The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

122 THE MAINE BUGLE.
Flow." And hundreds, perhaps thousands of glad hearts gave
voice to that old doxology.
Sweet was the rest of that historic Sabbath and at the early
dawn of Monday the very atmosphere seemed to breath forth
peace, with this came the most intense longings for home, and
desire to breath again the air of the dear old Pine Tree State.
But every thing in the movements appeared to say " Not Yet."
Our rations were necessarily divided with the prisoners, leav-
ing us a little short; but who murmured? the war was virtually
over, these prisoners were no longer our foes and the most
kindly' feelings seemed to prevail towards them among the
"Boys in Blue." Preparations were now made for delivering up
the rebel arms, and as column after column marched in and
stacked guns, now^ silent and harmless, we thought of the
promised time when "swords shall be beaten into ploughshares
and spears into pruning hooks," and we were glad. But there
came somewhat of a check to our joy when we saw tliat the of-
ficers were allowed to retain their side arms ;
and
we did think
that the terms of surrender, granted by our magnanimous commanding
general, were unwarrantedly generous. Yet who shall
say that the magnaninity that dwelt so richly in the heart of
Gen. Grant did not infuse itself into the breasts of many of the
ex-soldiers of the Union making them better men and better
citizens.
I went down into the Confederate camp on Monday or Tues-
day, and such a picture of wretchedness among men and suffering
among beasts I have never seen. Meeting a little company
of North Carolina soldiers, one of them declared, " I am glad
this thing is over." " So am I," heartily responded every one.
They tried to depict to me the sufferings they had endured from
hunger, cold and fatigue on that forced march, from the 2d, to
the 9th, of April they had had nothing to eat but dry corn on
the cob, an ear to a man, morning and night, each day, except
two rations of corncake when they first left Richmond. Their
emaciated form clothed in rags told more than their words
could. And from that moment the last spark of enmity in my
->