattox
Court-House, yielding to overwhelming numbers; that this afternoon when
he had first heard the report he had questioned its truth, but that it
had been confirmed by one of their own men, and no longer admitted
of doubt; that the rest of their own force, it was learned, had been
captured, or had disbanded, and the enemy was now on both sides of the
mountain; that a demand had been made on him that morning to surrender
too; but that he had orders which he felt held good until they were
countermanded, and he had declined. Later intelligence satisfied him
that to attempt to hold out further would be useless, and would involve
needless waste of life; he had determined, therefore, not to attempt to
hold their position longer; but to lead them out, if possible, so as to
avoid being made prisoners and enable them to reach home sooner and
aid their families. His orders were not to let his guns fall into the
enemy's hands, and he should take the only step possible to prevent it.
In fifty minutes he should call the battery into line once more, and
roll the guns over the cliff into the river, and immediately afterwards,
leaving the wagons there, he would try to lead them across the mountain,
and as far as they could go in a body without being liable to capture,
and then he should disband them, and his responsibility for them would
end. As it was necessary to make some preparations he would now dismiss
them to prepare any rations they might have and get ready to march.

All this was in the formal manner of a common order of the day; and the
old Colonel had spoken in measured sentences, with little feeling in his
voice. Not a man in the line had uttered a word after the first
sound, half exclamation, half groan, which had burst from them at the
announcement of Lee's surrender. After that they had stood in their
tracks like rooted trees, as motionless as those on the mountain behind
them, their eyes fixed on their commander, and only the quick heaving up
and down the dark line, as of horses over-laboring, told of the emotion
which was shaking them. The Colonel, as he ended, half-turned to his
subordinate officer at the end of the dim line, as though he were about
to turn the company over to him to be dismissed; then faced the line
again, and taking a step nearer, with a sudden movement of his hands
towards the men as though he would have stretched them out to them